Northwest Pipeline GP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Land and Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Planned Blue Bridge Pipeline Project and Request for Comments On Environmental Issues, 38611-38613 [E9-18551]
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mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 148 / Tuesday, August 4, 2009 / Notices
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Wednesday, August 05, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–843–000.
Applicants: CenterPoint Energy Gas
Transmission Company.
Description: CenterPoint Energy Gas
Transmission Company submits
Seventh Revised Sheet 1 et al to FERC
Gas Tariff, Sixth Revised Volume 1, to
be effective 8/26/09.
Filed Date: 07/27/2009.
Accession Number: 20090728–0068.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, August 10, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–844–000.
Applicants: Texas Gas Transmission,
LLC.
Description: Texas Gas Transmission,
LLC submits First Revised Sheet No 407
et al to its FERC Gas Tariff, Third
Revised Volume No 1, to be effective 9/
1/09.
Filed Date: 07/28/2009.
Accession Number: 20090729–0122.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, August 10, 2009.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of
Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211
and 385.214) on or before 5 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date. It
is not necessary to separately intervene
again in a subdocket related to a
compliance filing if you have previously
intervened in the same docket. Protests
will be considered by the Commission
in determining the appropriate action to
be taken, but will not serve to make
protestants parties to the proceeding.
Anyone filing a motion to intervene or
protest must serve a copy of that
document on the Applicant. In reference
to filings initiating a new proceeding,
interventions or protests submitted on
or before the comment deadline need
not be served on persons other than the
Applicant.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First St. NE., Washington DC 20426.
The filings in the above proceedings
are accessible in the Commission’s
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eLibrary system by clicking on the
appropriate link in the above list. They
are also available for review in the
Commission’s Public Reference Room in
Washington, DC. There is an
eSubscription link on the Web site that
enables subscribers to receive e-mail
notification when a document is added
to a subscribed dockets(s). For
assistance with any FERC Online
service, please e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–18500 Filed 8–3–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF09–10–000]
Northwest Pipeline GP; Notice of Intent
To Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement and Land and Resource
Management Plan Amendment for the
Planned Blue Bridge Pipeline Project
and Request for Comments On
Environmental Issues
July 28, 2009.
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
that will discuss the environmental
impacts of the planned Blue Bridge
Pipeline Project involving construction
and operation of facilities by Northwest
Pipeline GP (Northwest) in Benton,
Klickitat, Skamania, and Clark Counties,
Washington. This EIS will be used by
the Commission in its decision-making
process to determine whether the
project is in the public convenience and
necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process that will be used to
gather input from the public and
interested agencies on the project. Your
input will help the Commission staff
and cooperating agencies determine
which issues need to be evaluated in the
EIS. Please note that the scoping period
for this project will close on August 30,
2009.
Comments may be submitted in
writing or verbally. Details on how to
submit written comments are provided
in the ‘‘Public Participation’’ section of
this notice. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, you are
invited to attend the two public scoping
meetings to verbally comment on the
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38611
project. The dates and locations of the
meetings are listed below and will be
posted on the Commission’s calendar at
www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx. All meetings are
scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Pacific
Daylight Time.
August 11, 2009—Goldendale, WA
Goldendale Grange #49
228 E. Darland Street
Goldendale, WA 98620
August 12, 2009—Stevenson, WA
Skamania Lodge
1131 SW Skamania Lodge Way
Stevenson, WA 98648
This notice is being sent to affected
landowners; federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes;
other interested parties in this
proceeding; and local libraries and
newspapers.
The FERC is the lead federal agency
for the preparation of the EIS. The U.S.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is
participating as a cooperating agency in
the preparation of the EIS because the
project would cross federallyadministered lands in Washington. The
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is
participating as a cooperating agency
because the project would cross the
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic
Area, and the Pacific Crest Trail in
Washington. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (COE) is also participating as
a cooperating agency.
The BLM has authority under the
Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C.
