Tricor Ten Section Hub LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Ten Section Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting, 44838-44840 [E9-20848]
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44838
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 167 / Monday, August 31, 2009 / Notices
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Public Reference Room, 888 First Street,
NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC
20426, (202) 502–8371
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U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Wyoming State Office, 5353
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY
82003
Buffalo Field Office, 1425 Fort Street,
Buffalo, WY 82834
Montana State Office, 5001 Southgate
Drive, Billings, MT 59101
Miles City Field Office, 111 Garryowen
Road, Miles City MT 59301
North Dakota Field Office, 99 23rd
Avenue West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND
58601
A limited number of hard copies and
CD–ROMs of the draft EIS are available
from the FERC’s Public Reference Room
identified above. This draft EIS is also
available for public viewing on the
FERC’s Internet Web site at https://
www.ferc.gov. In addition, copies of the
draft EIS have been mailed to Federal,
State, and local government agencies;
elected officials; Native American tribes;
local libraries and newspapers;
intervenors in the FERC’s proceeding;
individuals who provided scoping
comments; affected landowners and
individuals who requested the draft EIS;
and new landowners identified as being
crossed by route alternatives either
recommended by FERC staff or still
under consideration.
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at 1–866–208–FERC (3372) or on the
FERC Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov). Using the ‘‘eLibrary’’
link, select ‘‘General Search’’ from the
eLibrary menu, enter the selected date
range and ‘‘Docket Number,’’ excluding
the last three digits in the Docket
Number field (i.e., CP09–161), and
follow the instructions. You may also
search using the phrase ‘‘Bison Pipeline
Project’’ in the ‘‘Text Search’’ field. For
assistance with access to eLibrary, the
helpline can be reached at 1–866–208–
3676, TTY (202) 502–8659, or at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The
eLibrary link on the FERC Internet Web
site also provides access to the texts of
formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices,
and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission offers a
free service called eSubscription that
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
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summaries, and direct links to the
documents. To register for this service,
go to https://www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–20852 Filed 8–28–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP09–432–000]
Tricor Ten Section Hub LLC; Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed Ten
Section Storage Project and Request
for Comments on Environmental
Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping
Meeting
August 21, 2009.
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of
the Ten Section Storage Project
involving construction and operation of
facilities proposed by Tricor Ten
Section Hub LLC (Tricor) in Kern
County, California. This EA will be used
by the Commission in its decisionmaking process to determine whether
the project is in the public convenience
and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process we will use to
gather input from the public and
interested agencies on the project. Your
input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues need to be
evaluated in the EA. Please note that the
scoping period will close on September
21, 2009.
Comments on the project may be
submitted in written form in a letter to
the Secretary of the Commission, or
verbally at the public scoping meeting.
Further details on how to submit
written comments are provided in the
Public Participation section of this
notice (page 5). In lieu of sending
written comments, we invite you to
attend a public scoping meeting
scheduled as follows:
FERC Public Scoping Meeting, Tricor
Ten Section Storage Project,
Thursday, September 10, 2009, 6:30
p.m., Bakersfield Marriott at the
Convention Center, 801 Truxtun Ave.,
Bakersfield, CA 93301. 661–323–
1900.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
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mailing for this project, which includes
affected landowners; Federal, State, and
local government agencies; elected
officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Indian tribes and Native
American organizations; parties to this
proceeding; and local libraries and
newspapers. State and local government
representatives are asked to notify their
constituents of this proposed project
and encourage them to comment on
their areas of concern.
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
proposed 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?’’ was attached to the project
notice Tricor provided to landowners.
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. It is also available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
On June 12, 2009, Tricor submitted its
application to the FERC under section
7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), in
Docket No. CP09–423–000. The FERC
issued a Notice of Application on June
23, 2009.
Tricor proposes to construct and
operate a natural gas storage field and
pipeline in unincorporated Kern
County, California. The storage facilities
would be within the existing Ten
Section oil and gas field, about 12 miles
southwest of the city of Bakersfield.
This field was first established in 1936,
and is still in operation. Between 1977
and 1982, the field was used to store
natural gas by two local distribution
companies (Pacific Gas and Electric
[PG&E] and Southern California Gas).
