CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line AM-46 Replacement Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Onsite Environmental Review, 12955-12957 [2011-5316]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 46 / Wednesday, March 9, 2011 / Notices
The Respondent’s answer, motions to
intervene, and protests must be served
on the Complainants.
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 March 16, 2011.
Dated: March 3, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–5319 Filed 3–8–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP11–78–000]
Emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission
Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment
for the Proposed Line AM–46
Replacement 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 Line AM–46 Replacement Project
involving construction, operation, and
abandonment of facilities by
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission
Company, LLC (CEGT) in Howard,
Hempstead, Sevier, and Little River
Counties, Arkansas. 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
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18:04 Mar 08, 2011
Jkt 223001
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 April 1,
2011.
The Office of Energy Projects staff will
conduct on onsite environmental review
of the project area on March 29, 2011 to
gather data for its environmental
assessment. Staff will examine the
proposed pipeline route, facilities, and
alternative routes filed by CEGT.
Viewing of this area is anticipated to be
from public access points. All interested
parties are invited to attend but must
provide their own transportation. Those
attending should meet at the following
location and time: Line AM–46
Replacement Project, FERC
Environmental Site Review, March 29,
2011 at 9 a.m. Central Time, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers Millwood Lake
Project Office, 1528 Hwy 32 East
Ashdown, AR.
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
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?’’ was attached to the project
notice CEGT provided to landowners.
This fact sheet addresses a number of
typically-asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings. It is also available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
The Line AM–46 Replacement Project
would involve abandonment and
replacement of natural gas facilities to
ensure continued supply of about 50
million standard cubic feet of natural
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Fmt 4703
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12955
gas per day to the Ashdown, Arkansas
area. CEGT proposes to abandon in
place related pipeline segments in
Howard, Sevier, and Little River
County, Arkansas. These segments cross
Millwood Lake or associated
waterbodies and were constructed
between 1929 and 1965. Frequent
repairs on these lines necessitate their
replacement. CEGT proposes to replace
these segments with a new pipeline
which would bypass Millwood Lake
and be located in Howard, Hempstead,
and Little River Counties, Arkansas.
The Line AM–46 Replacement Project
would consist of the following facilities:
• Construction of 16.7 miles of 10inch-diameter pipeline,
• Construction of a pig launcher and
receiver,1 and
• Abandonment of a total of 16.2
miles of 8- and 10-inch-diameter
pipeline.
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 196 acres of land
for the aboveground facilities and the
pipeline. Following construction, about
81 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. About 83 percent of the
proposed pipeline route parallels
existing pipeline, utility, or road rightsof-way.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action
whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. NEPA also requires us 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
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.
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
12956
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 46 / Wednesday, March 9, 2011 / Notices
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:
• Geology and soils;
• Water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands;
• Vegetation and wildlife;
• Endangered and threatened species;
• Land use;
• Cultural resources;
• Air quality and noise; 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 below.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of
the EA. These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated the
proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Agencies that would
like to request cooperating agency status
should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided under the Public
Participation section of this notice.
Emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
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
CEGT. This preliminary list of issues
may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis.
• Crossing of wetlands enlisted under
the Wetland Reserve Program for the
protection, restoration and enhancement
of wetlands.
• Potential impacts on federally listed
threatened and endangered species
occurring within the project area.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:04 Mar 08, 2011
Jkt 223001
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 April 1,
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 (CP11–78–000) 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
http: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
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
property may be used temporarily for
project purposes, 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 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
(i.e., CP11–78). 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, 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.
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 46 / Wednesday, March 9, 2011 / Notices
Dated: March 2, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
Dated: March 3, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–5316 Filed 3–8–11; 8:45 am]
[FR Doc. 2011–5323 Filed 3–8–11; 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. EL11–24–000]
[Docket No. EF11–4–001]
SunZia Transmission, LLC; Notice of
Petition for Declaratory Order
Emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Western Area Power Administration;
Notice of Filing
Take notice that on March 3, 2011, the
Western Area Power Administration,
submitted its Open Access
Transmission Tariff Compliance Filing,
to be effective March 2, 2011.
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.
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 March 24, 2011.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:04 Mar 08, 2011
Jkt 223001
Take notice that on February 23, 2011,
pursuant to Rule 207(a)(2) of the Rules
of Practice and Procedure of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission), 18 CFR 385.207(a)(2)
(2010), SunZia Transmission, LLC
(SunZia) filed a revised petition for
declaratory order requesting that the
Commission find that: (i) Tucson
Electric Power Company (TEP),
SouthWestern Power Group (SWPG),
ECP SunZia, LLC (ECP SunZia), and
Shell WindEnergy Inc. (SWE)
(collectively SunZia Owners) each owns
that portion of the SunZia Southwest
Transmission Project (Project) equal to
its pro rata share of investment in the
Project,1 (ii) SWPG, ECP SunZia, and
SWE may allocate up to 50 percent of
their pro rata shares of the Project to
anchor customers through long-term
firm negotiated rate contracts,2 and (iii)
electrical interconnection or
transmission requests with respect to
the Project are premature prior to the
Project attaining sufficient maturity as
to its permitting, licensing,
determination of the final alignment,
and determination of the resulting
estimated costs.