185) for granting a right-of-way over all
federal lands involved in the planned
project. As a cooperating agency, the
BLM intends to adopt the EIS per Title
40 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
Part 1506.3, to meet its NEPA
responsibilities for Northwest’s
application for a Right-of-Way Grant
and Temporary Use Permit for the
crossing of federally administered lands,
including BLM lands, the Gifford
Pinchot National Forest, the Columbia
River Gorge National Scenic Area, the
Pacific Crest Trail, and the Umatilla
National Wildlife Refuge. The Umatilla
National Wildlife Refuge is managed by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS). The concurrence or nonconcurrence of the USFS and FWS
would be considered in the BLM’s
decision, as well as impacts on
resources and programs and the
project’s conformance with land use
plans.
As planned, the Blue Bridge Pipeline
project does not follow a designated
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 148 / Tuesday, August 4, 2009 / Notices
utility corridor through the Gifford
Pinchot National Forest. If Blue Bridge’s
planned route were authorized, the
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Forest
Plan would need to be amended. The
USFS will use the EIS to consider
amending the Forest Plan to allow
pipeline construction outside of
designated utility corridors.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, you may be contacted by a
pipeline company representative about
the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
planned facilities. The company would
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the project is
approved by the Commission, that
approval conveys with it the right of
eminent domain. Therefore, if easement
negotiations fail to produce an
agreement, the pipeline company could
initiate condemnation proceedings in
accordance with state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ is available for viewing on
the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This
fact sheet addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings.
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Summary of the Planned Project
Northwest plans to construct and
operate a new pipeline to transport
natural gas from the Stanfield market
hub located near Stanfield, Oregon, to
major markets in the Pacific Northwest
along the Interstate 5 corridor, including
the Olympia and Seattle, Washington,
areas. All of the planned project
facilities would be located in
Washington. The planned Blue Bridge
project would transport up to 239,000
dekatherms per day of natural gas.
According to Northwest, its project
would allow its customers to meet
forecasted growing demand for natural
gas, diversify supply alternatives, and
increase reliability.
The planned Blue Bridge Project
would consist of the following facilities:
• Approximately 119.2 miles of 30inch diameter pipeline loop along the
Columbia River Gorge in Benton,
Klickitat, and Skamania Counties,
Washington; 1 and
• Install 15,015 horsepower of
additional compression at two existing
compressor stations near Plymouth
(Benton County) and Washougal (Clark
County).
1 A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an
existing pipeline to increase capacity.
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16:07 Aug 03, 2009
Jkt 217001
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.2
Note that the planned location of the
project has been modified since the
original Northwest filing and project
description dated June 1, 2009. On July
27, 2009, Northwest filed supplemental
information indicating that about 34
miles of planned pipeline route had
been removed from the project,
including portions of the planned route
in Klickitat, Skamania, and Clark
Counties, Washington. Additionally,
Northwest indicated that all previously
planned project activities in Lewis
County, Washington, have been
eliminated.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the planned facilities
would affect about 1,733 acres of land
for aboveground facilities, temporary
extra work areas, uncleared storage
areas, and the pipeline based on a
planned construction right-of-way that
typically would be 75-foot-wide.
Northwest would retain approximately
949 acres permanently during
operations as permanent right-of-way.
The remaining acreage that was used for
construction, but not needed as
permanent right-of-way, would be
restored and/or allowed to revert to
former uses. About 74 percent of the
planned pipeline route would parallel
existing pipeline, utility, or road rightsof-way.
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action
whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. NEPA also requires us to
discover and address concerns the
public may have about proposals. This
process is referred to as ‘‘scoping’’. The
main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the EIS on the
important environmental issues. By this
notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to
address in the EIS. All comments
received will be considered during the
preparation of the EIS.
In the EIS the FERC staff will discuss
impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the
2 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of
appendices are available on the Commission’s Web
site at the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link or from the Commission’s
Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502–8371. For
instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices
were sent to all those receiving this notice in the
mail.
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planned project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• Land use;
• Water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands;
• Cultural resources;
• Vegetation and wildlife;
• Air quality and noise;
• Endangered and threatened species;
and
• Public safety.
The FERC staff will also evaluate
reasonable alternatives to the planned
project or portions of the project, and
make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various
resource areas.
