Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Draft General Conformity Determination for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project, 48305-48306 [2018-20679]

Download as PDF amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 185 / Monday, September 24, 2018 / Notices phone at 214–721–9678, or via email at emily.fuquay@enlink.com; and Kenneth W.Irvin, Sidley Austin LLP, 1501 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, by phone at 202–736- 8256, or via email at kirvin@sidley.com. There are two ways to become involved in the Commission’s review of this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or before the comment date stated below, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party status will be placed on the service list maintained by the Secretary of the Commission and will receive copies of all documents filed by the applicant and by all other parties. A party must submit 5 copies of filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the proceeding. However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. The Commission will consider these comments in determining the appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission’s rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly involved in the protest. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the eFiling link at https://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and 7 copies of the protest or intervention to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. There is an eSubscription link on the website 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. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:40 Sep 21, 2018 Jkt 244001 Comment Date: 5:00 p.m., October 3, 2018. Dated: September 12, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–20683 Filed 9–21–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP17–101–000] Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Draft General Conformity Determination for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a draft general conformity determination (GCD) for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project (Project) proposed by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in the abovereferenced docket. The draft GCD assesses the potential air quality impacts associated with the construction and operation of natural gas facilities to provide about 400 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day to Brooklyn Union Gas Company and KeySpan Gas East Corporation (collectively referred to as National Grid) to serve residential and commercial customers in the New York City area beginning in the 2020/heating season. The draft GCD was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the Clean Air Act. The FERC staff concludes that the Project would achieve conformity in New York and New Jersey through direct mitigation and the purchase of emission reduction credits. The draft GCD addresses the potential air quality impacts from construction and operation of the following relevant subset of Project facilities: • A 3.4-mile-long, 26-inch-diameter pipeline loop 1 in Middlesex County, New Jersey (Madison Loop); • a 23.5-mile long, 26-inch-diameter pipeline loop comprised of a 0.2-milelong segment in onshore Middlesex County, New Jersey, and a 23.3-milelong segment in the offshore waters of Middlesex and Monmouth Counties, New Jersey and Queens and Richmond Counties, New York (Raritan Bay Loop); and 1 A pipeline ‘‘loop’’ is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to an existing pipeline to increase capacity. PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 48305 • a new 32,000 horsepower natural gas-fired compressor station in Somerset County, New Jersey (Compressor Station 206). The draft GCD identifies that the Project is located within the NY–NJ–CT Interstate air quality control region (AQCR). The Clean Air Act defines nonattainment areas as ‘‘any area that does not meet (or that contributes to ambient air quality in a nearby area that does not meet) the national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard for the pollutant’’. The draft environmental impact statement explains that in order to achieve improved air quality within a nonattainment area, reductions are required throughout the entire AQCR. The General Conformity Regulations require that offsets be purchased ‘‘within the same nonattainment or maintenance area (or a nearby area of equal or higher classification provided the emissions from that area contribute to the violations, or have contributed to violations in the past).’’ Transco proposes to implement a combination of direct mitigation projects and purchasing emission reduction credits to offset construction emissions nitrogen oxides for the Project. FERC staff will issue the final GCD with the final environmental impact statement on January 25, 2019. The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and groups; and libraries in the Project area. The draft GCD is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded using the eLibrary link on the FERC’s website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://www.ferc.gov/ docs-filing/elibrary.asp), click on General Search, and enter the docket number in the ‘‘Docket Number’’ field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP17–101). 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. In accordance with the General Conformity Regulations under the Code of Federal Regulations Chapter 40 Part 93.156, the draft GCD is issued for a 30day comment period. Any person wishing to comment on the draft GCD may do so. To ensure consideration of your comments on the Project, it is important that the Commission receive E:\FR\FM\24SEN1.SGM 24SEN1 48306 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 185 / Monday, September 24, 2018 / Notices your comments on or before October 18, 2018. 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 (CP17–101– 000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. 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 and the Project docket number (e.g., CP17–101). The eLibrary link on the FERC website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. Dated: September 18, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–20679 Filed 9–21–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM98–1–000] Records Governing Off-the-Record Communications; Public Notice This constitutes notice, in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2201(b), of the receipt of prohibited and exempt off-the-record communications. Order No. 607 (64 FR 51222, September 22, 1999) requires Commission decisional employees, who make or receive a prohibited or exempt off-the-record communication relevant to the merits of a contested proceeding, to deliver to the Secretary of the Commission, a copy of the communication, if written, or a summary of the substance of any oral communication. Prohibited communications are included in a public, non-decisional file associated with, but not a part of, the decisional record of the proceeding. Unless the Commission determines that the prohibited communication and any responses thereto should become a part of the decisional record, the prohibited Docket No. File date Prohibited 1. CP16–10–000 ................................................................................................... Exempt 1. P–1855–000, P–1892–000, P–1904–000, P–1889–000, P–2485–000, P– 1904–000. 2. P–516–000 ........................................................................................................ 3. CP17–41–000 ................................................................................................... 4. CP15–93–000 ................................................................................................... 5. P–2299–000, P–14581–000 ............................................................................. 6. CP18–46–000 ................................................................................................... 7. EL15–95–000 .................................................................................................... 8. P–199–205 ........................................................................................................ amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 off-the-record communication will not be considered by the Commission in reaching its decision. Parties to a proceeding may seek the opportunity to respond to any facts or contentions made in a prohibited off-the-record communication, and may request that the Commission place the prohibited communication and responses thereto in the decisional record. The Commission will grant such a request only when it determines that fairness so requires. Any person identified below as having made a prohibited off-the-record communication shall serve the document on all parties listed on the official service list for the applicable proceeding in accordance with Rule 2010, 18 CFR 385.2010. Exempt off-the-record communications are included in the decisional record of the proceeding, unless the communication was with a cooperating agency as described by 40 CFR 1501.6, made under 18 CFR 385.2201(e)(1)(v). The following is a list of off-therecord communications recently received by the Secretary of the Commission. The communications listed are grouped by docket numbers in ascending order. These filings are available for electronic review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission’s website at 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, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. Presenter or requester 9–14–2018 Pipeliners Union 798. 9–3–2018. U.S. Congress.1 9–11–2018 9–12–2018 9–12–2018 9–13–2018 9–13–2018 9–14–2018 9–17–2018 U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson. FERC Staff.2 U.S. Congressman Bob Gibbs. FERC Staff.3 FERC Staff.4 State of New Jersey.5 FERC Staff.6 1 Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Margaret Wood Hassan, Patrick Leahy, and Bernard Sanders. Congressmen Anne McLane Kuster and Peter Welch. 2 Conference Call Notes for meeting on September 6, 2018 with Environmental Resources Management, Inc. and Eagle LNG Partners Jacksonville, LLC. 3 Memo reporting email conversation on September 9, 2018 with John Devine, Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts Consultant, with HDR Engineering. 4 Memo for project conference call on September 10, 2018 with Adelphia Gateway, L.L.C. 5 Senator Christopher J. Connors. Assemblymen Brian E. Rumpf and Dianne C. Gove. 6 Email conversation dated September 17, 2018 with Patrick Opay with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:58 Sep 21, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\24SEN1.SGM 24SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 185 (Monday, September 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48305-48306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20679]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP17-101-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Draft 
General Conformity Determination for the Northeast Supply Enhancement 
Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft general conformity determination (GCD) 
for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project (Project) proposed by 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in the above-
referenced docket. The draft GCD assesses the potential air quality 
impacts associated with the construction and operation of natural gas 
facilities to provide about 400 million standard cubic feet of natural 
gas per day to Brooklyn Union Gas Company and KeySpan Gas East 
Corporation (collectively referred to as National Grid) to serve 
residential and commercial customers in the New York City area 
beginning in the 2020/heating season.
    The draft GCD was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the Clean 
Air Act. The FERC staff concludes that the Project would achieve 
conformity in New York and New Jersey through direct mitigation and the 
purchase of emission reduction credits. The draft GCD addresses the 
potential air quality impacts from construction and operation of the 
following relevant subset of Project facilities:
     A 3.4-mile-long, 26-inch-diameter pipeline loop \1\ in 
Middlesex County, New Jersey (Madison Loop);
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

