Turtle Bayou Gas Storage Company, LLC; Amended Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Turtle Bayou Natural Gas Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 9404-9406 [2010-4252]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
9404
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 2, 2010 / Notices
This
information collection request contains:
(1) OMB No. 1910–1000; (2) Information
Collection Request Title: Exchange/Sale
Report, Excess Personal Property
Furnished to Non-Federal Recipients,
Agency Report of Motor Vehicle Data,
Annual Motor Vehicle Fleet Report;
(3) Purpose: The information being
collected is data required in order to
submit annual personal property reports
as required by 41 CFR 102 and the
Office of Management and Budget.
(4) Estimated Number of Respondents:
176 annually. (5) Estimated Total
Burden Hours: 2,552. (6) Number of
Collections: 176. The information
collection request contains 27
information and/or recordkeeping
requirements.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Statutory Authority: 41 CFR 102–39.75, 41
CFR 102–36.295 and 102–36.300, 41 CFR
102–34.335, OMB Circular A–11 Section
25.5.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 24,
2010.
Edward R. Simpson,
Director, Office of Procurement and
Assistance Management, Department of
Energy.
[FR Doc. 2010–4315 Filed 3–1–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Paducah
Department of Energy (DOE).
Notice of open meeting.
AGENCY:
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This notice announces a
meeting of the Environmental
Management Site-Specific Advisory
Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The
Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.
L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that
public notice of this meeting be
announced in the Federal Register.
DATES: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 6
p.m.
ADDRESSES: Barkley Centre, 111
Memorial Drive, Paducah, Kentucky
42001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Reinhard Knerr, Deputy Designated
Federal Officer, Department of Energy
Paducah Site Office, Post Office Box
1410, MS–103, Paducah, Kentucky
42001, (270) 441–6825.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of the Board: The purpose of
the Board is to make recommendations
to DOE–EM and site management in the
areas of environmental restoration,
waste management and related
activities.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
15:07 Mar 01, 2010
Jkt 220001
Tentative Agenda:
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Call to Order, Introductions, Review
of Agenda
• Deputy Designated Federal Officer’s
Comments
• Federal Coordinator’s Comments
• Liaisons’ Comments
• Subcommittee Chairs’ Comments
• Presentations
• Administrative Issues
Æ Recommendation on Heath
Elementary School Site Sampling
Æ Recommendation on Northwest
Plume Optimization
• Public Comments
• Final Comments
• Adjourn
Breaks Taken As Appropriate
Public Participation: The EM SSAB,
Paducah, welcomes the attendance of
the public at its advisory committee
meetings and will make every effort to
accommodate persons with physical
disabilities or special needs. If you
require special accommodations due to
a disability, please contact Reinhard
Knerr at least seven days in advance of
the meeting at the telephone number
listed above. Written statements may be
filed with the Board either before or
after the meeting. Individuals who wish
to make oral statements pertaining to
agenda items should contact Reinhard
Knerr at the address or telephone
number listed above. Requests must be
received five days prior to the meeting
and reasonable provision will be made
to include the presentation in the
agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal
Officer is empowered to conduct the
meeting in a fashion that will facilitate
the orderly conduct of business.
Individuals wishing to make public
comments will be provided a maximum
of five minutes to present their
comments.
Minutes: Minutes will be available by
writing or calling Reinhard Knerr at the
address and phone number listed above.
Minutes will also be available at the
following Web site: https://
www.pgdpcab.org/meetings.html.
Issued at Washington, DC on February 24,
2010.
Rachel Samuel,
Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010–4327 Filed 3–1–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF09–14–000]
Turtle Bayou Gas Storage Company,
LLC; Amended Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment
for the Planned Turtle Bayou Natural
Gas Storage Project and Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues
February 23, 2010.
As previously noticed on November
20, 2009, and amended herein, 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 Turtle Bayou Natural Gas
Storage Project involving construction
and operation of facilities by Turtle
Bayou Gas Storage Company, LLC
(Turtle Bayou) in Liberty County, Texas.
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
a second scoping period (due to
pipeline route changes in the project
design) the Commission 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 March 25,
2010.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project, which
includes newly identified affected
landowners along the revised pipeline
route; landowners who would no longer
be affected by Turtle Bayou’s previous
pipeline route; federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries
and newspapers. State and local
government representatives are asked to
notify their constituents of this planned
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
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
E:\FR\FM\02MRN1.SGM
02MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 2, 2010 / Notices
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 (https://
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.
