Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed TP-371 Pipeline Replacement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 51551-51553 [2015-20991]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 164 / Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Notices
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
within 90 days of this Notice the
Commission staff will either: Complete
its environmental assessment (EA) and
place it into the Commission’s public
record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or
issue a Notice of Schedule for
Environmental Review. If a Notice of
Schedule for Environmental Review is
issued, it will indicate, among other
milestones, the anticipated date for the
Commission staff’s issuance of the final
environmental impact statement (FEIS)
or EA for this proposal. The filing of the
EA in the Commission’s public record
for this proceeding or the issuance of a
Notice of Schedule for Environmental
Review will serve to notify federal and
state agencies of the timing for the
completion of all necessary reviews, and
the subsequent need to complete all
federal authorizations within 90 days of
the date of issuance of the Commission
staff’s FEIS or EA.
Persons who wish to comment only
on the environmental review of this
project should submit an original and
two copies of their comments to the
Secretary of the Commission.
Environmental commenter’s will be
placed on the Commission’s
environmental mailing list, will receive
copies of the environmental documents,
and will be notified of meetings
associated with the Commission’s
environmental review process.
Environmental commenter’s will not be
required to serve copies of filed
documents on all other parties.
However, the non-party commentary,
will not receive copies of all documents
filed by other parties or issued by the
Commission (except for the mailing of
environmental documents issued by the
Commission) and will not have the right
to seek court review of the
Commission’s final order.
The Commission strongly encourages
electronic filings of comments, protests
and interventions in lieu of paper using
the ‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://
www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file
electronically should submit an original
and 7 copies of the protest or
intervention to the Federal Energy
regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Dated: August 19, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–20983 Filed 8–24–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Notice of Commission Staff
Attendance
The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (Commission) hereby gives
notice that members of the
Commission’s staff may attend the
following meeting related to the
transmission planning activities of the
Florida Reliability Coordinating
Council, Inc.’s (FRCC) Regional
Transmission Planning Process.
The FRCC Open Stakeholder Meeting
August 26, 2015, 9:30 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time)
The above-referenced meeting will be
via Web conference.
The above-referenced meeting is open
to stakeholders.
Further information may be found at:
https://www.frcc.com/order1000/
default.aspx.
The discussions at the meeting
described above may address matters at
issue in the following proceedings:
Docket No. ER13–80–006, Tampa
Electric Company.
Docket No. ER13–86–006, Duke Energy
Carolinas, LLC.
Docket No. ER13–104–007, Florida
Power & Light Company.
Docket No. NJ15–15–000, Orlando
Utilities Commission.
For more information, contact Rhonda
Jones, Office of Energy Market
Regulation, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission at (202) 502–6154 or
Rhonda.Jones@ferc.gov.
Dated: August 19, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–20989 Filed 8–24–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP15–528–000]
Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment
for the Proposed TP–371 Pipeline
Replacement Project and Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of
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51551
the TP–371 Pipeline Replacement
Project (TP–371 Project) involving
abandonment and the construction and
operation of replacement facilities by
Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) in Armstrong
and Indiana Counties, Pennsylvania.
The Commission will use this EA in its
decision-making process to determine
whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public
and interested agencies on the project.
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. Your
input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to
evaluate in the EA. 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
18, 2015.
If you sent comments on this project
to the Commission before the opening of
this docket on July 10, 2015, you will
need to file those comments in Docket
No. CP15–528–000 to ensure they are
considered as part of this proceeding.
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.
Equitrans 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
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51552
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 164 / Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Notices
viewing on the FERC Web site
(www.ferc.gov).
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Public Participation
For your convenience, there are three
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. The
Commission encourages electronic filing
of comments and has expert staff
available to assist you at (202) 502–8258
or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully
follow these instructions so that your
comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments
electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission’s Web site
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy
method for submitting brief, text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments
electronically by 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.’’ If you are filing
a comment on a particular project,
please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as
the filing type; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your
comments by mailing them to the
following address. Be sure to reference
the project docket number (CP15–528–
000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Equitrans is seeking a Certificate of
Public Convenience and Necessity
under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas
Act (NGA) to construct and operate a
natural gas transmission pipeline and
related facilities in Armstrong and
Indiana Counties, Pennsylvania, and
permission under Section 7(b) of the
NGA to abandon in place an adjacent,
existing segment of pipeline. No change
in the transportation capacity of the
existing pipeline system is proposed.
