Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Sunrise Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting, 56089-56092 [2010-22939]
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srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 178 / Wednesday, September 15, 2010 / Notices
Accession Number: 20100903–5114.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 24, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2539–000.
Applicants: New York Independent
System Operator, Inc.
Description: New York Independent
System Operator submits tariff filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): GADS sanctions to be
effective 11/3/2010.
Filed Date: 09/03/2010.
Accession Number: 20100903–5134.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 24, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2540–000.
Applicants: Midwest Independent
Transmission System Operator, Inc.
Description: Midwest Independent
Transmission System Operator, Inc.
submits tariff filing per 35.13(a)(2)(iii):
NIPSCO–Horizon FCA to be effective 9/
4/2010.
Filed Date: 09/03/2010.
Accession Number: 20100903–5171.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 24, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2541–000.
Applicants: Maple Analytics, LLC.
Description: Maple Analytics, LLC
submits tariff filing per 35.12: Maple
Analytics, LLC 205 to be effective 10/3/
2010.
Filed Date: 09/03/2010.
Accession Number: 20100903–5212.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 24, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2542–000.
Applicants: New York Independent
System Operator.
Description: New York Independent
System Operator submits tariff filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): Site/Interconnection
Agreements between O&R and AER NY–
Gen to be effective 9/9/2010.
Filed Date: 09/03/2010.
Accession Number: 20100903–5218.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 24, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2543–000.
Applicants: Verso Androscoggin LLC.
Description: Verso Androscoggin LLC
submits its baseline tariff filing FERC
Electric Tariff, Volume No. 1, to be
effective 9/7/2010.
Filed Date: 09/07/2010.
Accession Number: 20100907–5014.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2544–000.
Applicants: RMH Energy, LP.
Description: RMH Energy, LP submits
tariff filing per 35.12: RMH Energy—
FERC Electric Tariff Volume No. 1 to be
effective 9/7/2010.
Filed Date: 09/07/2010.
Accession Number: 20100907–5015.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.
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Docket Numbers: ER10–2545–000.
Applicants: Commonwealth Edison
Company.
Description: Commonwealth Edison
Company submits filing to add a new
schedule to ComEd’s Attachments
H913—Attachments H–13C,
Determination of Capacity Peak
Contributions and Network Service Peak
Load Contributions, etc.
Filed Date: 09/03/2010.
Accession Number: 20100907–0205.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 24, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2547–000.
Applicants: PJM Interconnection,
LLC.
Description: PJM Interconnection,
LLC submits an executed
interconnection service agreement etc.
Filed Date: 09/03/2010.
Accession Number: 20100907–0207.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 24, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2548–000.
Applicants: Interstate Power and
Light Company.
Description: Interstate Power and
Light Company et al., submits the
proposed Local Balancing Area
Operations Coordination Agreement
with Pioneer Prairie Wind, to be
effective 9/8/2010.
Filed Date: 09/07/2010.
Accession Number: 20100907–5017.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.
Docket Numbers: ER10–2549–000.
Applicants: Kit Carson Windpower,
LLC.
Description: Kit Carson Windpower,
LLC submits tariff filing per 35.12:
Initial Market Based-Rate Application
and Tariff Filing to be effective 11/7/
2010.
Filed Date: 09/07/2010.
Accession Number: 20100907–5119.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.
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,
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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
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. 2010–22951 Filed 9–14–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF10–19–000]
Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment
for the Planned Sunrise Pipeline
Project, Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Meeting
September 3, 2010.
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 Sunrise Pipeline Project (Project)
involving construction and operation of
facilities by Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans)
in Doddridge, Wetzel, Harrison, Marion
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and Taylor Counties, West Virginia, and
Greene County, Pennsylvania. 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 that 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 October 4, 2010.
Comments may be submitted in
written form or verbally. Further 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 public
scoping meetings scheduled as follows:
Date and time
Location
September 28, 2010, 7 p.m. EDT ......................
Falcon Center, Fairmont State University, 1201 Locust Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554. Telephone: 304–333–3777.
Alumni Hall (Miller Hall 3rd Floor), Waynesburg University, Main Campus, 51 West College
Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370.Telephone: 800–225–7393.
September 29, 2010, 7 p.m. EDT ......................
