National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation Empire Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Northern Access 2016 Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings, 64379-64382 [2014-25627]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 29, 2014 / Notices
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: October 21, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014–25705 Filed 10–28–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Take notice that the Commission has
received the following Natural Gas
Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings:
Filings Instituting Proceedings
Docket Numbers: RP14–1272–000.
Applicants: National Grid LNG, LLC.
Description: Supplemental
Information of National Grid LNG, LLC.
Filed Date: 10/21/14.
Accession Number: 20141021–5182.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 10/28/14.
Docket Numbers: RP15–55–000.
Applicants: Columbia Gulf
Transmission, LLC.
Description: § 4(d) rate filing per
154.204: Negotiated & Non-Conforming
Rate Agmts—WestSide to be effective
11/1/2014.
Filed Date: 10/21/14.
Accession Number: 20141021–5092.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 11/3/14.
Docket Numbers: RP15–56–000.
Applicants: Transcontinental Gas
Pipe Line Company.
Description: § 4(d) rate filing per
154.204: Virginia Southside Initial Rate
Filing to be effective 12/1/2014.
Filed Date: 10/21/14.
Accession Number: 20141021–5098.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 11/3/14.
Docket Numbers: RP15–57–000.
Applicants: Tennessee Gas Pipeline
Company, L.L.C.
Description: § 4(d) rate filing per
154.204: Volume No. 2—Chesapeake
Capacity Assignment to be effective 11/
1/2014.
Filed Date: 10/21/14.
Accession Number: 20141021–5191.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 11/3/14.
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
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Filings in Existing Proceedings
Docket Numbers: RP14–1195–001.
Applicants: Sierrita Gas Pipeline LLC.
Description: Compliance filing per
154.203: Compliance Filing to be
effective 11/20/2014.
Filed Date: 10/20/14.
Accession Number: 20141020–5065.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 11/3/14.
Any person desiring to protest in any
of the above proceedings must file in
accordance with Rule 211 of the
Commission’s Regulations (18 CFR
385.211) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
The filings are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the links or querying the
docket number.
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.
Filed Date: 10/17/14.
Accession Number: 20141017–5107.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 10/29/14.
Docket Numbers: RP15–54–000.
Applicants: Columbia Gas
Transmission, LLC.
Description: § 4(d) rate filing per
154.204: Non-Conforming Service
Agreement—PacSum to be effective 11/
1/2014.
Filed Date: 10/17/14.
Accession Number: 20141017–5162.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 10/29/14.
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 October 22, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
Dated: October 20, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014–25708 Filed 10–28–14; 8:45 am]
[FR Doc. 2014–25707 Filed 10–28–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings
[Docket No. PF14–18–000]
Take notice that the Commission has
received the following Natural Gas
Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings:
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation
Empire Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Intent
To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Planned Northern
Access 2016 Project, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues,
and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
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.
Filings Instituting Proceedings
Docket Numbers: RP15–52–000.
Applicants: Saltville Gas Storage
Company L.L.C.
Description: § 4(d) rate filing per
154.204: October 2014 Tariff Cleanup
Filing to be effective 11/18/2014.
Filed Date: 10/17/14.
Accession Number: 20141017–5040.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 10/29/14.
Docket Numbers: RP15–53–000.
Applicants: Centra Pipelines
Minnesota Inc.
Description: § 4(d) rate filing per
154.204: Revised Index of Shippers Dec
2014 to be effective 12/1/2014.
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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 Northern Access 2016 Project
(Project) involving construction and
operation of facilities by National Fuel
Gas Supply Corporation (Supply) and
Empire Pipeline Inc. (Empire)
(collectively National Fuel) in
Pennsylvania and New York. The
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 29, 2014 / Notices
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. The Commission
staff will also use the scoping process to
help determine whether preparation of
an environmental impact statement is
more appropriate for this Project based
upon the potential significance of the
anticipated levels of impact. Please note
that the scoping period will close on
November 21, 2014.
You may submit comments in written
form or verbally. Further details on how
to submit written comments are in the
Public Participation section of this
notice. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, the
Commission invites you to attend the
public scoping meetings scheduled as
follows:
FERC PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS NORTHERN ACCESS 2016 PROJECT
Date and time
Location
November 3, 2014, 7 p.m ........................................................................