According to Tricor, its project would
provide natural gas storage services to
the interstate system in the
southwestern United States. Tricor
stated that the project would meet a
growing demand for firm and
interruptible storage services for
customers in the gas marketing,
distribution, transmission, production,
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31AUN1
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 167 / Monday, August 31, 2009 / Notices
and electric power generation
industries.
The Ten Section Storage Project
would consist of a 32.5 billion cubic
foot (Bcf) storage field with a working
capacity of 22.4 Bcf (with 10.1 Bcf of
cushion gas). The storage facilities
would be designed to inject natural gas
into underground storage at a maximum
rate of 0.8 Bcf/d, and withdraw natural
gas from storage at a maximum rate of
about 1.0 Bcf/d. The Ten Section
Storage Project would consist of the
following facilities:
• 26 new gas injection and
withdrawal wells drilled within 5 well
pads at the field;
• 9 existing oil production wells
converted into observation wells;
• 5 existing water disposal wells used
for the same purpose;
• New 42,000 horsepower electric
driven compressor station;
• 2 new 20-inch-diameter field
pipelines (high pressure and low
pressure), extending for a total of 1.8
miles, connecting the gas injection/
withdrawal wells to the Tricor
compressor station;
• New 4-inch-diameter water disposal
pipeline, extending for 1.1 miles,
connecting the 5 water disposal wells to
the produced water tank at the
compressor station;
• New 36-inch-diameter bidirectional header pipeline, extending
for 20.4 miles, between the Tricor
compressor station and the existing
Kern River Gas Transmission Company
(Kern) interstate pipeline; and
• New metering and regulating
station at the interconnection with the
Kern pipeline.
Non-jurisdictional facilities associated
with the project would include:
• New electric substation to be built
and operated by PG&E about 1.5 miles
southwest of the storage field;
• New 230-kilovolt transmission line,
about 1.6-miles-long, to be built and
operated by PG&E, connecting the new
electric substation with the Tricor
compressor station; and
• New 10-inch-diameter crude oil
pipeline, extending for 0.3-mile,
between the Tricor compressor station
and the existing facilities of Kern Oil
and Refining Company.
The general location of the Project
facilities is shown in Appendix 1.1
1 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at https://
www.ferc.gov using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ 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.
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14:57 Aug 28, 2009
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed
jurisdictional facilities would disturb a
total of about 400 acres of land.
Following construction, about 179 acres
would be maintained for permanent
operation of the project’s facilities. The
remaining temporary construction
acreage would be restored and allowed
to revert to former uses. About 83
percent of the construction right-of-way
is agricultural land, and 14 percent is oil
and gas production open land.
The EA 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. The 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 EA on the
important environmental issues. By this
notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to
address in the EA. All comments
received will be considered during the
preparation of the EA.
In the EA we 2 will discuss impacts
that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the
proposed project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• Water resources and wetlands;
• Vegetation and wildlife;
• Cultural resources;
• Land use and socioeconomics;
• Air quality and noise; and
• Safety and reliability.
We will also evaluate reasonable
alternatives to the proposed project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be presented in the EA.
Depending on the comments received
during the scoping process, the EA may
be published and mailed to those on our
environmental mailing list (see
discussion of how to remain on our
mailing list on page 6 of this notice). A
comment period will be allotted for
review if the EA is published. We will
consider all comments on the EA before
we make our recommendations to the
Commission. To ensure your comments
are considered, please carefully follow
2 ‘‘We’’, ‘‘us’’, and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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44839
the instructions in the Public
Participation section of this notice
(below).
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of
the EA. 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
(below).
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 written comments are timely and
properly recorded, please send in your
comments so that they will be received
in Washington, DC on or before
September 21, 2009.
For your convenience, there are three
methods which you can use to submit
your written comments to the
Commission. 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 at
https://www.ferc.gov under the link
called ‘‘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 that is listed under the
‘‘Documents and Filings’’ link. 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 the links called
‘‘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
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44840
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 167 / Monday, August 31, 2009 / Notices
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426.
