Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC, Equitrans LP; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Mountain Valley Project and Equitrans Expansion Project, 66268-66271 [2016-23237]
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66268
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 187 / Tuesday, September 27, 2016 / Notices
Dated: September 21, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
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 October 11, 2016.
[FR Doc. 2016–23233 Filed 9–26–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
Dated: September 19, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FR Doc. 2016–23235 Filed 9–26–16; 8:45 am]
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
[Docket No. ID–8008–000]
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Hastings, Michael W.; Notice of Filing
Take notice that on September 19,
2016, Michael W. Hastings submitted
for filing, an application for authority to
hold interlocking positions, pursuant to
section 305(b) of the Federal Power Act
(FPA), 16 U.S.C. 825d(b), Part 45 of the
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s (Commission) Rules of
Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR part 45,
and Order No. 664.1
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. On or before the
comment date, it is not necessary to
serve motions to intervene or protests
on persons other than the Applicant.
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
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
1 Commission Authorization to Hold Interlocking
Positions, 112 FERC ¶ 61,298 (2005) (Order No.
664); order on reh’g, 114 FERC ¶ 61,142 (2006)
(Order No. 664–A).
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP16–10–000; Docket No.
CP16–13–000]
Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC,
Equitrans LP; Notice of Availability of
the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Mountain
Valley Project and Equitrans
Expansion Project
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared a draft
environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the projects proposed by Mountain
Valley Pipeline LLC (Mountain Valley)
and Equitrans LP (Equitrans) in the
above-referenced dockets. Mountain
Valley requests authorization to
construct and operate certain interstate
natural gas facilities in West Virginia
and Virginia, known as the Mountain
Valley Project (MVP) in Docket Number
CP16–10–000. The MVP is designed to
transport about 2 billion cubic feet per
day (Bcf/d) of natural gas from
production areas in the Appalachian
Basin to markets in the Mid-Atlantic
and Southeastern United States.
Equitrans requests authorization to
construct and operate certain natural gas
facilities in Pennsylvania and West
Virginia, known as the Equitrans
Expansion Project (EEP) in Docket No.
CP16–13–000. The EEP is designed to
transport about 0.4 Bcf/d of natural gas,
to improve system flexibility and
reliability, and serve markets in the
Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast,
through interconnections with various
other interstate systems, including the
proposed MVP.
The draft EIS assesses the potential
environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the MVP
and EEP in accordance with the
requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
FERC staff concludes that approval of
the MVP and EEP would have some
adverse environmental impacts;
however, these impacts would be
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reduced with the implementation of
Mountain Valley’s and Equitrans’
proposed mitigation measures, and the
additional measures recommended by
the FERC staff in the EIS.
The United States Department of
Agriculture Forest Service (FS), U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (COE), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.
Department of the Interior Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), U.S.
Department of Transportation, West
Virginia Department of Environmental
Protection, and West Virginia Division
of Natural Resources participated as
cooperating agencies in the preparation
of the EIS. Cooperating agencies have
jurisdiction by law or special expertise
with respect to resources potentially
affected by the proposals and
participated in the NEPA analysis. The
BLM, COE, and FS may adopt and use
the EIS when they consider the issuance
of a Right-of-Way Grant to Mountain
Valley for the portion of the MVP that
would cross federal lands. Further, the
FS may use the EIS when it considers
amendments to its Land and Resource
Management Plan (LRMP) for the
proposed crossing of the Jefferson
National Forest. Although the
cooperating agencies provided input to
the conclusions and recommendations
presented in the draft EIS, the agencies
will present their own conclusions and
recommendations in their respective
permit authorizations and Records of
Decision (ROD) for the projects.
