Northwest Pipeline GP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed South Seattle Delivery Lateral Expansion Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting, 41182-41184 [2012-16994]
Download as PDF
41182
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 134 / Thursday, July 12, 2012 / Notices
document is added to a subscribed
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC
Online service, please email
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on July 23, 2012.
Dated: July 5, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–16996 Filed 7–11–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP12–471–000]
pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Northwest Pipeline GP; Notice of Intent
To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed South
Seattle Delivery Lateral Expansion
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 South Seattle Delivery Lateral
Expansion Project involving
construction and operation of facilities
by Northwest Pipeline GP (Northwest)
in King County, Washington. The
Commission will use this EA 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 they need to
evaluate in the EA. Please note that the
scoping period will close on August 6,
2012.
You may submit comments in written
form or verbally. Further details on how
to submit written comments are in the
Public Participation section of this
notice. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, the
Commission invites you to attend the
public scoping meeting scheduled as
follows:
FERC Public Scoping Meeting, South
Seattle Delivery Lateral Expansion
Project, July 30, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.,
Hilton Garden Inn Seattle/Renton, 1801
East Valley Road, Renton, WA 98057.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
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mailing list for this project. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of this
proposed project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you 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 Commission
approves the project, 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.
Northwest provided landowners with
a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility on My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ 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 (www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
Northwest proposes to upgrade 4.0
miles of natural gas pipeline from 10- to
16-inch-diameter in King County,
Washington. Northwest proposes to
remove the existing 10-inch-diameter
segment and replace it with the 16-inchdiameter pipeline in the same ditch.
However, at the existing Cedar River
crossing it would abandon in place an
800-foot-long segment and install the
new pipeline 50 feet offset from the
abandoned segment. In addition,
Northwest proposes to remove a pig1
launcher, install two new pig launchers
and one pig receiver, and upgrade
miscellaneous aboveground facilities.
The project would provide about 74,850
dekatherms of natural gas per day to
meet demand in the south Seattle
market area.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.2
1 A ‘‘pig’’ is a tool that the pipeline company
inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for
cleaning the pipeline, conducting internal
inspections, or other purposes.
2 The appendices referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities
would disturb about 76 acres of land; 96
percent of the disturbed area would be
within Northwest’s existing right-ofway. Following construction, Northwest
would utilize its existing right-of-way
for permanent operation of the project’s
facilities. It would however, need to
acquire 4.0 acres of new right-of-way for
operation of the aboveground facilities
and the pipeline associated with the
Cedar River crossing.
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. We will consider all
filed comments 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, 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.
The EA will present our independent
analysis of the issues. The EA will be
available in the public record through
eLibrary. Depending on the comments
received during the scoping process, we
may also publish and distribute the EA
to the public for an allotted comment
period. We will consider all comments
on the EA before making our
recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure we have the opportunity to
3 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 134 / Thursday, July 12, 2012 / Notices
consider and address your comments,
please carefully follow the instructions
in the Public Participation section
beginning on page 5.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
or special expertise with respect to the
environmental issues of this project to
formally cooperate with us in the
preparation of the EA.4 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. At this time, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
National Marine Fisheries Service have
expressed an interest in participating as
cooperating agencies.
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
Washington State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views
and those of other government agencies,
interested Indian tribes, and the public
on the project’s potential effects on
historic properties.5 We will define the
project-specific Area of Potential Effects
(APE) in consultation with the SHPO as
the project develops. 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
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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
Northwest. This preliminary list of
issues may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis.
4 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, § 1501.6.
5 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or object included
in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of Historic Places.
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15:39 Jul 11, 2012
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• Alternative methods and locations
for the crossing of the Cedar River;
• Impacts on threatened and
endangered species including Chinook
salmon, steelhead, and bull trout; and
• Minimization of impacts on
landowners during construction within
residential neighborhoods.
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 the Commission receives them in
Washington, DC on or before August 6,
2012.
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 (CP12–471–000) with
your submission. The Commission
encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert staff available
to assist you at (202) 502–8258 or
efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You can file your comments
electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission’s Web site
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy
method for interested persons to submit
brief, text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments
electronically using the eFiling feature
on the Commission’s Web site
(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 must select
the type of filing you are making. If you
are filing a comment on a particular
project, please select ‘‘Comment on a
Filing’’; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your
comments by mailing them to 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
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Sfmt 4703
41183
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 we publish and distribute the EA,
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 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 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., CP12–471). 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 134 / Thursday, July 12, 2012 / Notices
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 www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits
will be posted on the Commission’s
calendar located at www.ferc.gov/
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Dated: July 5, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–16994 Filed 7–11–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
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 email notification when a
document is added to a subscribed
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC
Online service, please email
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on July 27, 2012.
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Dated: July 5, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[Docket No. CP12–480–000]
[FR Doc. 2012–16995 Filed 7–11–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Merit Energy Company; Notice of
Petition for Declaratory Order
Take notice that on June 27, 2012,
Merit Energy Company (Merit), under
Rule 207(a)(2) of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission’s (Commission)
Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR
385.207(a)(2)(2012) filed a Petition for
Declaratory Order, requesting the
Commission declare that Merit’s
proposed pipeline, which will consist of
one new 4-mile segment and one
existing 10-mile segment, is a nonjurisdictional plant inlet pipeline,
integrally and solely related to the nonjurisdictional processing activity at the
Painter Plant.
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,
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. AD12–12–000]
Coordination Between Natural Gas and
Electricity Markets; Notice of Technical
Conferences
Take notice that the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission)
staff will hold regional technical
conferences on Coordination between
Natural Gas and Electricity Markets. The
regional technical conferences will be
held on the following dates and in the
following cities:1
Central 2—August 6, 2012, St. Louis,
MO
Northeast 3—August 20, 2012, Boston,
MA
1 We recognize that due to the long lines of some
of the interstate pipelines, natural gas pipeline
infrastructure may not neatly fit into these
divisions, but find these divisions reasonable for
discussing gas-electric coordination issues.
