Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed New York Bay Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 62065-62067 [2015-26185]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 199 / Thursday, October 15, 2015 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. ER15–1344–001; ER15–1344– 002; ER15–1387–001] PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.; PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.; Potomac Electric Power Company; Notice of Technical Conference By order dated September 15, 2015,1 the Commission directed staff to convene a technical conference regarding PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.’s (PJM) filing, in Docket Nos. ER15–1344– 001 and ER15–1344–002, related to cost responsibility assignments for 61 baseline upgrades included in the recent update to the PJM Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP), and regarding requests for rehearing, submitted in Docket No. ER15–1387– 001, related to the PJM Transmission Owners’ proposal to change the cost allocation methodology for reliability projects selected in the RTEP solely to address local transmission owner planning criteria. The technical conference will explore issues related to PJM’s application of its Order No. 1000compliant transmission planning process 2 to local transmission facilities, including, but not limited to, the process PJM and the PJM Transmission Owners use to identify local transmission needs and to solicit proposed solutions to identified local transmission needs (such as opening proposal windows),3 and the process PJM uses to determine whether a transmission solution to an identified local transmission need should be selected in the regional transmission plan for purposes of cost allocation as the more efficient or cost-effective transmission solution. Take notice that such conference will be held on November 12, 2015, at the Commission’s headquarters at 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) in Hearing Room 7. Additional information regarding the mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 1 PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., 152 FERC ¶ 61,197 (2015). 2 Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities, Order No. 1000, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,323 (2011), order on reh’g, Order No. 1000–A, 139 FERC ¶ 61,132, order on reh’g, Order No. 1000– B, 141 FERC ¶ 61,044 (2012), aff’d sub nom. S.C. Pub. Serv. Auth. v. FERC, 762 F.3d 41 (D.C. Cir. 2014). 3 As discussed in the order establishing the technical conference, Dominion Resources Services’ revisions to its individual transmission planning criteria will not be discussed at the technical conference. PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., 152 FERC ¶ 61,197 at P15 (2015). VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:19 Oct 14, 2015 Jkt 238001 conference program will be provided in a subsequent supplemental notice of technical conference. The technical conference will be led by Commission staff. The conference is open to the public. Pre-registration through the Commission’s Web site (https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/ registration/11-12-15-form.asp) is encouraged but not required. The technical conference will not be transcribed. However, there will be a free audio cast of the conference. Anyone wishing to listen to the meeting should send an email to Sarah McKinley at sarah.mckinley@ferc.gov by November 3, 2015, to request call-in information. Please reference ‘‘call information for ER15–1344/1387 technical conference’’ in the subject line of the email. The call-in information will be provided prior to the meeting. Persons listening to the technical conference may participate by submitting questions, either prior to or during the technical conference, by emailing RTEPconference@ferc.gov. Commission conferences are accessible under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations please send an email to accessibility@ferc.gov or call toll free 1–866–208–3372 (voice) or 202–502–8659 (TTY); or send a fax to 202–208–2106 with the required accommodations. For more information about this technical conference, please contact Katherine Scott, 202–502–6495, katherine.scott@ferc.gov, regarding Docket Nos. ER15–1344–001 and ER15– 1344–002; Nicole Buell, 202–502–6846, nicole.buell@ferc.gov, regarding Docket No. ER15–1387–001; or Sarah McKinley, 202–502–8368, sarah.mckinley@ferc.gov, regarding logistical issues. Dated: October 8, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–26182 Filed 10–14–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP15–527–000] Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed New York Bay Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 62065 Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will discuss the environmental impacts of the New York Bay Expansion Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in Chester, Pennsylvania; Essex and Middlesex, New Jersey; and Richmond, New York. 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 November 8, 2015. If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on July 8, 2015, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. CP15–527 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. Transco 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 E:\FR\FM\15OCN1.SGM 15OCN1 62066 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 199 / Thursday, October 15, 2015 / Notices participate in the Commission’s proceedings. It is also available for 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 (CP15–527– 000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Summary of the Proposed Project Transco proposes the New York Bay Expansion Project to modify existing facilities and replace existing pipeline to provide an additional 115,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service to National Grid New York to meet 2017–2018 winter heating season needs. The project would involve the following activities at existing aboveground facilities in the specified towns and municipalities: • Uprate Compressor Station 200 from 30,860 horsepower (hp) to 33,000 hp (East Whiteland Township, Chester, Pennsylvania); • uprate a unit of Compressor Station 303 from 25,000 hp to 27,500 hp (Roseland Borough, Essex, New Jersey); • add 11,000 hp of electric-driven compression to Compressor Station 207 (Old Bridge Township, Middlesex, New Jersey); and VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:19 Oct 14, 2015 Jkt 238001 • install various appurtenances and modifications at three meter and regulation stations in East Brandywine Township (Chester, Pennsylvania), Sayreville Borough (Middlesex, New Jersey), and Staten Island Borough (Richmond, New York). In addition, Transco proposes to replace three segments of its 42-inchdiameter Lower New York Bay Lateral pipeline, totaling 0.25 mile, and uprate the lateral pipeline’s operating pressure from 960 to 1000 pounds per square inch in Middlesex County, NJ. The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.1 Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the project would disturb about 56.70 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and 14.05 acres of land for the pipe replacement; these acres would be restored by Transco and revert to former uses. The permanent footprint for Compressor Stations 200 and 303 would remain unchanged. The permanent footprint of Compressor Station 207 would expand by 0.59 acre, and the three existing meter and regulation stations would expand by combined total of 0.8 acre. No new acreage would be required for the replacement pipe as Transco would replace the pipeline in the same permanent 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 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 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 1 The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear 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. PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 reasonable alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section, on page 2. With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law and/ or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA.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. 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 (SHPO), and to solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the public on the project’s potential effects on historic properties.4 We will 3 The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency 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. 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. E:\FR\FM\15OCN1.SGM 15OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 199 / Thursday, October 15, 2015 / Notices 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. Environmental Mailing List The environmental mailing list includes: Federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 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). Additional Information Additional information about the project is available from the Commission’s Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web site at www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP15–527). 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: October 8, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–26185 Filed 10–14–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Becoming an Intervenor [Project No. 12486–008—Idaho] 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. Twin Lakes Canal Company; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Bear River Narrows Hydroelectric Project and Intention To Hold Public Meetings VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:19 Oct 14, 2015 Jkt 238001 In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) regulations contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (18 CFR part 380 [FERC Order No. 486, 52 FR 47897]), the Office of Energy Projects has reviewed the application for license for the Bear River Narrows Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 12486) and prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project. PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 62067 The proposed project would be located on the Bear River, near the city of Preston, in Franklin County, Idaho. The project would occupy 243 acres of federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The draft EIS contains staff’s analysis of the applicant’s proposal and the alternatives for licensing the Bear River Narrows Project. The draft EIS documents the views of governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, affected Indian tribes, the public, the license applicant, and Commission staff. A copy of the draft EIS is available for review at the Commission or may be viewed on the Commission’s Web site at https://www.ferc.gov, using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits, to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or tollfree at (866) 208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. You may also register online at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. All comments must be filed by Monday, November 30, 2015, and should reference Project No. 12486–008. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments using the Commission’s efiling system at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https:// www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support. In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this draft EIS (18 CFR 380.10). You must file your request to intervene as specified above. You do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, you are invited to attend public meetings that will be held to receive comments on the draft EIS. The agency scoping meeting will focus on resource agency and nongovernmental organization input, while the public scoping meeting is primarily for public input. All interested E:\FR\FM\15OCN1.SGM 15OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 199 (Thursday, October 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62065-62067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26185]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP15-527-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed New York Bay 
Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the New York Bay Expansion Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Transcontinental 
Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in Chester, Pennsylvania; Essex 
and Middlesex, New Jersey; and Richmond, New York. 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 November 8, 2015.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on July 8, 2015, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. CP15-527 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.
    Transco 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

