Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period and Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Amendment to the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project, 15215-15217 [2021-05862]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 53 / Monday, March 22, 2021 / Notices
Filed Date: 3/16/21.
Accession Number: 20210316–5014.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/6/21.
Docket Numbers: ER21–1447–000.
Applicants: Rochester Gas and
Electric Corporation.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
Amendment to RGE–RED, RGE–RED
Borderline Service Agreement to be
effective 3/8/2021.
Filed Date: 3/16/21.
Accession Number: 20210316–5096.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/6/21.
Docket Numbers: ER21–1448–000.
Applicants: PJM Interconnection,
L.L.C.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
Original ISA, SA No. 5993; Queue No.
NQ–166 to be effective 2/22/2021.
Filed Date: 3/16/21.
Accession Number: 20210316–5100.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/6/21.
Docket Numbers: ER21–1449–000.
Applicants: Tri-State Generation and
Transmission Association, Inc.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: Rate
Schedule FERC No. 323, Board Policy
No. 125 to be effective 3/17/2021.
Filed Date: 3/16/21.
Accession Number: 20210316–5125.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/6/21.
Docket Numbers: ER21–1450–000.
Applicants: Duke Energy Ohio, Inc.,
Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc., PJM
Interconnection, L.L.C.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
DEOK submits Revisions to PJM Tariff
re: Materials & Supplies Inventory to be
effective 5/16/2021.
Filed Date: 3/16/21.
Accession Number: 20210316–5124.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/6/21.
Take notice that the Commission
received the following PURPA
210(m)(3) filings:
Docket Numbers: QM21–11–000.
Applicants: Southern Maryland
Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Description: Application to Terminate
the Obligation to Purchase Power From
Certain Qualifying Facilities of Southern
Maryland Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Filed Date: 3/12/21.
Accession Number: 20210312–5365.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/9/21.
The filings are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system (https://
elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/
fercgensearch.asp) by querying the
docket number.
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
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Protests may be considered, but
intervention is necessary to become a
party to the proceeding.
eFiling is encouraged. More detailed
information relating to filing
requirements, interventions, protests,
service, and qualifying facilities filings
can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For
other information, call (866) 208–3676
(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659.
Dated: March 16, 2021.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–05892 Filed 3–19–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP21–057–000]
Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC; Notice
of Scoping Period and Requesting
Comments on Environmental Issues
for the Proposed Amendment to the
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity for the Mountain Valley
Pipeline Project
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental document, that will
discuss the environmental impacts of
the Amendment to the Certificate of
Public Convenience and Necessity for
the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project
(Amendment Project) involving
construction and operation of facilities
by Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC
(Mountain Valley) in Wetzel, Lewis,
Webster, Nicholas, Greenbrier,
Summers, and Monroe Counties, West
Virginia and Giles, Montgomery,
Roanoke, Franklin, and Pittsylvania
Counties, Virginia. The Commission
will use this environmental document
in its decision-making process.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public
and interested agencies regarding the
amendment. As part of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
review process, the Commission takes
into account concerns the public may
have about proposals and the
environmental impacts that could result
from its action whenever it considers
the issuance or amendment of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. This gathering of public
input is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The
main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the environmental
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15215
document on the important
environmental issues. Additional
information about the Commission’s
NEPA process is described below in the
NEPA Process and Environmental
Document section of this notice.
By this notice, the Commission
requests public comments on the scope
of issues to address in the
environmental document. 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 pm Eastern Time on April
15, 2021. Comments may be submitted
in written form. Further details on how
to submit comments are provided in the
Public Participation section of this
notice.
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 environmental
document. Commission staff will
consider all written comments during
the preparation of the environmental
document.
If you submitted comments on this
project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on February 19,
2021, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP21–057–000
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, the Natural Gas Act conveys
the right of eminent domain to the
company. 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. The
Commission does not subsequently
grant, exercise, or oversee the exercise
of that eminent domain authority. The
courts have exclusive authority to
handle eminent domain cases; the
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 53 / Monday, March 22, 2021 / Notices
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Commission has no jurisdiction over
these matters.
