Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned South Sioux City to Sioux Falls A-Line Replacement Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions, 65800-65803 [2019-25908]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2019 / Notices
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might the Department minimize the
burden of this collection on the
respondents, including through the use
of information technology. Please note
that written comments received in
response to this notice will be
considered public records.
Title of Collection: National Teacher
and Principal Survey of 2020–2021
(NTPS 2020–21).
OMB Control Number: 1850–0598.
Type of Review: A revision of an
existing information collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals or Households.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 103,326.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 52,585.
Abstract: The National Teacher and
Principal Survey (NTPS), conducted
every two or three years by the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES),
is a system of related questionnaires that
provides descriptive data on the context
of elementary and secondary education.
Redesigned from the Schools and
Staffing Survey (SASS) with a focus on
flexibility, timeliness, and integration
with other ED data, the NTPS system
allows for school, principal, and teacher
characteristics to be analyzed in relation
to one another. NTPS is an in-depth,
nationally representative survey of first
through twelfth grade public and private
school teachers, principals, and schools.
Kindergarten teachers in schools with at
least a first grade are also surveyed.
NTPS utilizes core content and a series
of rotating modules to allow timely
collection of important education trends
as well as trend analysis. Topics
covered include characteristics of
teachers, principals, schools, teacher
training opportunities, retention,
retirement, hiring, and shortages. The
NTPS 2019–20 preliminary activities
were approved in July 2019 (OMB#
1850–0598 v.26), with a change request
to update the sampling plan approved
in November 2019 (OMB# 1850–0598
v.27). This request is to conduct NTPS
2020–21, including all of its recruitment
and data collection activities.
Dated: November 25, 2019.
Stephanie Valentine,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and
Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division,
Office of Chief Data Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019–25896 Filed 11–27–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
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Online service, please email
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER20–442–000]
Wildcat I Energy Storage, LLC;
Supplemental Notice That Initial
Market-Based Rate Filing Includes
Request for Blanket Section 204
Authorization
This is a supplemental notice in the
above-referenced Rosewater Wildcat I
Energy Storage, LLC’s application for
market-based rate authority, with an
accompanying rate tariff, noting that
such application includes a request for
blanket authorization, under 18 CFR
part 34, of future issuances of securities
and assumptions of liability.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest should file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426,
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214). Anyone filing a motion to
intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant.
Notice is hereby given that the
deadline for filing protests with regard
to the applicant’s request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability, is December 12,
2019.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 5 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE, Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above-referenced
proceeding are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the appropriate link in the
above list. They are also available for
electronic review in the Commission’s
Public Reference Room in Washington,
DC. There is an eSubscription link on
the website that enables subscribers to
receive email notification when a
document is added to a subscribed
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC
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Dated: November 22, 2019.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019–25912 Filed 11–27–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF19–8–000]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Planned South
Sioux City to Sioux Falls A-Line
Replacement Project, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues,
and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions
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 South Sioux City to Sioux Falls ALine Replacement Project involving the
abandonment, construction, and
operation of pipeline facilities in Dakota
and Dixon Counties, Nebraska and
Lincoln and Union Counties, South
Dakota by Northern Natural Gas
Company (Northern). 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 about issues
regarding the project. The National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
requires the Commission to take into
account the environmental impacts that
could result from its action whenever it
considers the issuance of a Certificate of
Public Convenience and Necessity.
NEPA also requires the Commission to
discover 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 issues to address in the
EA. To ensure that your comments are
timely and properly recorded, please
submit your comments so that the
Commission receives them in
Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m.
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Eastern Standard Time on December 23,
2019.
You can make a difference by
submitting 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 Commission staff
determine what issues they need to
evaluate in the EA. Commission staff
will consider all filed comments during
the preparation of the EA.
If you sent comments on this project
to the Commission before the opening of
this docket on July 16, 2019, you will
need to file those comments under
Docket No. PF19–8–000 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
easement agreement. You are not
required to enter into an agreement.
However, if the Commission approves
the project, that approval conveys with
it the right of eminent domain.
Therefore, if you and the company do
not reach an easement agreement, the
pipeline company could initiate
condemnation proceedings in court. In
such instances, compensation would be
determined by a judge 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) at
https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/
gas/gas.pdf. 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.