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
Summary of the Planned Project
Since issuance of our 1 November 20,
2009 notice, Turtle Bayou has changed
the preferred location of about 7.6 miles
of its planned pipeline (from milepost
4.8 to 12.4). Turtle Bayou’s current
configuration of the planned facilities
was changed to avoid an identified
superfund site.
Turtle Bayou plans to construct and
operate a new natural gas storage facility
in a solution-mined salt dome in Liberty
County, Texas. The Turtle Bayou
Natural Gas Storage Project would
provide about 12.0 billion cubic feet of
working gas storage and would be
integrated into the regional gas
transmission system through
interconnects with existing and planned
interstate pipelines. According to Turtle
Bayou, its project would store natural
gas from Gulf Coast producers, liquefied
natural gas import terminals, and new
gas pipeline projects through
interconnects with Natural Gas Pipeline
Company of America (NGPA) and Texas
Eastern Transmission Company (Texas
Eastern). The planned storage facility
would provide needed deliverability to
end users in the eastern United States.
Additionally, Turtle Bayou’s planned
project would provide its customers
with flexibility to contract for varying
levels of deliverability by
interconnecting with other pipeline
systems throughout the region.
The Turtle Bayou Natural Gas Storage
Project would consist of the following
facilities:
• Two salt storage caverns, wells, and
well pads;
• A 17,000-horsepower compressor
station;
• Two meter stations and tie-in
facilities (one for NGPA and one for
Texas Eastern);
• Two sections of 24-inch-diameter
natural gas pipeline totaling about 12.4
miles (7.6 and 4.8 miles); and
1 ‘‘We,’’ us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental
staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
15:07 Mar 01, 2010
Jkt 220001
• Three sections of 18-inch-diameter
water and brine pipeline totaling about
1.8 miles (1.6, 0.1, and 0.1 miles).
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.2
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the planned facilities
would disturb about 333 acres of land
for the aboveground facilities and the
pipeline. Following construction, about
170 acres would be maintained for
permanent operation of the project’s
facilities (111 acres for storage facilities
[including electrical easements] and 59
acres for pipeline facilities); the
remaining acreage would be restored
and allowed to revert to former uses.
The planned pipeline route generally
parallels existing pipeline, utility, or
road rights-of-way.
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. 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 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.
We will also evaluate possible
alternatives to the planned project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
2 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
9405
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
Although no formal application has
been filed, we have 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, we have
begun to contact some federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in
the scoping process and the preparation
of the EA.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be presented in the EA. The
EA will be placed in the public record
and, depending on the comments
received during the scoping process,
may be published and distributed to the
public. A comment period will be
allotted if the EA is published for
review. 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 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.
Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers has expressed its intention to
participate as a cooperating agency in
the preparation of the EA to satisfy its
NEPA responsibilities related to this
project.
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 your comments so
that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before March 25,
2010.
For your convenience, there are three
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. The
Commission encourages electronic filing
E:\FR\FM\02MRN1.SGM
02MRN1
9406
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 2, 2010 / Notices
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
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 a paper copy of your
comments at the following address:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426.
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list
includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American Tribes; and
local libraries and newspapers. This list
also includes all affected landowners (as
defined in the Commission’s
regulations) 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, and
anyone who submits comments on the
project. We will update the
environmental mailing list as the
analysis proceeds to ensure that we
send the information related to this
environmental review to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities
interested in and/or potentially affected
by the planned project. If the EA is
published for distribution, copies will
be sent to the environmental mailing list
for public review and comment.
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Turtle Bayou files its
application with the Commission, 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
VerDate Nov<24>2008
15:07 Mar 01, 2010
Jkt 220001
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 website.
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 (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web
site (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 (i.e.,
PF09–14). Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at (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 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.
Further, 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.
Finally, Turtle Bayou has established
a website for its project at https://
www.turtlebayougasstorage.com and a
toll-free number at (877) 558–4521. The
Web site includes a description of the
project, frequently asked questions, and
other information.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. EC10–44–000]
Crescent Ridge LLC; Notice of Filing
February 23, 2010.
Take notice that on February 16, 2010,
Crescent Ridge LLC filed a supplement
to its February 2, 2010 section 203
application.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest this filing must file in
accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of
the Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214).
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. Any person wishing to
become a party must file a notice of
intervention or motion to intervene, as
appropriate. Such notices, motions, or
protests must be filed on or before the
comment date. Anyone filing a motion
to intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant and
all the parties in this proceeding.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper using the
‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://www.ferc.gov.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the protest or intervention to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426.