Mountain Valley 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?’’ which addresses
typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings. This fact sheet along with
other landowner topics of interest are
available for viewing on the FERC
website (www.ferc.gov) under the
Natural Gas Questions or Landowner
Topics link.
Public Participation
There are three methods you can use
to submit your comments to the
Commission. Please carefully follow
these instructions so that your
comments are properly recorded. The
Commission encourages electronic filing
of comments and has staff available to
assist you at (866) 208–3676 or
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov.
(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 FERC Online. 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 FERC Online. 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
Commission. Be sure to reference the
project docket number (CP21–057–000)
on your letter. Submissions sent via the
U.S. Postal Service must be addressed
to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426. Submissions sent via any
other carrier must be addressed to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225
Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland
20852.
Additionally, 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
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18:46 Mar 19, 2021
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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. Go to https://
www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to
register for eSubscription.
Summary of the Proposed Project
On October 13, 2017, the FERC issued
a Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity for the Mountain Valley
Pipeline Project under docket CP16–
010–000. The Mountain Valley Pipeline
Project consists of approximately 303.5
miles of new natural gas pipeline and
multiple aboveground facilities located
in West Virginia and Virginia.
The Certificate of Public Convenience
and Necessity for the Mountain Valley
Pipeline Project authorized open-cut
crossings for wetlands and waterbodies
within the construction right-of-way.
With the Amendment Project, Mountain
Valley proposes to change the crossing
method for specific wetlands and
waterbodies to one of several trenchless
crossing methods. In addition,
Mountain Valley proposes two minor
route adjustments to avoid crossing
wetlands and waterbodies.
Specifically, the Amendment Project
would consist of the following:
• 120 trenchless crossings of 182
waterbodies and wetlands (this includes
117 conventional bore crossings, 2
Direct Pipe crossings, and 1 guided
conventional bore crossing);
• a minor route adjustment near
milepost 230.8 to avoid the need to
cross a waterbody; and
• a minor workspace adjustment near
milepost 0.70 to avoid the need to cross
a wetland.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the trenchless
pipeline crossings would not result in a
change of land requirements compared
to the previously Certificated Mountain
Valley Pipeline Project. The minor route
adjustment near milepost 230.8 would
require approximately 0.13 acre for
construction and 0.04 acre for operation
outside of the previously reviewed
workspace for the Certificated Mountain
Valley Pipeline Project. The workspace
shift near milepost 0.70 would not
result in additional impacts outside of
the already certificated construction and
permanent work areas for the Mountain
Valley Pipeline Project.
NEPA Process and the Environmental
Document
Any environmental document issued
by the Commission will discuss impacts
that could occur as a result of the
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construction and operation of the
proposed project under the relevant
general resource areas:
• Geology and soils;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• threatened and endangered species;
• cultural resources;
• land use;
• air quality and noise; and
• reliability and safety.
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
Mountain Valley. This preliminary list
of issues may change based on your
comments and our analysis:
• Protection of water resources and
wetlands during the trenchless
crossings;
• noise impacts and air emissions
from construction; and
• potential impacts on groundwater
from temporary dewatering activities.
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. Your comments will
help Commission staff identify and
focus on the issues that might have an
effect on the human environment and
potentially eliminate others from further
study and discussion in the
environmental document.
Following this scoping period,
Commission staff will determine
whether to prepare an Environmental
Assessment (EA) or an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the
EIS will present Commission staff’s
independent analysis of the issues. If
Commission staff prepares an EA, a
Notice of Schedule for the Preparation
of an Environmental Assessment will be
issued. The EA may be issued for an
allotted public comment period. The
Commission would consider timely
comments on the EA before making its
decision regarding the proposed project.
If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a
Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/
Notice of Schedule will be issued,
which will open up an additional
comment period. Staff will then prepare
a draft EIS which will be issued for
public comment. Commission staff will
consider all timely comments received
during the comment period on the draft
EIS and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS.
