Empire Pipeline, Inc.; National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Tuscarora Expansion Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting, 62010-62012 [2013-24445]
Download as PDF
wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
62010
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2013 / Notices
888 First Street NE., Room 2A,
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502–8371.
Any person wishing to comment on
the EA may do so. 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 the
Commission has the opportunity to
consider your comments prior to
making its decision on this project, it is
important that we receive your
comments in Washington, DC on or
before November 4, 2013.
For your convenience, there are three
methods you can use to file your
comments to the Commission. In all
instances, please reference the project
docket number (CP13–498–000) 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 submitting brief, text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You can also 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.
Any person seeking to become a party
to the proceeding must file a motion to
intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).1 Only
intervenors have the right to seek
rehearing of the Commission’s decision.
The Commission grants affected
landowners and others with
environmental concerns intervenor
status upon showing good cause by
stating that they have a clear and direct
interest in this proceeding which no
1 See the previous discussion on the methods for
filing comments.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
10:29 Oct 10, 2013
Jkt 232001
other party can adequately represent.
Simply filing environmental comments
will not give you intervenor status, but
you do not need intervenor status to
have your comments considered.
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 (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., CP13–
498). 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 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.
Dated: October 4, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013–24439 Filed 10–10–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF13–12–000]
Empire Pipeline, Inc.; National Fuel
Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Planned Tuscarora
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 Tuscarora Expansion Project
(Project) involving construction and
operation of facilities by Empire
Pipeline, Inc. and National Fuel Gas
Supply Corporation (Collectively known
and National Fuel) in Steuben County,
New York and Tioga County,
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Pennsylvania. 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
4, 2013.
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
Tuscarora Expansion Project
6 p.m., October 16, 2013, Addison
American Legion, 85 Maple Street,
Addison, NY 14801.
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 planned
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
planned 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.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ is available for viewing on
the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). 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.
Summary of the Planned Project
National Fuel proposes to construct:
• 16.9 miles of 16 or 20 inch diameter
natural gas pipeline running from the
existing Tuscarora Gas Compressor
Station near Tuscarora, New York to the
E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM
11OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2013 / Notices
existing Tioga Pipeline Extension in
Tioga County, Pennsylvania;
• pipeline interconnection facilities
for the pipeline; and
• an expansion of the existing
Tuscarora Compressor Station by
installing and additional 1,400 to 2,400
horsepower of compression.
The purpose of the Project is to enable
Empire to offer new no-notice
transportation and storage services that
have been requested by one of its largest
local distribution company customers.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.1
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the planned pipeline
and compressor station facilities would
disturb about 237.7 acres of land.
Following construction, National Fuel
would maintain about 113.1 acres for
permanent operation of the project’s
facilities; the remaining acreage would
be restored and revert to former uses.
wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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. 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
planned 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
1 The appendices referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the
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.
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
10:29 Oct 10, 2013
Jkt 232001
• reliability and safety.
We will also evaluate possible
alternatives to the planned project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
Although no formal application has
been filed, we have already initiated our
NEPA review under the Commission’s
pre-filing process. The purpose of the
pre-filing process is to encourage early
involvement of interested stakeholders
and to identify and resolve issues before
the FERC receives an application. As
part of our pre-filing review, we have
begun to contact some federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in
the scoping process and the preparation
of the EA.
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 we make 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 related to this
project to formally cooperate with us in
the preparation of the EA.3 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.
Consultations Under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
In accordance with the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation’s
implementing regulations for section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this
notice to initiate consultation with
applicable State Historic Preservation
Office(s), and to solicit their views and
those of other government agencies,
interested Indian tribes, and the public
on the project’s potential effects on
historic properties.4 We will define the
3 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at 40 CFR 1501.6.
4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
regulations are at 36 CFR 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
Frm 00006
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
62011
project-specific Area of Potential Effects
(APE) in consultation with the SHPO(s)
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
4, 2013.
For your convenience, there are three
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. In all
instances, please reference the project
docket number (PF13–12–000) 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 located 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
located 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.
E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM
11OCN1
62012
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2013 / Notices
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list
includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; interested Indian 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 planned 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).
