Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Pomelo Connector Pipeline and South Texas Expansion Project; Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 17654-17656 [2017-07353]
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17654
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 69 / Wednesday, April 12, 2017 / Notices
Issue Scoping Document 2 .....................................................................................................................................................
Issue notice of ready for environmental analysis ....................................................................................................................
Commission issues EA or draft EA .........................................................................................................................................
Comments on EA or draft EA ..................................................................................................................................................
Commission issues final EA ....................................................................................................................................................
Final amendments to the application
must be filed with the Commission no
later than 30 days from the issuance
date of the notice of application ready
for environmental analysis.
Dated: April 6, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–07356 Filed 4–11–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Pomelo Connector Pipeline
and South Texas Expansion Project;
Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
Docket No.
mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES
Pomelo Connector, LLC ....
Texas Eastern Transmission, LP.
CP17–26–000
CP15–499–000
CP15–499–001
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 Pomelo Connector Pipeline Project
(Pomelo Pipeline) and the South Texas
Expansion Project (STEP), collectively
referred to as the Projects. These
separate, but connected, interstate
natural gas transmission projects
involve the construction and operation
of facilities by Pomelo Connector, LLC
(Pomelo) and Texas Eastern
Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) in
Nueces, Matagorda, Chambers, Orange
and Brazoria Counties, Texas. The
Commission will use this EA in its
decision-making process to determine
whether the Projects are 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 Projects.
You can make a difference by providing
us with your specific comments or
concerns about the Projects. Your
comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or
lessen environmental impacts. Your
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18:45 Apr 11, 2017
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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 May 8,
2017.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for these Projects. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of these
proposed projects and encourage them
to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about
the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
proposed facilities. A company
representative would seek to negotiate a
mutually acceptable agreement.
However, if the Commission approves
the Projects, 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.
The ‘‘For Citizens’’ section of the
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov) provides
more information about the FERC and
the environmental review process. This
section also includes information about
getting involved in FERC jurisdictional
projects, and a citizens’ guide entitled
‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On
My Land? What Do I Need to Know?’’
This guide addresses a number of
frequently 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
(3) methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. The
Commission will provide equal
consideration to all comments received.
The Commission encourages electronic
filing of comments and has expert staff
available to assist you at (202) 502–8258
or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please
carefully follow these instructions so
that your comments are properly
recorded.
1) You can file your comments
electronically using the eComment
PO 00000
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Sfmt 4703
January 2018.
February 2018.
August 2018.
September 2018.
December 2018.
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 appropriate Project docket number
(CP17–26–000 and/or CP15–499–000)
with your submission: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Summary of the Proposed Projects
The Pomelo Pipeline is designed to
provide up to 400,000 dekatherms per
day (Dth/d) of firm transportation
service from an interconnection with
Texas Eastern at the proposed Pomelo
Petronila Compressor Station to an
intrastate header system, the Nueces
Header. The Nueces Header is designed
to connect with various pipelines and
gathering facilities in Nueces County,
Texas. Pomelo proposes to construct
and operate the following facilities:
• Approximately 13.6 miles of new
30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline;
• approximately 0.2 mile of new 30inch-diameter pipeline;
• a new 5,000 horsepower (hp)
compressor station (Pomelo Compressor
Station); and
• associated aboveground facilities.
Through the new interconnection
with the Pomelo Pipeline, Texas Eastern
plans to provide approximately 396,000
Dth/d of firm natural gas transportation
service to an interconnection with the
Nueces Header. Texas Eastern proposes
to install, construct, and operate the
following facilities, all within existing
Texas Eastern compressor stations:
• a new 8,400 hp compressor unit,
appurtenant facilities, a new
interconnection with Pomelo Connector
Pipeline, and construction of a gas
E:\FR\FM\12APN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 69 / Wednesday, April 12, 2017 / Notices
measurement enclosure at Texas
Eastern’s existing Petronila Compressor
Station in Nueces County;
• A new 8,400 hp compressor unit, a
new control building, new gas coolers
and station piping modifications to
reverse compression at the existing
Blessing Compressor Station in
Matagorda County;
• upgrades to existing compression
facilities to reduce emissions, new gas
measurement enclosure, and piping
modifications to the existing launcher/
receiver on Line 16 at the existing Mont
Belvieu Compressor Station in
Chambers County;
• piping modifications to the existing
launcher/receiver on Line 16, and a new
gas measurement enclosure within the
existing Vidor Compressor Station in
Orange County; and
• piping modifications to the existing
launcher/receiver on Line 16 at the
existing Angleton Station property in
Brazoria County.
