PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Penneast 2020 Amendment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 12911-12913 [2020-04516]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 44 / Thursday, March 5, 2020 / Notices
Signed in Washington, DC, on March 2,
2020.
LaTanya Butler,
Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–04548 Filed 3–4–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
State Energy Advisory Board
Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of open teleconferences.
AGENCY:
This notice announces a
teleconference call of the State Energy
Advisory Board (STEAB). The Federal
Advisory Committee Act requires that
public notice of these meetings be
announced in the Federal Register.
DATES:
Thursday, March 19, 2020 from 3:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT).
Thursday, May 21, 2020 from 3:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT).
Thursday, June 18, 2020 from 3:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT).
Thursday, July 16, 2020 from 3:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT).
Thursday, August 20, 2020 from 3:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT).
Thursday, September 17, 2020 from
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT).
Thursday, October 15, 2020 from 3:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT).
Thursday, November 19, 2020 from
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EST).
Thursday, December 17, 2020 from
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EST).
ADDRESSES: To receive the call-in
number and passcode, please contact
the Board’s Designated Federal Officer
at the address or phone number listed
below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay
Nathwani, Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department
of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave. SW,
Washington, DC 20585. Phone number
(202) 586–9410, and email:
jay.nathwani@ee.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of the Board: To make
recommendations to the Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy
regarding goals and objectives,
programmatic and administrative
policies, and to otherwise carry out the
Board’s responsibilities as designated in
the State Energy Efficiency Programs
Improvement Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101–
440).
Tentative Agenda: Receive STEAB
Task Force updates on action items and
revised objectives for FY 2020, discuss
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SUMMARY:
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16:20 Mar 04, 2020
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follow-up opportunities and
engagement with EERE and other DOE
staff as needed to keep Task Force work
moving forward, continue engagement
with DOE, EERE and EPSA staff
regarding energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects and
initiatives, and receive updates on
member activities within their states.
Public Participation: The meeting is
open to the public. Written statements
may be filed with the Board either
before or after the meeting. Members of
the public who wish to make oral
statements pertaining to agenda items
should contact Jay Nathwani at the
address or telephone number listed
above. Requests to make oral comments
must be received five days prior to the
meeting; reasonable provision will be
made to include requested topic(s) on
the agenda. The Chair of the Board is
empowered to conduct the meeting in a
fashion that will facilitate the orderly
conduct of business.
Minutes: The minutes of the meeting
will be available for public review and
copying within 60 days on the STEAB
website at: https://www.energy.gov/eere/
steab/state-energy-advisory-board.
Signed in Washington, DC, on March 2,
2020.
LaTanya Butler,
Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–04549 Filed 3–4–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP20–47–000]
PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Penneast 2020 Amendment
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 PennEast 2020 Amendment Project
involving the construction and
operation of facilities by PennEast
Pipeline Company, LLC (PennEast). The
EA will discuss facilities to be built in
Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
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
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12911
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 the 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.
Eastern Time on March 30, 2020.
You can make a difference by
submitting your specific comments or
concerns regarding 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. 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 January 30, 2020, you
will need to file those comments in
Docket No. CP20–47–000 to ensure they
are considered as part of this
proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of this
proposed project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about
the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
proposed facilities. The company would
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
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.
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12912
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 44 / Thursday, March 5, 2020 / Notices
PennEast provided landowners with a
fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled
‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On
My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’
This fact sheet addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings. It is also available for
viewing on the FERC website
(www.ferc.gov) at https://www.ferc.gov/
resources/guides/gas/gas.pdf.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
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 three
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
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 located 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 particular project is
considered a ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’; 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 (CP20–47–
000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426
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Summary of the Proposed Project
PennEast proposes to amend their
Certificate Order that was issued on
January 19, 2018 under docket number
CP15–558–000. Additionally, PennEast
filed a previous amendment application
on February 1, 2019, proposing four
modifications to the certificated route in
Luzerne, Carbon, Monroe, and
Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania
(the ‘‘2019 Amendment Application’’).
