Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned E-Systems Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 53054-53056 [2014-21163]
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rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
53054
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 172 / Friday, September 5, 2014 / Notices
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5050.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2452–001.
Applicants: Louisville Gas and
Electric Company.
Description: Tariff Amendment per
35.17(b): Att L Amendment Filing to be
effective 9/15/2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5036.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2705–000.
Applicants: PJM Interconnection,
L.L.C.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): Revisions to the OATT
re: FMU Adder to be effective 11/1/2014.
Filed Date: 8/26/14.
Accession Number: 20140826–5051.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/16/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2711–000.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): 2014–08–xx 719
extension request to be effective 6/12/
2012.
Filed Date: 8/26/14.
Accession Number: 20140826–5117.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/16/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2712–000.
Applicants: Portland General Electric
Company.
Description: Compliance filing per 35:
PGE11 MBR Revisions 2014 to be
effective 9/1/2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5000.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2713–000.
Applicants: Portland General Electric
Company.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): Sched 5–6 Att N Sec 3 to
be effective 10/1/2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5035.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2714–000.
Applicants: MidAmerican Energy
Company.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): Blackhawk-Hazleton
Joint Ownership Agreement to be
effective 10/24/2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5048.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2715–000.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): 2014–08–27_SA 2690 Big
Stone Plant T–T IA to be effective 8/28/
2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
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Accession Number: 20140827–5080.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2716–000.
Applicants: Michigan Electric
Transmission Company.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): Filing of CIAC
Agreement with ITC Interconnection
LLC to be effective 10/26/2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5082.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2717–000.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): 2014–08–27_SA 2691 Big
Stone Substation T–T IA (NSP–OTP) to
be effective 8/28/2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5084.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2719–000.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): 2014–08–27_SA 2692 Big
Stone South-Brookings T–T IA (NSP–
OTP) to be effective 8/28/2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5087.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
Docket Numbers: ER14–2720–000.
Applicants: Limon Wind, LLC.
Description: § 205(d) rate filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii): Limon Wind, LLC
Amended and Restated Shared
Facilities Agreement to be effective 8/
28/2014.
Filed Date: 8/27/14.
Accession Number: 20140827–5130.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 9/17/14.
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: August 27, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014–21095 Filed 9–4–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF14–15–000]
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Planned E-Systems 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 E-Systems Project (Project) involving
construction and operation of facilities
by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC
(Columbia) in Bath, Bracken, Menifee,
Montgomery, Nicholas, and Robertson
Counties, Kentucky. 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 September
26, 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 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 172 / Friday, September 5, 2014 / Notices
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.3
Summary of the Planned Project
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings.
Land Requirements for Construction
The Project would entail
modernization of Columbia’s existing ESystem through replacement of bare
steel pipe with coated pipe, installation
of pig launchers and receivers, and
replacement of several mainline valve
assemblies and fittings to facilitate
pipeline maintenance.
Specifically, the Project would consist
of the following facilities:
• Construction of a 17.8 mile-long
segment of 20-inch-diameter coated
steel looped 1 pipeline in Bracken
County, Kentucky, and abandonment in
place of a corresponding looped section
of existing bare steel E-Loop Pipeline;
• construction of a 4.3-mile-long
segment of 20-inch-diameter coated
steel looped pipeline in Nicholas
County, and abandonment in place of a
corresponding looped section of existing
bare steel E-Loop Pipeline;
• installation of a bi-directional
launcher/receiver and associated valves
and fittings to make the pipeline pigcapable 2 in Bath, Bracken, Montgomery,
Nicholas, and Robertson Counties,
Kentucky;
• construction of about 1,800 feet of
the new 20-inch-diameter E-Loop
Pipeline across the Licking River
between Robertson and Nicholas
Counties to replace the existing 16-inchdiameter pipeline crossing;
• installation of a bi-directional
launcher/receiver on Line EM2 at an
existing meter station in Menifee
County, Kentucky, to make the pipeline
pig-capable;
• modification of 12 sites on Line
EKY to make the pipeline pig-capable;
• construction of about 1,800 feet of
new 14-inch-diameter pipeline across
the Licking River between Robertson
and Nicholas Counties to replace the
existing dual 12-inch-diameter pipeline
crossing;
• construction of about 1,500 feet of
new 14-inch-diameter pipeline across
the North Fork Licking River between
Bracken and Robertson Counties to
replace the existing dual 12-inchdiameter pipeline crossing; and
• install four bi-directional launcher/
receiver sites on Line EM7 to make the
pipeline pig-capable in Menifee,
Robertson, and Nicholas Counties.
Construction of the planned facilities
would disturb about 192 acres of land
for the aboveground facilities and the
pipeline. Following construction,
Columbia would maintain about 73
acres for permanent operation of the
Project’s facilities; the remaining
acreage would be restored and revert to
former uses.
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.