The general locations of the Project
facilities are shown in Appendix 1.1
Land Requirements for Construction
Constructing the proposed facilities
would require the use of approximately
313.1 acres of land. This includes
disturbance of approximately 190.9
acres of land for the aboveground
facilities and the pipeline for Pomelo
Pipeline; and approximately 122.2 acres
of disturbance for STEP. Following
construction, Pomelo and Texas Eastern
would maintain about 136.8 acres for
permanent operation of the Projects’
facilities; the remaining acreage would
be restored and allowed to revert to
former uses.
mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES
Related Facilities
The proposed Valley Crossing System
is a new intrastate pipeline system
consisting of approximately 165 miles of
42- and 48-inch-diameter pipeline, two
compressor stations, multiple meter
stations, and ancillary facilities
extending from the Nueces Header, to a
point in the Gulf of Mexico in Texas
state waters at the international
boundary between the United States and
Mexico. These intrastate facilities would
be subject to the jurisdiction of the
Railroad Commission of Texas and
would be non-jurisdictional to the
FERC. Although the Commission has no
authority to approve or deny the Valley
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
18:45 Apr 11, 2017
Jkt 241001
Crossing System, and no ability to
require any avoidance or minimization
of related impacts, we intend to disclose
available resource impact information
for the Valley Crossing System in the EA
to inform stakeholders and decision
makers.
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 Projects under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• land use;
• water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands;
• cultural resources;
• socioeconomics
• 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 Projects or
portions of the Projects, 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
the Commission’s eLibrary. Depending
on the comments received during the
scoping process, we may also publish
and distribute the EA to the public for
an allotted comment period. We will
consider all comments on the EA before
making our recommendations to the
Commission. To ensure we have the
opportunity to consider and address
your comments, please carefully follow
the instructions in the Public
Participation section.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
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17655
or special expertise with respect to the
environmental issues of the Projects 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. Currently, no
agencies have expressed their intention
to participate as a cooperating agency in
the preparation of the EA to satisfy their
NEPA responsibilities related to the
Projects.
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
Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views
and those of other government agencies,
interested Indian tribes, and the public
on the Projects’ potential effects on
historic properties.4 We will define the
Project-specific Area of Potential Effects
(APE) in consultation with the SHPO as
the Projects develop. 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 these
Projects will document our findings on
the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations
under section 106.
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list
includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; elected officials;
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, or
who own homes within certain
distances of aboveground facilities, and
anyone who submits comments on the
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\12APN1.SGM
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17656
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 69 / Wednesday, April 12, 2017 / Notices
Projects. 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 Projects.
If we publish and distribute the EA,
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).
mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD 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
Projects are 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 appropriate docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the
Docket Number field (i.e., CP17–26 and
CP–15–499). 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
teletype/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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:45 Apr 11, 2017
Jkt 241001
documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/esubscription.asp.
Finally, site visits or other staff
activities will be posted on the
Commission’s calendar located at
www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx along with other related
information.
Dated: April 6, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–07353 Filed 4–11–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER17–1381–000]
AEM Wind, LLC; Supplemental Notice
That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing
Includes Request for Blanket Section
204 Authorization
This is a supplemental notice in the
above-referenced proceeding of AEM
Wind, LLC‘s application for marketbased rate authority, with an
accompanying rate tariff, noting that
such application includes a request for
blanket authorization, under 18 CFR
part 34, of future issuances of securities
and assumptions of liability.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest should file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426,
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214). Anyone filing a motion to
intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant.
Notice is hereby given that the
deadline for filing protests with regard
to the applicant’s request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability, is April 26,
2017.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 5 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above-referenced
proceeding are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the appropriate link in the
above list. They are also 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.
Dated: April 6, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–07355 Filed 4–11–17; 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 rate
filings:
Docket Numbers: ER17–569–001.
Applicants: National Choice Energy
LLC.
Description: Tariff Amendment:
Baseline Amendment to be effective 12/
30/2016.
Filed Date: 4/6/17.
Accession Number: 20170406–5242.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/27/17.
Docket Numbers: ER17–883–001.
Applicants: Duke Energy Florida,
LLC.
Description: Compliance filing: Errata
filing to ER17–883 to be effective 4/1/
2017.
Filed Date: 4/6/17.
Accession Number: 20170406–5297.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/27/17.
Docket Numbers: ER17–949–001.
Applicants: California Independent
System Operator Corporation.
Description: Compliance filing: 2017–
04–06 Metering Rules Enhancement
Compliance to be effective 4/10/2017.
Filed Date: 4/6/17.
Accession Number: 20170406–5306.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/27/17.
Docket Numbers: ER17–1385–000.
Applicants: PJM Interconnection,
L.L.C.
Description: Tariff Cancellation:
Cancellation of First Revised Service
E:\FR\FM\12APN1.SGM
12APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 12, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17654-17656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07353]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Pomelo Connector Pipeline and South Texas Expansion Project;
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Docket No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pomelo Connector, LLC.................. CP17-26-000
Texas Eastern Transmission, LP......... CP15-499-000
CP15-499-001
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Pomelo Connector Pipeline
Project (Pomelo Pipeline) and the South Texas Expansion Project (STEP),
collectively referred to as the Projects. These separate, but
connected, interstate natural gas transmission projects involve the
construction and operation of facilities by Pomelo Connector, LLC
(Pomelo) and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) in Nueces,
Matagorda, Chambers, Orange and Brazoria Counties, Texas. The
Commission will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine
whether the Projects are 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 Projects. You can make a difference by providing us
with your specific comments or concerns about the Projects. 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 May 8, 2017.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for these Projects. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of these proposed
projects and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. A company
representative would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement.