The Commission has not yet issued an
order on the 2019 Amendment
Application. The 2019 Amendment
Application is under docket number
CP19–78–000 and is distinct from the
current proposed amendment.
The 2020 Amendment would consist
of the following: A new interconnection
facilities (Church Road Interconnects) in
Bethlehem Township, Northampton
County, Pennsylvania; a metering and
regulation station at approximate
milepost (MP) 68.2 of the certificated
route; and two separate interconnection
and measurement facilities.
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.1
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the new
interconnection facilities would disturb
about 2.6 acres of land, including a
permanent facility footprint of
approximately 2.1 acres and an
additional 0.5 acres of temporary
workspace. Following construction, the
temporary workspace would be restored
and revert to former uses.
The EA Process
The EA will discuss impacts that
could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the
proposed 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
reasonable alternatives to the proposed
project or portions of the project and
make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various
resource areas.
1 The appendices referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502–
8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary,
refer to the last page of this notice.
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Fmt 4703
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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 2 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 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 of this project
to formally cooperate in the preparation
of the EA.3 Agencies that would like to
request cooperating agency status
should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided under the Public
Participation section of this notice.
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 Pennsylvania State Historic
Preservation Office, 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.4 The EA
for this project will document findings
on the impacts on historic properties
and summarize the status of
consultations under section 106.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
Commission staff have already
identified several issues that deserve
attention based on a preliminary review
of the proposed facilities and the
environmental information provided by
PennEast. This preliminary list of issues
2 For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer
to the last page of this notice.
3 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or object included
in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of Historic Places.
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 44 / Thursday, March 5, 2020 / Notices
EventsList.aspx along with other related
information.
may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis:
• Purpose and need;
• project phasing;
• safety;
• proximity to schools;
• traffic;
• karst geology;
• air quality and noise; and
• cumulative impacts.
Dated: February 28, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020–04516 Filed 3–4–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
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, 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 2).
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC
website at www.ferc.gov using the
eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link,
click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the
docket number in the ‘‘Docket Number’’
field, excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
CP20–47). Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or (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/
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:20 Mar 04, 2020
Jkt 250001
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings #1
Take notice that the Commission
received the following exempt
wholesale generator filings:
Docket Numbers: EG20–86–000.
Applicants: Tejas Power Generation,
LLC.
Description: Notice of SelfCertification of Exempt Wholesale
Generator Status of Tejas Power
Generation, LLC.
Filed Date: 2/28/20.
Accession Number: 20200228–5245.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/20/20.
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric rate
filings:
Docket Numbers: ER10–1852–035.
Applicants: Florida Power & Light
Company.
Description: Notification of Change in
Status Out of Time of Florida Power &
Light Company.
Filed Date: 2/27/20.
Accession Number: 20200227–5297.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/19/20.
Docket Numbers: ER17–802–008.
Applicants: Exelon Generation
Company, LLC.
Description: Compliance filing:
Reactive Service Rate Schedule
Compliance Filing to be effective
9/20/2019.
Filed Date: 2/28/20.
Accession Number: 20200228–5111.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/20/20.
Docket Numbers: ER17–802–009.
Applicants: Exelon Generation
Company, LLC.
Description: Compliance filing:
Reactive Service Rate-Schedule
Compliance Filing to be effective
12/17/2019.
Filed Date: 2/28/20.
Accession Number: 20200228–5112.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/20/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–1106–000.
Applicants: Missisquoi, LLC.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
Missisquoi Change In Status to be
effective 2/27/2020.
Filed Date: 2/27/20.
Accession Number: 20200227–5224.
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12913
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/19/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–1107–000.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc., ITC
Midwest LLC.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
2020–02–27_SA 2945 ITC–IPL 1st Rev
FSA (J233 J514) to be effective 2/28/
2020.
Filed Date: 2/27/20.
Accession Number: 20200227–5241.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/19/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–1108–000.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.,
Ameren Illinois Company.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
2020–02–28_SA 2037 Ameren-Wabash
Valley (Citizens) 4th Rev WDS
Agreement to be effective 3/1/2020.
Filed Date: 2/28/20.
