Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Eastern Market Access Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Session, 11353-11355 [2017-03412]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 22, 2017 / Notices
n. Filing and Service of Responsive
Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in
all capital letters the title
‘‘COMMENTS’’, ‘‘PROTEST’’, or
‘‘MOTION TO INTERVENE’’ as
applicable; (2) set forth in the heading
the name of the applicant and the
project number of the application to
which the filing responds; (3) furnish
the name, address, and telephone
number of the person protesting or
intervening; and (4) otherwise comply
with the requirements of 18 CFR
385.2001 through 385.2005. All
comments, motions to intervene, or
protests must set forth their evidentiary
basis and otherwise comply with the
requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). All
comments, motions to intervene, or
protests should relate to the request to
extend the license term. Agencies may
obtain copies of the application directly
from the applicant. A copy of any
protest or motion to intervene must be
served upon each representative of the
applicant specified in the particular
application. If an intervener files
comments or documents with the
Commission relating to the merits of an
issue that may affect the responsibilities
of a particular resource agency, they
must also serve a copy of the document
on that resource agency. A copy of all
other filings in reference to this
application must be accompanied by
proof of service on all persons listed in
the service list prepared by the
Commission in this proceeding, in
accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and
385.2010.
Dated: February 15, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–03413 Filed 2–21–17; 8:45 am]
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP17–15–000]
Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Notice
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed Eastern
Market Access Project, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues,
and Notice of Public Scoping Session
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 Eastern Market Access Project
involving construction and operation of
facilities by Dominion Cove Point LNG,
LP (DCP) in Charles County, Maryland
and Loudoun and Fairfax Counties,
Virginia. The Commission will use this
EA in its decision-making process to
determine whether the project is in the
public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public
and interested agencies on the project.
You can make a difference by providing
us with your specific comments or
concerns about the project. Your
comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or
lessen environmental impacts. Your
input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to
evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly
recorded, please send your comments so
that the Commission receives them in
Washington, DC on or before March 17,
2017.
If you sent comments on this project
to the Commission before the opening of
this docket on November 15, 2016, you
will need to file those comments in
Docket No. CP17–15–000 to ensure they
are considered as part of this
proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of this
proposed project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
11353
DCP provided landowners with a fact
sheet prepared by the FERC entitled
‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On
My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’
This fact sheet addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings. It is also available for
viewing on the FERC Web site
(www.ferc.gov).
Public Participation
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 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 (CP17–15–
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 the public scoping
session its staff will conduct in the
project area, scheduled as follows:
Date and time
Location
Thursday, March 2, 2017, 4:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. .......................................
Hilton Garden Inn—Waldorf, 10385 O’Donnell Place, Waldorf, Maryland 20603.
The primary goal of this scoping
session is to have you identify the
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16:05 Feb 21, 2017
Jkt 241001
specific environmental issues and
concerns that should be considered in
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the EA to be prepared for this project.
Individual verbal comments will be
E:\FR\FM\22FEN1.SGM
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11354
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 22, 2017 / Notices
taken on a one-on-one basis with a court
reporter. This format is designed to
receive the maximum amount of verbal
comments, in a convenient way during
the timeframe allotted.
The scoping session is scheduled
from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time
Zone. You may arrive at any time after
3:30 p.m. There will not be a formal
presentation by Commission staff when
the session opens. If you wish to speak,
the Commission staff will hand out
numbers in the order of your arrival;
distribution of numbers will be
discontinued at 7:00 p.m. Please see
appendix 1 for additional information
on the session format and conduct.1
Your scoping comments will be
recorded by the court reporter (with
FERC staff or representative present)
and become part of the public record for
this proceeding. Transcripts will be
publicly available on FERC’s eLibrary
system (see below for instructions on
using eLibrary). If a significant number
of people are interested in providing
verbal comments in the one-on-one
settings, a time limit of 5 minutes may
be implemented for each commentor.
It is important to note that verbal
comments hold the same weight as
written or electronically submitted
comments. Although there will not be a
formal presentation, Commission staff
will be available throughout the
comment session to answer your
questions about the environmental
review process. Representatives from
DCP will also be present to answer
project-specific questions.
