Southern Natural Gas Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Zone 3 Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 44763-44765 [2014-18188]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 148 / Friday, August 1, 2014 / Notices
Docket Numbers: LA14–2–000.
Applicants: Blackstone Wind Farm,
LLC, Blackstone Wind Farm II LLC,
Headwaters Wind Farm LLC, High Trail
Wind Farm, LLC, Meadow Lake Wind
Farm LLC, Meadow Lake Wind Farm II
LLC, Meadow Lake Wind Farm III LLC,
Meadow Lake Wind Farm IV LLC, Old
Trail Wind Farm, LLC, Paulding Wind
Farm II LLC, Sustaining Power
Solutions LLC.
Description: Quarterly Land
Acquisition Report of Blackstone Wind
Farm, LLC, et al.
Filed Date: 7/25/14.
Accession Number: 20140725–5107.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/15/14.
The filings are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the links or querying the
docket number.
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
Protests may be considered, but
intervention is necessary to become a
party to the proceeding.
eFiling is encouraged. More detailed
information relating to filing
requirements, interventions, protests,
service, and qualifying facilities filings
can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For
other information, call (866) 208–3676
(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659.
Dated: July 25, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014–18208 Filed 7–31–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP14–493–000]
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Southern Natural Gas Company, LLC;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Zone 3 Expansion 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 Zone 3 Expansion Project involving
construction and operation of facilities
by Southern Natural Gas Company, LLC
(Southern) in Marengo County,
VerDate Mar<15>2010
22:09 Jul 31, 2014
Jkt 232001
Alabama, Duval and Nassau Counties,
Florida, Glynn, Liberty, Upson and
Wayne Counties, Georgia, and Saint
Bernard Parish, Louisiana. The
Commission will use this EA in its
decision-making process to determine
whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public
and interested agencies on the project.
Your input will help the Commission
staff determine what issues they need to
evaluate in the EA. Please note that the
scoping period will close on August 27,
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.
Southern 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
Southern proposes to provide
approximately 235 million cubic feet
per day of new firm transportation
capacity to certain customers in its
system’s Zone 3 from new supply
sources at the existing Elba Express
Company, L.L.C. interconnections with
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Company in Hart County, Georgia and
Anderson County, South Carolina.
Construction of the project is planned to
begin soon after June 1, 2015 in order
to meet the proposed in-service date of
June 1, 2016. The Zone 3 Expansion
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
44763
project would include the following
facilities:
• 3.3 miles of 36-inch-diameter
looping 1 along with pig 2 receiving/
launching facilities along the south side
of Southern’s 30-inch-diameter South
Main 2nd Loop Line in Marengo
County, Alabama;
• one new 4,000-horsepower (hp)
compressor unit at Southern’s existing
Thomaston Compressor Station in
Upson County, Georgia;
• abandonment of a 4,700-hp
compressor unit 15 at Southern’s Toca
Compressor Station in Bernard Parish,
Louisiana;
• installation/relocation of the 4,700
hp compressor unit 15 along with new
gas cooling at Southern’s Riceboro
Compressor Station in Liberty County,
Georgia;
• installation of gas cooling at
Southern’s Brookman Compressor
Station in Glynn County, Georgia;
• one new Hilliard Compressor
Station with a 4,700 hp unit in Nassau
County, Florida (compressor station site
previously certificated in the CP05–388
Southern Cypress Pipeline Project);
• upgrade of the Jesup Meter Station
in Wayne County, Georgia; and
• installation of up to three taps and
Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition systems along Southern’s
Cypress Line in Nassau/Duval Counties,
Florida.
A map depicting the general location
of the project facilities is included in
appendix 1.3
Land Requirements for Construction
Southern proposes to use 137 acres of
land for construction of the project, and
would retain 20 acres of new permanent
right-of-way for operations. The 3.3-mile
loop pipeline portion would require 86
acres for construction and would retain
14 acres for operations. The remaining
72 acres would be restored and allowed
to revert to former uses. The compressor
station portion of the project would
require 51 acres for construction and
retain 4.5 acres of new permanent rightof-way for operations.
1 A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed
parallel to an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
2 A ‘‘pig’’ is a tool that the pipeline company
inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for
cleaning the pipeline, conducting internal
inspections, or other purposes.
3 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at 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.
E:\FR\FM\01AUN1.SGM
01AUN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
44764
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 148 / Friday, August 1, 2014 / 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 4 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;
• water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands;
• vegetation, wildlife, threatened and
endangered species, and migratory
birds;
• cultural resources;
• land use and cumulative impacts;
• air quality and noise; and
• public safety.
We will also evaluate reasonable
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.
