Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review of the Shidler Line Abandonment Project, 67346-67347 [2016-23678]

Download as PDF mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES 67346 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 190 / Friday, September 30, 2016 / Notices Compressor Station in Atchison County, Kansas. Southern Star notes that is Atchison Compressor will continue to operate using Unit 5. Southern Star asserts that these units are not needed operationally or to provide firm service, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. The filing may also be viewed on the web at https:// www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. Any questions concerning this application may be directed to Ronnie C. Hensley II, Regulatory Compliance, Manager, Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc., 4700 State Highway 56, Owensboro, Kentucky 42301, by telephone at (270) 852–4658. Any person or the Commission’s staff may, within 60 days after issuance of the instant notice by the Commission, file pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission’s Procedural Rules (18 CFR 385.214) a motion to intervene or notice of intervention and pursuant to section 157.205 of the regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.205), a protest to the request. If no protest is filed within the time allowed therefore, the proposed activity shall be deemed to be authorized effective the day after the time allowed for filing a protest. If a protest is filed and not withdrawn within 30 days after the allowed time for filing a protest, the instant request shall be treated as an application for authorization pursuant to section 7 of the NGA. Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Commission’s rules, 18 CFR 157.9, 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:49 Sep 29, 2016 Jkt 238001 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: September 23, 2016. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2016–23675 Filed 9–29–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP16–456–000] Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review of the Shidler Line Abandonment Project On May 6, 2016, Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. (Southern Star) filed an application in Docket No. CP16–456–000 requesting authorization pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act to abandon certain natural gas pipeline facilities. The proposed project is known as the Shidler Line Abandonment Project (Project), and would abandon about 31.2 miles of 16inch-diameter natural gas pipeline and remove certain pipeline and aboveground facilities in Osage County, Oklahoma. PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 On May 19, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) issued its Notice of Application for the Project. Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff’s Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Project. This instant notice identifies the FERC staff’s planned schedule for the completion of the EA for the Project. Schedule for Environmental Review Issuance of EA—October 28, 2016 90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline—January 26, 2017 If a schedule change becomes necessary, an additional notice will be provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the Project’s progress. Project Description Southern Star proposes to abandon about 31.2 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline and appurtenant facilities of the Shidler Line (also referred to as ‘‘Line ME’’ or the ‘‘Blackwell—Cotton Valley Line’’), in Osage County, Oklahoma. The abandonment will require cutting and capping of the pipeline just east of the Shidler Town Border and slightly west of the Bowring Meter Station. The pipeline would be cut, capped, and abandoned in place by filling the pipe with grout at two improved road crossings. All associated aboveground facilities would be removed, including two mainline valve settings, three domestic taps, four rectifiers, 14 cathodic protection test stations, and the pipeline markers. The remainder of pipeline facilities would be abandoned in place. Background On June 9, 2016, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Shidler Line Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues (NOI). The NOI was sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. In response to the NOI, the Commission received comment letters from the Oklahoma Archeological Survey, the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the Osage Nation. The letters provided occurrence records E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 190 / Friday, September 30, 2016 / Notices for listed species, and requested cultural resources surveys and tribal consultations. Additional Information In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. 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. 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, select ‘‘General Search’’ from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date range and ‘‘Docket Number’’ excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP16–456), and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at (866) 208–3676, TTY (202) 502–8659, or by email at FERCOnlineSupport@ ferc.gov. The eLibrary link on the FERC Web site also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings. Dated: September 26, 2016. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2016–23678 Filed 9–29–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OW–2016–0439; FRL–9953–43– OW] Request for Public Comments To Be Sent to Versar, Inc., on an Interim List of Perchlorate in Drinking Water Expert Peer Reviewers and Draft Peer Review Charge Questions Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of request for public comment. AGENCY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the release of materials for public comment that relate to the expert peer review of documents intended to support the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act decision making for perchlorate. This request is one of two Federal Register notices being published mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:49 Sep 29, 2016 Jkt 238001 concurrently, seeking public comment on two separate sets of materials. This notice requests comments on the interim list of peer review candidates and the draft charge for the expert peer review panel, to be sent to EPA’s contractor, Versar, Inc. The comments will be considered to help inform the final selection of expert panelists and the development of the peer review panel’s charge. A companion notice, published today, requests comments on draft materials to inform the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act decision making on perchlorate; those materials are the draft Biologically Based Dose-Response Model and an accompanying draft model report entitled ‘‘Biologically Based Dose-Response Models for the Effect of Perchlorate on Thyroid Hormones in the Infant, Breast Feeding Mother, Pregnant Mother, and Fetus: Model Development, Revision, and Preliminary Dose-Response Analyses.’’ Versar, Inc., will consider the comments received on this notice in selecting the final peer review panel, which will collectively provide appropriate expertise spanning the subject matter areas covered by the draft model and draft report and, to the extent feasible, best provide a balance of perspectives. DATES: Comments on the draft peer review panel charge questions and interim list of peer review candidates must be received on or before October 21, 2016. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments on the interim list of peer review candidates and draft charge to Versar, Inc., no later than October 21, 2016 by one of the following methods: • Email: perchlorate@versar.com (subject line: Perchlorate Peer Review). • Mail: Versar, Inc., 6850 Versar Center, Springfield, VA 22151 (ATTN: David Bottimore). Please be advised that public comments are subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the interim list of expert peer review candidates and draft peer review charge questions should be directed to Versar, Inc., at 6850 Versar Center, Springfield, VA 22151; by email perchlorate@versar.com (subject line: Perchlorate Peer Review); or by phone: (703) 642–6815 (ask for David Bottimore). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Process of Obtaining Candidate Reviewers Versar, Inc., will assemble a panel of scientific experts to evaluate the draft BBDR model and draft report. As part of the peer review process, EPA PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 67347 announced a public nomination period from March 1, 2016, to March 31, 2016, in the Federal Register (81 FR 10617; March 1, 2016), during which members of the public were able to nominate scientific experts whom have knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: (1) Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK), physiologically-based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) and/or Biologically Based Dose-Response (BBDR) modeling, (2) fetal and neonatal thyroid endocrinology (clinical and experimental), (3) iodide homeostasis, and (4) perchlorate toxicology and mode of action or adverse outcome pathway. On June 3, 2016, the Agency announced in the Federal Register (81 FR 35760) that, to achieve efficiency, it was expanding the scope of the peer review announced in March to include review of a draft approach for application of the draft BBDR model, to inform the development of a perchlorate MCLG. EPA has reevaluated that approach in response to concerns that a simultaneous review of a methodology to applying the model to develop a perchlorate MCLG would not allow the Agency or peer reviews to consider peer reviewer comments on the draft BBDR model prior to evaluating the alternative methodologies to applying the model to derive an MCLG. Today’s notice therefore seeks input only on the peer review of the model, not its application. EPA will seek input on a second peer review of methods for applying the model to inform development of a perchlorate MCLG in a future notice. Versar, Inc., also conducted an independent search for scientific experts to augment the list of publicallynominated candidates. In total, the contractor evaluated 35 candidates, including those nominated during the public nomination periods and those identified by the contractor. Selection Process Versar, Inc., considered and screened all candidates against the selection criteria described in the March 1, 2016 Federal Register notice (81 FR 10617), which included the candidates being free of any conflict of interest and being available to participate in-person in the peer review meeting in the Washington, DC area, which will be open to the public, projected to occur in late 2016 (exact date to be determined). Following the screening process, the contractor narrowed the list of potential reviewers to 19 candidates. EPA is now soliciting comments on this list. EPA requests that the public provide relevant information or documentation on the experts that E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 190 (Friday, September 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67346-67347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23678]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP16-456-000]


Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Schedule for 
Environmental Review of the Shidler Line Abandonment Project

    On May 6, 2016, Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. (Southern 
Star) filed an application in Docket No. CP16-456-000 requesting 
authorization pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act to 
abandon certain natural gas pipeline facilities. The proposed project 
is known as the Shidler Line Abandonment Project (Project), and would 
abandon about 31.2 miles of 16-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline and 
remove certain pipeline and aboveground facilities in Osage County, 
Oklahoma.
    On May 19, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission or FERC) issued its Notice of Application for the Project. 
Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal 
authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and 
to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization 
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Project. This instant notice 
identifies the FERC staff's planned schedule for the completion of the 
EA for the Project.

Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of EA--October 28, 2016
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline--January 26, 2017

    If a schedule change becomes necessary, an additional notice will 
be provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the 
Project's progress.

Project Description

    Southern Star proposes to abandon about 31.2 miles of 16-inch-
diameter pipeline and appurtenant facilities of the Shidler Line (also 
referred to as ``Line ME'' or the ``Blackwell--Cotton Valley Line''), 
in Osage County, Oklahoma. The abandonment will require cutting and 
capping of the pipeline just east of the Shidler Town Border and 
slightly west of the Bowring Meter Station. The pipeline would be cut, 
capped, and abandoned in place by filling the pipe with grout at two 
improved road crossings. All associated aboveground facilities would be 
removed, including two mainline valve settings, three domestic taps, 
four rectifiers, 14 cathodic protection test stations, and the pipeline 
markers. The remainder of pipeline facilities would be abandoned in 
place.

Background

    On June 9, 2016, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Shidler Line 
Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues 
(NOI). The NOI was sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and 
local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested parties; and 
local libraries and newspapers. In response to the NOI, the Commission 
received comment letters from the Oklahoma Archeological Survey, the 
Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, the Oklahoma Department of 
Wildlife Conservation, and the Osage Nation. The letters provided 
occurrence records

[[Page 67347]]

for listed species, and requested cultural resources surveys and tribal 
consultations.

Additional Information

    In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to 
keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, 
the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. 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.
    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, select 
``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date 
range and ``Docket Number'' excluding the last three digits (i.e., 
CP16-456), and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to 
eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-
8659, or by email at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The eLibrary link on 
the FERC Web site also provides access to the texts of formal documents 
issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.

    Dated: September 26, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-23678 Filed 9-29-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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