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
1 In addition to the SunZia Owners, Salt River
Project Agricultural Improvement and Power
District (SRP) and Tri-State Generation and
Transmission Association, Inc. (TSGT) are sponsors
of the Project. Neither SRP nor TSGT is a ‘‘public
utility’’ within the meaning of section 201(e) of the
Federal Power Act.
2 The remaining sponsors of the Project, SRP,
TSGT, and TEP—all existing load-serving entities
with existing transmission systems—plan to
incorporate their pro rata shares of the Project into
their transmission systems and provide service
pursuant to their respective open access
transmission tariffs (OATTs). As non-public
utilities, SRP and TSGT are not required to file their
OATTs with the Commission.
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12957
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.
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 Thursday, March 17, 2011.
Dated: March 3, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–5324 Filed 3–8–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 13885–000]
City of Tacoma, Washington; Notice of
Preliminary Permit Application
Accepted for Filing and Soliciting
Comments and Motions to Intervene
On November 22, 2010, the City of
Tacoma, Washington (Tacoma), filed an
application for a preliminary permit,
pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal
Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the
feasibility of the Tacoma Water Supply
Hydroelectric Project (Tacoma Project or
project) to be located on the existing
Tacoma Water Transmission System, in
Pierce County, Washington.1 The sole
1 Tacoma filed a competing preliminary permit
application in response to the notice for a
preliminary permit application for the same site
from Energy Exchange, Inc. for Project No. 13729.
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
Continued
09MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12955-12957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5316]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP11-78-000]
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company, LLC; Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line AM-
46 Replacement 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 Line AM-46 Replacement Project
involving construction, operation, and abandonment of facilities by
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company, LLC (CEGT) in Howard,
Hempstead, Sevier, and Little River Counties, Arkansas. 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 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 April 1, 2011.
The Office of Energy Projects staff will conduct on onsite
environmental review of the project area on March 29, 2011 to gather
data for its environmental assessment. Staff will examine the proposed
pipeline route, facilities, and alternative routes filed by CEGT.
Viewing of this area is anticipated to be from public access points.
All interested parties are invited to attend but must provide their own
transportation. Those attending should meet at the following location
and time: Line AM-46 Replacement Project, FERC Environmental Site
Review, March 29, 2011 at 9 a.m. Central Time, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Millwood Lake Project Office, 1528 Hwy 32 East Ashdown, AR.
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 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?'' was attached to the
project notice CEGT provided to landowners. This fact sheet addresses a
number of typically-asked questions, including the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is
also available for viewing on the FERC Web site (https://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
The Line AM-46 Replacement Project would involve abandonment and
replacement of natural gas facilities to ensure continued supply of
about 50 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day to the
Ashdown, Arkansas area. CEGT proposes to abandon in place related
pipeline segments in Howard, Sevier, and Little River County, Arkansas.
These segments cross Millwood Lake or associated waterbodies and were
constructed between 1929 and 1965. Frequent repairs on these lines
necessitate their replacement. CEGT proposes to replace these segments
with a new pipeline which would bypass Millwood Lake and be located in
Howard, Hempstead, and Little River Counties, Arkansas.
The Line AM-46 Replacement Project would consist of the following
facilities:
Construction of 16.7 miles of 10-inch-diameter pipeline,
Construction of a pig launcher and receiver,\1\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abandonment of a total of 16.2 miles of 8- and 10-inch-
diameter pipeline.
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 196
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline.
Following construction, about 81 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. About 83
percent of the proposed pipeline route parallels existing pipeline,
utility, or road rights-of-way.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
\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
[[Page 12956]]
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;
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
Vegetation and wildlife;
Endangered and threatened species;
Land use;
Cultural resources;
Air quality and noise; 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 below.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to
their responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating
agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments
provided under the Public Participation section of this notice.
Currently 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 CEGT. This preliminary list
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Crossing of wetlands enlisted under the Wetland Reserve
Program for the protection, restoration and enhancement of wetlands.
Potential impacts on federally listed threatened and
endangered species occurring within the project area.
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 April 1,
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 (CP11-78-000) 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
http: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, 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 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
(i.e., CP11-78). 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, 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.
[[Page 12957]]
Dated: March 2, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-5316 Filed 3-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P