Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 18-Inch Mainline Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 2975-2977 [2018-01016]

Download as PDF ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices Filed Date: 1/12/18. Accession Number: 20180112–5161. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/2/18. Docket Numbers: ER18–651–000. Applicants: Arizona Public Service Company. Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: OATT Collation Filing to be effective 1/ 12/2018. Filed Date: 1/12/18. Accession Number: 20180112–5184. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/2/18. Docket Numbers: ER18–652–000. Applicants: PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. Description: Tariff Cancellation: Notice of Cancellation of ISA SA No. 4666, Queue No. Z2–038 to be effective 2/19/2018. Filed Date: 1/16/18. Accession Number: 20180116–5192. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/6/18. Docket Numbers: ER18–653–000. Applicants: Southern California Edison Company. Description: Tariff Cancellation: Notice of Cancellation GIA & DSA SEPV Kennedy Project SA Nos. 953–954 to be effective 2/5/2018. Filed Date: 1/16/18. Accession Number: 20180116–5193. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/6/18. Take notice that the Commission received the following public utility holding company filings: Docket Numbers: PH18–3–000. Applicants: LS Power Development, LLC. Description: LS Power Development, LLC submits FERC 65–B Non-Material Change in Fact of Waiver Notification. Filed Date: 1/12/18. Accession Number: 20180112–5193. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/2/18. The filings are accessible in the Commission’s eLibrary system by clicking on the links or querying the docket number. Any person desiring to intervene or protest in any of the above proceedings must file in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the specified comment date. Protests may be considered, but intervention is necessary to become a party to the proceeding. eFiling is encouraged. More detailed information relating to filing requirements, interventions, protests, service, and qualifying facilities filings can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/ docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For other information, call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:00 Jan 19, 2018 Jkt 244001 Dated: January 16, 2018. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–01020 Filed 1–19–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP18–33–000] Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 18-Inch Mainline Abandonment Project and Request for 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 18-Inch Mainline Abandonment Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC (FGT) in Miami-Dade County, Florida. 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 February 12, 2018. If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on December 18, 2017, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. CP18–33–000 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. If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 2975 representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed 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. FGT 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 website (www.ferc.gov). 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 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 website (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 website (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 (CP18–33– 000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. E:\FR\FM\22JAN1.SGM 22JAN1 2976 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices Summary of the Proposed Project FGT proposes to abandon in place a 1.3 mile portion of its 18-inch-diameter mainline pipeline facilities in MiamiDade County, Florida, and remove an aerial span to accommodate a county road construction project. FGT states it has not delivered gas through this section of pipeline in more than three years and has no current customers served by this section; however, it proposes to continue to maintain the abandoned pipeline facilities for potential future use. The 18-Inch Mainline Abandonment Project would consist of the following activities: —blow down 1 from the Turkey Point take-off; —clean the pipeline by pig 2 from milepost (MP) 919.0 to MP 924.9; —remove approximately 200 feet of the 18-inch-diameter mainline pipe, including approximately 73 feet of aerial pipeline span which crosses Miami-Dade County Cutler Drain Canal 100A parallel to the SW 136th Street bridge in Miami; —cut and cap the pipeline on each side of the canal; and —fill with nitrogen and abandon in place the pipe and associated valves from approximately MP 923.6 to MP 924.9. The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.3 Land Requirements for Construction Removal of the facilities would disturb about 0.65 acre of land, and an additional 1.5 acres would be used for a contractor yard. Following construction, the disturbed areas would be restored and revert to former uses. FGT states that it would continue to maintain the right-of-way for the abandoned pipeline. ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES 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 A blow down is a controlled release of natural gas. 2 A pig is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, conducting internal inspections, or other purposes. 3 The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of 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 19:00 Jan 19, 2018 Jkt 244001 Necessity. NEPA also requires us 4 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 including, but not limited to, the following resources: land use; water resources; vegetation and wildlife; air quality and noise; and cultural resources. We will also evaluate any 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. 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. 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.5 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 Office (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 4 We, us, and our refer to the environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. 5 The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, part 1501.6. PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 historic properties.6 We will define the project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO 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. 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. 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 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 6 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\22JAN1.SGM 22JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices intervenor are in the ‘‘Document-less Intervention Guide’’ under the ‘‘e-filing’’ link on the Commission’s website. 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 website 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., CP18–33). 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 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: January 12, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–01016 Filed 1–19–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES [Project No. 1494–438] Grand River Dam Authority; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:00 Jan 19, 2018 Jkt 244001 b. Project No.: 1494–438. c. Dated Filed: February 1, 2017. d. Submitted By: Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA). e. Name of Project: Pensacola Hydroelectric Project. f. Location: The project is located on the Grand (Neosho) River in Craig, Delaware, Mayes, and Ottawa Counties, Oklahoma. No federal lands have been identified within the project boundary. g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission’s Regulations. h. Potential Applicant Contact: Dr. Darrell Townsend, Assistant General Manager, GRDA, 420 Highway 28, Langley, OK 74359–0070; (918) 256– 0616 or dtownsend@grda.com. i. FERC Contact: Rachel McNamara at (202) 502–8340 or email at rachel.mcnamara@ferc.gov. j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such requests described in item o below. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission’s policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC 61,076 (2001). k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: (a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, Part 402 and (b) the State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2. l. With this notice, we are designating GRDA as the Commission’s non-federal representative for carrying out informal consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. m. GRDA filed with the Commission a Pre-Application Document (PAD; including a proposed process plan and schedule), pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission’s regulations. n. A copy of the PAD is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission’s website (https:// www.ferc.gov), using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 2977 FERCONlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208–3676 (toll free), or (202) 502–8659 (TTY). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in paragraph h. Register online at https:// www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filing and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and Commission’s staff Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study requests should be sent to the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and all communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits of the potential application must be filed with the Commission. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file all documents using the Commission’s eFiling system at https://www.ferc.gov/ docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https:// www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include docket number P–1494–438. All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate heading: Comments on Pre-Application Document, Study Requests, Comments on Scoping Document 1, Request for Cooperating Agency Status, or Communications to and from Commission Staff. Any individual or entity interested in submitting study requests, commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating status must do so by March 13, 2018. p. We intend to prepare either an environmental assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The meetings listed below will satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether an EA or EIS is issued by the Commission. Scoping Meetings Commission staff will hold four scoping meetings in the vicinity of the E:\FR\FM\22JAN1.SGM 22JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 14 (Monday, January 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2975-2977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01016]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP18-33-000]


Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 18-Inch Mainline 
Abandonment Project and Request for 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 18-Inch Mainline Abandonment 
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Florida 
Gas Transmission Company, LLC (FGT) in Miami-Dade County, Florida. 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 February 12, 2018.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on December 18, 2017, you will need to file 
those comments in Docket No. CP18-33-000 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.
    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. 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.
    FGT 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 website (www.ferc.gov).

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 [email protected]. 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 website (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 website (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 
(CP18-33-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.

[[Page 2976]]

Summary of the Proposed Project

    FGT proposes to abandon in place a 1.3 mile portion of its 18-inch-
diameter mainline pipeline facilities in Miami-Dade County, Florida, 
and remove an aerial span to accommodate a county road construction 
project. FGT states it has not delivered gas through this section of 
pipeline in more than three years and has no current customers served 
by this section; however, it proposes to continue to maintain the 
abandoned pipeline facilities for potential future use.
    The 18-Inch Mainline Abandonment Project would consist of the 
following activities:

--blow down \1\ from the Turkey Point take-off;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ A blow down is a controlled release of natural gas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

--clean the pipeline by pig \2\ from milepost (MP) 919.0 to MP 924.9;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ A pig is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into and 
pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, conducting 
internal inspections, or other purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

--remove approximately 200 feet of the 18-inch-diameter mainline pipe, 
including approximately 73 feet of aerial pipeline span which crosses 
Miami-Dade County Cutler Drain Canal 100A parallel to the SW 136th 
Street bridge in Miami;
--cut and cap the pipeline on each side of the canal; and
--fill with nitrogen and abandon in place the pipe and associated 
valves from approximately MP 923.6 to MP 924.9.

    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of 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

    Removal of the facilities would disturb about 0.65 acre of land, 
and an additional 1.5 acres would be used for a contractor yard. 
Following construction, the disturbed areas would be restored and 
revert to former uses. FGT states that it would continue to maintain 
the right-of-way for the abandoned pipeline.

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 
\4\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ 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 proposed project including, but 
not limited to, the following resources: land use; water resources; 
vegetation and wildlife; air quality and noise; and cultural resources. 
We will also evaluate any 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. 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. 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.\5\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ 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 Office (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.\6\ We will define the project-specific Area of 
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
    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

    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

[[Page 2977]]

intervenor are in the ``Document-less Intervention Guide'' under the 
``e-filing'' link on the Commission's website. 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 website 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., CP18-
33). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] 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: January 12, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-01016 Filed 1-19-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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