Public Participation
The Commission offers a free service
called eSubscription which makes it
easy to stay informed of all issuances
and submittals regarding the dockets/
projects to which you subscribe. These
instant email notifications are the fastest
way to receive notification and provide
a link to the document files which can
reduce the amount of time you spend
researching proceedings. To sign up go
to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp.
For your convenience, there are four
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. The
Commission encourages electronic filing
of comments and has staff available to
assist you at (866) 208–3676 or
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please
carefully follow these instructions so
Date and time
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The primary goal of these scoping
sessions is to have you identify the
specific environmental issues and
concerns that should be considered in
the EA. Individual verbal comments
will be taken on a one-on-one basis with
a court reporter. This format is designed
to receive the maximum amount of
verbal comments, in a convenient way
during the timeframe allotted. Each
scoping session is scheduled from 5:00
p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Standard
Time. You may arrive at any time after
5:00 p.m. There will not be a formal
presentation by Commission staff when
the session opens. If you wish to speak,
the Commission staff will hand out
numbers in the order of your arrival.
Comments will be taken until 7:30 p.m.
However, if no additional numbers have
been handed out and all individuals
16:49 Nov 27, 2019
that your comments are properly
recorded:
(1) You can file your comments
electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the
Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to Documents and
Filings. Using eComment 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, which is also 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.’’ You will be asked to select
the type of filing you are making; a
comment on a project is considered a
‘‘Comment on a Filing’’;
(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 PF19–8000
with your submission: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
or
(4) In lieu of sending written
comments, the Commission invites you
to attend one of the public scoping
sessions its staff will conduct in the
project area, scheduled as follows:
Location
Wednesday, December 11, 2019, 5:00–7:30
p.m.
Thursday, December 12, 2019, 5:00–7:30 p.m
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The Pointe Event Center, 100 Truman Lane, Elk Point, SD 57025, (605) 356–2874.
Beresford Bridges Event Center, 601 S 7th St., Beresford, SD 57004, (605) 201–4240.
who wish to provide comments have
had an opportunity to do so, staff may
conclude the session at 7:00 p.m. Please
see appendix 1 for additional
information on the session format and
conduct.1
Your scoping comments will be
recorded by a court reporter (with FERC
staff or representative present) and
become part of the public record for this
proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly
available on FERC’s eLibrary system
(see the last page of this notice for
1 The appendices referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502–
8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary,
refer to the last page of this notice.
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instructions on using eLibrary). If a
significant number of people are
interested in providing verbal comments
in the one-on-one settings, a time limit
of 5 minutes may be implemented for
each commenter.
It is important to note that the
Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received,
whether filed in written form or
provided verbally at a scoping session.
Although there will not be a formal
presentation, Commission staff will be
available throughout the scoping session
to answer your questions about the
environmental review process.
Representatives from Northern will also
be present to answer project-specific
questions.
Please note this is not your only
public input opportunity; please refer to
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the review process flow chart in
appendix 2.
Summary of the Planned Project
Northern plans to abandon in-place
79.2 miles of its 14-inch-diamter A-Line
from South Sioux City, Nebraska to
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and replace
the line with 84.2 miles of 12-inchdimater pipeline. In addition to the ALine replacement, Northern plans to
abandon in-place its 0.2-mile-long 2inch-diameter Ponca Branch Line,
which currently ties into the A-Line to
be abandoned and replace it with a 2.0mile-long 3-inch-diameter pipeline.
Northern also plans to install
appurtenant facilities, including pig
launchers and receivers,2 regulators, tieovers, an odorizer, and associated
piping and valves. The Project will not
change the current flow rate of 36
million cubic feet of gas per day.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 3.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the planned project
would disturb about 1,048 acres of land
for the aboveground facilities and the
pipeline. Following construction,
Northern would maintain about 510
acres for permanent operation of the
project’s facilities and allow the
remaining acreage to revert to former
uses. About 73 percent of the planned
pipeline route parallels existing
pipeline, utility, or road rights-of-way.
The EA Process
The EA 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;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• threatened and endangered species;
• cultural resources;
• land use;
• air quality and noise;
• public safety; and
• cumulative impacts.
Commission staff 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, Commission staff have
already initiated a NEPA review under
the Commission’s pre-filing process.