In all instances, please reference the
project docket number CP09–432–000
with your submission. 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
proposed 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.
cprice-sewell on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA
scoping process, you may want to
become an ‘‘intervenor,’’ which is an
official party to the Commission’s
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
the 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.
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 Internet at
https://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
VerDate Nov<24>2008
14:57 Aug 28, 2009
Jkt 217001
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 https://
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. E9–20848 Filed 8–28–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 12662–001]
Renewable Resources, Inc.; Notice of
Preliminary Permit Application
Accepted for Filing and Soliciting
Comments, Motions To Intervene, and
Competing Applications
August 24, 2009.
On July 1, 2009, Renewable
Resources, Inc. filed a successive
preliminary permit application,
pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal
Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the
feasibility of the Swift River Mill
Hydroelectric Project No. 12662, to be
located on the Pawcatuck River near the
Towns of Westerly and Hopkinton, in
Washington County, Rhode Island.
The proposed Swift River Mill Project
would consist of: (1) The 10-foot-high,
112-foot-long Swift River Mill dam; (2)
an existing 36-acre reservoir with a
normal water surface elevation of 26.0
feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum;
(3) an existing powerhouse with two
new turbine generating units with a
combined capacity of 360 kilowatts
(kW), and two new vortex aerator
turbine generating units with a
combined capacity of 30 kW for a total
installed capacity of 390 kW; (4) a new
300-foot-long underground transmission
line; and (5) appurtenant facilities. The
project would have an estimated annual
generation of about 2,870 megawatthours.
Applicant Contact: Mr. Edward
Carapezza, P.O. Box 365, Hopkinton, RI
02833, (401) 207–2643.
FERC Contact: Tom Dean, (202) 502–
6041.
Deadline for filing comments, motions
to intervene, competing applications
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(without notices of intent), or notices of
intent to file competing applications: 60
days from the issuance of this notice.
Comments, motions to intervene,
notices of intent, and competing
applications may be filed electronically
via the Internet. See 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions
on the Commission’s Web site under the
‘‘eFiling’’ link. If unable to be filed
electronically, documents may be paperfiled. To paper-file, an original and eight
copies should be mailed to: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. For
more information on how to submit
these types of filings please go to the
Commission’s Web site located at https://
www.ferc.gov/filing-comments.asp.
More information about this project
can be viewed or printed on the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link of Commission’s Web
site at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
elibrary.asp. Enter the docket number
(P–12662) in the docket number field to
access the document. For assistance,
call toll-free 1–866–208–3372.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–20851 Filed 8–28–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. RM98–1–000]
Records Governing Off-the Record
Communications; Notice Regarding
Prior Notice
August 25, 2009.
On August 24, 2009, the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
published in the Federal Register a
Public Notice in Docket No. RM98–1–
000.1
The Commission inadvertently
published this document in the Federal
Register and the notice should be
disregarded.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–20937 Filed 8–28–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
1 74
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FR 42671 (2009).
31AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 167 (Monday, August 31, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44838-44840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20848]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP09-432-000]
Tricor Ten Section Hub LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Ten Section Storage Project
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public
Scoping Meeting
August 21, 2009.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Ten Section Storage Project
involving construction and operation of facilities proposed by Tricor
Ten Section Hub LLC (Tricor) in Kern County, California. This EA 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 we will
use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the
project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what
issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping
period will close on September 21, 2009.
Comments on the project may be submitted in written form in a
letter to the Secretary of the Commission, or verbally at the public
scoping meeting. Further details on how to submit written comments are
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice (page 5).
In lieu of sending written comments, we invite you to attend a public
scoping meeting scheduled as follows:
FERC Public Scoping Meeting, Tricor Ten Section Storage Project,
Thursday, September 10, 2009, 6:30 p.m., Bakersfield Marriott at the
Convention Center, 801 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301. 661-323-
1900.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing for this project, which includes affected landowners; Federal,
State, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental
and public interest groups; Indian tribes and Native American
organizations; parties to this proceeding; and local libraries and
newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to
notify their constituents of this proposed project and encourage them
to comment on their areas of concern.