Summary of the Proposed Project
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
DCP proposes to provide 294 million
standard cubic feet per day of natural
gas firm transportation service to
Washington Gas Light Company and to
fuel a new power generation facility, the
Mattawoman Energy Center, proposed
by Mattawoman Energy, LLC. DCP’s
proposed project facilities are in
Maryland and Virginia.
The project would consist of the
following facilities:
• A new 24,370 horsepower (hp)
natural gas compressor station and
ancillary facilities in Charles County,
Maryland;
• two new taps for customer delivery
at the existing WGL Interconnect in
Charles County, Maryland;
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.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:05 Feb 21, 2017
Jkt 241001
• One new 7,000 hp electric
reciprocating compression unit and
discharge gas cooler, replacement of
three gas coolers and compression
cylinders for three existing reciprocating
compressors, and an increase discharge
piping to 30-inches diameter at the
existing Loudoun Compressor Station in
Loudoun County, Virginia;
• one new meter building to enclose
existing equipment at the Loudoun
Metering and Regulating Station in
Loudoun County, Virginia.
• Pleasant Valley Compressor Station
(Fairfax County, Virginia):
• Re-wheel compressor on one
existing 17,400 hp electric unit and
upgrade two gas coolers at the Pleasant
Valley Compressor Station in Fairfax
County, Virginia.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities
would impact 48.3 acres of land during
construction, with 18.9 acres
maintained for operation of the
facilities. The remaining 29.4 acres
would be restored and revert to former
uses. Construction would occur within
DCP-owned lands, or within existing,
maintained DCP rights-of-way.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action
whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. NEPA also requires us 2 to
discover and address concerns the
public may have about proposals. This
process is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The
main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the EA on the
important environmental issues. By this
notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to
address in the EA. We will consider all
filed comments during the preparation
of the EA.
In the EA we will discuss impacts that
could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the
proposed project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• land use and socioeconomics;
• water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands;
• cultural resources;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• air quality and noise;
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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• endangered and threatened species;
• public safety; and
• cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate reasonable
alternatives to the proposed project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
The EA will present our independent
analysis of the issues. The EA will be
available in the public record through
eLibrary. We will publish and distribute
the EA to the public for an allotted
comment period. We will consider all
comments on the EA before making our
recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure we have the opportunity to
consider and address your comments,
please carefully follow the instructions
in the Public Participation section,
beginning on page 2.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
or special expertise with respect to the
environmental issues of this project to
formally cooperate with us in the
preparation of the EA.3 Agencies that
would like to request cooperating
agency status should follow the
instructions for filing comments
provided under the Public Participation
section of this notice.
Consultations Under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
In accordance with the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation’s
implementing regulations for section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this
notice to initiate consultation with the
applicable State Historic Preservation
Offices (SHPO), and to solicit their
views and those of other government
agencies, interested Indian tribes, and
the public on the project’s potential
effects on historic properties.4 We will
define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation
with the SHPO(s) as the project
develops. On natural gas facility
projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground
disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/
pipe storage yards, compressor stations,
and access roads). Our EA for this
project will document our findings on
3 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or object included
in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of Historic Places.
E:\FR\FM\22FEN1.SGM
22FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 22, 2017 / Notices
the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations
under section 106.
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list
includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries
and newspapers. This list also includes
all affected landowners (as defined in
the Commission’s regulations) who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose
property may be used temporarily for
project purposes, or who own homes
within certain distances of aboveground
facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the project. We will
update the environmental mailing list as
the analysis proceeds to ensure that we
send the information related to this
environmental review to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities
interested in and/or potentially affected
by the proposed project.
Copies of the EA 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).
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA
scoping process, you may want to
become an ‘‘intervenor’’ which is an
official party to the Commission’s
proceeding. Intervenors play a more
formal role in the process and are able
to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be
heard by the courts if they choose to
appeal the Commission’s final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in
the proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an
intervenor are in the ‘‘Document-less
Intervention Guide’’ under the ‘‘e-filing’’
link on the Commission’s Web site.
