Trunkline Gas Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Trunkline Mainline Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 66603-66605 [2012-27015]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 6, 2012 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP12–491–000]
Trunkline Gas Company, LLC; Notice
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed
Trunkline Mainline Abandonment
Project and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
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 Trunkline Mainline Abandonment
Project involving abandonment of
facilities by Trunkline Gas Company,
LLC (Trunkline) located in numerous
counties in Illinois, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas,
Louisiana, and Texas. 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 November
26, 2012.
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.
Trunkline 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).
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with
Summary of the Proposed Project
Trunkline proposes to abandon by
transfer to a corporate affiliate portions
of its existing 100–1 and 100–2 looped 1
pipeline systems and portions of
compressor stations (CS) located in
numerous counties in Illinois,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi,
Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, so that
1A
pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed
parallel to an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
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15:06 Nov 05, 2012
Jkt 229001
they may be converted to the
transmission of crude oil. Trunkline
also proposes to abandon in-place 12
compressor units totaling 15,850
horsepower (hp) that are no longer
needed. Trunkline states that the
abandonment would result in the
reduction of its certificated winter
mainline capacity through the
Independence CS from 1,555 thousand
dekatherms per day (MDt/d) to 958
MDt/d, and the certificated capacity out
of its Texas portion of its system
through the Longville CS would be
reduced from 1,109 MDt/d to 920 MDt/
d. After abandonment, these gas
volumes would continue to be
transported using the 100–2 pipeline
between the Kountze CS and Longville
CS, and the 100–3 pipeline between the
Longville CS and the Tuscola CS.
The Trunkline Mainline
Abandonment Project would consist of
the following:
• Abandonment by transfer of 45.02
miles of the 24-inch-diameter 100–1
Loopline extending from Main Line
Valve (MLV) 43–1 near Buna, Texas to
the Longville CS near Longville,
Louisiana;
• Abandonment by transfer of 725.46
miles of the 30-inch-diameter 100–2
Loopline pipeline extending from the
Longville CS to the Tuscola CS near
Tuscola, Illinois;
• Abandonment in-place of a 3,000hp compressor unit from the Pollock CS
(Louisiana); a 1,050-hp compressor unit
from the Epps CS (Louisiana); four
compressor units totaling 4,200 hp from
the Shaw CS (Mississippi); five
compressor units totaling 5,250 hp from
the Independence CS (Mississippi); and
a 2,350-hp compressor unit from the
Joppa CS (Illinois); and
• Abandonment of minor facilities at
163 sites across the systems, 80 of
which would require ground disturbing
activities.
Trunkline states that upon the grant of
abandonment authority for the above
facilities, its Mainline pipeline and
existing compressor stations would
continue to operate in interstate
transportation service.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.2
Non-Jurisdictional Facilities
Following transfer of the facilities, the
future operator of the abandoned
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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66603
pipeline would perform activities that
are not under the jurisdiction of the
FERC (non-jurisdictional) including
modification of the facilities to transport
crude oil. The future operator would
modify the facilities proposed for
abandonment at 95 sites. These
activities would include:
• Removal and/or change out of
mostly MLVs at 84 sites that overlap the
abandonment work sites;
• Construction of four new MLVs;
• Construction of three new relays
totaling 4,400 feet to make the pipeline
diameter consistent, in order to enable
inline inspection tools to be run through
the crude oil pipeline; and
• Construction of replacement
pipelines across the Sabine, Red,
Mississippi, and Ouachita Rivers using
the horizontal directional drilling
method.
The scope of the non-jurisdictional
pipeline construction activities is still
being developed. However, the current
scope includes:
• Construction of about 33.6 miles of
30-inch-diameter pipeline from the
vicinity of the tank farms in Patoka,
Illinois to Trunkline’s existing
Johnsonville CS; and
• Construction of about 154 miles of
30-inch-diameter pipeline from about
milepost 62.7 near Alexandria,
Louisiana to a possible delivery point in
St. James, Louisiana.
These related non-jurisdictional
facilities are not subject to the FERC’s
environmental review procedures. In
the EA, we 3 will provide available
descriptions of the non-jurisdictional
facilities and include them under our
analysis of cumulative impacts.
Land Requirements for Construction
Trunkline’s abandonment activities
would require ground disturbance of
approximately 10.1 acres at 80 sites and
would involve the following: excavation
of cross-over pipeline segments for
isolation of tap valve meter and
regulators, installation of hot taps on the
Mainline pipeline, excavation and
removal of two drip lines on Loopline
100–2, removal of a small segment of
pipeline from Loopline 100–1
downstream of Mainline Valve 43–1,
and capping the ends of the pipe. Upon
conclusion of the abandonment
activities, the disturbed acreage would
be restored. In addition, Trunkline
would use other areas at existing
mainline valve and compressor stations
to disconnect above ground piping,
welding caps on the pipeline ends, or
3 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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66604
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 6, 2012 / Notices
installing blind flanges. These activities
would involve no ground disturbance.