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The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action
whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. NEPA also requires us 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
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;
• public safety; and
• cumulative impacts.
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
3 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.
4 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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53055
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
beginning on page 5.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
or special expertise with respect to the
environmental issues related to 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. Currently, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
expressed its intention to participate as
a cooperating agency in the preparation
of the EA to satisfy its NEPA
responsibilities related to this project.
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, 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 SHPO as
the project develops. On natural gas
facility projects, the APE at a minimum
5 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
6 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or object included
in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of Historic Places.
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 172 / Friday, September 5, 2014 / Notices
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.
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
planned facilities and the
environmental information provided by
Columbia. This preliminary list of
issues may change based on your
comments and our analysis.
• Impacts on federally listed
threatened and endangered species;
• Impacts on perennial waterbodies;
and
• Impacts on wetlands.
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 September
26, 2014.
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 (PF14–15–000) 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
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14:29 Sep 04, 2014
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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 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 Columbia 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
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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., PF14–
15). 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/docsfiling/esubscription.asp.
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: August 27, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014–21163 Filed 9–4–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 14357–001]
San Jose Water Company; Notice of
Effectiveness of Surrender
On May 24, 2012, the Commission
issued an Order Granting Exemption
from Licensing (Conduit) 1 to the San
Jose Water Company (SJWC), for the
Hostetter Turnout Pressure Reducing
Valve Modernization Project, FERC No.
14357. The unconstructed project would
have been located in parallel with the
Hostetter Turnout Pressure Reduction
Facility (Hostetter Turnout Station) in
San Jose, California.
On May 07, 2014, SJWC filed an
application with the Commission to
surrender the exemption. SJWC says the
underground vault design shows that
the project would be partially located on
private property, outside of the public
1 San Jose Water Company, 139 FERC ¶ 62,153
(2012).
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53054-53056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21163]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF14-15-000]
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Planned E-Systems 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 E-Systems Project (Project)
involving construction and operation of facilities by Columbia Gas
Transmission, LLC (Columbia) in Bath, Bracken, Menifee, Montgomery,
Nicholas, and Robertson Counties, Kentucky. 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 September 26, 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 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
[[Page 53055]]
participate in the Commission's proceedings.
Summary of the Planned Project
The Project would entail modernization of Columbia's existing E-
System through replacement of bare steel pipe with coated pipe,
installation of pig launchers and receivers, and replacement of several
mainline valve assemblies and fittings to facilitate pipeline
maintenance.
Specifically, the Project would consist of the following
facilities:
Construction of a 17.8 mile-long segment of 20-inch-
diameter coated steel looped \1\ pipeline in Bracken County, Kentucky,
and abandonment in place of a corresponding looped section of existing
bare steel E-Loop Pipeline;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to
an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
construction of a 4.3-mile-long segment of 20-inch-
diameter coated steel looped pipeline in Nicholas County, and
abandonment in place of a corresponding looped section of existing bare
steel E-Loop Pipeline;
installation of a bi-directional launcher/receiver and
associated valves and fittings to make the pipeline pig-capable \2\ in
Bath, Bracken, Montgomery, Nicholas, and Robertson Counties, Kentucky;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
construction of about 1,800 feet of the new 20-inch-
diameter E-Loop Pipeline across the Licking River between Robertson and
Nicholas Counties to replace the existing 16-inch-diameter pipeline
crossing;
installation of a bi-directional launcher/receiver on Line
EM2 at an existing meter station in Menifee County, Kentucky, to make
the pipeline pig-capable;
modification of 12 sites on Line EKY to make the pipeline
pig-capable;
construction of about 1,800 feet of new 14-inch-diameter
pipeline across the Licking River between Robertson and Nicholas
Counties to replace the existing dual 12-inch-diameter pipeline
crossing;
construction of about 1,500 feet of new 14-inch-diameter
pipeline across the North Fork Licking River between Bracken and
Robertson Counties to replace the existing dual 12-inch-diameter
pipeline crossing; and
install four bi-directional launcher/receiver sites on
Line EM7 to make the pipeline pig-capable in Menifee, Robertson, and
Nicholas Counties.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ 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 facilities would disturb about 192
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline.
Following construction, Columbia would maintain about 73 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
\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 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;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts.
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 beginning on page 5.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues
related to 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. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has expressed its
intention to participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of
the EA to satisfy its NEPA responsibilities related to this project.
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\5\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office, 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 SHPO as the project develops. On
natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
[[Page 53056]]
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our
findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status
of consultations under section 106.
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\6\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and
the environmental information provided by Columbia. This preliminary
list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis.
Impacts on federally listed threatened and endangered
species;
Impacts on perennial waterbodies; and
Impacts on wetlands.
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
September 26, 2014.
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 (PF14-15-000) 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.
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
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 Columbia 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., PF14-
15). 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/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
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: August 27, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-21163 Filed 9-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