The purpose of the pre-filing process is
2 A ‘‘pig’’ is a tool that the pipeline company
inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for
cleaning the pipeline, conducting internal
inspections, and other purposes.
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to encourage early involvement of
interested stakeholders and to identify
and resolve issues before the
Commission receives an application. As
part of the pre-filing review,
Commission staff will contact federal
and state agencies to discuss their
involvement in the scoping process and
the preparation of the EA.
The EA will present Commission
staffs’ independent analysis of the
issues. The EA will be available in
electronic format in the public record
through eLibrary 3 and the
Commission’s website (https://
www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/
eis.asp). If eSubscribed, you will receive
instant email notification when the EA
is issued. The EA may be issued for an
allotted public comment period.
Commission staff will consider all
comments on the EA before making
recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure Commission staff 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, the Commission is
asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to
the environmental issues related to this
project to formally cooperate in the
preparation of the EA.4 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.
Consultation 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, the Commission is
using this notice to initiate consultation
with the applicable State Historic
Preservation Office(s), 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
The EA for this project will document
our findings on the impacts on historic
3 For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer
to the last page 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.
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.
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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. Commission
staff will update the environmental
mailing list as the analysis proceeds to
ensure that Commission notices related
to this environmental review are sent to
all individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or
potentially affected by the planned
project.
If the Commission issues the EA for
an allotted public comment period, a
Notice of Availability of the EA will be
sent to the environmental mailing list
and will provide instructions to access
the electronic document on the FERC’s
website (www.ferc.gov). If you need to
make changes to your name/address, or
if you would like to remove your name
from the mailing list, please return the
attached ‘‘Mailing List Update Form’’
(appendix 4).
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. Only intervenors have the
right to seek rehearing of the
Commission’s decision 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 pursuant to Rule 214 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Motions
to intervene are more fully described at
https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/
how-to/intervene.asp. 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, after which the Commission
will issue a public notice that
establishes an intervention deadline.
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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 in the ‘‘Docket Number’’
field, excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
PF19–8). 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 all formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
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: November 22, 2019.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019–25908 Filed 11–27–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 3251–010]
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Cornell University; Notice of
Application Accepted for Filing and
Soliciting Motions To Intervene and
Protests
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New Major
License.
b. Project No.: 3251–010.
c. Date Filed: June 28, 2019.
d. Applicant: Cornell University.
e. Name of Project: Cornell University
Hydroelectric Project (Cornell Project).
f. Location: On Fall Creek within the
Cornell University campus in the City of
Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York.
The project does not occupy federal
land.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Frank
Perry, Manager of Projects, Energy and
Sustainability, Humphreys Service
Building, Room 131, Cornell University,
Ithaca, NY 14853–3701; (607) 255–6634;
email—fdp1@cornell.edu.
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16:49 Nov 27, 2019
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i. FERC Contact: Christopher Millard
at (202) 502–8256; or email at
christopher.millard@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing motions to
intervene and protests: 60 days from the
issuance date of this notice.
The Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing. Please file motions to
intervene and protests using the
Commission’s eFiling system at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online
Support at FERCOnlineSupport@
ferc.gov, (866) 208–3676 (toll free), or
(202) 502–8659 (TTY). 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–3251–010.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice
require all intervenors filing documents
with the Commission to serve a copy of
that document on each person on the
official service list for the project.
Further, if an intervenor files comments
or documents with the Commission
relating to the merits of an issue that
may affect the responsibilities of a
particular resource agency, they must
also serve a copy of the document on
that resource agency.
k. This application has been accepted,
but is not ready for environmental
analysis at this time.
l. The Cornell Project consists of: (1)
An existing 28-foot-high, 260-foot-long
reinforced-concrete gravity overflowtype dam, known as Beebe Lake Dam,
with a crest elevation of 780.7 feet mean
sea level (msl); (2) an impoundment
(Beebe Lake) with a surface area of 16
acres and a storage capacity of 50 acrefeet at the normal pool elevation of
780.7 feet msl; (3) a concrete forebay
wall and reinforced-concrete intake
with a 6-foot-high, 6-foot-wide steel
vertical-slide gate along the right (north)
bank; (4) a 5-foot-diameter, 1,507-footlong reinforced-concrete underground
pipeline and a 5-foot-diameter, 200-footlong riveted-steel underground
penstock; (5) a 79-foot-long, 29-footwide, 24-foot-high powerhouse
containing two Ossberger turbines and
induction generators with a combined
authorized capacity of 1,718 kilowatts;
(6) a tailrace located on the river rightside of Fall Creek directly below the
powerhouse; (7) a 385-foot-long, 2.4kilovolt transmission line connecting to
Cornell’s distribution system; and (8)
appurtenant facilities.
