Kern River Transmission and Mojave Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line No. 1901 Replacement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 25127-25128 [2014-10091]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 85 / Friday, May 2, 2014 / Notices Federal Energy Regulatory 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 May 28, 2014. 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. Mojave 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). [Docket No. CP14–129–000] Summary of the Proposed Project Kern River Transmission and Mojave Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line No. 1901 Replacement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues Mojave seeks authorization to replace two natural gas pipeline segments of the 30-inch-diameter Mojave Main Line (Line No. 1901) located in Kern County, California, to comply with a U.S. Department of Transportation class location change. Due to an increase in population in the vicinity of the City of Taft in Kern County, two pipeline segments comprising approximately 1,825 linear feet need to be replaced to meet regulations. notice that members of the Commission and/or Commission staff may attend the following meetings: North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Member Representatives Committee and Board of Trustees Meetings, Board of Trustees Finance and Audit Committee, Compliance Committee, and Standards Oversight and Technology Committee Meetings. Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, 201 South Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19106. May 6 (7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.) and May 7 (8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.), 2014. Further information regarding these meetings may be found at: https:// www.nerc.com/Pages/Calendar.aspx. The discussions at the meetings, which are open to the public, may address matters at issue in the following Commission proceedings: Docket No. RR14–2, North American Electric Reliability Corporation Docket No. RD14–2, North American Electric Reliability Corporation Docket No. RD14–7, North American Electric Reliability Corporation For further information, please contact Jonathan First, 202–502–8529, or jonathan.first@ferc.gov. Dated: April 25, 2014. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2014–10044 Filed 5–1–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Line No. 1901 Replacement Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Kern River Transmission and Mojave Pipeline Company LLC (together, ‘‘Mojave’’) in Kern County, California. 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 00:23 May 02, 2014 Jkt 232001 Land Requirements for Construction The pipeline replacement and related activities would disturb about 11.7 acres of land. Following construction, Mojave would maintain about 5.2 acres for permanent operation of the project’s facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. The entire proposed pipeline route parallels existing pipeline, utility, or road rights-of-way. PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 25127 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 us1 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; • cultural resources; • vegetation, wildlife, and endangered and threatened species; • air quality and noise; and • public safety. We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. 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 [beginning on page 4]. 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 EA2. Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments 1 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. 2 The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1501.6. E:\FR\FM\02MYN1.SGM 02MYN1 25128 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 85 / Friday, May 2, 2014 / Notices 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 the applicable 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.3 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. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Currently Identified Environmental Issues We have already identified an issue, effects to sensitive wildlife, which we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental information provided by Mojave; and correspondence provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our review of this issue may be revised based on your comments and our ongoing agency consultation. 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 May 28, 2014. For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to submit 3 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. VerDate Mar<15>2010 00:23 May 02, 2014 Jkt 232001 your comments to the Commission. In all instances please reference the project docket number (CP14–129–000) 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 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 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., CP14–129). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to https:// www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ esubscription.asp. Finally, any 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: April 28, 2014. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2014–10091 Filed 5–1–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P E:\FR\FM\02MYN1.SGM 02MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 85 (Friday, May 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25127-25128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10091]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP14-129-000]


Kern River Transmission and Mojave Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice 
of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line 
No. 1901 Replacement 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 Line No. 1901 Replacement 
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Kern 
River Transmission and Mojave Pipeline Company LLC (together, 
``Mojave'') in Kern County, California. 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 May 28, 2014.
    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.
    Mojave 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

    Mojave seeks authorization to replace two natural gas pipeline 
segments of the 30-inch-diameter Mojave Main Line (Line No. 1901) 
located in Kern County, California, to comply with a U.S. Department of 
Transportation class location change. Due to an increase in population 
in the vicinity of the City of Taft in Kern County, two pipeline 
segments comprising approximately 1,825 linear feet need to be replaced 
to meet regulations.

Land Requirements for Construction

    The pipeline replacement and related activities would disturb about 
11.7 acres of land. Following construction, Mojave would maintain about 
5.2 acres for permanent operation of the project's facilities; the 
remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. The 
entire proposed pipeline route parallels existing pipeline, utility, or 
road rights-of-way.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires 
us\1\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ ``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;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation, wildlife, and endangered and threatened 
species;
     air quality and noise; and
     public safety.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to 
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    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 [beginning on page 4].
    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\2\. Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status 
should follow the instructions for filing comments

[[Page 25128]]

provided under the Public Participation section of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 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 the applicable 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.\3\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified an issue, effects to sensitive wildlife, 
which we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the 
proposed facilities and the environmental information provided by 
Mojave; and correspondence provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service. Our review of this issue may be revised based on your comments 
and our ongoing agency consultation.

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 May 
28, 2014.
    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 (CP14-129-000) 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., CP14-
129). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the 
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, 
notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances 
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time 
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to 
the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    Finally, any 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: April 28, 2014.
 Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-10091 Filed 5-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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