Once National Fuel files its
application with the Commission, 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. Please note that
the Commission will not accept requests
for intervenor status at this time. You
must wait until the Commission
receives a formal application for the
project.
wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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 (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., PF13–
12–000). Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance,
10:29 Oct 10, 2013
Dated: October 3, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013–24445 Filed 10–10–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Becoming an Intervenor
VerDate Mar<15>2010
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 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/Event
Calendar/EventsList.aspx along with
other related information.
Jkt 232001
[Project No. 2351–017–CO]
Public Service Company of Colorado;
Notice of Availability of Environmental
Assessment
In accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and
the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s (Commission or FERC)
regulations contained in the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR)(18 CFR Part
380 [FERC Order No. 486, 52 FR
47897]), the Office of Energy Projects
has reviewed Public Service Company
of Colorado’s application for license for
the Cabin Creek Pumped Storage
Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No.
2351), located on South Clear Creek
near the town of Georgetown, Clear
Creek County, Colorado. The project
currently occupies a total of 267 acres
of federal lands within the Arapaho
National Forest administered by the
U.S. Forest Service.
Staff prepared an environmental
assessment (EA), which analyzes the
potential environmental effects of
relicensing the project, and concludes
that licensing the project, with
appropriate environmental protective
measures, would not constitute a major
federal action that would significantly
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
affect the quality of the human
environment.
A copy of the EA is available for
review at the Commission in the Public
Reference Room or may be viewed on
the Commission’s Web site at
www.ferc.gov using 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 toll-free at 1–866–208–3676,
or for TTY, 202–502–8659.
You may also register online at
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.
Any comments should be filed within
30 days from the date of this notice. The
Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing. Please file the
requested information using the
Commission’s eFiling system at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online
Support at FERCOnlineSupport@
ferc.gov, (866) 208–3676 (toll free), or
(202) 502–8659 (TTY). In lieu of
electronic filing, please send a paper
copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE., Washington, DC 20426. The first
page of any filing should include docket
number P–2351–017. For further
information, contact Ryan Hansen by
telephone at (202) 502–8074 or by email
at ryan.hansen@ferc.gov.
Dated: October 4, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013–24437 Filed 10–10–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket Nos. CP13–36–000; CP13–132–000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipeline
Company; Notice of Availability of the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the Proposed Rockaway Delivery
Lateral and Northeast Connector
Projects and Notice of Public
Comment Meetings
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared this draft
environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the Rockaway Delivery Lateral
Project and Northeast Connector Project
E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM
11OCN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 198 (Friday, October 11, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62010-62012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24445]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF13-12-000]
Empire Pipeline, Inc.; National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned
Tuscarora 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 Tuscarora Expansion Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by Empire
Pipeline, Inc. and National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (Collectively
known and National Fuel) in Steuben County, New York and Tioga County,
Pennsylvania. 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 4, 2013.
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 Tuscarora Expansion Project
6 p.m., October 16, 2013, Addison American Legion, 85 Maple Street,
Addison, NY 14801.
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 planned
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 planned 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.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). 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.
Summary of the Planned Project
National Fuel proposes to construct:
16.9 miles of 16 or 20 inch diameter natural gas pipeline
running from the existing Tuscarora Gas Compressor Station near
Tuscarora, New York to the
[[Page 62011]]
existing Tioga Pipeline Extension in Tioga County, Pennsylvania;
pipeline interconnection facilities for the pipeline; and
an expansion of the existing Tuscarora Compressor Station
by installing and additional 1,400 to 2,400 horsepower of compression.
The purpose of the Project is to enable Empire to offer new no-
notice transportation and storage services that have been requested by
one of its largest local distribution company customers.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the 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 planned pipeline and compressor station
facilities would disturb about 237.7 acres of land. Following
construction, National Fuel would maintain about 113.1 acres for
permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage
would be restored and revert to former uses.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
\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. We will
consider all filed comments 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 planned 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
reliability and safety.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process.
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
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 we make 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
related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the
preparation of the EA.\3\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at 40 CFR 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 applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s), and to solicit
their views and those of other government agencies, interested Indian
tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on historic
properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of Potential
Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO(s) as the project 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations
are at 36 CFR 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 4, 2013.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the
project docket number (PF13-12-000) 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 located 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 located 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.
[[Page 62012]]
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; interested Indian 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
planned 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
Once National Fuel files its application with the Commission, 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. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for
intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission
receives a formal application for the project.
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 (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., PF13-
12-000). 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 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 3, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-24445 Filed 10-10-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P