Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Northampton Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 81602-81604 [2010-32641]
Download as PDF
81602
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 28, 2010 / Notices
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on January 10, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010–32510 Filed 12–27–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP11–36–000]
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Northampton Expansion
Project and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
December 21, 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 Northampton Expansion Project
(Project) involving construction and
operation of facilities by Tennessee Gas
Pipeline Company (Tennessee) in
Hampden County, Massachusetts. 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.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) announces
the opening of the scoping process 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 January 20, 2011.
Comments on the project may be
submitted in written form or
electronically, as described in the public
participation section of this notice.
This NOI is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing for this project, which includes
affected landowners; Federal, State, and
local government representatives and
agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American Tribes; 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
VerDate Mar<15>2010
22:37 Dec 27, 2010
Jkt 223001
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
where compensation would be
determined 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 Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov/for-citizens/citizenguides.asp). This fact sheet addresses a
number of typically asked questions,
including the use of eminent domain
and how to participate in FERC’s
proceedings.
Summary of the Proposed Project
The Project involves the construction
of the new Southwick Compressor
Station 260A at 248 Feeding Hills Road
in the Town of Southwick, Hampden
County, Massachusetts. The Project has
been sited on a 5.32-acre parcel adjacent
to Tennessee’s existing 8-inch diameter
Northampton Lateral Line. The
Compressor Station will consist of a
2,000-horsepower electric engine
compression unit housed within a new
building, and other associated facilities,
including a gas cooler unit, vent
silencer, a fan, a control building, onsite access driveway, and overhead
electrical line. Ancillary equipment will
also include an emergency generator,
hot water boiler and space heater, all
fueled by natural gas. In order to
connect the Compressor Station to the
Northampton Lateral, Tennessee will
need to install a total of 380 feet of
pipeline: (i) 155 feet of pipeline on the
Compressor Station site; and (ii) 225 feet
of pipeline within a 60-foot wide
easement connecting the Compressor
Station site to the Northampton Lateral.
A location map depicting the
proposed facilities is attached to this
NOI as Appendix 1.1
Land Requirements for Construction
Tennessee proposes to construct the
Project on a parcel of land measuring
1 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
printed in the Federal Register, but they are being
provided to all those who receive this notice in the
mail. Copies of the NOI can be obtained from the
Commission’s Web site at the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link,
Commission’s Public Reference Room, or by calling
(202) 502–8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary, refer to the end of this notice.
PO 00000
Frm 00043
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
approximately 5.32 acres which is
wholly owned by Tennessee.
Construction will require approximately
3.28 acres of new land disturbance of
which 1.57 acres will be permanently
altered by operation of the facility.
Approximately 2.82 acres (over 50
percent) of the 5.32-acre parcel would
be utilized as buffer and visual
screening both during and postconstruction and will not be affected by
either construction or operation of the
facility. Portions of this work are also
required within a proposed 0.31-acre
pipeline easement necessary to connect
the compressor station to Tennessee’s
existing pipeline. Following
construction, the ground surfaces
immediately surrounding the facility
and within the proposed fence line will
be converted to gravel and maintained
lawn to facilitate maintenance of a clear
and accessible operational area.
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 2 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 are considered during the
preparation of the EA. State and local
government representatives are
encouraged to notify their constituents
of this proposed action and encourage
them to comment on their areas of
concern.
In the EA we will discuss impacts that
could occur as results of the
construction and operation of the
proposed project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• Land use;
• Water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands;
• Cultural resources
• Vegetation and wildlife;
• Air quality and noise
• Reliability and safety
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.
2 ‘‘We’’, ‘‘us’’, and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental
staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects.
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
28DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 28, 2010 / Notices
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be in the EA. Depending on
the comments received during the
scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to Federal, State,
and local agencies, public interest
groups, interested individuals, affected
landowners, newspapers, libraries, and
the Commission’s official service list for
this proceeding. 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.
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.
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
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
Preservation Act, we are using this
notice to initiate consultation with
applicable State Historic Preservation
Office (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.3 We will define the
project-specific Area of Potential Effects
(APE) in consultation with the SHPO 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 on
consultations under section 106.