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.5 Agencies that
would like to request cooperating
4 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
5 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, § 1501.6.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
22:09 Jul 31, 2014
Jkt 232001
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 (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.6 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 August 27,
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 (CP14–493–000) 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
6 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
Frm 00027
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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
E:\FR\FM\01AUN1.SGM
01AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 148 / Friday, August 1, 2014 / 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., CP14–493). 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: July 28, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014–18188 Filed 7–31–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER14–2500–000]
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Newark Energy Center, LLC;
Supplemental Notice That Initial
Market-Based Rate Filing Includes
Request for Blanket Section 204
Authorization
Dated: July 28, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
This is a supplemental notice in the
above-referenced proceeding of Newark
Energy Center, LLC’s application for
market-based rate authority, with an
accompanying rate tariff, noting that
such application includes a request for
blanket authorization, under 18 CFR
VerDate Mar<15>2010
22:09 Jul 31, 2014
Jkt 232001
part 34, of future issuances of securities
and assumptions of liability.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest should file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426,
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214). Anyone filing a motion to
intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant.
Notice is hereby given that the
deadline for filing protests with regard
to the applicant’s request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability, is August 18,
2014.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 5 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above-referenced
proceeding are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the appropriate link in the
above list. They are also available for
review in the Commission’s Public
Reference Room in Washington, DC.
There is an eSubscription link on the
Web site that enables subscribers to
receive email notification when a
document is added to a subscribed
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC
Online service, please email
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
[FR Doc. 2014–18210 Filed 7–31–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
44765
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER14–2498–000]
EIF Newark, LLC; Supplemental Notice
That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing
Includes Request for Blanket Section
204 Authorization
This is a supplemental notice in the
above-referenced proceeding of EIF
Newark, LLC’s application for marketbased rate authority, with an
accompanying rate tariff, noting that
such application includes a request for
blanket authorization, under 18 CFR
part 34, of future issuances of securities
and assumptions of liability.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest should file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426,
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214). Anyone filing a motion to
intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant.
Notice is hereby given that the
deadline for filing protests with regard
to the applicant’s request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability, is August 18,
2014.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 5 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above-referenced
proceeding are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the appropriate link in the
above list. They are also available for
review in the Commission’s Public
Reference Room in Washington, DC.
There is an eSubscription link on the
Web site that enables subscribers to
receive email notification when a
document is added to a subscribed
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC
Online service, please email
E:\FR\FM\01AUN1.SGM
01AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 148 (Friday, August 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44763-44765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-18188]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP14-493-000]
Southern Natural Gas Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Zone 3 Expansion 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 Zone 3 Expansion Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by Southern Natural
Gas Company, LLC (Southern) in Marengo County, Alabama, Duval and
Nassau Counties, Florida, Glynn, Liberty, Upson and Wayne Counties,
Georgia, and Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana. The Commission will use
this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether the project
is in the public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on August 27, 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.
Southern 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
Southern proposes to provide approximately 235 million cubic feet
per day of new firm transportation capacity to certain customers in its
system's Zone 3 from new supply sources at the existing Elba Express
Company, L.L.C. interconnections with Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Company in Hart County, Georgia and Anderson County, South Carolina.
Construction of the project is planned to begin soon after June 1, 2015
in order to meet the proposed in-service date of June 1, 2016. The Zone
3 Expansion project would include the following facilities:
3.3 miles of 36-inch-diameter looping \1\ along with pig
\2\ receiving/launching facilities along the south side of Southern's
30-inch-diameter South Main 2nd Loop Line in Marengo County, Alabama;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to
an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
\2\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline,
conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
one new 4,000-horsepower (hp) compressor unit at
Southern's existing Thomaston Compressor Station in Upson County,
Georgia;
abandonment of a 4,700-hp compressor unit 15 at Southern's
Toca Compressor Station in Bernard Parish, Louisiana;
installation/relocation of the 4,700 hp compressor unit 15
along with new gas cooling at Southern's Riceboro Compressor Station in
Liberty County, Georgia;
installation of gas cooling at Southern's Brookman
Compressor Station in Glynn County, Georgia;
one new Hilliard Compressor Station with a 4,700 hp unit
in Nassau County, Florida (compressor station site previously
certificated in the CP05-388 Southern Cypress Pipeline Project);
upgrade of the Jesup Meter Station in Wayne County,
Georgia; and
installation of up to three taps and Supervisory Control
and Data Acquisition systems along Southern's Cypress Line in Nassau/
Duval Counties, Florida.
A map depicting the general location of the project facilities is
included in appendix 1.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to
all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
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
Southern proposes to use 137 acres of land for construction of the
project, and would retain 20 acres of new permanent right-of-way for
operations. The 3.3-mile loop pipeline portion would require 86 acres
for construction and would retain 14 acres for operations. The
remaining 72 acres would be restored and allowed to revert to former
uses. The compressor station portion of the project would require 51
acres for construction and retain 4.5 acres of new permanent right-of-
way for operations.
[[Page 44764]]
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
\4\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ ``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;
water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
vegetation, wildlife, threatened and endangered species,
and migratory birds;
cultural resources;
land use and cumulative impacts;
air quality and noise; and
public safety.
We will also evaluate reasonable 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.
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.\5\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Sec. 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with 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.\6\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so
that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before August
27, 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 (CP14-493-000) 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
[[Page 44765]]
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-
493). 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: July 28, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-18188 Filed 7-31-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P