WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.; Supplemental Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Valley Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 1330-1332 [2016-32025]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 3 / Thursday, January 5, 2017 / Notices
Docket No.
File date
2. ER17–217–000 ..............................
3. CP14–96–000 ................................
4. CP16–10–000 ................................
5. ER17–217–000 ..............................
6. CP16–454–000, CP16–455–000 ...
7. CP15–138–000 ..............................
8. CP15–138–000 ..............................
9. CP15–138–000 ..............................
10. CP15–138–000 ............................
11. CP16–10–000 ..............................
12–12–2016
12–13–2016
12–13–2016
12–14–2016
12–19–2016
12–20–2016
12–20–2016
12–20–2016
12–20–2016
12–22–2016
Presenter or requester
U.S. House Representative Frank Pallone, Jr.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.
U.S. Senator Bill Nelson.
U.S. House Representative Frank Pallone, Jr.
FERC Staff.2
State of Pennsylvania House Representative Bryan
State of Pennsylvania House Representative Bryan
State of Pennsylvania House Representative Bryan
State of Pennsylvania House Representative Bryan
FERC Staff.3
Cutler.
Cutler.
Cutler.
Cutler.
1 Three
letters have been sent to FERC Commissioners and staff under this docket number.
call notes from December 6, 2016 call with Rio Grande LNG, LLC and Rio Bravo Pipeline, LLC.
3 Memo forwarding letter dated December 21, 2016 from Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
2 Conference
Dated: December 28, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–32026 Filed 1–4–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. EL17–29–000]
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
American Municipal Power, Inc. v.
Midcontinent Independent System
Operator, Inc.; Notice of Complaint
Take notice that on December 19,
2016, pursuant to Rule 206 of the
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s (Commission) Rules of
Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.206
and sections 206 and 309 of the Federal
Power Act, (FPA) 1 American Municipal
Power, Inc. (AMP or Complainant) filed
a formal complaint against
Midcontinent Independent System
Operator, Inc. (MISO or Respondent)
alleging that MISO violated its Open
Access Transmission, Energy and
Operating Reserve Markets Tariff by
improperly charging AMP for certain
congestion and scheduling fees
associated with the transmission of
energy from its facility, as more fully
explained in the complaint.
The Complainant certifies that a
copies of the complaint were served on
the contacts for MISO as listed on the
Commission’s list of Corporate Officials.
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
1 16
intervention or motion to intervene, as
appropriate. The Respondent’s answer
and all interventions, or protests must
be filed on or before the comment date.
The Respondent’s answer, motions to
intervene, and protests must be served
on the Complainants.
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 January 18, 2017.
Dated: December 28, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–32020 Filed 1–4–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
U.S.C. 824(e) and 825(h).
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF16–10–000]
WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.;
Supplemental Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment
for the Planned Valley Expansion
Project and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
On November 23, 2016, the
Commission issued a ‘‘Notice of Intent
to Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Planned Valley
Expansion Project and Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues’’
(NOI) and an Errata Notice for the NOI
on November 28, 2016. It has come to
our attention that the environmental
mailing list was not provided copies of
the NOI or the Errata Notice; therefore,
we are issuing this Supplemental NOI to
extend the scoping period and provide
additional time for interested parties to
file 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 Valley Expansion Project involving
construction and operation of facilities
by WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. (WBI
Energy) in Clay County, Minnesota and
Cass, Burleigh, Stutsman, and Barnes
Counties, North Dakota. The
Commission will use this EA in its
decision-making process to determine
whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
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. The NOI identified
E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM
05JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 3 / Thursday, January 5, 2017 / Notices
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
December 23, 2016 as the close of the
scoping period. Please note that the
scoping period is now extended and
will close on January 27, 2017.
If you sent comments on this project
to the Commission before the opening of
this docket on October 17, 2016, you
will need to file those comments in
Docket No. PF16–10–000 to ensure they
are considered as part of this
proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment
on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about
the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
planned facilities. The company would
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the Commission
approves the project, that approval
conveys with it the right of eminent
domain. Therefore, if easement
negotiations fail to produce an
agreement, the pipeline company could
initiate condemnation proceedings
where compensation would be
determined in accordance with state
law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ is available for viewing on
the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This
fact sheet addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings.
