Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Northern Lights 2019 Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 6016-6018 [2018-02774]

Download as PDF 6016 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 29 / Monday, February 12, 2018 / Notices Docket No. File date 5. P–2100–000 ............................................................................................................. 1 Senators [FR Doc. 2018–02775 Filed 2–9–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 14672–001] Lock +TM Hydro Friends Fund III; Notice of Surrender of Preliminary Permit Take notice that Lock +TM Hydro Friends Fund III, permittee for the proposed Selden Lock and Dam Hydroelectric Project, has requested that its preliminary permit be terminated. The permit was issued on June 3, 2016, and would have expired on May 31, 2019.1 The project would have been located on the Black Warrior River, in Green and Hale Counties, Alabama. The preliminary permit for Project No. 14672 will remain in effect until the close of business, March 8, 2018. If the Commission is closed on this day, then the permit remains in effect until the close of business on the next day in which the Commission is open.2 New applications for this site may not be submitted until after the permit surrender is effective. Dated: February 6, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 2839–015] daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Village of Lyndonville Electric Department; Notice of Technical Meeting a. Date and Time of Meeting: February 21, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. b. Place: Telephone conference. 1 154 FERC 62,094 (2016). CFR 385.2007(a)(2) (2017). 19:23 Feb 09, 2018 Jkt 244001 c. FERC Contact: Bill Connelly at william.connelly@ferc.gov, or (202) 502– 8587. d. Purpose of Meeting: Commission Staff is hosting a technical meeting to discuss the findings of the Village of Lyndonville Electric Department’s Archeological Resource Assessment and Historic Properties Assessment filed on August 25, 2017 and the concerns about the Project Area of Potential Effect (APE) expressed by the State of Vermont, Division for Historic Preservation, filed October 30, 2017. e. A summary of the meeting will be prepared and filed in the Commission’s public file for the project. f. All local, state, and federal agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested parties are invited to participate by phone. Please call Bill Connelly at (202) 502–8587 by February 20, 2018, to RSVP and to receive specific instructions on how to participate. Dated: February 6, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–02783 Filed 2–9–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PF18–1–000] Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Northern Lights 2019 Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues [FR Doc. 2018–02790 Filed 2–9–18; 8:45 am] VerDate Sep<11>2014 2–1–2018 City of Live Oak, California. Mayor Alesksandra M. Tica. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee. House Representatives Rob Bishop, Chris Stewart, Mia Love, and John Curtis. Dated: February 6, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. 2 18 Presenter or requester 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 Northern Lights 2019 Expansion Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) in Olmsted, Freeborn, Mower, Morrison, Carver, Hennepin, Wright, Le Sueur, Rice, and Steele Counties, Minnesota. The Commission will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity. PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 8, 2018. If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on October 10, 2017, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. PF18–1–000 to ensure they are considered as part of this proceeding. This notice is being sent to the Commission’s current environmental mailing list for this project. State and local government representatives should notify their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if the Commission approves the project, that approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation proceedings where compensation would be determined in accordance with state law. A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’ is available for viewing on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission’s proceedings. E:\FR\FM\12FEN1.SGM 12FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 29 / Monday, February 12, 2018 / Notices daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES 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 (PF18–1–000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Summary of the Planned Project The Northern Lights 2019 Expansion Project includes two components in Minnesota— the Rochester Expansion and the Northern Lights 2019 Expansion. For the Rochester Expansion component, Northern plans to: • Construct 12.3 miles of 16-inchdiameter pipeline, referred to as the Rochester greenfield lateral; • increase the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 8 miles of the La Crosse branch line; • relocate the La Crosse MAOP control valve assembly; and • construct the Rochester Town Border Station. For the Northern Lights 2019 Expansion component, Northern plans to construct: • 4.2 miles of 8-inch-diameter pipeline extending the existing Alexandria branch line; • 3.1 miles of 24-inch-diameter looping 1 of the existing Wilmar D branch line; 1 A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to an existing pipeline to increase capacity. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:23 Feb 09, 2018 Jkt 244001 • 9.9 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline, referred to as the Rockford to Buffalo greenfield lateral; • 1.6 miles of 16-inch-diameter looping of the existing New Prague branch line; • a 15,900-horsepower Solar Mars turbine compressor unit at the existing Faribault Compressor Station; • a 15,900-horsepower Solar Mars turbine compressor unit and appurtenant facilities at the existing Owatonna Compressor Station; and • a new 11,153-horsepower compressor station near Carver, Minnesota. The Rochester Expansion component of the project would provide 37,093 dekatherms per day of incremental capacity to meet the future growth needs in the area of Rochester, Minnesota. The Northern Lights 2019 Expansion component would help Northern meet the incremental natural gas needs of Minnesota. According to Northern, its project is designed to optimize the placement of facilities to meet customer needs. The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.2 Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 627 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. Following construction, Northern would maintain about 204 acres for permanent operation of the project’s facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. About 38 percent of the planned pipeline route parallels existing pipeline, utility, or road 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 3 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 2 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. 3 We, us, and our refer to the environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6017 comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We will consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA. In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the planned project under these general headings: • Geology and soils; • land use; • water resources, fisheries, and wetlands; • cultural resources; • vegetation and wildlife; • air quality and noise; • endangered and threatened species; • socioeconomics; • public safety; and • cumulative impacts. We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Although no formal application has been filed, we have already initiated our NEPA review under the Commission’s pre-filing process. The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA. The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section, beginning on page 2. With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law and/ or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA.4 Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments 4 The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1501.6. E:\FR\FM\12FEN1.SGM 12FEN1 6018 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 29 / Monday, February 12, 2018 / Notices 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 Minnesota 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.5 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. daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Currently Identified Environmental Issues We have already identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and the environmental information provided by Northern. This preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis. • Impact on landowners from noise and dust during construction of the pipelines. • Compatibility of pipelines with existing and future land uses, including zoning restrictions on adjacent properties. 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 5 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:23 Feb 09, 2018 Jkt 244001 project purposes, or who own homes within certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits comments on the project. We will update the environmental mailing list as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the planned project. If we publish and distribute the EA, copies will be sent to the environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return the attached Information Request (appendix 2). Becoming an Intervenor Once Northern files its application with the Commission, you may want to become an intervenor which is an official party to the Commission’s proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission’s final ruling. An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a request to intervene. Motions to intervene are more fully described at https:// www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/ intervene.asp. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in the Document-less Intervention Guide under the e-filing link on the Commission’s website. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a formal application for the project. Additional Information Additional information about the project is available from the Commission’s Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC website (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., PF18–1). 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 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 6, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–02774 Filed 2–9–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OW–2003–0033; FRL–9974–08– OEI] Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Modification of Secondary Treatment Requirements for Discharges Into Marine Waters Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ‘‘Modification of Secondary Treatment Requirements for Discharges into Marine Waters’’ (EPA ICR No. 0138.11, OMB Control No. 2040–0088) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on June 29, 2017, during a 60day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before March 14, 2018. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA– HQ–OW–2003–0033, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by email to OWDocket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\12FEN1.SGM 12FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 29 (Monday, February 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6016-6018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02774]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF18-1-000]


Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Planned Northern Lights 2019 Expansion 
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 Northern Lights 2019 Expansion 
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Northern 
Natural Gas Company (Northern) in Olmsted, Freeborn, Mower, Morrison, 
Carver, Hennepin, Wright, Le Sueur, Rice, and Steele Counties, 
Minnesota. 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 8, 2018.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on October 10, 2017, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. PF18-1-000 to ensure they are considered as part 
of this proceeding.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company 
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company 
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if 
the Commission approves the project, that approval conveys with it the 
right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to 
produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation 
proceedings where compensation would be determined in accordance with 
state law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses a 
number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent 
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.

[[Page 6017]]

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 
(PF18-1-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, 
DC 20426.

Summary of the Planned Project

    The Northern Lights 2019 Expansion Project includes two components 
in Minnesota-- the Rochester Expansion and the Northern Lights 2019 
Expansion. For the Rochester Expansion component, Northern plans to:
     Construct 12.3 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline, 
referred to as the Rochester greenfield lateral;
     increase the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) 
of 8 miles of the La Crosse branch line;
     relocate the La Crosse MAOP control valve assembly; and
     construct the Rochester Town Border Station.
    For the Northern Lights 2019 Expansion component, Northern plans to 
construct:
     4.2 miles of 8-inch-diameter pipeline extending the 
existing Alexandria branch line;
     3.1 miles of 24-inch-diameter looping \1\ of the existing 
Wilmar D branch line;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to 
an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     9.9 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline, referred to as the 
Rockford to Buffalo greenfield lateral;
     1.6 miles of 16-inch-diameter looping of the existing New 
Prague branch line;
     a 15,900-horsepower Solar Mars turbine compressor unit at 
the existing Faribault Compressor Station;
     a 15,900-horsepower Solar Mars turbine compressor unit and 
appurtenant facilities at the existing Owatonna Compressor Station; and
     a new 11,153-horsepower compressor station near Carver, 
Minnesota.
    The Rochester Expansion component of the project would provide 
37,093 dekatherms per day of incremental capacity to meet the future 
growth needs in the area of Rochester, Minnesota. The Northern Lights 
2019 Expansion component would help Northern meet the incremental 
natural gas needs of Minnesota. According to Northern, its project is 
designed to optimize the placement of facilities to meet customer 
needs.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 
www.ferc.gov using the link called eLibrary or from the Commission's 
Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, or 
call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, 
refer to the last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 627 
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. 
Following construction, Northern would maintain about 204 acres for 
permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage 
would be restored and revert to former uses. About 38 percent of the 
planned pipeline route parallels existing pipeline, utility, or road 
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 
\3\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ We, us, and our refer to the environmental staff of the 
Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     land use;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     air quality and noise;
     endangered and threatened species;
     socioeconomics;
     public safety; and
     cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project 
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before 
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we 
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their 
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on 
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish 
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We 
will consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations 
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and 
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the 
Public Participation section, beginning on page 2.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EA.\4\ Agencies that would like to request 
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments

[[Page 6018]]

provided under the Public Participation section of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ 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 Minnesota 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.\5\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations 
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic 
Places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Northern. This preliminary 
list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis.
     Impact on landowners from noise and dust during 
construction of the pipelines.
     Compatibility of pipelines with existing and future land 
uses, including zoning restrictions on adjacent properties.

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 
planned project.
    If we publish and distribute the EA, copies will be sent to the 
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would 
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD 
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please 
return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Northern files its application with the Commission, you may 
want to become an intervenor which is an official party to the 
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the 
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard 
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. 
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a 
request to intervene. Motions to intervene are more fully described at 
https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions 
for becoming an intervenor are in the Document-less Intervention Guide 
under the e-filing link on the Commission's website. Please note that 
the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status at this 
time. You must wait until the Commission receives a formal application 
for the project.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC website (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., PF18-
1). 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: February 6, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-02774 Filed 2-9-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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