Although no formal application has
been filed, the FERC staff has already
initiated our NEPA review under the
Commission’s Pre-filing Process. The
purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to
encourage early involvement of
interested stakeholders and to identify
and resolve issues before an application
is filed with the FERC. As part of our
pre-filing review, the FERC staff has
begun to contact some federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in
the scoping process and the preparation
of the EIS.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be presented in the EIS. The
draft EIS will be mailed to those on our
environmental mailing list (see
discussion of how to remain on our
mailing list on page 7). A 90-day
comment period will be allotted for
review of the draft EIS. The FERC staff
will consider all timely comments and
revise the document, as necessary,
before issuing a final EIS. To ensure
your comments are considered, please
carefully follow the instructions in the
public participation section below.
With this notice, the FERC is formally
asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of
the EIS. These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated the
proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Agencies that would
like to request cooperating agency status
should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided under the Public
Participation section of this notice.
Currently, the BLM, USFS, and the COE
have expressed their intention to
participate as a cooperating agency in
the preparation of the EIS to satisfy their
NEPA responsibilities related to this
project.
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 148 / Tuesday, August 4, 2009 / Notices
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
The FERC staff has already identified
several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review
of the planned facilities and the
environmental information provided by
Northwest. This preliminary list of
issues may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis.
• Geohazards, including areas with
high landslide potential;
• Sensitive waterbody crossings and
wetlands;
• Fisheries and wildlife;
• Endangered and rare species,
including the northern spotted owl and
several salmonid species;
• Crossing of the Columbia River
Gorge National Scenic Area and
associated viewsheds;
• Crossing of the Gifford Pinchot
National Forest;
• Crossing of the Umatilla National
Wildlife Refuge;
• Crossing of the Pacific Crest Trail;
• Impacts to forested areas, including
late successional reserve/old growth
areas;
• Cultural resources, including areas
of interest to Native American Tribes;
• Pipeline safety and reliability; and
• Residential areas.
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project.
Your comments should focus on the
potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to
avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
The more specific your comments, the
more useful they will be. To ensure that
your comments are timely and properly
recorded, please send in your comments
so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before August 30,
2009.
For your convenience, there are three
methods in which you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In
all instances, please reference the
project docket number [PF09–10–000]
with your submission. The Commission
encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert eFiling staff
available to assist you at 202–502–8258
or efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You may file your comments
electronically by using the Quick
Comment feature, which is located on
the Commission’s internet Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov under the link to
Documents and Filings. A Quick
Comment is an easy method for
interested persons to submit text-only
comments on a project;
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16:07 Aug 03, 2009
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(2) You may file your comments
electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the
Commission’s Internet Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov under the link to
Documents and Filings. eFiling involves
preparing your submission in the same
manner as you would if filing on paper,
and then saving the file on your
computer’s hard drive. You will attach
that file to your submission. New
eFiling users must first create an
account by clicking on ‘‘Sign up’’ or
‘‘eRegister.’’ You will be asked to select
the type of filing you are making. A
comment on a particular project is
considered a ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’; or
(3) You may file your comments with
the Commission via mail by sending an
original and two copies of your letter to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426.
Label one copy of the comments for
the attention of Gas Branch 3, PJ–11.3.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this
notice to all individuals, organizations,
and government entities interested in
and/or potentially affected by the
planned project. This includes all
landowners who are potential right-ofway grantors, whose property may be
used temporarily for project purposes,
or who own homes within certain
distances of aboveground facilities (as
defined in the Commission’s
regulations).
If you do not want to send comments
at this time but still want to remain on
our mailing list, please return the
Information Request (appendix 2). If you
do not return the Information Request,
you will be taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Northwest files its application
with the Commission, you may want to
become an ‘‘intervenor’’, which is an
official party to the proceeding.
Intervenors play a more formal role in
the process and are able to file briefs,
appear at hearings, and be heard by the
courts if they choose to appeal the
Commission’s final ruling. An
intervenor formally participates in a
Commission proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for
becoming an intervenor are included in
the User’s Guide under the ‘‘e-filing’’
link on the Commission’s Web site.
Please note that you may not request
intervenor status at this time. You must
wait until a formal application for the
project is filed with the Commission.