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project. 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 pipeline
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 where compensation would
be determined in accordance with state
or federal 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 Proposed Project
Equitrans has announced its plans to
construct and operate approximately 95
miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline and
14 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline
and other facilities in northern West
Virginia and southwestern
Pennsylvania. The Sunrise Project
would expand its existing mainline
transmission system to address
infrastructure constraints associated
with the rapid development of natural
gas from the Marcellus Shale Formation
in the central Appalachian Basin.
Equitrans has indicated that the Project
would provide additional firm capacity
and offer producers a cost effective
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option to transport natural gas to the
Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern markets
and storage.
The Sunrise Pipeline Project would
consist of the following:
• Installation of four pipeline
segments including:
• H–302—Installation of 70.8 miles of
24-inch-diameter pipeline with portions
of the line paralleling existing Equitrans
pipelines (H–527, H–515, H–512, H–
111) and a Columbia Gas Transmission
pipeline. This segment would be located
in Greene County, Pennsylvania and
Doddridge and Wetzel Counties, West
Virginia.
• H–306—Installation of 24.5 miles of
24-inch pipeline, paralleling the
existing Equitrans pipelines: H–557, H–
558, H–560, H–561 and H–562. This
segment would be located in Harrison,
Marion, and Wetzel Counties, West
Virginia.
• H–307—Installation of 11.5 miles of
16-inch-diameter pipeline, with a
portion of the line paralleling the
existing Equitrans H–558 pipeline and a
portion of the line paralleling an
existing Allegheny Power electrical
transmission right-of-way. The pipeline
would be located in Taylor and Harrison
Counties, West Virginia.
• H–308—Installation of 2.1 miles of
16-inch-diameter pipeline, paralleling
the existing Equitrans H–558 pipeline
and connecting at Equitrans’
Lumberport Station to the H–508 and
H–509 pipelines. This segment would
be located in Harrison County, West
Virginia.
• Construction of construction of two
new compressor stations:
• Jefferson Compressor Station—
Approximately 41,000 horsepower (hp)
of compression would be installed in
Jefferson Borough, Greene County,
Pennsylvania. Up to four separate
turbine-driven compressor units would
be installed. Discharge piping would
interconnect with the Texas Eastern
Transmission and Dominion
Transmission Systems.
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• Shinnston Compressor Station—
Approximately 16,000 hp of
compression would be installed near the
Harrison Power Station in the town of
Shinnston in Harrison County, West
Virginia. Up to five separate electricpowered reciprocating compressor units
would be installed.
• Construction or modification of
other aboveground facilities including
five delivery meter and receipt meter
facilities, 10 pig 1 launcher/receivers;
and 18 mainline block valves.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.2
Land Requirements for Construction
Equitrans is still in the planning
phase for the Sunrise Pipeline Project,
and workspace requirements have not
been finalized at this time. As currently
planned, construction would disturb
approximately 1,492 acres of land for
the aboveground facilities and the
pipeline. Following construction, about
377 acres would be used for permanent
operation of the project’s facilities. The
remaining acreage would be restored
and allowed to revert to former uses. As
planned, the Project would mostly
parallel existing pipeline systems or
linear corridors along about 105.4 miles
or approximately 97 percent of the
route.
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
1 A pig is an internal tool that can be used to
clean and dry a pipeline and/or to inspect for
damage and corrosion.
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.
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Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. NEPA also requires us 3 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
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 on page 6.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to
3 ‘‘We’’, ‘‘us’’, and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental
staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects
(OEP).
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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.
Consultations Under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
In accordance with the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation’s
implementing regulations for section
106 of the National Historic Reservation
Act, we are using this notice to initiate
consultation with applicable State
Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO),
and to solicit their views and those of
other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the
project’s potential effects on historic
properties.4 We will define the projectspecific Area of Potential Effects (APE)
in consultation with the SHPOs as the
project is further developed. On natural
gas facility projects, the APE at a
minimum encompasses all areas subject
to ground disturbance (examples
include construction right-of-way,
contractor/pipe storage yards,
compressor stations, and access roads).
Our EA for this project will document
our findings on the impacts on historic
properties and summarize the status of
consultations under section 106.
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 October 4,
2010.
For your convenience, there are four
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. In all
instances, please reference the project
docket number (PF10–19) with your
submission. The Commission
encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert eFiling staff
4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
regulations are at Title 36 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Historic properties are
defined in those regulations as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object
included in or eligible for inclusion in the National
Register for Historic Places.