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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 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
abandonment 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;
• Public safety; and
• Cumulative impacts.
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
consider and address your comments,
please carefully follow the instructions
in the Public Participation section
below.
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
4 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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18:09 Nov 05, 2012
Jkt 229001
agency status should follow the
instructions for filing comments
provided under the Public Participation
section of this notice.
Consultations Under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
In accordance with the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation’s
implementing regulations for section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this
notice to initiate consultation with
applicable State Historic Preservation
Offices (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 SHPOs 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.
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 November
26, 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 CP12–491–000 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
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.
PO 00000
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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; and
local libraries and newspapers. This list
also includes all affected landowners (as
defined in the Commission’s
regulations) who are existing right-ofway 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 6, 2012 / Notices
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., CP12–491–000. 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 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: October 26, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–27015 Filed 11–5–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 7590–007]
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with
Nashua Hydro Associates; Notice of
Application for Amendment of
Exemption and Soliciting Comments,
Motions To Intervene, and Protests
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection:
a. Application Type: Amendment of
Exemption.
b. Project No.: 7590–007.
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15:06 Nov 05, 2012
Jkt 229001
c. Date Filed: September 20, 2012.
d. Applicant: Nashua Hydro
Associates.
e. Name of Project: Jackson Mills
Project.
f. Location: The project is located on
the Nashua River in Hillsborough
County, New Hampshire.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a–825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Andrew
Locke, Essex Hydro Associates, LLC, 55
Union Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA
02108, (617) 367–0032,
al@essexhydro.com, and Ms. Elizabeth
W. Whittle, Nixon Peabody, LLP, 401
9th Street NW., Suite 900, Washington,
DC 20004, (202) 585–8338,
ewhittle@nixonpeabody.com.
i. FERC Contact: Kelly Houff, (202)
502–6393, Kelly.Houff@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing comments,
motions to intervene, and protests:
December 3, 2012.
All documents may be filed
electronically via the Internet. See 18
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission’s Web
site https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp. Commenters can submit
brief comments up to 6,000 characters,
without prior registration, using the
eComment system at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ecomment.asp. You must include your
name and contact information at the end
of your comments. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support.
Although the Commission strongly
encourages electronic filing, documents
may also be paper-filed. To paper-file,
mail an original and seven copies to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure require all intervenors
filing documents with the Commission
to serve a copy of that document on
each person whose name appears on the
official service list for the project.
Further, if an intervenor files comments
or documents with the Commission
relating to the merits of an issue that
may affect the responsibilities of a
particular resource agency, they must
also serve a copy of the document on
that resource agency.
k. Description of Application: The
exemptee proposes to install a
pneumatic crest gate system on 140 feet
of the existing 178-foot-long spillway at
the Jackson Mills Project to alleviate
upstream flooding. The pneumatic crest
gate system will consist of 6-foot-high,
20-foot-long, hinged steel panel
sections, supported on the downstream
side of the dam by tubular, air-filled,
rubber bladders. In order to install the
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66605
pneumatic crest gates, the exemptee will
need to modify the existing Jackson
Mills Dam by reducing 140 feet of the
existing spillway by approximately 6
feet to allow for the installation of the
6-foot-high pneumatic crest gates.
Additionally, the exemptee proposes to
remove the 38-foot-long section of
temporary flashboards located near the
fishway.
The proposed pneumatic crest gate
system would be designed for flood
control purposes, and will not operate at
flows below 7,500 to 9,000 cubic feet
per second (cfs). The exemptee is not
proposing to modify the height of the
dam, therefore normal water levels
would be maintained at their current
elevation, and normal flows upstream
and downstream of the project will not
be altered upon installation of the crest
gate system. The crest gate system
would be designed to withstand
overtopping in the raised position, and
will be capable of operation in both a
fully raised and partially raised
position.
During construction of the of the
pneumatic crest gate system, the
exemptee proposes to perform the
construction in ‘‘dry conditions’’ by
eliminating flows at or over the Jackson
Mills Dam by using an existing
submerged cofferdam located about 300
feet upstream of the dam to divert all
flows through the existing powerhouse,
and setting the existing turbine units to
sluice mode. Where feasible, the
exemptee proposes to relocate fish and
amphibian species to avoid possible fish
stranding.
l. A copy of the application is
available for review at the Commission
in the Public Reference Room or may be
viewed on the Commission’s Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket
number (P–7590–007) excluding the last
three digits in the docket number field
to access the document. For assistance,
contact FERC Online Support. A copy is
also available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item h
above.