According to Equitrans, its project
would upgrade the existing system to
allow for in-line inspection and improve
the operational efficiency and
reliability.
The TP–371 Project would consist of
the following facilities:
• Construction of about 21.0 miles of
new 20-inch-diameter natural gas
pipeline mostly adjacent to the
abandoned pipeline extending from
Equitrans’ existing pipeline system in
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania to the
Egry Interconnect in Indiana County,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:10 Aug 24, 2015
Jkt 235001
Pennsylvania (the replacement
segment);
• abandonment of about 21.0 miles of
existing 12-inch-diameter natural gas
pipeline (the existing segment) that
primarily parallels the replacement
segment;
• installation of a pig 1 launcher/
receiver facility;
• installation of five mainline valve
sites;
• transfer of seven tie-in locations
from the existing facilities to the
replacement segment;
• construction of two new ground
beds for cathodic protection, and
modification of a third;
• temporary and permanent access
roads; and
• temporary laydown/contractor
yards.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.2
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities
would disturb about 329 acres of land
for the pipeline and facilities, including
lands needed for abandonment of the
existing segment and facilities.
Following construction, Equitrans
would maintain about 131 acres for
permanent operation of the project’s
facilities; the remaining acreage would
be restored and revert to former uses.
About 95 percent of the proposed
pipeline route parallels the existing
segment and overlaps Equitrans existing
right-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 3 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
1 A ‘‘pig’’ is a device to clean or inspect the
pipeline. A pig launcher/receiver is an aboveground
facility where pigs are inserted or retrieved from the
pipeline.
2 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.
3 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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comments on the scope of the issues to
address in the EA. We will consider all
filed comments during the preparation
of the EA.
In the EA we will discuss impacts that
could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the
proposed project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• land use;
• 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 proposed project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
The EA will present our independent
analysis of the issues. The EA will be
available in the public record through
eLibrary. Depending on the comments
received during the scoping process, we
may also publish and distribute the EA
to the public for an allotted comment
period. We will consider all comments
on the EA before 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 2.
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.4 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, no
agencies have expressed their intention
to participate as a cooperating agency in
the preparation of the EA to satisfy their
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
4 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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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 164 / Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Notices
notice to initiate consultation with the
applicable State Historic Preservation
Office(s), and to solicit their views and
those of other government agencies,
interested Indian tribes, and the public
on the project’s potential effects on
historic properties.5 We will define the
project-specific Area of Potential Effects
(APE) in consultation with the SHPO(s)
as the project develops. On natural gas
facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground
disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/
pipe storage yards, compressor stations,
and access roads). Our EA for this
project will document our findings on
the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations
under section 106.
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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
5 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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17:10 Aug 24, 2015
Jkt 235001
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 ‘‘Document-less
Intervention Guide’’ under the ‘‘e-filing’’
link on the Commission’s Web site.
Motions to intervene are more fully
described at https://www.ferc.gov/
resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
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., CP15–
528). 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 19, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–20991 Filed 8–24–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. EL15–91–000; Docket No.
QF15–885–001]
Greycliff Wind Prime, LLC; Greycliff
Wind Prime, LLC; Notice of Petition for
Declaratory Order
Take notice that on August 17, 2015,
pursuant to section 210(h) of the Public
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51553
Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978
(PURPA), 16 U.S.C. 824a–3(h)(2006) and
Rule 207(a)(2) of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission’s (Commission)
Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR
385.207(a)(2), Greycliff Wind Prime,
LLC (Greycliff or Petitioner) filed a
petition for declaratory order requesting
that the Commission take enforcement
action under section 210(h) of PURPA
against the Montana Public Service
Commission (MPSC) for its continued
reliance on A.R.M. 38.5.1902(5)
(Montana Rule), or in the alternative,
Greycliff seeks a declaratory order
finding that the MPSC’s continued
reliance on the Montana Rule, and
MPSC decisions interpreting the
Montana Rule, fail to implement PURPA
and the Commission’s regulations
thereunder, alleging that the Montana
Rule eliminates the rights of qualifying
facilities to create a legally enforceable
obligation and to choose how to sell
their energy capacity, as more fully
explained in the petition.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest this filing must file in
accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of
the Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214).