Proposed Facilities
The draft EIS addresses the potential
environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the
proposed facilities. For the MVP,
facilities include:
• About 301 miles of new 42-inchdiameter pipeline extending from the
new Mobley Interconnect in Wetzel
County, West Virginia to the existing
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Company LLC (Transco) Station 165 in
Pittsylvania County, Virginia;
• 3 new compressor stations
(Bradshaw, Harris, Stallworth) in West
Virginia, totaling about 171,600
horsepower (hp);
• 4 new meter and regulation stations
and interconnections (Mobley,
Sherwood, WB, and Transco);
• 2 new taps (Webster and Roanoke);
• 5 pig 1 launchers and receivers; and
• 36 mainline block valves.
For the EEP, facilities include:
• About 8 miles total of new various
diameter pipelines in six segments;
1 A ‘‘pig’’ is a device used to clean or inspect the
interior of a pipeline.
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 187 / Tuesday, September 27, 2016 / Notices
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
• new Redhook Compressor Station,
in Greene County, Pennsylvania, with
31,300 hp of compression;
• 4 new taps (Mobley, H–148, H–302,
H–306) and 1 new interconnection
(Webster);
• 4 pig launchers and receivers; and
• decommissioning and
abandonment of the existing 4,800 hp
Pratt Compressor Station in Greene
County, Pennsylvania.
Actions of the Bureau of Land
Management and the Forest Service
The BLM’s purpose and need for the
proposed action is to respond to a Rightof-Way Grant application submitted by
Mountain Valley on April 5, 2016.
Under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920
the Secretary of the Interior has
delegated authority to the BLM to grant
a right-of-way in response to the
Mountain Valley application for natural
gas transmission on federal lands under
the jurisdiction of two or more federal
agencies. Before issuing the Right-ofWay Grant, the BLM must receive the
written concurrence of the other surface
managing federal agencies (i.e., FS and
COE) in accordance with Title 43 Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part
2882.3(i). Through this concurrence
process, the FS and COE would submit
to the BLM any specific stipulations
applicable to their lands, facilities,
waterbodies, and easements for
inclusion in the Right-of-Way Grant.
The FS’s purpose and need for the
proposed action is to consider issuing a
concurrence to the BLM for the Rightof-Way Grant and to evaluate the
amendments to the LRMP for the
Jefferson National Forest that would
make provision for the MVP pipeline if
the FS decides to concur and BLM
decides to issue a Right-of-Way Grant.
The first type of LRMP amendment
would be a ‘‘plan-level amendment’’
that would change land allocations.
This would change future management
direction for the lands reallocated to the
new management prescription (Rx) and
is required by LRMP Standard FW–248.
Proposed Amendment 1: The LRMP
would be amended to reallocate 186
acres to the Management Prescription
5C—Designated Utility Corridors from
these Rxs: 4J—Urban/Suburban
Interface (56 acres); 6C—Old Growth
Forest Communities-Disturbance
Associated (19 ac); and 8A1—Mix of
Successional Habitats in Forested
Landscapes (111 acres).
Rx 5C—Designated Utility Corridors
contain special uses which serve a
public benefit by providing a reliable
supply of electricity, natural gas, or
water essential to local, regional, and
national economies. The new Rx 5C
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land allocation would be 500 feet wide
(250 feet wide on each side of the
pipeline), with two exceptions: (1) The
area where the pipeline crosses Rx 4A—
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Corridor would remain in Rx 4A; and
(2) the new 5C area would not cross into
Peters Mountain Wilderness so the Rx
5C area would be less than 500 feet
wide along the boundary of the
Wilderness.
The second type of amendment would
be a ‘‘project-specific amendment’’ that
would apply only to the construction
and operation of this pipeline. The
following amendments would grant a
temporary ‘waiver’ to allow the project
to proceed. These amendments would
not change LRMP requirements for other
projects or authorize any other actions.
Proposed Amendment 2: The LRMP
would be amended to allow
construction of the MVP pipeline to
exceed restrictions on soil conditions
and riparian corridor conditions as
described in LRMP standards FW–5,
FW–9, FW–13, FW–14 and 11–017,
provided that mitigation measures or
project requirements agreed upon by the
Forest Service are implemented as
needed.