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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:06 Jan 04, 2017
Jkt 241001
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 (PF16–10–
000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Summary of the Planned Project
WBI Energy plans to construct 38
miles of new 16-inch-diameter pipeline
between Mapleton, North Dakota and
Felton, Minnesota. WBI Energy also
plans to construct a new 2,600horsepower electric-driven compressor
station in Cass County, North Dakota,
farm taps, valve settings, and ancillary
facilities. Additionally, WBI Energy
plans to replace two existing town
border station delivery points and
construct one regulator station in
Burleigh, Stutsman, and Barnes
Counties, North Dakota in order to
increase in the maximum allowable
operating pressure of a portion of its
Line Section 24. According to WBI
Energy, the project would provide an
additional 40 million cubic feet per day
of firm transportation on its system.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.1
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the project would
affect a total of about 530 acres of land,
including the pipeline construction
right-of-way, additional temporary
workspace, staging areas, temporary and
permanent access roads, and
aboveground facilities. The total acreage
required for operation of the project is
approximately 235 acres, including the
new permanent pipeline easement,
permanent access roads, and permanent
aboveground facilities’ footprint.
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
1 The appendices referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
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1331
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
planned project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• endangered and threatened species;
• cultural resources;
• socioeconomics;
• land use;
• air quality and noise;
• public safety; and
• cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate possible
alternatives to the planned project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
Although no formal application has
been filed, we have already initiated our
NEPA review under the Commission’s
pre-filing process. The purpose of the
pre-filing process is to encourage early
involvement of interested stakeholders
and to identify and resolve issues before
the FERC receives an application. As
part of our pre-filing review, we have
begun to contact some federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in
the scoping process and the preparation
of the EA.
The EA will present our independent
analysis of the issues. The EA will be
available in the public record through
eLibrary. Depending on the comments
received during the scoping process, we
may also publish and distribute the EA
to the public for an allotted comment
period. We will consider all comments
on the EA before we make our
recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure we have the opportunity to
consider and address your comments,
please carefully follow the instructions
in the Public Participation section,
beginning on page 2.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
or special expertise with respect to the
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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05JAN1
1332
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 3 / Thursday, January 5, 2017 / Notices
environmental issues related to this
project to formally cooperate with us in
the preparation of the EA.3 Agencies
that would like to request cooperating
agency status should follow the
instructions for filing comments
provided under the Public Participation
section of this notice.
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
define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation
with the SHPOs as the project develops.
On natural gas facility projects, the APE
at a minimum encompasses all areas
subject to ground disturbance (examples
include construction right-of-way,
contractor/pipe storage yards,
compressor stations, and access roads).
Our EA for this project will document
our findings on the impacts on historic
properties and summarize the status of
consultations under section 106.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
planned facilities and the
environmental information provided by
WBI Energy. This preliminary list of
issues may change based on your
comments and our analysis, but
currently includes:
• Drain tiles;
• deep topsoil and poor quality
subsoils (salinity/sodium or lime);
• prime farm land;
• federally listed species, including
the whooping crane, gray wolf, Dakota
skipper, northern long-eared bat,
western prairie fringed orchid, and the
powershiek skipperling;
• cultural resources; and
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
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or object included
in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of Historic Places.
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21:06 Jan 04, 2017
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• crossing methods of the Rush River,
Red River of the North, and the Buffalo
River.
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 planned project.
If we publish and distribute the EA,
copies will be sent to the environmental
mailing list for public review and
comment. If you would prefer to receive
a paper copy of the document instead of
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
Once WBI Energy files its application
with the Commission, you may want to
become an ‘‘intervenor’’ which is an
official party to the Commission’s
proceeding. Intervenors play a more
formal role in the process and are able
to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be
heard by the courts if they choose to
appeal the Commission’s final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in
the proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Motions to intervene are
more fully described at https://
www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/
intervene.asp. Instructions for becoming
an intervenor are in the ‘‘Document-less
Intervention Guide’’ under the ‘‘e-filing’’
link on the Commission’s Web site.
Please note that the Commission will
not accept requests for intervenor status
at this time. You must wait until the
Commission receives a formal
application for the project.