Doyle Hall, St. Bonaventure University, 3261 W. State St., St.
Bonaventure, NY 14778.
Springville-Griffith High School, 290 North Buffalo Street, Springville,
NY 14141.
November 5, 2014, 7 p.m ........................................................................
National Fuel staff will be available
from 6:00–7:00 p.m., prior to the public
scoping meetings at the locations listed
above.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and
local government representatives are
asked to notify their constituents of this
planned project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about
the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
planned facilities. The company would
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the Commission
approves the project, that approval
conveys with it the right of eminent
domain. Therefore, if easement
negotiations fail to produce an
agreement, the pipeline company could
initiate condemnation proceedings
where compensation would be
determined in accordance with state
law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility on My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ is available for viewing on
the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This
fact sheet addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Summary of the Planned Project
National Fuel plans to construct and
operate certain facilities in
Pennsylvania and New York which
collectively would provide about
350,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of
natural gas transportation service to the
northeastern United States and Canada.
Supply would provide approximately
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350,000 Dth/d of new firm natural gas
transportation service from a receipt
point in McKean County, Pennsylvania
to an interconnection with Empire’s
existing pipeline system in Niagara
County, New York. Empire would
provide approximately 350,000 Dth/d of
new firm transportation service from
such Supply interconnection to
Empire’s existing interconnection with
TransCanada Pipelines Limited.
The planned project would consist of
the following Supply components:
• Construction of approximately 97
miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline,
from Sergeant Township, McKean
County, Pennsylvania, to an
interconnection with Supply’s existing
Line X-North, near Supply’s existing
Porterville Compressor Station in the
Town of Elma, Erie County, New York;
• an addition of approximately 5,000
horsepower to Porterville Compressor
Station; and
• an interconnection with Tennessee
Gas Pipeline’s 200 Line in the Town of
Wales, Erie County, New York.
The planned Project would also consist
of the following Empire components:
• Construction of a 24-inch pipeline
segment of approximately 4 miles,
replacing 3.3 miles of existing 16-inch
Supply pipeline and 0.7 miles of
existing Empire pipeline in the towns of
Wheatfield and Pendleton, Niagara
County, New York;
• construction of a new,
approximately 22,000 horsepower
compressor station in the Town of
Pendleton, Niagara County, New York;
and
• construction of a new natural gas
dehydration facility in the Town of
Wheatfield, Niagara County, New York.
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The general location of the planned
project facilities is shown in Appendix
1.1
Land Requirements for Construction
National Fuel is still in the planning
phase of the Project and workspace
requirements have not been finalized.
However, National Fuel is planning on
using a 75-foot-wide construction rightof-way for the 24-inch-diameter pipeline
segments. Following construction,
National Fuel would retain a 50-footwide easement for operation of the
pipelines. National Fuel would also
require land for additional workspaces
at road, railroad, waterbody, and
wetland crossings; topsoil storage;
access roads; storage or pipeyards; and
for other purposes during construction.
About 92 percent of the planned
pipeline route parallels existing power
line or pipeline 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 2 to
discover and address concerns the
public may have about proposals. This
process is referred to as scoping. The
main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the EA on
important environmental issues. By this
1 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.
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 29, 2014 / Notices
notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of issues to
address in 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;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• fisheries and aquatic resources;
• threatened, endangered, and other
special-status species;
• land use, recreation, special interest
areas, and visual resources;
• socioeconomics;
• cultural resources;
• air quality and noise;
• reliability and safety; and
• cumulative environmental 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
participated in public open house
meetings sponsored by National Fuel in
the project area in August 2014 to
explain the environmental review
process to interested stakeholders. We
have also begun to contact 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.
We will publish and distribute the EA
for public comment. To ensure we have
the opportunity to consider and address
your comments, please follow the
instructions in the Public Participation
section beginning on page 6.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to
environmental issues related to this
Project to formally cooperate with us in
the preparation of the EA.3 Agencies
3 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
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Jkt 235001
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. Army Corps of Engineers 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
Offices (SHPOs) and to solicit their
views and those of other government
agencies, interested Indian tribes, and
the public on the Project’s potential
effects on historic properties.4 We will
define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation
with the 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.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
planned facilities, comments made to us
at National Fuel’s open houses,
preliminary consultations with other
agencies, and the environmental
information provided by National Fuel.