Proposed Amendment 3: The LRMP
would be amended to allow the removal
of old growth trees within the
construction corridor of the MVP
pipeline. (reference LRMP Standard
FW–77)
Proposed Amendment 4: The LRMP
would be amended to allow the MVP
pipeline to cross the Appalachian
National Scenic Trail (ANST) on Peters
Mountain. The Scenic Integrity
Objective (SIO) for the Rx 4A area and
the ANST will be changed from High to
Moderate. This amendment also
requires the SIO of Moderate to be
achieved within five to ten years
following completion of the project to
allow for vegetation growth. (reference
LRMP Standards 4A–021 and 4A–028).
The decision for a Right-of-Way Grant
across federal lands would be
documented in a ROD issued by the
BLM. The BLM’s decision to issue,
condition, or deny a right-of-way would
be subject to BLM administrative review
procedures established in 43 CFR
2881.10 and Section 313(b) of the
Energy Policy Act. The FS concurrence
to BLM to issue the Right-of-Way Grant
would not be a decision subject to
NEPA, and therefore would not be
subject to FS administrative review
procedures. The FS would issue its own
ROD for the LRMP amendments. The
Forest Supervisor for the Jefferson
National Forest would be the
Responsible Official for the LRMP
amendments. Proposed Amendment 1
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66269
was developed in accordance to 36 CFR
219 (2012 version) regulations and
would be subject to the administrative
review procedures under 36 CFR 219
Subpart B. Proposed Amendments 2, 3
and 4 were developed in accordance to
36 CFR 219 (2012) regulations but
would be subject to the administrative
review procedures under 36 CFR 218
regulations Subparts A and B, per 36
CFR 219.59(b).
The BLM is requesting public
comments on the issuance of a Right-ofWay Grant that would allow the MVP
pipeline to be constructed on federal
lands managed by the FS and COE. The
FS is requesting public comments on
the consideration of submitting a
concurrence to BLM and the draft
amendments of the LRMP to allow the
MVP pipeline to cross the Jefferson
National Forest. All comments must be
submitted to the FERC, the lead federal
agency, within the timeframe stated in
this Notice of Availability. Refer to
Docket CP16–10–000 (MVP) in all
correspondence to ensure that your
comments are correctly filed in the
record. You may submit comments to
the FERC using one of the four methods
listed below in this notice. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comments, you should be aware that the
entire text of your comments—including
your personal identifying information—
would be publicly available through the
FERC eLibrary system, if you file your
comments with the Secretary of the
Commission.
Distribution and Comments on the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
The FERC staff mailed copies of the
draft EIS to federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; elected officials; regional
environmental groups and nongovernmental organizations; potentially
interested Native Americans and Indian
tribes; affected landowners; local
newspapers and libraries; parties to this
proceeding; and members of the public
who submitted comments about the
projects. Paper copy versions of this
draft EIS were mailed to those
specifically requesting them; all others
received a compact-disc version. In
addition, the draft EIS is available for
public viewing on the FERC’s Web site
(www.ferc.gov).2 A limited number of
copies are available for distribution and
public inspection at: Federal Energy
2 Go to ‘‘Documents & Filings,’’ click on
‘‘eLibrary,’’ use ‘‘General Search’’ and put in the
Docket numbers (CP16–10 or CP16–13) and date of
issuance (09/16/16).
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 187 / Tuesday, September 27, 2016 / Notices
Regulatory Commission, Public
Reference Room, 888 First Street NE.,
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202)
502–8371.
Any person wishing to comment on
the draft EIS may do so. To ensure
consideration of your comments on the
proposal in the final EIS, it is important
that the Commission receive your
comments on or before December 22,
2016.
For your convenience, there are four
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. The
Commission will provide equal
consideration to all comments received,
whether filed in written form or
provided verbally. 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 & 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 & 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 (CP16–10–
000 or CP16–13–000) with your
submission: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room
1A, Washington, DC 20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or
electronic comments, the Commission
invites you to attend one of the public
sessions its staff will conduct in the
project area to receive verbal comments
on the draft EIS. To ensure that
interested parties have ample
opportunity to attend, the FERC staff
has arranged for seven public sessions,
at venues spaced a reasonable driving
distance apart, and scheduled as listed
below.