2 For purposes of these conferences, the Central
region is largely defined by the corporate
boundaries of the organized wholesale electric
markets of Midwest Independent Transmission
System Operator Inc. (MISO), Southwest Power
Pool, Inc. (SPP) and Electric Reliability Council of
Texas (ERCOT). While we recognize we do not have
Federal Power Act jurisdiction over the rates or
terms of service in wholesale electricity markets
doing business wholly within the state of Texas in
ERCOT events in Texas affect, and are affected by,
gas-electric coordination issues in other geographic
areas and opening these discussions to all
participants will permit a broader and more
inclusive examination of all the relevant issues.
3 ISO New England, Inc. (ISO–NE).
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Southeast 4—August 23, 2012,
Washington, DC (FERC HQ)
West 5—August 28, 2012, Portland, OR
Mid-Atlantic 6—August 30, 2012,
Washington, DC (FERC HQ)
The regional technical conferences
will be open for the public to attend.
Commission members will participate
in the conferences.
On February 15, 2012, in the abovementioned docket, a notice was issued
requesting comments regarding gaselectric interdependence. The
commenters raised a wide variety of
issues regarding gas-electric
interdependence. Many of the
commenters asserted that those issues
differed on a regional basis. The
regional technical conferences will
discuss the various aspects of gaselectric interdependence and
coordination, as well as ways to
improve communication and
coordination between the two
industries.
Each conference will be organized as
a roundtable discussion of the following
topics: (1) Communications/
coordination/information sharing; (2)
scheduling; (3) market structures and
rules; and (4) reliability concerns. Time
permitting, comments or questions from
those attending the conference, but not
participating in the roundtable, will be
permitted. Subsequent notices will be
issued specifying the time, venue, and
agenda for each conference.
Those interested in attending a
conference are encouraged to register by
close of business, July 19, 2012. You
may register at the following Web page:
https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/
registration/nat-gas-elec-mkts-form.asp.
Those also interested in participating in
a roundtable should notify the
Commission by close of business on the
same day by completing an online form
identifying at which conference they
wish to participate: https://www.ferc.gov/
whats-new/registration/nat-gas-elecmkts-speaker-form.asp. Due to time and
seating constraints, we may not be able
to accommodate all those interested in
participating in the roundtables.
Information on the conferences will
also be posted on the Web site https://
www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indusact/electric-coord.asp, as well as the
Calendar of Events on the Commission’s
Web site, https://www.ferc.gov, prior to
the conferences.
Commission conferences are
accessible under section 508 of the
4 Southern Company, Duke and Progress Energy,
TVA, and other areas south of PJM Interconnection,
L.L.C. (PJM) and East of SPP and ERCOT.
5 The Western Interconnection.
6 New York Independent System Operator Inc.
(NYISO), PJM and related areas.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 134 (Thursday, July 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41182-41184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP12-471-000]
Northwest Pipeline GP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed South Seattle Delivery
Lateral Expansion 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 South Seattle Delivery Lateral
Expansion Project involving construction and operation of facilities by
Northwest Pipeline GP (Northwest) in King County, Washington. The
Commission will use this EA 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 they need to evaluate in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on August 6, 2012.
You may submit comments in written form or verbally. Further
details on how to submit written comments are in the Public
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the
public scoping meeting scheduled as follows:
FERC Public Scoping Meeting, South Seattle Delivery Lateral
Expansion Project, July 30, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn
Seattle/Renton, 1801 East Valley Road, Renton, WA 98057.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you 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 Commission approves the project, 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.
Northwest provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the
FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility on My Land? What Do
I Need To Know?'' 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 (www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
Northwest proposes to upgrade 4.0 miles of natural gas pipeline
from 10- to 16-inch-diameter in King County, Washington. Northwest
proposes to remove the existing 10-inch-diameter segment and replace it
with the 16-inch-diameter pipeline in the same ditch. However, at the
existing Cedar River crossing it would abandon in place an 800-foot-
long segment and install the new pipeline 50 feet offset from the
abandoned segment. In addition, Northwest proposes to remove a pig\1\
launcher, install two new pig launchers and one pig receiver, and
upgrade miscellaneous aboveground facilities. The project would provide
about 74,850 dekatherms of natural gas per day to meet demand in the
south Seattle market area.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline,
conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to all those
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 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 76
acres of land; 96 percent of the disturbed area would be within
Northwest's existing right-of-way. Following construction, Northwest
would utilize its existing right-of-way for permanent operation of the
project's facilities. It would however, need to acquire 4.0 acres of
new right-of-way for operation of the aboveground facilities and the
pipeline associated with the Cedar River crossing.
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. We will
consider all filed comments 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.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We
will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to
[[Page 41183]]
consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the
instructions in the Public Participation section beginning on page 5.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the
EA.\4\ 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. At this time, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service
have expressed an interest in participating as cooperating agencies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Sec. 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Washington State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on
historic properties.\5\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the project
develops. 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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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 Northwest. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Alternative methods and locations for the crossing of the
Cedar River;
Impacts on threatened and endangered species including
Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout; and
Minimization of impacts on landowners during construction
within residential neighborhoods.
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 the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before August
6, 2012.
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 (CP12-471-000) with your
submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and
has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or
efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for interested persons to
submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically using the eFiling
feature on the Commission's Web site (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 must select the type of filing you are making. If
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select
``Comment on a Filing''; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
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 we publish and distribute the EA, 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 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 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., CP12-
471). 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
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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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Dated: July 5, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-16994 Filed 7-11-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P