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 proposed 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?'' was attached to the
project notice Tricor provided to landowners. 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. It is
also available for viewing on the FERC Web site (https://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
On June 12, 2009, Tricor submitted its application to the FERC
under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), in Docket No. CP09-
423-000. The FERC issued a Notice of Application on June 23, 2009.
Tricor proposes to construct and operate a natural gas storage
field and pipeline in unincorporated Kern County, California. The
storage facilities would be within the existing Ten Section oil and gas
field, about 12 miles southwest of the city of Bakersfield. This field
was first established in 1936, and is still in operation. Between 1977
and 1982, the field was used to store natural gas by two local
distribution companies (Pacific Gas and Electric [PG&E] and Southern
California Gas).
According to Tricor, its project would provide natural gas storage
services to the interstate system in the southwestern United States.
Tricor stated that the project would meet a growing demand for firm and
interruptible storage services for customers in the gas marketing,
distribution, transmission, production,
[[Page 44839]]
and electric power generation industries.
The Ten Section Storage Project would consist of a 32.5 billion
cubic foot (Bcf) storage field with a working capacity of 22.4 Bcf
(with 10.1 Bcf of cushion gas). The storage facilities would be
designed to inject natural gas into underground storage at a maximum
rate of 0.8 Bcf/d, and withdraw natural gas from storage at a maximum
rate of about 1.0 Bcf/d. The Ten Section Storage Project would consist
of the following facilities:
26 new gas injection and withdrawal wells drilled within 5
well pads at the field;
9 existing oil production wells converted into observation
wells;
5 existing water disposal wells used for the same purpose;
New 42,000 horsepower electric driven compressor station;
2 new 20-inch-diameter field pipelines (high pressure and
low pressure), extending for a total of 1.8 miles, connecting the gas
injection/withdrawal wells to the Tricor compressor station;
New 4-inch-diameter water disposal pipeline, extending for
1.1 miles, connecting the 5 water disposal wells to the produced water
tank at the compressor station;
New 36-inch-diameter bi-directional header pipeline,
extending for 20.4 miles, between the Tricor compressor station and the
existing Kern River Gas Transmission Company (Kern) interstate
pipeline; and
New metering and regulating station at the interconnection
with the Kern pipeline.
Non-jurisdictional facilities associated with the project would
include:
New electric substation to be built and operated by PG&E
about 1.5 miles southwest of the storage field;
New 230-kilovolt transmission line, about 1.6-miles-long,
to be built and operated by PG&E, connecting the new electric
substation with the Tricor compressor station; and
New 10-inch-diameter crude oil pipeline, extending for
0.3-mile, between the Tricor compressor station and the existing
facilities of Kern Oil and Refining Company.
The general location of the Project facilities is shown in Appendix
1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to
all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
https://www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed jurisdictional facilities would
disturb a total of about 400 acres of land. Following construction,
about 179 acres would be maintained for permanent operation of the
project's facilities. The remaining temporary construction acreage
would be restored and allowed to revert to former uses. About 83
percent of the construction right-of-way is agricultural land, and 14
percent is oil and gas production open land.
The EA 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. The 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 EA on the important
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments
received will be considered during the preparation of the EA.
In the EA we \2\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geology and soils;
Water resources and wetlands;
Vegetation and wildlife;
Cultural resources;
Land use and socioeconomics;
Air quality and noise; and
Safety and reliability.
We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed
project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA.
Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA
may be published and mailed to those on our environmental mailing list
(see discussion of how to remain on our mailing list on page 6 of this
notice). A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA is
published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make our
recommendations to the Commission. To ensure your comments are
considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public
Participation section of this notice (below).
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. 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 (below).
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
written comments are timely and properly recorded, please send in your
comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before
September 21, 2009.
For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to
submit your written comments to the Commission. 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 at https://www.ferc.gov under the link
called ``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 that is listed under the ``Documents and Filings''
link. 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 the links
called ``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
[[Page 44840]]
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.
In all instances, please reference the project docket number CP09-
432-000 with your submission. 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 proposed 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
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to the
Commission's 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 the 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.
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
Internet at https://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 https://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. E9-20848 Filed 8-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P