There will not be a formal
presentation by Commission staff at any
of the seven public comment sessions,
although a format outline handout will
be made available. All public sessions
will begin at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. If
you wish to provide verbal comments,
the Commission staff will hand out
numbers in the order of your arrival,
and will discontinue handing them out
at 8:00 p.m. Comments will be taken
until 10:00 p.m. However, if no
additional numbers have been handed
out and all individuals who wish to
provide comments have had an
opportunity to do so, staff may conclude
the session at 8:00 p.m.
The primary goal of the public
sessions is to allow individuals to
provide verbal comments on the draft
EIS. Individual verbal comments will be
taken on a one-on-one basis with a
stenographer (with FERC staff or
representative present), called up in the
order of the numbers received. Because
we anticipate considerable interest from
concerned citizens, this format is
designed to receive the maximum
amount of verbal comments, in a
convenient way during the timeframe
allotted. If many people are interested in
providing verbal comments in the oneon-one setting at any particular session,
a time limit of 3 minutes may be
implemented for each commenter.
Your verbal comments will be
recorded by the stenographer.
Transcripts of all comments from the
sessions will be placed into the dockets
for the projects, which are accessible for
public viewing on the FERC’s Web site
(at www.ferc.gov) through our eLibrary
system.
FERC SPONSORED PUBLIC SESSIONS IN THE PROJECT AREA TO TAKE COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT EIS
Location a
Date
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 ...............................
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 ...............................
Wednesday, November 2, 2016 .........................
Wednesday, November 2, 2016 .........................
Thursday, November 3, 2016 .............................
Thursday, November 3, 2016 .............................
Wednesday, November 9, 2016 .........................
Chatham High School, 100 Cavalier Circle, Chatham, VA 24531, 434–432–8305.
Lewis County High School, 205 Minuteman Drive, Weston, WV 26452, 304–269–8315.
Franklin County High School, 700 Taynard Road, Rocky Mount, VA 24151, 540–483–0221.
Nicholas County High School, 30 Grizzly Road, Summersville, WV 26651, 304–872–2141.
Sheraton Hotel, 2801 Hershberger Road, Roanoke, VA 24017, 540–563–9300.
Peterstown Elementary School, 108 College Drive, Peterstown, WV 24963, 304–753–4328.
California Area High School, 11 Trojan Way, Coal Center, PA 15423, 724–785–5800.
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
a While we have agreements with the venues, contracts have not yet been finalized with the individual Boards of Education. If a School Board
declines to sign the contract, the venue may change and the FERC would issue a revised notice to announce the replacement venue.
Commission staff will be available at
each venue of the public sessions to
answer questions about our
environmental review process. It is
important to note that written comments
mailed to the Commission and those
submitted electronically are reviewed
by staff with the same scrutiny and
consideration as the verbal comments
given at the public sessions.
Any person seeking to become a party
to the proceeding must file a motion to
intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214).3 Only
intervenors have the right to seek
rehearing of the Commission’s decision.
The Commission grants affected
landowners and others with
environmental concerns intervenor
status upon showing good cause by
stating that they have a clear and direct
interest in this proceeding which no
other party can adequately represent.
Simply filing environmental comments
will not give you intervenor status, but
you do not need intervenor status to
have your comments considered.
3 See the previous discussion on the methods for
filing comments.
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Questions?
Additional information about the
projects is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web
site (www.ferc.gov). The eLibrary link
provides access to all documents filed
in a docket, in addition to the texts of
formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices,
and rulemakings. Go to ‘‘Documents &
Filings,’’ click on the eLibrary link, click
on ‘‘General Search,’’ and enter the
docket number excluding the last three
digits in the field (i.e., CP16–10). Be
sure you have selected an appropriate
date range. For assistance, please
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 187 / Tuesday, September 27, 2016 / Notices
contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at (866) 208–3676; for TTY, contact
(202) 502–8659.