This filing is accessible on-line at
https://www.ferc.gov, using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is 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
docket(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.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on February 26, 2010.
[FR Doc. 2010–4252 Filed 3–1–10; 8:45 am]
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
[FR Doc. 2010–4253 Filed 3–1–10; 8:45 am]
PO 00000
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
Frm 00027
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
E:\FR\FM\02MRN1.SGM
02MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9404-9406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4252]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF09-14-000]
Turtle Bayou Gas Storage Company, LLC; Amended Notice of Intent
To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Turtle Bayou
Natural Gas Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues
February 23, 2010.
As previously noticed on November 20, 2009, and amended herein, 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 Turtle Bayou Natural Gas Storage Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by Turtle Bayou Gas
Storage Company, LLC (Turtle Bayou) in Liberty County, Texas. 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 a second scoping period (due
to pipeline route changes in the project design) the Commission 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 March 25, 2010.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project, which includes newly identified affected
landowners along the revised pipeline route; landowners who would no
longer be affected by Turtle Bayou's previous pipeline route; federal,
state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected
officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American
Tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers.
State and local government representatives are asked to notify their
constituents of this planned 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 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
[[Page 9405]]
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 (https://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
Since issuance of our \1\ November 20, 2009 notice, Turtle Bayou
has changed the preferred location of about 7.6 miles of its planned
pipeline (from milepost 4.8 to 12.4). Turtle Bayou's current
configuration of the planned facilities was changed to avoid an
identified superfund site.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``We,'' us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turtle Bayou plans to construct and operate a new natural gas
storage facility in a solution-mined salt dome in Liberty County,
Texas. The Turtle Bayou Natural Gas Storage Project would provide about
12.0 billion cubic feet of working gas storage and would be integrated
into the regional gas transmission system through interconnects with
existing and planned interstate pipelines. According to Turtle Bayou,
its project would store natural gas from Gulf Coast producers,
liquefied natural gas import terminals, and new gas pipeline projects
through interconnects with Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America
(NGPA) and Texas Eastern Transmission Company (Texas Eastern). The
planned storage facility would provide needed deliverability to end
users in the eastern United States. Additionally, Turtle Bayou's
planned project would provide its customers with flexibility to
contract for varying levels of deliverability by interconnecting with
other pipeline systems throughout the region.
The Turtle Bayou Natural Gas Storage Project would consist of the
following facilities:
Two salt storage caverns, wells, and well pads;
A 17,000-horsepower compressor station;
Two meter stations and tie-in facilities (one for NGPA and
one for Texas Eastern);
Two sections of 24-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline
totaling about 12.4 miles (7.6 and 4.8 miles); and
Three sections of 18-inch-diameter water and brine
pipeline totaling about 1.8 miles (1.6, 0.1, and 0.1 miles).
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 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 planned facilities would disturb about 333
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline.
Following construction, about 170 acres would be maintained for
permanent operation of the project's facilities (111 acres for storage
facilities [including electrical easements] and 59 acres for pipeline
facilities); the remaining acreage would be restored and allowed to
revert to former uses. The planned pipeline route generally parallels
existing pipeline, utility, or road rights-of-way.
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. 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 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.
We will also evaluate possible 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, we have 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,
we have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss
their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA.
The EA will be placed in the public record and, depending on the
comments received during the scoping process, may be published and
distributed to the public. A comment period will be allotted if the EA
is published for review. 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 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.
Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has expressed its intention
to participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA to
satisfy its NEPA responsibilities related to this project.
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 your comments so
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before March 25,
2010.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic
filing
[[Page 9406]]
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 a paper copy of your comments at the following
address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; and
local libraries and newspapers. This list also includes all affected
landowners (as defined in the Commission's regulations) 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, and anyone who submits comments on the project.
We will update the environmental mailing list as the analysis proceeds
to ensure that we send the information related to this environmental
review to all individuals, organizations, and government entities
interested in and/or potentially affected by the planned project. If
the EA is published for distribution, copies will be sent to the
environmental mailing list for public review and comment.
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Turtle Bayou files its application with the Commission, 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 website. 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 (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site (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
(i.e., PF09-14). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range.
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at (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 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.
Further, 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.
Finally, Turtle Bayou has established a website for its project at
https://www.turtlebayougasstorage.com and a toll-free number at (877)
558-4521. The Web site includes a description of the project,
frequently asked questions, and other information.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-4252 Filed 3-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