Protests will be considered by the
Commission in determining the
appropriate action to be taken, but will
not serve to make protestants parties to
the proceeding. Any person wishing to
become a party must file a notice of
intervention or motion to intervene, as
appropriate. Such notices, motions, or
protests must be filed on or before the
comment date. Anyone filing a motion
to intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Petitioner.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper using the
‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://www.ferc.gov.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 5 copies
of the protest or intervention to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC
20426.
This filing is accessible on-line at
https://www.ferc.gov, using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is 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.
Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern time
on September 16, 2015.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 164 (Tuesday, August 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51551-51553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20991]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP15-528-000]
Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed TP-371 Pipeline Replacement Project and
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the TP-371 Pipeline Replacement
Project (TP-371 Project) involving abandonment and the construction and
operation of replacement facilities by Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) in
Armstrong and Indiana Counties, Pennsylvania. The Commission will use
this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether the project
is in the public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. 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.
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they
need to evaluate in the EA. 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 18, 2015.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on July 10, 2015, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP15-528-000 to ensure they are considered as
part of this proceeding.
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.
Equitrans 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
[[Page 51552]]
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov).
Public Participation
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic
filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist you at
(202) 502-8258 or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these
instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief,
text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically by 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.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project,
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number
(CP15-528-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Equitrans is seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to construct
and operate a natural gas transmission pipeline and related facilities
in Armstrong and Indiana Counties, Pennsylvania, and permission under
Section 7(b) of the NGA to abandon in place an adjacent, existing
segment of pipeline. No change in the transportation capacity of the
existing pipeline system is proposed. According to Equitrans, its
project would upgrade the existing system to allow for in-line
inspection and improve the operational efficiency and reliability.
The TP-371 Project would consist of the following facilities:
Construction of about 21.0 miles of new 20-inch-diameter
natural gas pipeline mostly adjacent to the abandoned pipeline
extending from Equitrans' existing pipeline system in Armstrong County,
Pennsylvania to the Egry Interconnect in Indiana County, Pennsylvania
(the replacement segment);
abandonment of about 21.0 miles of existing 12-inch-
diameter natural gas pipeline (the existing segment) that primarily
parallels the replacement segment;
installation of a pig \1\ launcher/receiver facility;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A ``pig'' is a device to clean or inspect the pipeline. A
pig launcher/receiver is an aboveground facility where pigs are
inserted or retrieved from the pipeline.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
installation of five mainline valve sites;
transfer of seven tie-in locations from the existing
facilities to the replacement segment;
construction of two new ground beds for cathodic
protection, and modification of a third;
temporary and permanent access roads; and
temporary laydown/contractor yards.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ 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 proposed facilities would disturb about 329
acres of land for the pipeline and facilities, including lands needed
for abandonment of the existing segment and facilities. Following
construction, Equitrans would maintain about 131 acres for permanent
operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage would be
restored and revert to former uses. About 95 percent of the proposed
pipeline route parallels the existing segment and overlaps Equitrans
existing right-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
\3\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
land use;
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 proposed project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We
will consider all comments on the EA before 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 2.
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.\4\ 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, no agencies have expressed their intention to
participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA to
satisfy their NEPA responsibilities related to this project.
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\4\ 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
[[Page 51553]]
notice to initiate consultation with the applicable State Historic
Preservation Office(s), and to solicit their views and those of other
government agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the public on the
project's potential effects on historic properties.\5\ We will define
the project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation
with the SHPO(s) as the project develops. On natural gas facility
projects, the APE at a minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground
disturbance (examples include construction right-of-way, contractor/
pipe storage yards, compressor stations, and access roads). Our EA for
this project will document our findings on the impacts on historic
properties and summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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\5\ 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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Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the project. We will update the environmental mailing list
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the
proposed project.
If we publish and distribute the EA, copies will be sent to the
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please
return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in
the ``Document-less Intervention Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on
the Commission's Web site. Motions to intervene are more fully
described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
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., CP15-
528). 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 19, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-20991 Filed 8-24-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P