In addition, the Commission offers a
free service called eSubscription that
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.
Dated: September 16, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–23237 Filed 9–26–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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
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.
Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time on October 11, 2016.
Dated: September 19, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FR Doc. 2016–23234 Filed 9–26–16; 8:45 am]
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
66271
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
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.
Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time on October 11, 2016.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Dated: September 19, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[FR Doc. 2016–23236 Filed 9–26–16; 8:45 am]
[Docket No. ID–8007–000]
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Burke, John J., Jr.; Notice of Filing
Take notice that on September 19,
2016, John J. Burke, Jr. submitted for
filing, an application for authority to
hold interlocking positions, pursuant to
section 305(b) of the Federal Power Act
(FPA), 16 U.S.C. 825d(b), Part 45 of the
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s (Commission) Rules of
Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR part 45,
and Order No. 664.1
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. On or before the
comment date, it is not necessary to
serve motions to intervene or protests
on persons other than the Applicant.
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
1 Commission Authorization to Hold Interlocking
Positions, 112 FERC ¶ 61,298 (2005) (Order No.
664); order on reh’g, 114 FERC ¶ 61,142 (2006)
(Order No. 664–A).
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BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
[Docket No. ID–8009–000]
Williamson, Belvin, Jr.; Notice of Filing
Take notice that on September 19,
2016, Belvin Williamson, Jr. submitted
for filing, an application for authority to
hold interlocking positions, pursuant to
section 305(b) of the Federal Power Act
(FPA), 16 U.S.C. 825d(b), Part 45 of the
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s (Commission) Rules of
Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR part 45,
and Order No. 664.1
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. On or before the
comment date, it is not necessary to
serve motions to intervene or protests
on persons other than the Applicant.
1 Commission Authorization to Hold Interlocking
Positions, 112 FERC ¶ 61,298 (2005) (Order No.
664); order on reh’g, 114 FERC ¶ 61,142 (2006)
(Order No. 664–A).
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–R05–OAR–2016–0135; EPA–R05–
OAR–2016–0269; EPA–R05–OAR–2016–
0372; EPA–R05–OAR–2016–0396; FRL–
9953–10–Region 5]
Adequacy Status of the ClevelandAkron-Lorain and Columbus, Ohio
Areas and the Ohio and Indiana
Portions of the Cincinnati IndianaOhio-Kentucky Area Submitted 8-Hour
Ozone Redesignation Requests and
Maintenance Plans for Transportation
Conformity Purposes
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of adequacy.
AGENCY:
In this notice, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is notifying the public that we have
found that the motor vehicle emissions
budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and oxides of
nitrogen (NOX) in the Cleveland-AkronLorain and Columbus, Ohio ozone
nonattainment areas, and the Indiana
and Ohio portions of the Cincinnati
Indiana-Ohio-Kentucky ozone
nonattainment area are adequate for use
in transportation conformity
determinations under the Clean Air Act
(CAA). Ohio submitted redesignation
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\27SEN1.SGM
27SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66268-66271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23237]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP16-10-000; Docket No. CP16-13-000]
Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC, Equitrans LP; Notice of
Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
Proposed Mountain Valley Project and Equitrans Expansion Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the projects proposed by Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC (Mountain
Valley) and Equitrans LP (Equitrans) in the above-referenced dockets.
Mountain Valley requests authorization to construct and operate certain
interstate natural gas facilities in West Virginia and Virginia, known
as the Mountain Valley Project (MVP) in Docket Number CP16-10-000. The
MVP is designed to transport about 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d)
of natural gas from production areas in the Appalachian Basin to
markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. Equitrans
requests authorization to construct and operate certain natural gas
facilities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, known as the Equitrans
Expansion Project (EEP) in Docket No. CP16-13-000. The EEP is designed
to transport about 0.4 Bcf/d of natural gas, to improve system
flexibility and reliability, and serve markets in the Northeast, Mid-
Atlantic, and Southeast, through interconnections with various other
interstate systems, including the proposed MVP.