[[Page 62066]]

participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is also available for 
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 
(CP15-527-000) 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

    Transco proposes the New York Bay Expansion Project to modify 
existing facilities and replace existing pipeline to provide an 
additional 115,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service to 
National Grid New York to meet 2017-2018 winter heating season needs. 
The project would involve the following activities at existing 
aboveground facilities in the specified towns and municipalities:
     Uprate Compressor Station 200 from 30,860 horsepower (hp) 
to 33,000 hp (East Whiteland Township, Chester, Pennsylvania);
     uprate a unit of Compressor Station 303 from 25,000 hp to 
27,500 hp (Roseland Borough, Essex, New Jersey);
     add 11,000 hp of electric-driven compression to Compressor 
Station 207 (Old Bridge Township, Middlesex, New Jersey); and
     install various appurtenances and modifications at three 
meter and regulation stations in East Brandywine Township (Chester, 
Pennsylvania), Sayreville Borough (Middlesex, New Jersey), and Staten 
Island Borough (Richmond, New York).
    In addition, Transco proposes to replace three segments of its 42-
inch-diameter Lower New York Bay Lateral pipeline, totaling 0.25 mile, 
and uprate the lateral pipeline's operating pressure from 960 to 1000 
pounds per square inch in Middlesex County, NJ.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to all those 
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov 
using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call 
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to 
the last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the project would disturb about 56.70 acres of land 
for the aboveground facilities and 14.05 acres of land for the pipe 
replacement; these acres would be restored by Transco and revert to 
former uses. The permanent footprint for Compressor Stations 200 and 
303 would remain unchanged. The permanent footprint of Compressor 
Station 207 would expand by 0.59 acre, and the three existing meter and 
regulation stations would expand by combined total of 0.8 acre. No new 
acreage would be required for the replacement pipe as Transco would 
replace the pipeline in the same permanent 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 
\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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``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 reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to 
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on 
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish 
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We 
will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations 
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and 
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the 
Public Participation section, on page 2.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of 
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the 
EA.\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, part 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation 
with the applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), and to 
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested 
Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on 
historic properties.\4\ We will

[[Page 62067]]

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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic 
Places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes: Federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 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 at www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Click on the 
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number, 
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP15-
527). 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: October 8, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-26185 Filed 10-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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