However, if the Commission approves the Projects, 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.
The ``For Citizens'' section of the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov)
provides more information about the FERC and the environmental review
process. This section also includes information about getting involved
in FERC jurisdictional projects, and a citizens' guide entitled ``An
Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need to Know?''
This guide addresses a number of frequently 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 (3) methods you can use to
submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide
equal consideration to all comments received. The Commission encourages
electronic filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist
you at (202) 502-8258 or FercOnlineSupport@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 appropriate Project
docket number (CP17-26-000 and/or CP15-499-000) with your submission:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Summary of the Proposed Projects
The Pomelo Pipeline is designed to provide up to 400,000 dekatherms
per day (Dth/d) of firm transportation service from an interconnection
with Texas Eastern at the proposed Pomelo Petronila Compressor Station
to an intrastate header system, the Nueces Header. The Nueces Header is
designed to connect with various pipelines and gathering facilities in
Nueces County, Texas. Pomelo proposes to construct and operate the
following facilities:
Approximately 13.6 miles of new 30-inch-diameter natural
gas pipeline;
approximately 0.2 mile of new 30-inch-diameter pipeline;
a new 5,000 horsepower (hp) compressor station (Pomelo
Compressor Station); and
associated aboveground facilities.
Through the new interconnection with the Pomelo Pipeline, Texas
Eastern plans to provide approximately 396,000 Dth/d of firm natural
gas transportation service to an interconnection with the Nueces
Header. Texas Eastern proposes to install, construct, and operate the
following facilities, all within existing Texas Eastern compressor
stations:
a new 8,400 hp compressor unit, appurtenant facilities, a
new interconnection with Pomelo Connector Pipeline, and construction of
a gas
[[Page 17655]]
measurement enclosure at Texas Eastern's existing Petronila Compressor
Station in Nueces County;
A new 8,400 hp compressor unit, a new control building,
new gas coolers and station piping modifications to reverse compression
at the existing Blessing Compressor Station in Matagorda County;
upgrades to existing compression facilities to reduce
emissions, new gas measurement enclosure, and piping modifications to
the existing launcher/receiver on Line 16 at the existing Mont Belvieu
Compressor Station in Chambers County;
piping modifications to the existing launcher/receiver on
Line 16, and a new gas measurement enclosure within the existing Vidor
Compressor Station in Orange County; and
piping modifications to the existing launcher/receiver on
Line 16 at the existing Angleton Station property in Brazoria County.
The general locations of the Project facilities are 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
Constructing the proposed facilities would require the use of
approximately 313.1 acres of land. This includes disturbance of
approximately 190.9 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and
the pipeline for Pomelo Pipeline; and approximately 122.2 acres of
disturbance for STEP. Following construction, Pomelo and Texas Eastern
would maintain about 136.8 acres for permanent operation of the
Projects' facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and
allowed to revert to former uses.
Related Facilities
The proposed Valley Crossing System is a new intrastate pipeline
system consisting of approximately 165 miles of 42- and 48-inch-
diameter pipeline, two compressor stations, multiple meter stations,
and ancillary facilities extending from the Nueces Header, to a point
in the Gulf of Mexico in Texas state waters at the international
boundary between the United States and Mexico. These intrastate
facilities would be subject to the jurisdiction of the Railroad
Commission of Texas and would be non-jurisdictional to the FERC.
Although the Commission has no authority to approve or deny the Valley
Crossing System, and no ability to require any avoidance or
minimization of related impacts, we intend to disclose available
resource impact information for the Valley Crossing System in the EA to
inform stakeholders and decision makers.
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 Projects under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
land use;
water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
cultural resources;
socioeconomics
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
Projects or portions of the Projects, 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 the Commission's
eLibrary. Depending on the comments received during the scoping
process, we may also publish and distribute the EA to the public for an
allotted comment period. We will consider all comments on the EA before
making our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure we have the
opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of
the Projects 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. Currently, no agencies
have expressed their intention to participate as a cooperating agency
in the preparation of the EA to satisfy their NEPA responsibilities
related to the Projects.
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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 Office (SHPO), and to
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the Projects' potential effects on
historic properties.\4\ We will define the Project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the Projects
develop. 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 these Projects 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'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, or who own homes within certain distances of
aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits comments on the
[[Page 17656]]
Projects. 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
Projects.
If we publish and distribute the EA, 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 Projects are 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 appropriate
docket number, excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number
field (i.e., CP17-26 and CP-15-499). 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 teletype/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, site visits or other staff activities will be posted on
the Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Dated: April 6, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-07353 Filed 4-11-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