This preliminary list of issues may be
changed based on your comments and
our analysis:
• Forested areas including
fragmentation;
• agricultural areas including impacts
on soils;
• property values;
• surface water;
• groundwater including wells and
springs;
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Historic properties are
defined in those regulations 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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64381
• wildlife and vegetation;
• federal and state-listed threatened,
endangered, and sensitive species;
• eminent domain; and
• cumulative impacts.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project.
Your comments should focus on the
potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to
avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
The more specific your comments, the
more useful they will be. To ensure that
your comments are timely and properly
recorded, please send your comments so
that the Commission receives them in
Washington, DC on or before November
21, 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 (PF14–18–000) 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 29, 2014 / Notices
all affected landowners (as defined by
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
a CD version or would like to remove
your name from the mailing list, please
return the attached Information Request
(appendix 2).
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Becoming an Intervenor
Once National Fuel files its
application with the Commission, you
may want to become an ‘‘intervenor’’
which is an official party to the
Commission’s proceeding. Intervenors
play a more formal role in the process
and are able to file briefs, appear at
hearings, and be heard by the courts if
they choose to appeal the Commission’s
final ruling. An intervenor formally
participates in the proceeding by filing
a request to intervene. Instructions for
becoming an intervenor are in the User’s
Guide under the ‘‘e-filing’’ link on the
Commission’s Web site. Please note that
the Commission will not accept requests
for intervenor status at this time. You
must wait until the Commission
receives a formal application for the
project.
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web
site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary
link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on
‘‘General Search’’ and enter the docket
number, excluding the last three digits
in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF14–
18). 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
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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.
Public meetings or site visits will be
posted on the Commission’s calendar
located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx along with other related
information.
Dated: October 22, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014–25627 Filed 10–28–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER15–114–000]
Alterna Springerville 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 Alterna
Springerville 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
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 November
12, 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
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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
electronic 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.
Dated: October 22, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014–25710 Filed 10–28–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No., 14627–000]
Symphony Hydro LLC; Notice of
Preliminary Permit Application
Accepted for Filing and Soliciting
Comments, Motions To Intervene, and
Competing Applications
On June 26, 2014, Symphony Hydro
LLC filed an application for a
preliminary permit, pursuant to section
4(f) of the Federal Power Act (FPA),
proposing to study the feasibility of the
Symphony Hydro Project to be located
on Mississippi River, near the city of
Minneapolis, Hennepin County,
Minnesota. The sole purpose of a
preliminary permit, if issued, is to grant
the permit holder priority to file a
license application during the permit
term. A preliminary permit does not
authorize the permit holder to perform
any land-disturbing activities or
otherwise enter upon lands or waters
owned by others without the owners’
express permission.
The proposed project would consist of
the following: (1) Two new 1.5-footthick by 56-foot-wide by 60-foot-high
reinforced concrete bulkheads
containing two variable speed 1,700-
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64379-64382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25627]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF14-18-000]
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation Empire Pipeline, Inc.;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned
Northern Access 2016 Project, Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
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 Northern Access 2016 Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (Supply) and Empire Pipeline Inc.
(Empire) (collectively National Fuel) in Pennsylvania and New York. The
[[Page 64380]]
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. The Commission
staff will also use the scoping process to help determine whether
preparation of an environmental impact statement is more appropriate
for this Project based upon the potential significance of the
anticipated levels of impact. Please note that the scoping period will
close on November 21, 2014.
You may submit comments in written form or verbally. Further
details on how to submit written comments are in the Public
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the
public scoping meetings scheduled as follows:
FERC Public Scoping Meetings Northern Access 2016 Project
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Date and time Location
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November 3, 2014, 7 p.m................ Doyle Hall, St. Bonaventure
University, 3261 W. State St.,
St. Bonaventure, NY 14778.
November 5, 2014, 7 p.m................ Springville-Griffith High
School, 290 North Buffalo
Street, Springville, NY 14141.
