Kern River Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Mountain Pass Lateral Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of Onsite Environmental Review, 10350-10352 [2011-4081]
Download as PDF
10350
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 37 / Thursday, February 24, 2011 / Notices
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 website 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.
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
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
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:21 Feb 23, 2011
Jkt 223001
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.
the Mountain Pass Lateral Project
involving construction and operation of
facilities by Kern River Gas
Transmission Company (Kern River) in
San Bernardino County, California. This
EA will be used by the Commission in
Additional Information
its decisionmaking process to determine
Additional information about the
whether the project is in the public
project is available from the
convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web the scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public
site at https://www.ferc.gov using the
and interested agencies on the project.
‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Click on the eLibrary
link, click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter Your input will help the Commission
staff determine what issues need to be
the docket number, excluding the last
evaluated in the EA. Please note that the
three digits in the Docket Number field
scoping period will close on March 18,
(i.e., CP11–59). Be sure you have
2011.
selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online
Site Visit
Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov
On March 8, 2011, the Office of
or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or for
Energy Projects (OEP) staff will conduct
TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. The
eLibrary link also provides access to the a site visit of the planned Mountain Pass
texts of formal documents issued by the Lateral Project. We will inspect
accessible locations along the proposed
Commission, such as orders, notices,
pipeline route, as feasible. Examination
and rulemakings.
of the proposed pipeline route will be
In addition, the Commission now
offers a free service called eSubscription by automobile, remote observation from
vantage point(s) at higher elevations
which allows you to keep track of all
relative to the proposed route, and on
formal issuances and submittals in
foot. Representatives from BLM, Kern
specific dockets. This can reduce the
River and Molycorp will accompany the
amount of time you spend researching
proceedings by automatically providing OEP staff.
All interested parties may attend.
you with notification of these filings,
Those planning to attend must provide
document summaries, and direct links
their own transportation (vehicles with
to the documents. Go to https://
high clearance are required) and should
www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
meet at the following time and location:
Finally, public meetings or site visits
Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 10 a.m. (PST),
will be posted on the Commission’s
calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/ Location: Primm Valley Golf Club,
Directions: (Interstate 15 Exit #291,
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
Yates Well Road, right at stop sign;
with other related information.
follow signs; meet in parking lot past
Dated: February 16, 2011.
entrance gate).
Kimberly D. Bose,
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
Secretary.
mailing list for this project. State and
[FR Doc. 2011–4082 Filed 2–23–11; 8:45 am]
local government representatives are
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
asked to notify their constituents of this
planned project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP11–46–000]
Kern River Gas Transmission
Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare
an Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Mountain Pass Lateral
Project, Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues and Notice of
Onsite Environmental Review
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Summary of the Proposed Project
Kern River proposes to construct
approximately 8.6 miles of 8-inch lateral
pipeline in San Bernardino County,
California extending from the existing
Kern River mainline along the western
edge of Ivanpah Valley and terminating
at the active mining operation on
property owned by Molycorp Minerals,
LLC (Molycorp). The lateral pipeline
would have a design capacity of 24.27
million standard cubic feet per day.
According to Kern River, its project and
the natural gas it delivers to the
Molycorp facility would provide
reliable power generation and steam
production in order to facilitate
E:\FR\FM\24FEN1.SGM
24FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 37 / Thursday, February 24, 2011 / Notices
Molycorp’s existing rare earth
separations process.
The Mountain Pass Lateral Project
would consist of the following facilities:
• Approximately 8.6 miles of 8-inch
lateral pipeline;
• A tap assembly and pig launcher 1
within and adjacent to Kern River’s
existing mainline pipeline system rightof-way at milepost 585.77; and
• A new meter station and pig
receiver on the existing Molycorp
property.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in Appendix 1.2
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities
would disturb about 93.51 acres of land
for the aboveground facilities and the
pipeline. The majority of construction
would occur on land managed by the
U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau
of Land Management (BLM); remaining
construction would occur on property
owned by Molycorp. Following
construction, about 51.97 acres would
be maintained for permanent operation
of the project’s facilities; the remaining
acreage would be restored and allowed
to revert to former uses.
The EA Process
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
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 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 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
proposed project under these general
headings:
1 A ‘‘pig’’ is a tool that is inserted into and moves
through the pipeline, and is used for cleaning the
pipeline, internal inspections, or other purposes.
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.
3 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental
staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:21 Feb 23, 2011
Jkt 223001
• 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 reasonable
alternatives to the proposed project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be presented in the EA. 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 beginning on page 4.
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 BLM Needles Field Office
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.