The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the MVP and EEP in accordance with the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC
staff concludes that approval of the MVP and EEP would have some
adverse environmental impacts; however, these impacts would be reduced
with the implementation of Mountain Valley's and Equitrans' proposed
mitigation measures, and the additional measures recommended by the
FERC staff in the EIS.
The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS),
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), U.S. Department of Transportation, West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection, and West Virginia Division of Natural
Resources participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of
the EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special
expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the
proposals and participated in the NEPA analysis. The BLM, COE, and FS
may adopt and use the EIS when they consider the issuance of a Right-
of-Way Grant to Mountain Valley for the portion of the MVP that would
cross federal lands. Further, the FS may use the EIS when it considers
amendments to its Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) for the
proposed crossing of the Jefferson National Forest. Although the
cooperating agencies provided input to the conclusions and
recommendations presented in the draft EIS, the agencies will present
their own conclusions and recommendations in their respective permit
authorizations and Records of Decision (ROD) for the projects.
Proposed Facilities
The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the proposed facilities. For the MVP,
facilities include:
About 301 miles of new 42-inch-diameter pipeline extending
from the new Mobley Interconnect in Wetzel County, West Virginia to the
existing Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC (Transco) Station
165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia;
3 new compressor stations (Bradshaw, Harris, Stallworth)
in West Virginia, totaling about 171,600 horsepower (hp);
4 new meter and regulation stations and interconnections
(Mobley, Sherwood, WB, and Transco);
2 new taps (Webster and Roanoke);
5 pig \1\ launchers and receivers; and
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\1\ A ``pig'' is a device used to clean or inspect the interior
of a pipeline.
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36 mainline block valves.
For the EEP, facilities include:
About 8 miles total of new various diameter pipelines in
six segments;
[[Page 66269]]
new Redhook Compressor Station, in Greene County,
Pennsylvania, with 31,300 hp of compression;
4 new taps (Mobley, H-148, H-302, H-306) and 1 new
interconnection (Webster);
4 pig launchers and receivers; and
decommissioning and abandonment of the existing 4,800 hp
Pratt Compressor Station in Greene County, Pennsylvania.
Actions of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service
The BLM's purpose and need for the proposed action is to respond to
a Right-of-Way Grant application submitted by Mountain Valley on April
5, 2016. Under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 the Secretary of the
Interior has delegated authority to the BLM to grant a right-of-way in
response to the Mountain Valley application for natural gas
transmission on federal lands under the jurisdiction of two or more
federal agencies. Before issuing the Right-of-Way Grant, the BLM must
receive the written concurrence of the other surface managing federal
agencies (i.e., FS and COE) in accordance with Title 43 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Part 2882.3(i). Through this concurrence process, the
FS and COE would submit to the BLM any specific stipulations applicable
to their lands, facilities, waterbodies, and easements for inclusion in
the Right-of-Way Grant.
The FS's purpose and need for the proposed action is to consider
issuing a concurrence to the BLM for the Right-of-Way Grant and to
evaluate the amendments to the LRMP for the Jefferson National Forest
that would make provision for the MVP pipeline if the FS decides to
concur and BLM decides to issue a Right-of-Way Grant.
The first type of LRMP amendment would be a ``plan-level
amendment'' that would change land allocations. This would change
future management direction for the lands reallocated to the new
management prescription (Rx) and is required by LRMP Standard FW-248.
Proposed Amendment 1: The LRMP would be amended to reallocate 186
acres to the Management Prescription 5C--Designated Utility Corridors
from these Rxs: 4J--Urban/Suburban Interface (56 acres); 6C--Old Growth
Forest Communities-Disturbance Associated (19 ac); and 8A1--Mix of
Successional Habitats in Forested Landscapes (111 acres).