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web
site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary
link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on
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‘‘General Search’’ and enter the docket
number, excluding the last three digits
in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF16–
10). 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: December 28, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–32025 Filed 1–4–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. EL17–32–000]
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and
Direct Energy Business, LLC on Behalf
of Itself and Its Affiliate, Direct Energy
Business Marketing, LLC and
American Municipal Power, Inc. v. PJM
Interconnection, L.L.C.; Notice of
Complaint
Take notice that on December 23,
2016, pursuant to sections 206 and 306
of the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C.
824e, 825e, and 825h, and Rule 206 of
the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s (Commission) Rules of
Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.206,
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
(ODEC) and Direct Energy Business,
LLC, on behalf of itself and its affiliate,
Direct Energy Business Marketing, LLC,
and American Municipal Power, Inc.
(collectively, Complainants) filed a
formal complaint against PJM
Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM or
Respondent) alleging, among other
things, that certain provisions in the
Respondent’s Open Access
E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM
05JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 3 (Thursday, January 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1330-1332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-32025]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF16-10-000]
WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.; Supplemental Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Valley Expansion
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
On November 23, 2016, the Commission issued a ``Notice of Intent to
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Valley Expansion
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues'' (NOI) and an
Errata Notice for the NOI on November 28, 2016. It has come to our
attention that the environmental mailing list was not provided copies
of the NOI or the Errata Notice; therefore, we are issuing this
Supplemental NOI to extend the scoping period and provide additional
time for interested parties to file 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 Valley Expansion Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by WBI Energy
Transmission, Inc. (WBI Energy) in Clay County, Minnesota and Cass,
Burleigh, Stutsman, and Barnes Counties, North Dakota. The Commission
will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether
the project is in the public convenience and necessity.
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. The NOI identified
[[Page 1331]]
December 23, 2016 as the close of the scoping period. Please note that
the scoping period is now extended and will close on January 27, 2017.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on October 17, 2016, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. PF16-10-000 to ensure they are considered as
part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if
the Commission approves the project, that approval conveys with it the
right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to
produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation
proceedings where compensation would be determined in accordance with
state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses
a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.
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
(PF16-10-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.
Summary of the Planned Project
WBI Energy plans to construct 38 miles of new 16-inch-diameter
pipeline between Mapleton, North Dakota and Felton, Minnesota. WBI
Energy also plans to construct a new 2,600-horsepower electric-driven
compressor station in Cass County, North Dakota, farm taps, valve
settings, and ancillary facilities. Additionally, WBI Energy plans to
replace two existing town border station delivery points and construct
one regulator station in Burleigh, Stutsman, and Barnes Counties, North
Dakota in order to increase in the maximum allowable operating pressure
of a portion of its Line Section 24. According to WBI Energy, the
project would provide an additional 40 million cubic feet per day of
firm transportation on its system.
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 the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the project would affect a total of about 530 acres
of land, including the pipeline construction right-of-way, additional
temporary workspace, staging areas, temporary and permanent access
roads, and aboveground facilities. The total acreage required for
operation of the project is approximately 235 acres, including the new
permanent pipeline easement, permanent access roads, and permanent
aboveground facilities' footprint.
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 planned project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
endangered and threatened species;
cultural resources;
socioeconomics;
land use;
air quality and noise;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process.
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We
will consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the
Public Participation section, beginning on page 2.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the
[[Page 1332]]
environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate with
us in the preparation of the EA.\3\ Agencies that would like to request
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this
notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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 define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our
findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status
of consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and
the environmental information provided by WBI Energy. This preliminary
list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis, but
currently includes:
Drain tiles;
deep topsoil and poor quality subsoils (salinity/sodium or
lime);
prime farm land;
federally listed species, including the whooping crane,
gray wolf, Dakota skipper, northern long-eared bat, western prairie
fringed orchid, and the powershiek skipperling;
cultural resources; and
crossing methods of the Rush River, Red River of the
North, and the Buffalo River.
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 planned project.
If we publish and distribute the EA, copies will be sent to the
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of 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
Once WBI Energy files its application with the Commission, you may
want to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Motions to intervene are more fully described at
https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions
for becoming an intervenor are in the ``Document-less Intervention
Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site.
Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor
status at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a
formal application for the project.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF16-
10). 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: December 28, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-32025 Filed 1-4-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