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National Fuel staff will be available from 6:00-7:00 p.m., prior to
the public scoping meetings at the locations listed above.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives are asked to notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if
the Commission approves the project, that approval conveys with it the
right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to
produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation
proceedings where compensation would be determined in accordance with
state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses
a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.
Summary of the Planned Project
National Fuel plans to construct and operate certain facilities in
Pennsylvania and New York which collectively would provide about
350,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of natural gas transportation
service to the northeastern United States and Canada. Supply would
provide approximately 350,000 Dth/d of new firm natural gas
transportation service from a receipt point in McKean County,
Pennsylvania to an interconnection with Empire's existing pipeline
system in Niagara County, New York. Empire would provide approximately
350,000 Dth/d of new firm transportation service from such Supply
interconnection to Empire's existing interconnection with TransCanada
Pipelines Limited.
The planned project would consist of the following Supply
components:
Construction of approximately 97 miles of new 24-inch-
diameter pipeline, from Sergeant Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania,
to an interconnection with Supply's existing Line X-North, near
Supply's existing Porterville Compressor Station in the Town of Elma,
Erie County, New York;
an addition of approximately 5,000 horsepower to
Porterville Compressor Station; and
an interconnection with Tennessee Gas Pipeline's 200 Line
in the Town of Wales, Erie County, New York.
The planned Project would also consist of the following Empire
components:
Construction of a 24-inch pipeline segment of
approximately 4 miles, replacing 3.3 miles of existing 16-inch Supply
pipeline and 0.7 miles of existing Empire pipeline in the towns of
Wheatfield and Pendleton, Niagara County, New York;
construction of a new, approximately 22,000 horsepower
compressor station in the Town of Pendleton, Niagara County, New York;
and
construction of a new natural gas dehydration facility in
the Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County, New York.
The general location of the planned project facilities is shown in
Appendix 1.\1\
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\1\ 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.
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Land Requirements for Construction
National Fuel is still in the planning phase of the Project and
workspace requirements have not been finalized. However, National Fuel
is planning on using a 75-foot-wide construction right-of-way for the
24-inch-diameter pipeline segments. Following construction, National
Fuel would retain a 50-foot-wide easement for operation of the
pipelines. National Fuel would also require land for additional
workspaces at road, railroad, waterbody, and wetland crossings; topsoil
storage; access roads; storage or pipeyards; and for other purposes
during construction. About 92 percent of the planned pipeline route
parallels existing power line or pipeline 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
\2\ to discover and address concerns the public may have about
proposals. This process is referred to as scoping. The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on important
environmental issues. By this
[[Page 64381]]
notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of issues
to address in the EA.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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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;
water resources and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
fisheries and aquatic resources;
threatened, endangered, and other special-status species;
land use, recreation, special interest areas, and visual
resources;
socioeconomics;
cultural resources;
air quality and noise;
reliability and safety; and
cumulative environmental 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
participated in public open house meetings sponsored by National Fuel
in the project area in August 2014 to explain the environmental review
process to interested stakeholders. We have also begun to contact
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. We will publish and distribute the EA for public
comment. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and address your
comments, please follow the instructions in the Public Participation
section beginning on page 6.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to environmental issues related to this
Project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA.\3\
Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should
follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the Public
Participation section of this notice. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers 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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\3\ 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 Offices (SHPOs) and to
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the Project's potential effects on
historic properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our
findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status
of consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Historic
properties are defined in those regulations 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,
comments made to us at National Fuel's open houses, preliminary
consultations with other agencies, and the environmental information
provided by National Fuel. This preliminary list of issues may be
changed based on your comments and our analysis:
Forested areas including fragmentation;
agricultural areas including impacts on soils;
property values;
surface water;
groundwater including wells and springs;
wildlife and vegetation;
federal and state-listed threatened, endangered, and
sensitive species;
eminent domain; and
cumulative impacts.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so
that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before
November 21, 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 (PF14-18-000) 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
[[Page 64382]]
all affected landowners (as defined by 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 a CD version
or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return
the attached Information Request (appendix 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
Once National Fuel files its application with the Commission, you
may want to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in
the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web
site. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for
intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission
receives a formal application for the project.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF14-
18). 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 https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Dated: October 22, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-25627 Filed 10-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P