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38613
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at 1–866–208–FERC or on the FERC
Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the
eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link,
click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the
docket number, excluding the last three
digits, in the Docket Number field. Be
sure you have selected an appropriate
date range. For assistance, please
contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY, contact
(202) 502–8659. The eLibrary link also
provides access to the texts of formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now
offers a free service called eSubscription
which allows you to keep track of all
formal issuances and submittals in
specific dockets. This can reduce the
amount of time you spend researching
proceedings by automatically providing
you with notification of these filings,
document summaries and direct links to
the documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits
will be posted on the Commission’s
calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–18551 Filed 8–3–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OECA–2008–0300; FRL–8940–2]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; NESHAP for Shipbuilding
and Ship Repair Facilities—Surface
Coating (Renewal); EPA ICR Number
1712.06; OMB Control Number 2060–
0330
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.), this document announces
that an Information Collection Request
(ICR) has been forwarded to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and approval. This is a request
to renew an existing approved
E:\FR\FM\04AUN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38611-38613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18551]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF09-10-000]
Northwest Pipeline GP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and Land and Resource Management Plan
Amendment for the Planned Blue Bridge Pipeline Project and Request for
Comments On Environmental Issues
July 28, 2009.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
will discuss the environmental impacts of the planned Blue Bridge
Pipeline Project involving construction and operation of facilities by
Northwest Pipeline GP (Northwest) in Benton, Klickitat, Skamania, and
Clark Counties, Washington. This EIS will be used by the Commission in
its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the
public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process that will
be used to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the
project. Your input will help the Commission staff and cooperating
agencies determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EIS. Please
note that the scoping period for this project will close on August 30,
2009.
Comments may be submitted in writing or verbally. Details on how to
submit written comments are provided in the ``Public Participation''
section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to sending written
comments, you are invited to attend the two public scoping meetings to
verbally comment on the project. The dates and locations of the
meetings are listed below and will be posted on the Commission's
calendar at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx. All meetings
are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
August 11, 2009--Goldendale, WA
Goldendale Grange 49
228 E. Darland Street
Goldendale, WA 98620
August 12, 2009--Stevenson, WA
Skamania Lodge
1131 SW Skamania Lodge Way
Stevenson, WA 98648
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state,
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested
parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers.
The FERC is the lead federal agency for the preparation of the EIS.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is participating as a
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS because the project
would cross federally-administered lands in Washington. The U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) is participating as a cooperating agency because the
project would cross the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the Columbia
River Gorge National Scenic Area, and the Pacific Crest Trail in
Washington. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is also
participating as a cooperating agency.
The BLM has authority under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30
U.S.C. 185) for granting a right-of-way over all federal lands involved
in the planned project. As a cooperating agency, the BLM intends to
adopt the EIS per Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part
1506.3, to meet its NEPA responsibilities for Northwest's application
for a Right-of-Way Grant and Temporary Use Permit for the crossing of
federally administered lands, including BLM lands, the Gifford Pinchot
National Forest, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the
Pacific Crest Trail, and the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge. The
Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS). The concurrence or non-concurrence of the USFS
and FWS would be considered in the BLM's decision, as well as impacts
on resources and programs and the project's conformance with land use
plans.
As planned, the Blue Bridge Pipeline project does not follow a
designated
[[Page 38612]]
utility corridor through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. If Blue
Bridge's planned route were authorized, the Gifford Pinchot National
Forest, Forest Plan would need to be amended. The USFS will use the EIS
to consider amending the Forest Plan to allow pipeline construction
outside of designated utility corridors.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities.
The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement.
However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that approval
conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement
negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses
a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.
Summary of the Planned Project
Northwest plans to construct and operate a new pipeline to
transport natural gas from the Stanfield market hub located near
Stanfield, Oregon, to major markets in the Pacific Northwest along the
Interstate 5 corridor, including the Olympia and Seattle, Washington,
areas. All of the planned project facilities would be located in
Washington. The planned Blue Bridge project would transport up to
239,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas. According to Northwest, its
project would allow its customers to meet forecasted growing demand for
natural gas, diversify supply alternatives, and increase reliability.
The planned Blue Bridge Project would consist of the following
facilities:
Approximately 119.2 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline
loop along the Columbia River Gorge in Benton, Klickitat, and Skamania
Counties, Washington; \1\ and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an existing
pipeline to increase capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Install 15,015 horsepower of additional compression at two
existing compressor stations near Plymouth (Benton County) and
Washougal (Clark County).