Motions to intervene are more fully
described at https://www.ferc.gov/
resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web
site at www.ferc.gov using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Click on the eLibrary
link, click on ‘‘General Search’’ and
enter the docket number, excluding the
last three digits in the Docket Number
field (i.e., CP17–15–000). Be sure you
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:05 Feb 21, 2017
Jkt 241001
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 sessions 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: February 15, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–03412 Filed 2–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings #1
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric corporate
filings:
Docket Numbers: EC17–79–000.
Applicants: American Transmission
Company LLC, Duke-American
Transmission Company, LLC, ATC
Management Inc.
Description: Application for
Authorization for Corporate
Reorganization and Request for
Confidential Treatment and Certain
Waivers of American Transmission
Company LLC, et. al.
Filed Date: 2/14/17.
Accession Number: 20170214–5214.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/7/17.
Take notice that the Commission
received the following exempt
wholesale generator filings:
Docket Numbers: EG17–60–000.
Applicants: RE Tranquillity 8
Amarillo LLC.
Description: Notice of SelfCertification of Exempt Wholesale
Generator Status of RE Tranquillity 8
Amarillo LLC.
Filed Date: 2/15/17.
Accession Number: 20170215–5061.
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
11355
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/8/17.
Docket Numbers: EG17–61–000.
Applicants: RE Tranquillity 8 Azul
LLC.
Description: Notice of SelfCertification of Exempt Wholesale
Generator Status of RE Tranquillity 8
Azul LLC.
Filed Date: 2/15/17.
Accession Number: 20170215–5063.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/8/17.
Docket Numbers: EG17–62–000.
Applicants: RE Tranquillity 8 Rojo
LLC.
Description: Notice of SelfCertification of Exempt Wholesale
Generator Status of RE Tranquillity 8
Rojo LLC.
Filed Date: 2/15/17.
Accession Number: 20170215–5067.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/8/17.
Docket Numbers: EG17–63–000.
Applicants: RE Tranquillity 8 Verde
LLC.
Description: Notice of SelfCertification of Exempt Wholesale
Generator Status of RE Tranquillity 8
Verde LLC.
Filed Date: 2/15/17.
Accession Number: 20170215–5069.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/8/17.
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric rate
filings:
Docket Numbers: ER10–1437–005;
ER10–2732–013; ER10–2733–013;
ER10–2734–013; ER10–2736–013;
ER10–2737–013; ER10–2741–013;
ER10–2749–013; ER10–2752–013;
ER12–2492–009; ER12–2493–009;
ER12–2494–009; ER12–2495–009;
ER12–2496–009; ER16–2455–003;
ER16–2456–003; ER16–2457–003;
ER16–2458–003; ER16–2459–003.
Applicants: Tampa Electric Company,
Emera Energy Services Inc., Emera
Energy U.S. Subsidiary No. 1, Inc,
Emera Energy U.S. Subsidiary No. 2,
Inc., Emera Energy Services Subsidiary
No. 1 LLC, Emera Energy Services
Subsidiary No. 2 LLC, Emera Energy
Services Subsidiary No. 3 LLC, Emera
Energy Services Subsidiary No. 4 LLC,
Emera Energy Services Subsidiary No. 5
LLC, Emera Energy Services Subsidiary
No. 6 LLC, Emera Energy Services
Subsidiary No. 7 LLC, Emera Energy
Services Subsidiary No. 8 LLC, Emera
Energy Services Subsidiary No. 9 LLC,
Emera Energy Services Subsidiary No.
10 LLC, Emera Energy Services
Subsidiary No. 11 LLC, Emera Energy
Services Subsidiary No. 12 LLC, Emera
Energy Services Subsidiary No. 13 LLC,
Emera Energy Services Subsidiary No.
14 LLC, Emera Energy Services
Subsidiary No. 15 LLC.
Description: Notice of Change in
Status of the Emera Entities.