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(s), 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
4 The
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Historic properties are
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
10351
project-specific Area of Potential Effects
(APE) in consultation with the SHPO(s)
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.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
proposed facilities and the
environmental information provided by
Kern River. This preliminary list of
issues may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis.
• Threatened endangered species
(including desert tortoise) habitat
• Alternative pipeline routes
• Access road improvements
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 18,
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 (CP11–46–000) 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
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.
E:\FR\FM\24FEN1.SGM
24FEN1
10352
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 37 / Thursday, February 24, 2011 / Notices
feature, which is located on the
Commission’s website 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.
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
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.
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 website.
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:21 Feb 23, 2011
Jkt 223001
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
(i.e., CP11–46). 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 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, any additional 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.
Dated: February 16, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
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 Wednesday, February 23, 2011.
Dated: February 16, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–4080 Filed 2–23–11; 8:45 am]
[FR Doc. 2011–4081 Filed 2–23–11; 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
[Docket No. ID–6495–000]
[Docket No. ER11–2641–000]
Keyser, Michael J.; Notice of Filing
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of
Filing
Take notice that, on February 10,
2011, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC filed
to supplement its filing, in the above
captioned docket, with information
required under the Commission’s
regulations. Such filing serves to reset
the filing date in this proceeding.
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
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Take notice that on February 15, 2011,
Michael J. Keyser submitted for filing,
an application for authority to hold
interlocking positions, pursuant to
section 305(b) of the Federal Power Act,
16 U.S.C. 825d(b) (2008), Part 45 of Title
18 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
18 CFR part 45 and 45.8 (2010), and
Commission Order No. 664, 112 FERC
¶ 61,298 (2005).
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
E:\FR\FM\24FEN1.SGM
24FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 37 (Thursday, February 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10350-10352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4081]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP11-46-000]
Kern River Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Mountain Pass Lateral
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of
Onsite Environmental Review
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 Mountain Pass Lateral Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by Kern River Gas
Transmission Company (Kern River) in San Bernardino County, California.
This EA will be used by the Commission in its decisionmaking process to
determine whether the project is in the public convenience and
necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process 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 18, 2011.
Site Visit
On March 8, 2011, the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) staff will
conduct a site visit of the planned Mountain Pass Lateral Project. We
will inspect accessible locations along the proposed pipeline route, as
feasible. Examination of the proposed pipeline route will be by
automobile, remote observation from vantage point(s) at higher
elevations relative to the proposed route, and on foot. Representatives
from BLM, Kern River and Molycorp will accompany the OEP staff.
All interested parties may attend. Those planning to attend must
provide their own transportation (vehicles with high clearance are
required) and should meet at the following time and location: Tuesday,
March 8, 2011, 10 a.m. (PST), Location: Primm Valley Golf Club,
Directions: (Interstate 15 Exit 291, Yates Well Road, right at
stop sign; follow signs; meet in parking lot past entrance gate).
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.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Kern River proposes to construct approximately 8.6 miles of 8-inch
lateral pipeline in San Bernardino County, California extending from
the existing Kern River mainline along the western edge of Ivanpah
Valley and terminating at the active mining operation on property owned
by Molycorp Minerals, LLC (Molycorp). The lateral pipeline would have a
design capacity of 24.27 million standard cubic feet per day. According
to Kern River, its project and the natural gas it delivers to the
Molycorp facility would provide reliable power generation and steam
production in order to facilitate
[[Page 10351]]
Molycorp's existing rare earth separations process.
The Mountain Pass Lateral Project would consist of the following
facilities:
Approximately 8.6 miles of 8-inch lateral pipeline;
A tap assembly and pig launcher \1\ within and adjacent to
Kern River's existing mainline pipeline system right-of-way at milepost
585.77; and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A ``pig'' is a tool that is inserted into and moves through
the pipeline, and is used for cleaning the pipeline, internal
inspections, or other purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A new meter station and pig receiver on the existing
Molycorp property.
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 proposed facilities would disturb about 93.51
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. The
majority of construction would occur on land managed by the U.S.
Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM); remaining
construction would occur on property owned by Molycorp. Following
construction, about 51.97 acres would be maintained for permanent
operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage would be
restored and allowed to revert to former uses.
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
\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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ ``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 a result 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;
Endangered and threatened species; and
Public 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.
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 beginning on page 4.
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 BLM Needles Field Office 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.
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(s), 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 SHPO(s) 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ 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 several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by Kern River. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Threatened endangered species (including desert tortoise)
habitat
Alternative pipeline routes
Access road improvements
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 18,
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 (CP11-46-000) 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
[[Page 10352]]
feature, which is located on the Commission's website 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.
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 website.
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
(i.e., CP11-46). 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 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, any additional 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.
Dated: February 16, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-4081 Filed 2-23-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P