Any EA or draft and final EIS will be
available in electronic format in the
public record through eLibrary 1 and the
1 For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer
to the last page of this notice.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 53 / Monday, March 22, 2021 / Notices
Commission’s natural gas
environmental documents web page
(https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/
natural-gas/environment/
environmental-documents). If
eSubscribed, you will receive instant
email notification when the
environmental document is issued.
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 environmental document.2
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.3
The environmental document for this
project will document findings on the
impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations
under section 106.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD 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; and
other interested parties. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as
defined in the Commission’s
regulations) who are potential right-ofway 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 and includes a mailing address
with their comments. Commission staff
will update the environmental mailing
2 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Section 1501.8.
3 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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18:46 Mar 19, 2021
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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 proposed
project.
If you need to make changes to your
name/address, or if you would like to
remove your name from the mailing list,
please complete one of the following:
(1) Send an email to
GasProjectAddressChange@ferc.gov
stating your request. You must include
the docket number XXXX–XX–XXX in
your request. If you are requesting a
change to your address, please be sure
to include your name and the correct
address. If you are requesting to delete
your address from the mailing list,
please include your name and address
as it appeared on this notice. This email
address is unable to accept comments;
OR
(2) Return the attached ‘‘Mailing List
Update Form’’ (appendix 1).4
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. 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 https://www.ferc.gov/newsevents/events along with other related
information.
Dated: March 16, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–05862 Filed 3–19–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
4 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’’. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this
notice. At this time, the Commission has suspended
access to the Commission’s Public Reference Room
due to the proclamation declaring a National
Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus
Disease (COVID–19), issued by the President on
March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll free, (886)
208–3676 or TTY (202) 502–8659.
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15217
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER21–1396–000]
Sugar Solar, 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 proceeding of Sugar
Solar, LLC’s application for marketbased 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 April 5,
2021.
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
may mail similar pleadings to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE, Washington, DC
20426. Hand delivered submissions in
docketed proceedings should be
delivered to Health and Human
Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue,
Rockville, Maryland 20852.
In addition to publishing the full text
of this document in the Federal
Register, the Commission provides all
interested persons an opportunity to
view and/or print the contents of this
document via the internet through the
Commission’s Home Page (https://
www.ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link.
Enter the docket number excluding the
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 53 (Monday, March 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15215-15217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05862]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP21-057-000]
Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period and
Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Amendment
to the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Mountain
Valley Pipeline Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental document, that will discuss
the environmental impacts of the Amendment to the Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project
(Amendment Project) involving construction and operation of facilities
by Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (Mountain Valley) in Wetzel, Lewis,
Webster, Nicholas, Greenbrier, Summers, and Monroe Counties, West
Virginia and Giles, Montgomery, Roanoke, Franklin, and Pittsylvania
Counties, Virginia. The Commission will use this environmental document
in its decision-making process.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies regarding the amendment. As part of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) review process, the Commission takes into account
concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental
impacts that could result from its action whenever it considers the
issuance or amendment of a Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. This gathering of public input is referred to as
``scoping.'' The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the
analysis in the environmental document on the important environmental
issues. Additional information about the Commission's NEPA process is
described below in the NEPA Process and Environmental Document section
of this notice.
By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the
scope of issues to address in the environmental document. 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 pm Eastern Time on April 15, 2021. Comments may be
submitted in written form. Further details on how to submit comments
are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
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 environmental document. Commission
staff will consider all written comments during the preparation of the
environmental document.
If you submitted comments on this project to the Commission before
the opening of this docket on February 19, 2021, you will need to file
those comments in Docket No. CP21-057-000 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, the Natural Gas Act conveys the right of eminent
domain to the company. 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. The Commission does
not subsequently grant, exercise, or oversee the exercise of that
eminent domain authority. The courts have exclusive authority to handle
eminent domain cases; the
[[Page 15216]]
Commission has no jurisdiction over these matters.
Mountain Valley 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?'' which addresses typically asked questions,
including the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the
Commission's proceedings. This fact sheet along with other landowner
topics of interest are available for viewing on the FERC website
(www.ferc.gov) under the Natural Gas Questions or Landowner Topics
link.