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices are available
on the Commission's Web site at the ``eLibrary'' link or from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note that the planned location of the project has been modified
since the original Northwest filing and project description dated June
1, 2009. On July 27, 2009, Northwest filed supplemental information
indicating that about 34 miles of planned pipeline route had been
removed from the project, including portions of the planned route in
Klickitat, Skamania, and Clark Counties, Washington. Additionally,
Northwest indicated that all previously planned project activities in
Lewis County, Washington, have been eliminated.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the planned facilities would affect about 1,733
acres of land for aboveground facilities, temporary extra work areas,
uncleared storage areas, and the pipeline based on a planned
construction right-of-way that typically would be 75-foot-wide.
Northwest would retain approximately 949 acres permanently during
operations as permanent right-of-way. The remaining acreage that was
used for construction, but not needed as permanent right-of-way, would
be restored and/or allowed to revert to former uses. About 74 percent
of the planned pipeline route would parallel existing pipeline,
utility, or road rights-of-way.
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals.
This process is referred to as ``scoping''. The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on the important
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EIS. All comments
received will be considered during the preparation of the EIS.
In the EIS the FERC staff will discuss impacts that could occur as
a result of the construction and operation of the planned project under
these general headings:
Geology and soils;
Land use;
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
Cultural resources;
Vegetation and wildlife;
Air quality and noise;
Endangered and threatened species; and
Public safety.
The FERC staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the
planned project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has
already initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's Pre-filing
Process. The purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage early
involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve
issues before an application is filed with the FERC. As part of our
pre-filing review, the FERC staff has begun to contact some federal and
state agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and
the preparation of the EIS.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to those on our environmental mailing
list (see discussion of how to remain on our mailing list on page 7). A
90-day comment period will be allotted for review of the draft EIS. The
FERC staff will consider all timely comments and revise the document,
as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure your comments are
considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the public
participation section below.
With this notice, the FERC is formally asking agencies with
jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental
issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS.
These agencies may choose to participate once they have evaluated the
proposal relative to their responsibilities. Agencies that would like
to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for
filing comments provided under the Public Participation section of this
notice. Currently, the BLM, USFS, and the COE have expressed their
intention to participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of
the EIS to satisfy their NEPA responsibilities related to this project.
[[Page 38613]]
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
The FERC staff has already identified several issues that we think
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the planned
facilities and the environmental information provided by Northwest.
This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments
and our analysis.
Geohazards, including areas with high landslide potential;
Sensitive waterbody crossings and wetlands;
Fisheries and wildlife;
Endangered and rare species, including the northern
spotted owl and several salmonid species;
Crossing of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
and associated viewsheds;
Crossing of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest;
Crossing of the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge;
Crossing of the Pacific Crest Trail;
Impacts to forested areas, including late successional
reserve/old growth areas;
Cultural resources, including areas of interest to Native
American Tribes;
Pipeline safety and reliability; and
Residential areas.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send in your comments
so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before August 30,
2009.
For your convenience, there are three methods in which you can use
to submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please
reference the project docket number [PF09-10-000] with your submission.
The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert
eFiling staff available to assist you at 202-502-8258 or
efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick
Comment feature, which is located on the Commission's internet Web site
at https://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. A Quick
Comment is an easy method for interested persons to submit text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's Internet Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. eFiling
involves preparing your submission in the same manner as you would if
filing on paper, and then saving the file on your computer's hard
drive. You will attach that file to your submission. New eFiling users
must first create an account by clicking on ``Sign up'' or
``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you are
making. A comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment on
a Filing''; or
(3) You may file your comments with the Commission via mail by
sending an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 3,
PJ-11.3.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the planned project. This includes all landowners who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily
for project purposes, or who own homes within certain distances of
aboveground facilities (as defined in the Commission's regulations).
If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request
(appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be
taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Northwest files its application with the Commission, you may
want to become an ``intervenor'', which is an official party to the
proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and are
able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts if
they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site.
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time.
You must wait until a formal application for the project is filed with
the Commission.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits, in the Docket Number field. Be sure
you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please
contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary
link also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to
the documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-18551 Filed 8-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P