3 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
regulations are at Title 36, 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.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
22:37 Dec 27, 2010
Jkt 223001
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have already identified issues that
we think deserve attention based on a
preliminary review of the proposed
facilities and the environmental
information provided by Tennessee.
This preliminary list of issues, which is
presented below, may be revised based
on your comments and our continuing
analyses specific to the Project:
• Potential noise and vibration impacts
from compressor station
• Air quality impacts from the
compressor station construction and
operation
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Project.
Your comments should focus on the
potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to
avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
The more specific your comments, the
more useful they will be. To ensure that
your comments are timely and properly
recorded, please send in your comments
so that they will be received in
Washington, DC, on or before January
20, 2011.
For your convenience, there are three
methods which you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In
all instances please reference the project
docket number (CP11–36–000) with
your submission. The Commission
encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert eFiling staff
available to assist you at (202) 502–8258
or efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You may file your comments
electronically by using the eComment
feature, which is located on the
Commission’s Web site at https://
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 https://
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’’; or
(3) You may file a paper copy of your
comments at the following address:
PO 00000
Frm 00044
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
81603
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, 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 proposed 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 CD version or would like to remove
your name from the mailing list, please
return the attached Information Request
(Appendix 2).
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 (866) 208–FERC or on the FERC Web
site 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
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
28DEN1
81604
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 28, 2010 / Notices
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 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.
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 online 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 January 3, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010–32643 Filed 12–27–10; 8:45 am]
[FR Doc. 2010–32641 Filed 12–27–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 12187–016]
[Docket No. NJ11–5–000]
City of Riverside, California; Notice of
Filing
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
December 21, 2010.
Take notice that on December 13,
2010, the City of Riverside, California
submitted its annual revision to its
Transmission Revenue Balancing
Account Adjustment and a related
modification to Appendix I of its
Transmission Owner Tariff.
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. On or before the
comment date, it is not necessary to
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.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
22:37 Dec 27, 2010
Jkt 223001
Price Dam Partnership, Limited; Notice
of Request for Extension of Time to
Commence and Complete
Construction and Soliciting
Comments, Motions to Intervene, and
Protests
December 21, 2010.
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection:
a. Application Type: Request for
Extension of Time.
b. Project No.: 12187–016.
c. Date Filed: December 8, 2010.
d. Applicant: Price Dam Partnership,
Limited.
e. Name of Project: Price Dam
Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location of Project: At the existing
St. Louis District’s U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (Corps) Melvin Price Locks
and Dam on the Mississippi River, in
Madison County, Illinois. The project
would occupy approximately 1.8 acres
of Federal lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Public Law 111–
60, 123 STAT. 1995.
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. John A.
Whittaker, IV, Winston & Strawn LLP,
1700 K Street NW., Washington, DC
20006; (202) 282–5766 and e-mail
jwhittak@winston.com.
PO 00000
Frm 00045
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
i. FERC Contact: Kelly Houff, (202)
502–6393, Kelly.Houff@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing comments,
motions to intervene, and protests:
January 21, 2011.
All documents may be filed
electronically via the Internet. See, 18
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) or the
instructions on the Commission’s Web
site at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp. If unable to be filed
electronically, documents may be paperfiled. To paper-file, an original and
seven copies should be mailed to: The
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426. Commenters
may submit comments up to 6,000
characters, without prior registration,
using the eComment system at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ecomment.asp. You must include your
name and contact information at the end
of your comments.
Please include the project number (P–
12187–016) on any comments, motions,
or protests filed.
k. Description of Request: The
licensee requests that the Commission
grant a two-year extension of time from
the existing deadline of July 28, 2011 to
July 28, 2013 to commence project
construction of the Price Dam
Hydroelectric Project. Additionally, the
licensee requests a two-year extension
of time from July 28, 2014 to July 28,
2016 to complete project construction.
This will be the second 2-year extension
of three authorized by Public Law No.