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56091
available to assist you at (202) 502–8258
or efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You may file your comments
electronically by using the eComment
feature, which is located on the
Commission’s Web site at www.ferc.gov
under the link to Documents and
Filings. An eComment is an easy
method for interested persons to submit
brief, 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 Web site at www.ferc.gov
under the link to Documents and
Filings. With eFiling you can provide
comments in a variety of formats by
attaching them as a file with your
submission. New eFiling users must
first create an account by clicking on
‘‘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’’;
(3) You may attend and provide
comments at the public scoping
meetings. A transcript of each meeting
will be made so that your comments
will be accurately recorded which will
be included in the public record; or
(4) 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; other
interested parties; 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, those
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. If you would prefer to receive
a paper copy of the document instead of
the compact disc version or would like
to remove your name from the mailing
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list, please return the attached
Information Request (appendix 2).
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Equitrans 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 Web site. Please note that
the Commission will not accept requests
for 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.,
PF10–19). 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.
Any 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, to request additional
information on the project or to provide
comments directly to the project
sponsor, you can contact Equitrans
directly by calling toll free at 1–866–
687–5427 or by e-mail at
sunrise@eqt.com. Also, Equitrans has
established an Internet Web site at
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https://www.sunrise.eqt.com with
additional information about the
project.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010–22939 Filed 9–14–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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 Wednesday, September 15, 2010.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FR Doc. 2010–22943 Filed 9–14–10; 8:45 am]
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
[Docket No. PR10–96–000]
Hattiesburg Industrial Gas Sales,
L.L.C; Notice of Filing
September 8, 2010.
Take notice that on September 1,
2010, Hattiesburg Industrial Gas Sales,
L.L.C. (Hattiesburg) filed a revised
Statement of Operating Conditions
(SOC) for its Storage Services and
Transportation Services, proposing
administrative updates and
miscellaneous housekeeping changes as
more fully detailed in the application.
Any person desiring to participate in
this rate filing 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). 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
date as indicated below. Anyone filing
an intervention or protest must serve a
copy of that document on the Applicant.
Anyone filing an intervention or protest
on or before the intervention or protest
date need not serve motions to intervene
or protests on persons other than the
Applicant.
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
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 13351–000]
Notice Modifying Restricted Service
List for a Programmatic Agreement for
Managing Properties Included in or
Eligible for Inclusion in the National
Register of Historic Places; Marseilles
Land and Water Company
September 3, 2010.
On June 22, 2010, the Commission
issued a Notice of Proposed Restricted
Service List for a Programmatic
Agreement for Managing Properties
Included in or Eligible for Inclusion in
the National Register of Historic Places
for the proposed Marseilles Lock and
Dam Project No. 13351, located on the
Illinois River in the town of Marseilles
in La Salle County, Illinois. On July 7,
2010, the City of Marseilles filed a
motion on behalf of itself and Marseilles
Hydro Power, its development agent,
requesting that the Commission include
them on the restricted service list. On
July 22, 2010, Marseilles Land and
Water Company, the license applicant,
filed an answer in opposition to the
City’s motion.
Rule 2010 of the Commission’s Rules
of Practice and Procedure provides that
a restricted service list should contain
the names of each person on the service
list who, in the judgment of the
decisional authority establishing the
list, is an active participant with respect
to the phase or issue in the proceeding
for which the list is established.1 The
City states that it has an interest in the
treatment of historic properties within
its boundaries, and that Marseilles
Hydro owns lands on which the
proposed project would be constructed,
as well as historic properties adjacent to
the site. Accordingly, these entities are
active participants with respect to
1 18
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15SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56089-56092]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22939]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF10-19-000]
Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Planned Sunrise Pipeline Project, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting
September 3, 2010.
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 Sunrise Pipeline Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) in Doddridge, Wetzel, Harrison, Marion
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and Taylor Counties, West Virginia, and Greene County, Pennsylvania.
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 that 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 October 4, 2010.
Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further
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 public scoping
meetings scheduled as follows:
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Date and time Location
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September 28, 2010, 7 p.m. Falcon Center, Fairmont State University,
EDT. 1201 Locust Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554.
Telephone: 304-333-3777.
September 29, 2010, 7 p.m. Alumni Hall (Miller Hall 3rd Floor),
EDT. Waynesburg University, Main Campus, 51
West College Street, Waynesburg, PA
15370.Telephone: 800-225-7393.