The Cornell Project is operated in a
run-of-river mode and bypasses an
1,800-foot-long reach of Fall Creek that
extends from the toe of the dam to the
powerhouse tailrace. From 2013 through
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65803
2018, the average annual generation was
4,599 megawatt-hours.
m. A copy of the application is
available for 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, contact FERC
Online Support. A copy is also available
for inspection and reproduction at the
address in item h above.
You may also register online at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via
email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
n. Anyone may submit a protest or a
motion to intervene in accordance with
the requirements of Rules of Practice
and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211,
and .214. In determining the appropriate
action to take, the Commission will
consider all protests or other comments
filed, but only those who file a motion
to intervene in accordance with the
Commission’s Rules may become a
party to the proceeding. Any protests or
motions to intervene must be received
on or before the specified comment date
for the particular application.
All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital
letters the title ‘‘PROTEST’’ or
‘‘MOTION TO INTERVENE;’’ (2) set
forth in the heading the name of the
applicant and the project number of the
application to which the filing
responds; (3) furnish the name, address,
and telephone number of the person
protesting or intervening; and (4)
otherwise comply with the requirements
of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005.
Agencies may obtain copies of the
application directly from the applicant.
A copy of any protest or motion to
intervene must be served upon each
representative of the applicant specified
in the particular application.
o. Procedural schedule and final
amendments: The application will be
processed according to the following
preliminary schedule. Revisions to the
schedule will be made as appropriate.
Issue Scoping Document 1 for
comments—December 2019.
Request Additional Information (if
necessary)—February 2020.
Issue Scoping Document 2—March
2020.
Issue notice of ready for environmental
analysis—March 2020.
Commission issues EA—September
2020.
Comments on EA—October 2020.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65800-65803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25908]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF19-8-000]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Planned South Sioux City to Sioux
Falls A-Line Replacement Project, Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions
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 South Sioux City to Sioux
Falls A-Line Replacement Project involving the abandonment,
construction, and operation of pipeline facilities in Dakota and Dixon
Counties, Nebraska and Lincoln and Union Counties, South Dakota by
Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern). 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 about issues regarding the project. The National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to take into account the
environmental impacts that could result from its action whenever it
considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. NEPA also requires the Commission to discover 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 issues
to address in the EA. To ensure that your comments are timely and
properly recorded, please submit your comments so that the Commission
receives them in Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m.
[[Page 65801]]
Eastern Standard Time on December 23, 2019.
You can make a difference by submitting 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 Commission staff
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. Commission staff
will consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on July 16, 2019, you will need to file those
comments under Docket No. PF19-8-000 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 easement agreement. You
are not required to enter into an agreement. However, if the Commission
approves the project, that approval conveys with it the right of
eminent domain. Therefore, if you and the company do not reach an
easement agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation
proceedings in court. In such instances, compensation would be
determined by a judge 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) at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/gas/gas.pdf. 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.
Public Participation
The Commission offers a free service called eSubscription which
makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances and submittals
regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe. These instant
email notifications are the fastest way to receive notification and
provide a link to the document files which can reduce the amount of
time you spend researching proceedings. To sign up go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic
filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 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, which is located on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to Documents and Filings. Using eComment 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, which is also 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.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you
are making; a comment on a project is considered a ``Comment on a
Filing'';
(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
PF19-8000 with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426; or
(4) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you
to attend one of the public scoping sessions its staff will conduct in
the project area, scheduled as follows:
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Date and time Location
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Wednesday, December 11, 2019, The Pointe Event Center, 100 Truman Lane,
5:00-7:30 p.m. Elk Point, SD 57025, (605) 356-2874.
Thursday, December 12, 2019, Beresford Bridges Event Center, 601 S 7th
5:00-7:30 p.m. St., Beresford, SD 57004, (605) 201-
4240.