You may also register online at
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via
email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
m. Individuals desiring to be included
on the Commission’s mailing list should
so indicate by writing to the Secretary
of the Commission.
n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to
Intervene: Anyone may submit
comments, a protest, or a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
E:\FR\FM\06NON1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66603-66605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27015]
[[Page 66603]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP12-491-000]
Trunkline Gas Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Trunkline Mainline
Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
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 Trunkline Mainline Abandonment
Project involving abandonment of facilities by Trunkline Gas Company,
LLC (Trunkline) located in numerous counties in Illinois, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. 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 November 26, 2012.
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.
Trunkline 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
Trunkline proposes to abandon by transfer to a corporate affiliate
portions of its existing 100-1 and 100-2 looped \1\ pipeline systems
and portions of compressor stations (CS) located in numerous counties
in Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and
Texas, so that they may be converted to the transmission of crude oil.
Trunkline also proposes to abandon in-place 12 compressor units
totaling 15,850 horsepower (hp) that are no longer needed. Trunkline
states that the abandonment would result in the reduction of its
certificated winter mainline capacity through the Independence CS from
1,555 thousand dekatherms per day (MDt/d) to 958 MDt/d, and the
certificated capacity out of its Texas portion of its system through
the Longville CS would be reduced from 1,109 MDt/d to 920 MDt/d. After
abandonment, these gas volumes would continue to be transported using
the 100-2 pipeline between the Kountze CS and Longville CS, and the
100-3 pipeline between the Longville CS and the Tuscola CS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to
an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Trunkline Mainline Abandonment Project would consist of the
following:
Abandonment by transfer of 45.02 miles of the 24-inch-
diameter 100-1 Loopline extending from Main Line Valve (MLV) 43-1 near
Buna, Texas to the Longville CS near Longville, Louisiana;
Abandonment by transfer of 725.46 miles of the 30-inch-
diameter 100-2 Loopline pipeline extending from the Longville CS to the
Tuscola CS near Tuscola, Illinois;
Abandonment in-place of a 3,000-hp compressor unit from
the Pollock CS (Louisiana); a 1,050-hp compressor unit from the Epps CS
(Louisiana); four compressor units totaling 4,200 hp from the Shaw CS
(Mississippi); five compressor units totaling 5,250 hp from the
Independence CS (Mississippi); and a 2,350-hp compressor unit from the
Joppa CS (Illinois); and
Abandonment of minor facilities at 163 sites across the
systems, 80 of which would require ground disturbing activities.
Trunkline states that upon the grant of abandonment authority for
the above facilities, its Mainline pipeline and existing compressor
stations would continue to operate in interstate transportation
service.
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Jurisdictional Facilities
Following transfer of the facilities, the future operator of the
abandoned pipeline would perform activities that are not under the
jurisdiction of the FERC (non-jurisdictional) including modification of
the facilities to transport crude oil. The future operator would modify
the facilities proposed for abandonment at 95 sites. These activities
would include:
Removal and/or change out of mostly MLVs at 84 sites that
overlap the abandonment work sites;
Construction of four new MLVs;
Construction of three new relays totaling 4,400 feet to
make the pipeline diameter consistent, in order to enable inline
inspection tools to be run through the crude oil pipeline; and
Construction of replacement pipelines across the Sabine,
Red, Mississippi, and Ouachita Rivers using the horizontal directional
drilling method.
The scope of the non-jurisdictional pipeline construction
activities is still being developed. However, the current scope
includes:
Construction of about 33.6 miles of 30-inch-diameter
pipeline from the vicinity of the tank farms in Patoka, Illinois to
Trunkline's existing Johnsonville CS; and
Construction of about 154 miles of 30-inch-diameter
pipeline from about milepost 62.7 near Alexandria, Louisiana to a
possible delivery point in St. James, Louisiana.
These related non-jurisdictional facilities are not subject to the
FERC's environmental review procedures. In the EA, we \3\ will provide
available descriptions of the non-jurisdictional facilities and include
them under our analysis of cumulative impacts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Trunkline's abandonment activities would require ground disturbance
of approximately 10.1 acres at 80 sites and would involve the
following: excavation of cross-over pipeline segments for isolation of
tap valve meter and regulators, installation of hot taps on the
Mainline pipeline, excavation and removal of two drip lines on Loopline
100-2, removal of a small segment of pipeline from Loopline 100-1
downstream of Mainline Valve 43-1, and capping the ends of the pipe.
Upon conclusion of the abandonment activities, the disturbed acreage
would be restored. In addition, Trunkline would use other areas at
existing mainline valve and compressor stations to disconnect above
ground piping, welding caps on the pipeline ends, or
[[Page 66604]]
installing blind flanges. These activities would involve no ground
disturbance.
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
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 abandonment 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;
Public safety; and
Cumulative impacts.
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 consider and
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the
Public Participation section below.
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.
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\4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (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 SHPOs 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.
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\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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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
November 26, 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 CP12-491-000 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; and
local libraries and newspapers. This list also includes all affected
landowners (as defined in the Commission's regulations) who are
existing 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
[[Page 66605]]
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-
491-000. 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 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: October 26, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-27015 Filed 11-5-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P