Accession Number: 20200228–5019.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/20/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–1109–000.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.,
Ameren Illinois Company.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
2020–02–28_SA 3028 Ameren IL-Prairie
Power Project#21 Buckley to be effective
4/29/2020.
Filed Date: 2/28/20.
Accession Number: 20200228–5038.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/20/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–1110–000.
Applicants: Southwest Power Pool,
Inc.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
1067R10 East Texas Electric Cooperative
NITSA and NOA to be effective
2/1/2020.
Filed Date: 2/28/20.
Accession Number: 20200228–5050.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/20/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–1111–000.
Applicants: Southwest Power Pool,
Inc.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
3434R2 East Texas Electric Cooperative
NITSA and NOA to be effective
2/1/2020.
Filed Date: 2/28/20.
Accession Number: 20200228–5064.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/20/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–1112–000.
Applicants: Allegheny Energy Supply
Company, LLC.
Description: Tariff Cancellation: Rate
schedule 2 cancel to be effective
1/30/2020.
Filed Date: 2/28/20.
Accession Number: 20200228–5088.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/20/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–1113–000.
Applicants: Southwest Power Pool,
Inc.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: 3616
Iron Star Wind Project/ITC Great Plains
E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 44 (Thursday, March 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12911-12913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04516]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP20-47-000]
PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Penneast 2020 Amendment
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 PennEast 2020 Amendment
Project involving the construction and operation of facilities by
PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC (PennEast). The EA will discuss
facilities to be built in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. 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 the
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.
Eastern Time on March 30, 2020.
You can make a difference by submitting your specific comments or
concerns regarding 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.
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 January 30, 2020, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP20-47-000 to ensure they are considered as
part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 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.
[[Page 12912]]
PennEast provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I
Need To Know?'' This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked
questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate
in the Commission's proceedings. It is also available for viewing on
the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/gas/gas.pdf.
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 three 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 located 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 particular project is considered a ``Comment
on a Filing''; 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
(CP20-47-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426
Summary of the Proposed Project
PennEast proposes to amend their Certificate Order that was issued
on January 19, 2018 under docket number CP15-558-000. Additionally,
PennEast filed a previous amendment application on February 1, 2019,
proposing four modifications to the certificated route in Luzerne,
Carbon, Monroe, and Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania (the ``2019
Amendment Application''). The Commission has not yet issued an order on
the 2019 Amendment Application. The 2019 Amendment Application is under
docket number CP19-78-000 and is distinct from the current proposed
amendment.
The 2020 Amendment would consist of the following: A new
interconnection facilities (Church Road Interconnects) in Bethlehem
Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania; a metering and regulation
station at approximate milepost (MP) 68.2 of the certificated route;
and two separate interconnection and measurement facilities.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to all those
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the Commission's Public
Reference Room, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, or call
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to
the last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the new interconnection facilities would disturb
about 2.6 acres of land, including a permanent facility footprint of
approximately 2.1 acres and an additional 0.5 acres of temporary
workspace. Following construction, the temporary workspace would be
restored and revert to former uses.
The EA Process
The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the proposed 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 reasonable alternatives to the
proposed project or portions of the project and make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
The EA will present Commission staffs' independent analysis of the
issues. The EA will be available in electronic format in the public
record through eLibrary \2\ 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 address
your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public
Participation section, beginning on page 2.
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\2\ 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 of this project to formally cooperate in the
preparation of the EA.\3\ Agencies that would like to request
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this
notice.
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\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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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 Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office,
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.\4\ The EA for this project will
document findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize
the status of consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues
Commission staff have already identified several issues that
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed
facilities and the environmental information provided by PennEast. This
preliminary list of issues
[[Page 12913]]
may be changed based on your comments and our analysis:
Purpose and need;
project phasing;
safety;
proximity to schools;
traffic;
karst geology;
air quality and noise; and
cumulative impacts.
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, 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 2).
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC website at www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number
in the ``Docket Number'' field, excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
CP20-47). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
[email protected] or (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: February 28, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-04516 Filed 3-4-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