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The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify
the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be
considered in the EA. Individual verbal comments will be taken on a
one-on-one basis with a court reporter. This format is designed to
receive the maximum amount of verbal comments, in a convenient way
during the timeframe allotted. Each scoping session is scheduled from
5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. You may arrive at any
time after 5:00 p.m. There will not be a formal presentation by
Commission staff when the session opens. If you wish to speak, the
Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival.
Comments will be taken until 7:30 p.m. However, if no additional
numbers have been handed out and all individuals who wish to provide
comments have had an opportunity to do so, staff may conclude the
session at 7:00 p.m. Please see appendix 1 for additional information
on the session format and conduct.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE, Washington,
DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
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Your scoping comments will be recorded by a court reporter (with
FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the public
record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on
FERC's eLibrary system (see the last page of this notice for
instructions on using eLibrary). If a significant number of people are
interested in providing verbal comments in the one-on-one settings, a
time limit of 5 minutes may be implemented for each commenter.
It is important to note that the Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally at a scoping session. Although there will not be a
formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the
scoping session to answer your questions about the environmental review
process. Representatives from Northern will also be present to answer
project-specific questions.
Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; please
refer to
[[Page 65802]]
the review process flow chart in appendix 2.
Summary of the Planned Project
Northern plans to abandon in-place 79.2 miles of its 14-inch-
diamter A-Line from South Sioux City, Nebraska to Sioux Falls, South
Dakota, and replace the line with 84.2 miles of 12-inch-dimater
pipeline. In addition to the A-Line replacement, Northern plans to
abandon in-place its 0.2-mile-long 2-inch-diameter Ponca Branch Line,
which currently ties into the A-Line to be abandoned and replace it
with a 2.0-mile-long 3-inch-diameter pipeline. Northern also plans to
install appurtenant facilities, including pig launchers and
receivers,\2\ regulators, tie-overs, an odorizer, and associated piping
and valves. The Project will not change the current flow rate of 36
million cubic feet of gas per day.
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\2\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline,
conducting internal inspections, and other purposes.
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The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
3.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the planned project would disturb about 1,048 acres
of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. Following
construction, Northern would maintain about 510 acres for permanent
operation of the project's facilities and allow the remaining acreage
to revert to former uses. About 73 percent of the planned pipeline
route parallels existing pipeline, utility, or road rights-of-way.
The EA Process
The EA 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;
water resources and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
threatened and endangered species;
cultural resources;
land use;
air quality and noise;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts.
Commission staff 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, Commission staff
have already initiated a 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 Commission receives an application. As part of the
pre-filing review, Commission staff will contact federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the
preparation of the EA.
The EA will present Commission staffs' independent analysis of the
issues. The EA will be available in electronic format in the public
record through eLibrary \3\ and the Commission's website (https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). If eSubscribed, you will
receive instant email notification when the EA is issued. The EA may be
issued for an allotted public comment period. Commission staff will
consider all comments on the EA before making recommendations to the
Commission. To ensure Commission staff have the opportunity to consider
and address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in
the Public Participation section, beginning on page 2.
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\3\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
last page of this notice.
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With this notice, the Commission is asking agencies with
jurisdiction by law and/or special expertise with respect to the
environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate in
the preparation of the EA.\4\ Agencies that would like to request
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this
notice.
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\4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, part 1501.6.
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Consultation 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, the Commission is using this notice to initiate
consultation with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s),
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\ The EA for this project will
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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\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.
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Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the project. Commission staff will update the environmental
mailing list as the analysis proceeds to ensure that Commission notices
related to this environmental review are sent to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the planned project.
If the Commission issues the EA for an allotted public comment
period, a Notice of Availability of the EA will be sent to the
environmental mailing list and will provide instructions to access the
electronic document on the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov). If you need
to make changes to your name/address, or if you would like to remove
your name from the mailing list, please return the attached ``Mailing
List Update Form'' (appendix 4).
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. Only intervenors have the right to seek
rehearing of the Commission's decision 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 pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice
and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Motions to intervene are more fully
described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
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, after which the Commission will
issue a public notice that establishes an intervention deadline.
[[Page 65803]]
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
in the ``Docket Number'' field, excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
PF19-8). 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 all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
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: November 22, 2019.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-25908 Filed 11-27-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P