Rx 5C--Designated Utility Corridors contain special uses which
serve a public benefit by providing a reliable supply of electricity,
natural gas, or water essential to local, regional, and national
economies. The new Rx 5C land allocation would be 500 feet wide (250
feet wide on each side of the pipeline), with two exceptions: (1) The
area where the pipeline crosses Rx 4A--Appalachian National Scenic
Trail Corridor would remain in Rx 4A; and (2) the new 5C area would not
cross into Peters Mountain Wilderness so the Rx 5C area would be less
than 500 feet wide along the boundary of the Wilderness.
The second type of amendment would be a ``project-specific
amendment'' that would apply only to the construction and operation of
this pipeline. The following amendments would grant a temporary
`waiver' to allow the project to proceed. These amendments would not
change LRMP requirements for other projects or authorize any other
actions.
Proposed Amendment 2: The LRMP would be amended to allow
construction of the MVP pipeline to exceed restrictions on soil
conditions and riparian corridor conditions as described in LRMP
standards FW-5, FW-9, FW-13, FW-14 and 11-017, provided that mitigation
measures or project requirements agreed upon by the Forest Service are
implemented as needed.
Proposed Amendment 3: The LRMP would be amended to allow the
removal of old growth trees within the construction corridor of the MVP
pipeline. (reference LRMP Standard FW-77)
Proposed Amendment 4: The LRMP would be amended to allow the MVP
pipeline to cross the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (ANST) on
Peters Mountain. The Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO) for the Rx 4A
area and the ANST will be changed from High to Moderate. This amendment
also requires the SIO of Moderate to be achieved within five to ten
years following completion of the project to allow for vegetation
growth. (reference LRMP Standards 4A-021 and 4A-028).
The decision for a Right-of-Way Grant across federal lands would be
documented in a ROD issued by the BLM. The BLM's decision to issue,
condition, or deny a right-of-way would be subject to BLM
administrative review procedures established in 43 CFR 2881.10 and
Section 313(b) of the Energy Policy Act. The FS concurrence to BLM to
issue the Right-of-Way Grant would not be a decision subject to NEPA,
and therefore would not be subject to FS administrative review
procedures. The FS would issue its own ROD for the LRMP amendments. The
Forest Supervisor for the Jefferson National Forest would be the
Responsible Official for the LRMP amendments. Proposed Amendment 1 was
developed in accordance to 36 CFR 219 (2012 version) regulations and
would be subject to the administrative review procedures under 36 CFR
219 Subpart B. Proposed Amendments 2, 3 and 4 were developed in
accordance to 36 CFR 219 (2012) regulations but would be subject to the
administrative review procedures under 36 CFR 218 regulations Subparts
A and B, per 36 CFR 219.59(b).
The BLM is requesting public comments on the issuance of a Right-
of-Way Grant that would allow the MVP pipeline to be constructed on
federal lands managed by the FS and COE. The FS is requesting public
comments on the consideration of submitting a concurrence to BLM and
the draft amendments of the LRMP to allow the MVP pipeline to cross the
Jefferson National Forest. All comments must be submitted to the FERC,
the lead federal agency, within the timeframe stated in this Notice of
Availability. Refer to Docket CP16-10-000 (MVP) in all correspondence
to ensure that your comments are correctly filed in the record. You may
submit comments to the FERC using one of the four methods listed below
in this notice. Before including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying information in your comments,
you should be aware that the entire text of your comments--including
your personal identifying information--would be publicly available
through the FERC eLibrary system, if you file your comments with the
Secretary of the Commission.
Distribution and Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The FERC staff mailed copies of the draft EIS to federal, state,
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
regional environmental groups and non-governmental organizations;
potentially interested Native Americans and Indian tribes; affected
landowners; local newspapers and libraries; parties to this proceeding;
and members of the public who submitted comments about the projects.