E:\FR\FM\22FEN1.SGM
22FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11353-11355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03412]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP17-15-000]
Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Eastern Market Access
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Session
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 Eastern Market Access Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion Cove
Point LNG, LP (DCP) in Charles County, Maryland and Loudoun and Fairfax
Counties, Virginia. The Commission will use this EA in its decision-
making process to determine whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. You can make a difference by providing us with
your specific comments or concerns about the project. Your comments
should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they
need to evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your comments are timely and
properly recorded, please send your comments so that the Commission
receives them in Washington, DC on or before March 17, 2017.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on November 15, 2016, you will need to file
those comments in Docket No. CP17-15-000 to ensure they are considered
as part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
DCP provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I
Need To Know?'' This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked
questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate
in the Commission's proceedings. It is also available for viewing on
the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov).
Public Participation
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 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
(CP17-15-000) 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 the public scoping session its staff
will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date and time Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, March 2, 2017, 4:00 p.m.-8:00 Hilton Garden Inn--Waldorf,
p.m.. 10385 O'Donnell Place,
Waldorf, Maryland 20603.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The primary goal of this scoping session is to have you identify
the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be
considered in the EA to be prepared for this project. Individual verbal
comments will be
[[Page 11354]]
taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter. This format is
designed to receive the maximum amount of verbal comments, in a
convenient way during the timeframe allotted.
The scoping session is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time
Zone. You may arrive at any time after 3:30 p.m. There will not be a
formal presentation by Commission staff when the session opens. If you
wish to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order
of your arrival; distribution of numbers will be discontinued at 7:00
p.m. Please see appendix 1 for additional information on the session
format and conduct.\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your scoping comments will be recorded by the court reporter (with
FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the public
record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on
FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary).
If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal
comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 minutes may be
implemented for each commentor.
It is important to note that verbal comments hold the same weight
as written or electronically submitted comments. Although there will
not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available
throughout the comment session to answer your questions about the
environmental review process. Representatives from DCP will also be
present to answer project-specific questions.
Summary of the Proposed Project
DCP proposes to provide 294 million standard cubic feet per day of
natural gas firm transportation service to Washington Gas Light Company
and to fuel a new power generation facility, the Mattawoman Energy
Center, proposed by Mattawoman Energy, LLC. DCP's proposed project
facilities are in Maryland and Virginia.
The project would consist of the following facilities:
A new 24,370 horsepower (hp) natural gas compressor
station and ancillary facilities in Charles County, Maryland;
two new taps for customer delivery at the existing WGL
Interconnect in Charles County, Maryland;
One new 7,000 hp electric reciprocating compression unit
and discharge gas cooler, replacement of three gas coolers and
compression cylinders for three existing reciprocating compressors, and
an increase discharge piping to 30-inches diameter at the existing
Loudoun Compressor Station in Loudoun County, Virginia;
one new meter building to enclose existing equipment at
the Loudoun Metering and Regulating Station in Loudoun County,
Virginia.
Pleasant Valley Compressor Station (Fairfax County,
Virginia):
Re-wheel compressor on one existing 17,400 hp electric
unit and upgrade two gas coolers at the Pleasant Valley Compressor
Station in Fairfax County, Virginia.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would impact 48.3 acres of
land during construction, with 18.9 acres maintained for operation of
the facilities. The remaining 29.4 acres would be restored and revert
to former uses. Construction would occur within DCP-owned lands, or
within existing, maintained DCP rights-of-way.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
\2\ to discover and address concerns the public may have about
proposals. This process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of
the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We will
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
land use and socioeconomics;
water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
cultural resources;
vegetation and wildlife;
air quality and noise;
endangered and threatened species;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed
project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. We will
publish and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment
period. We will consider all comments on the EA before making our
recommendations to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to
consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the
instructions in the Public Participation section, beginning on page 2.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the
EA.\3\ Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status
should follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the
Public Participation section of this notice.
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\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this 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 SHPO(s) as the project
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our
findings on
[[Page 11355]]
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's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the project. We will update the environmental mailing list
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the
proposed project.
Copies of the EA will be sent to the environmental mailing list for
public review and comment. If you would prefer to receive a paper copy
of the document instead of the CD version or would like to remove your
name from the mailing list, please return the attached Information
Request (appendix 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in
the ``Document-less Intervention Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on
the Commission's Web site. Motions to intervene are more fully
described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site at www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP17-
15-000). 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 sessions 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: February 15, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-03412 Filed 2-21-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
