Millennium Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Minisink Compressor Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting, 52654-52655 [2011-21497]

Download as PDF 52654 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 163 / Tuesday, August 23, 2011 / Notices 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). DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP11–515–000] Summary of the Proposed Project mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Millennium Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Minisink Compressor Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting 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 Minisink Compressor Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Millennium Pipeline Company, LLC (Millennium) in Minisink, New York. 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 September 16, 2011. Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to sending written comments, we invite you to attend the public scoping meeting scheduled as follows: FERC Public Scoping Meeting, Minisink Compressor Project, September 6, 2011, 7 p.m., Minisink Town Hall, 20 Roy Smith Dr., Westtown, NY 10998. The Commission staff will also attend Millennium’s public open house on August 23, 2011, in Westtown, New York. Notice of this public open house was sent to all affected landowners by Millennium on August 11, 2011. 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 proposed project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. 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 Millennium provided to landowners. This fact sheet addresses a number of typically-asked questions, VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:33 Aug 22, 2011 Jkt 223001 Millennium proposes to construct and operate one new compressor station in Minisink, New York. The Minisink Compressor Project would allow Millennium to increase natural gas deliveries to its existing interconnection with Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC at Ramapo, New York, to approximately 675,000 dekatherms per day. The project would consist of the following facilities: • Two 6,130-horsepower natural gasfired compressor units at the new Minisink Compressor Station; • Approximately 1,090 feet of 36inch-diameter pipeline for suction and discharge to the existing Millennium mainline; and • Associated ancillary facilities. The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.1 Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the proposed facilities would take place on a 10.5-acre plot entirely within a 74.3-acre parcel of land that is owned by Millennium. Following construction, 3.3 acres would be maintained permanently for operation of the Minisink Compressor Station. 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 1 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. 2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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; • Land use; • Water resources 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, 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. 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 September 16, 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 E:\FR\FM\23AUN1.SGM 23AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 163 / Tuesday, August 23, 2011 / Notices docket number (CP11–515–000) 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. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD 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 own property or homes within a certain distance of the proposed compressor station site 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). VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:33 Aug 22, 2011 Jkt 223001 Becoming an Intervenor DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 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. 52655 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Additional Information Additional information about the project is available from the Commission’s Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web site 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., CP11–515). 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. Dated: August 17, 2011. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2011–21497 Filed 8–22–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 [Project No. 606–027—California] Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Kilarc-Cow Creek Hydroelectric Project In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (Commission) regulations, 18 CFR part 380 (Order No. 486, 52 FR 47897), the Office of Energy Projects has reviewed the application, filed March 12, 2009, requesting surrender of the Kilarc-Cow Creek Project (FERC No. 606) license. The project is located on Old Cow Creek, South Cow Creek, and tributaries in Shasta County, California. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was issued for public comment on June 22, 2010, followed by two public meetings. Commission staff has prepared the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the project. The FEIS contains staff’s evaluation of the licensee’s proposal and the alternatives for surrendering the license of the Kilarc-Cow Creek Project. The FEIS documents the views of governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, affected Indian tribes, the public, the licensee, and Commission staff. A copy of the FEIS is available for review in the Commission’s Public Reference Branch, Room 2A, located at 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. The FEIS also may be viewed on the Commission’s Web site at https:// www.ferc.gov, under the eLibrary link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or tollfree at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY, (202) 502–8659. You may also register online at http: //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, contact FERC Online Support. For further information, contact the environmental coordinator, CarLisa Linton-Peters at (202) 502–8416, or via e-mail at carlisa.linton-peters@ferc.gov. E:\FR\FM\23AUN1.SGM 23AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52654-52655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21497]



[[Page 52654]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP11-515-000]


Millennium Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Minisink Compressor Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meeting

    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 Minisink Compressor Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Millennium 
Pipeline Company, LLC (Millennium) in Minisink, New York. 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 September 16, 2011.
    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to 
sending written comments, we invite you to attend the public scoping 
meeting scheduled as follows: FERC Public Scoping Meeting, Minisink 
Compressor Project, September 6, 2011, 7 p.m., Minisink Town Hall, 20 
Roy Smith Dr., Westtown, NY 10998.
    The Commission staff will also attend Millennium's public open 
house on August 23, 2011, in Westtown, New York. Notice of this public 
open house was sent to all affected landowners by Millennium on August 
11, 2011.
    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 proposed 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    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 Millennium 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

    Millennium proposes to construct and operate one new compressor 
station in Minisink, New York. The Minisink Compressor Project would 
allow Millennium to increase natural gas deliveries to its existing 
interconnection with Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC at Ramapo, New 
York, to approximately 675,000 dekatherms per day.
    The project would consist of the following facilities:
     Two 6,130-horsepower natural gas-fired compressor units at 
the new Minisink Compressor Station;
     Approximately 1,090 feet of 36-inch-diameter pipeline for 
suction and discharge to the existing Millennium mainline; and
     Associated ancillary facilities.

    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 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 take place on a 10.5-
acre plot entirely within a 74.3-acre parcel of land that is owned by 
Millennium. Following construction, 3.3 acres would be maintained 
permanently for operation of the Minisink Compressor Station.

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 will be considered during the preparation of the EA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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 a result of 
the construction and operation of the proposed project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Land use;
     Water resources 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, 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.

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 September 16, 
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

[[Page 52655]]

docket number (CP11-515-000) 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 own property or homes within a certain distance of the 
proposed compressor station site 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 
(i.e., CP11-515). 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.

    Dated: August 17, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-21497 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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