111–60.
l. Location of the Application: A copy
of the application is available for
inspection and reproduction at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room,
located at 888 First Street, NE., Room
2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling
(202) 502–8371. This filing may also be
viewed on the Commission’s Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp. Enter the docket number
excluding the last three digits in the
docket number field to access the
document. You may also register online
at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, call toll-free 1–866–208–
3676 or e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for TTY,
call (202) 502–8659. A copy is also
available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item (h)
above.
m. Individuals desiring to be included
on the Commission’s mailing list should
so indicate by writing to the Secretary
of the Commission.
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
28DEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81602-81604]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32641]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP11-36-000]
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Northampton Expansion Project
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
December 21, 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 Northampton Expansion Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Tennessee) in Hampden County,
Massachusetts. 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.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) announces the opening of the scoping
process 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 January 20, 2011.
Comments on the project may be submitted in written form or
electronically, as described in the public participation section of
this notice.
This NOI is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing for this project, which includes affected landowners; Federal,
State, and local government representatives and agencies; elected
officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American
Tribes; 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 where compensation would be
determined 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 Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov/for-citizens/citizen-guides.asp). This fact sheet addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how
to participate in FERC's proceedings.
Summary of the Proposed Project
The Project involves the construction of the new Southwick
Compressor Station 260A at 248 Feeding Hills Road in the Town of
Southwick, Hampden County, Massachusetts. The Project has been sited on
a 5.32-acre parcel adjacent to Tennessee's existing 8-inch diameter
Northampton Lateral Line. The Compressor Station will consist of a
2,000-horsepower electric engine compression unit housed within a new
building, and other associated facilities, including a gas cooler unit,
vent silencer, a fan, a control building, on-site access driveway, and
overhead electrical line. Ancillary equipment will also include an
emergency generator, hot water boiler and space heater, all fueled by
natural gas. In order to connect the Compressor Station to the
Northampton Lateral, Tennessee will need to install a total of 380 feet
of pipeline: (i) 155 feet of pipeline on the Compressor Station site;
and (ii) 225 feet of pipeline within a 60-foot wide easement connecting
the Compressor Station site to the Northampton Lateral.
A location map depicting the proposed facilities is attached to
this NOI as Appendix 1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not printed in
the Federal Register, but they are being provided to all those who
receive this notice in the mail. Copies of the NOI can be obtained
from the Commission's Web site at the ``eLibrary'' link,
Commission's Public Reference Room, or by calling (202) 502-8371.
For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the end of this
notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Tennessee proposes to construct the Project on a parcel of land
measuring approximately 5.32 acres which is wholly owned by Tennessee.
Construction will require approximately 3.28 acres of new land
disturbance of which 1.57 acres will be permanently altered by
operation of the facility. Approximately 2.82 acres (over 50 percent)
of the 5.32-acre parcel would be utilized as buffer and visual
screening both during and post-construction and will not be affected by
either construction or operation of the facility. Portions of this work
are also required within a proposed 0.31-acre pipeline easement
necessary to connect the compressor station to Tennessee's existing
pipeline. Following construction, the ground surfaces immediately
surrounding the facility and within the proposed fence line will be
converted to gravel and maintained lawn to facilitate maintenance of a
clear and accessible operational area.
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
\2\ 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 are considered during the preparation of the EA. State and
local government representatives are encouraged to notify their
constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on
their areas of concern.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as results of
the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
Land use;
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
Cultural resources
Vegetation and wildlife;
Air quality and noise
Reliability and safety
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.
[[Page 81603]]
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to Federal, State, and local agencies, public
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for
this proceeding. 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.
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
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with applicable State Historic Preservation Office (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.\3\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO 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 on consultations under section 106.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the
environmental information provided by Tennessee. This preliminary list
of issues, which is presented below, may be revised based on your
comments and our continuing analyses specific to the Project:
Potential noise and vibration impacts from compressor station
Air quality impacts from the compressor station construction
and operation
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Project. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send in your comments
so that they will be received in Washington, DC, on or before January
20, 2011.
For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please
reference the project docket number (CP11-36-000) with your submission.
The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert
eFiling staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or
efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You may file your comments electronically by using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at https://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 https://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''; 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; 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, 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
proposed 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 CD
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please
return the attached Information Request (Appendix 2).
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 (866) 208-FERC or on the
FERC Web site 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
[[Page 81604]]
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 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. 2010-32641 Filed 12-27-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P