Paper copy versions of this draft EIS were mailed to those specifically
requesting them; all others received a compact-disc version. In
addition, the draft EIS is available for public viewing on the FERC's
Web site (www.ferc.gov).\2\ A limited number of copies are available
for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Energy
[[Page 66270]]
Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE.,
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
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\2\ Go to ``Documents & Filings,'' click on ``eLibrary,'' use
``General Search'' and put in the Docket numbers (CP16-10 or CP16-
13) and date of issuance (09/16/16).
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Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure
consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is
important that the Commission receive your comments on or before
December 22, 2016.
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally. 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 & 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 & 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
(CP16-10-000 or CP16-13-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE.,
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the
Commission invites you to attend one of the public sessions its staff
will conduct in the project area to receive verbal comments on the
draft EIS. To ensure that interested parties have ample opportunity to
attend, the FERC staff has arranged for seven public sessions, at
venues spaced a reasonable driving distance apart, and scheduled as
listed below.
There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff at any
of the seven public comment sessions, although a format outline handout
will be made available. All public sessions will begin at 5:00 p.m.
Eastern time. If you wish to provide verbal comments, the Commission
staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival, and will
discontinue handing them out at 8:00 p.m. Comments will be taken until
10:00 p.m. However, if no additional numbers have been handed out and
all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to
do so, staff may conclude the session at 8:00 p.m.
The primary goal of the public sessions is to allow individuals to
provide verbal comments on the draft EIS. Individual verbal comments
will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a stenographer (with FERC
staff or representative present), called up in the order of the numbers
received. Because we anticipate considerable interest from concerned
citizens, this format is designed to receive the maximum amount of
verbal comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted. If
many people are interested in providing verbal comments in the one-on-
one setting at any particular session, a time limit of 3 minutes may be
implemented for each commenter.
Your verbal comments will be recorded by the stenographer.
Transcripts of all comments from the sessions will be placed into the
dockets for the projects, which are accessible for public viewing on
the FERC's Web site (at www.ferc.gov) through our eLibrary system.
FERC Sponsored Public Sessions in the Project Area To Take Comments on
the Draft EIS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Location \a\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, November 1, 2016......... Chatham High School, 100 Cavalier
Circle, Chatham, VA 24531, 434-432-
8305.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016......... Lewis County High School, 205
Minuteman Drive, Weston, WV 26452,
304-269-8315.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016....... Franklin County High School, 700
Taynard Road, Rocky Mount, VA
24151, 540-483-0221.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016....... Nicholas County High School, 30
Grizzly Road, Summersville, WV
26651, 304-872-2141.
Thursday, November 3, 2016........ Sheraton Hotel, 2801 Hershberger
Road, Roanoke, VA 24017, 540-563-
9300.
Thursday, November 3, 2016........ Peterstown Elementary School, 108
College Drive, Peterstown, WV
24963, 304-753-4328.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016....... California Area High School, 11
Trojan Way, Coal Center, PA 15423,
724-785-5800.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ While we have agreements with the venues, contracts have not yet
been finalized with the individual Boards of Education. If a School
Board declines to sign the contract, the venue may change and the FERC
would issue a revised notice to announce the replacement venue.
Commission staff will be available at each venue of the public
sessions to answer questions about our environmental review process. It
is important to note that written comments mailed to the Commission and
those submitted electronically are reviewed by staff with the same
scrutiny and consideration as the verbal comments given at the public
sessions.
Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a
motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of
Practice and Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214).\3\ Only intervenors have
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. The
Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental
concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other
party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments
will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor
status to have your comments considered.
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\3\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing
comments.
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Questions?
Additional information about the projects is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). The eLibrary link provides access to all
documents filed in a docket, in addition to the texts of formal
documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings. Go to ``Documents & Filings,'' click on the eLibrary link,
click on ``General Search,'' and enter the docket number excluding the
last three digits in the field (i.e., CP16-10). Be sure you have
selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please
[[Page 66271]]
contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at (866) 208-3676; for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
In addition, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription that 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.
Dated: September 16, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-23237 Filed 9-26-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