     a 23.5-mile long, 26-inch-diameter pipeline loop comprised 
of a 0.2-mile-long segment in onshore Middlesex County, New Jersey, and 
a 23.3-mile-long segment in the offshore waters of Middlesex and 
Monmouth Counties, New Jersey and Queens and Richmond Counties, New 
York (Raritan Bay Loop); and
     a new 32,000 horsepower natural gas-fired compressor 
station in Somerset County, New Jersey (Compressor Station 206).
    The draft GCD identifies that the Project is located within the NY-
NJ-CT Interstate air quality control region (AQCR). The Clean Air Act 
defines nonattainment areas as ``any area that does not meet (or that 
contributes to ambient air quality in a nearby area that does not meet) 
the national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard for the 
pollutant''. The draft environmental impact statement explains that in 
order to achieve improved air quality within a nonattainment area, 
reductions are required throughout the entire AQCR. The General 
Conformity Regulations require that offsets be purchased ``within the 
same nonattainment or maintenance area (or a nearby area of equal or 
higher classification provided the emissions from that area contribute 
to the violations, or have contributed to violations in the past).'' 
Transco proposes to implement a combination of direct mitigation 
projects and purchasing emission reduction credits to offset 
construction emissions nitrogen oxides for the Project. FERC staff will 
issue the final GCD with the final environmental impact statement on 
January 25, 2019.
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to 
federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; 
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native 
American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested 
individuals and groups; and libraries in the Project area. The draft 
GCD is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and 
downloaded using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the 
eLibrary link (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp), click on 
General Search, and enter the docket number in the ``Docket Number'' 
field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP17-101). 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.
    In accordance with the General Conformity Regulations under the 
Code of Federal Regulations Chapter 40 Part 93.156, the draft GCD is 
issued for a 30-day comment period. Any person wishing to comment on 
the draft GCD may do so. To ensure consideration of your comments on 
the Project, it is important that the Commission receive

[[Page 48306]]

your comments on or before October 18, 2018.
    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 
(CP17-101-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    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 and the Project 
docket number (e.g., CP17-101). The eLibrary link on the FERC website 
also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

    Dated: September 18, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-20679 Filed 9-21-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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