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This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. 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 pipeline 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 where compensation
would be determined in accordance with state or federal 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 Proposed Project
Equitrans has announced its plans to construct and operate
approximately 95 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline and 14 miles of 16-
inch-diameter pipeline and other facilities in northern West Virginia
and southwestern Pennsylvania. The Sunrise Project would expand its
existing mainline transmission system to address infrastructure
constraints associated with the rapid development of natural gas from
the Marcellus Shale Formation in the central Appalachian Basin.
Equitrans has indicated that the Project would provide additional firm
capacity and offer producers a cost effective option to transport
natural gas to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern markets and storage.
The Sunrise Pipeline Project would consist of the following:
Installation of four pipeline segments including:
H-302--Installation of 70.8 miles of 24-inch-diameter
pipeline with portions of the line paralleling existing Equitrans
pipelines (H-527, H-515, H-512, H-111) and a Columbia Gas Transmission
pipeline. This segment would be located in Greene County, Pennsylvania
and Doddridge and Wetzel Counties, West Virginia.
H-306--Installation of 24.5 miles of 24-inch pipeline,
paralleling the existing Equitrans pipelines: H-557, H-558, H-560, H-
561 and H-562. This segment would be located in Harrison, Marion, and
Wetzel Counties, West Virginia.
H-307--Installation of 11.5 miles of 16-inch-diameter
pipeline, with a portion of the line paralleling the existing Equitrans
H-558 pipeline and a portion of the line paralleling an existing
Allegheny Power electrical transmission right-of-way. The pipeline
would be located in Taylor and Harrison Counties, West Virginia.
H-308--Installation of 2.1 miles of 16-inch-diameter
pipeline, paralleling the existing Equitrans H-558 pipeline and
connecting at Equitrans' Lumberport Station to the H-508 and H-509
pipelines. This segment would be located in Harrison County, West
Virginia.
Construction of construction of two new compressor
stations:
Jefferson Compressor Station--Approximately 41,000
horsepower (hp) of compression would be installed in Jefferson Borough,
Greene County, Pennsylvania. Up to four separate turbine-driven
compressor units would be installed. Discharge piping would
interconnect with the Texas Eastern Transmission and Dominion
Transmission Systems.
Shinnston Compressor Station--Approximately 16,000 hp of
compression would be installed near the Harrison Power Station in the
town of Shinnston in Harrison County, West Virginia. Up to five
separate electric-powered reciprocating compressor units would be
installed.
Construction or modification of other aboveground
facilities including five delivery meter and receipt meter facilities,
10 pig \1\ launcher/receivers; and 18 mainline block valves.
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\1\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry
a pipeline and/or to inspect for damage and corrosion.
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The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\2\
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\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.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Equitrans is still in the planning phase for the Sunrise Pipeline
Project, and workspace requirements have not been finalized at this
time. As currently planned, construction would disturb approximately
1,492 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline.
Following construction, about 377 acres would be used for permanent
operation of the project's facilities. The remaining acreage would be
restored and allowed to revert to former uses. As planned, the Project
would mostly parallel existing pipeline systems or linear corridors
along about 105.4 miles or approximately 97 percent of the route.
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
[[Page 56091]]
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
\3\ 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 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.
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\3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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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 on page 6.
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.
Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Reservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation with
applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), and to solicit
their views and those of other government agencies, interested Indian
tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on historic
properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of Potential
Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project is further
developed. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our
findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status
of consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800.
Historic properties are defined in those regulations as any
prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or
object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National
Register for Historic Places.
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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 October 4,
2010.
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the
project docket number (PF10-19) 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 eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at www.ferc.gov
under the link to Documents and Filings. An eComment is an easy method
for interested persons to submit brief, 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 Web site at www.ferc.gov
under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling you can provide
comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your
submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking
on ``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'';
(3) You may attend and provide comments at the public scoping
meetings. A transcript of each meeting will be made so that your
comments will be accurately recorded which will be included in the
public record; or
(4) 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; other
interested parties; 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, those 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. If you would
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the compact
disc version or would like to remove your name from the mailing
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list, please return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Equitrans 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 Web site. Please note that the Commission will not accept
requests for 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., PF10-19). 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.
Any 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, to request additional information on the project or to
provide comments directly to the project sponsor, you can contact
Equitrans directly by calling toll free at 1-866-687-5427 or by e-mail
at sunrise@eqt.com. Also, Equitrans has established an Internet Web
site at https://www.sunrise.eqt.com with additional information about
the project.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-22939 Filed 9-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