Public Participation
There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the
Commission. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your
comments are properly recorded. The Commission encourages electronic
filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 or [email protected].
(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 FERC Online. 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 FERC Online. 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 Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP21-
057-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service
must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Additionally, 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. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.
Summary of the Proposed Project
On October 13, 2017, the FERC issued a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project
under docket CP16-010-000. The Mountain Valley Pipeline Project
consists of approximately 303.5 miles of new natural gas pipeline and
multiple aboveground facilities located in West Virginia and Virginia.
The Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the
Mountain Valley Pipeline Project authorized open-cut crossings for
wetlands and waterbodies within the construction right-of-way. With the
Amendment Project, Mountain Valley proposes to change the crossing
method for specific wetlands and waterbodies to one of several
trenchless crossing methods. In addition, Mountain Valley proposes two
minor route adjustments to avoid crossing wetlands and waterbodies.
Specifically, the Amendment Project would consist of the following:
120 trenchless crossings of 182 waterbodies and wetlands
(this includes 117 conventional bore crossings, 2 Direct Pipe
crossings, and 1 guided conventional bore crossing);
a minor route adjustment near milepost 230.8 to avoid the
need to cross a waterbody; and
a minor workspace adjustment near milepost 0.70 to avoid
the need to cross a wetland.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the trenchless pipeline crossings would not result
in a change of land requirements compared to the previously
Certificated Mountain Valley Pipeline Project. The minor route
adjustment near milepost 230.8 would require approximately 0.13 acre
for construction and 0.04 acre for operation outside of the previously
reviewed workspace for the Certificated Mountain Valley Pipeline
Project. The workspace shift near milepost 0.70 would not result in
additional impacts outside of the already certificated construction and
permanent work areas for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project.
NEPA Process and the Environmental Document
Any environmental document issued by the Commission will discuss
impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation
of the proposed project under the relevant general resource areas:
Geology and soils;
water resources and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
threatened and endangered species;
cultural resources;
land use;
air quality and noise; and
reliability and safety.
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 Mountain
Valley. This preliminary list of issues may change based on your
comments and our analysis:
Protection of water resources and wetlands during the
trenchless crossings;
noise impacts and air emissions from construction; and
potential impacts on groundwater from temporary dewatering
activities.
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. Your
comments will help Commission staff identify and focus on the issues
that might have an effect on the human environment and potentially
eliminate others from further study and discussion in the environmental
document.
Following this scoping period, Commission staff will determine
whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the EIS will present Commission
staff's independent analysis of the issues. If Commission staff
prepares an EA, a Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an
Environmental Assessment will be issued. The EA may be issued for an
allotted public comment period. The Commission would consider timely
comments on the EA before making its decision regarding the proposed
project. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of Intent to
Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule will be issued, which will open up an
additional comment period. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS which
will be issued for public comment. Commission staff will consider all
timely comments received during the comment period on the draft EIS and
revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any EA
or draft and final EIS will be available in electronic format in the
public record through eLibrary \1\ and the
[[Page 15217]]
Commission's natural gas environmental documents web page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents). If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email notification
when the environmental document is issued.
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\1\ 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 environmental document.\2\ 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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\2\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Section 1501.8.
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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.\3\ The environmental document 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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\3\ 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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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; and
other interested parties. 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
and includes a mailing address with their comments. 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 proposed project.
If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please complete one of
the following:
(1) Send an email to [email protected] stating your
request. You must include the docket number XXXX-XX-XXX in your
request. If you are requesting a change to your address, please be sure
to include your name and the correct address. If you are requesting to
delete your address from the mailing list, please include your name and
address as it appeared on this notice. This email address is unable to
accept comments;
OR
(2) Return the attached ``Mailing List Update Form'' (appendix
1).\4\
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\4\ 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''. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice. At
this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's
Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a National
Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19),
issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact
FERC at [email protected] or call toll free, (886) 208-3676
or TTY (202) 502-8659.
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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 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. 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 https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events along with
other related information.
Dated: March 16, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-05862 Filed 3-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
