Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline Amendment Project, 46695-46696 [2021-17782]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 158 / Thursday, August 19, 2021 / Notices
Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis.
April 2022.
Final amendments to the application
must be filed with the Commission no
later than 30 days from the issuance
date of the notice of ready for
environmental analysis.
Dated: August 13, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–17786 Filed 8–18–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP21–57–000]
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC; Notice
of Availability of the Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed
Mountain Valley Pipeline Amendment
Project
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an
environmental assessment (EA) for the
Mountain Valley Pipeline Amendment
Project (Amendment Project), proposed
by Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC
(Mountain Valley) in the abovereferenced docket. Mountain Valley
requests authorization to change the
crossing method of specific waterbodies
and wetlands from open-cut dry
crossings (as authorized by its October
13, 2017 Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity [Certificate])
to trenchless methods (conventional
bore, guided conventional bore, or
Direct Pipe® 1). In addition, Mountain
Valley requests authorization for two
minor route adjustments to avoid
wetlands and waterbodies and
authorization to conduct nighttime
construction at eight trenchless
crossings.
The EA assesses the potential
environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the
Amendment Project in accordance with
the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
FERC staff concludes that approval of
the proposed project, with appropriate
mitigating measures, would not
constitute a major federal action
significantly affecting the quality of the
human environment.
1 Direct Pipe® is a construction method
developed by Herrenknecht AG that combines
microtunneling and horizontal direction drill
(HDD).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:28 Aug 18, 2021
Jkt 253001
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(COE) is a federal cooperating agency
who assisted us in preparing this EA
because they have jurisdiction by law or
special expertise with respect to impacts
to waters of the U.S. The COE may
adopt the EA per 40 CFR 1501.8 if, after
an independent review of the document,
it concludes that their requirements
and/or regulatory responsibilities have
been satisfied. However, the COE would
present its own conclusions and
recommendations in its respective and
applicable records of decision or
determinations. Otherwise, it may elect
to conduct its own supplemental
environmental analyses.
The proposed Amendment Project
includes the following:
• 120 trenchless crossings (117
conventional bores, 2 guided
conventional bores, and 1 Direct Pipe®)
of 47 wetlands and 136 streams in
Wetzel, Lewis, Webster, Nicholas,
Greenbrier, Summers, and Monroe
counties, West Virginia and Giles,
Montgomery, Roanoke, Franklin, and
Pittsylvania, counties, Virginia;
• avoidance of one wetland via a shift
in the permanent operational right-ofway at MP 0.70;
• avoidance of one waterbody due to
a route adjustment at MP 230.8; and
• 24-hour construction activities at
the previously authorized Gauley River
and Roanoke River, two guided
conventional bore crossings, the Direct
Pipe® crossing, and three conventional
bore locations.
The Commission mailed a copy of the
Notice of Availability to federal, state,
and local government representatives
and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American tribes;
potentially affected landowners and
other interested individuals and groups;
and newspapers and libraries in the
project area. The EA is only available in
electronic format. It may be viewed and
downloaded from the FERC’s website
(www.ferc.gov), on the natural gas
environmental documents page (https://
www.ferc.gov/industries-data/naturalgas/environment/environmentaldocuments). In addition, the EA may be
accessed by using the eLibrary link on
the FERC’s website. Click on the
eLibrary link (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/
eLibrary/search), select ‘‘General
Search’’ and enter the docket number in
the ‘‘Docket Number’’ field, (i.e., CP21–
57). 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
46695
The EA is not a decision document.
It presents Commission staff’s
independent analysis of the
environmental issues for the
Commission to consider when
addressing the merits of all issues in
this proceeding. Any person wishing to
comment on the EA may do so. Your
comments should focus on the EA’s
disclosure and discussion of potential
environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or
lessen environmental impacts. The more
specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. To ensure that the
Commission has the opportunity to
consider your comments prior to
making its decision on this project, it is
important that we receive your
comments in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
September 13, 2021.
For your convenience, there are three
methods you can use to file 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 on the Commission’s website
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC
Online. This is an easy method for
submitting brief, text-only comments on
a project;
(2) You can also file your comments
electronically using the eFiling feature
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 must select the type of
filing you are making. If you are filing
a comment on a particular project,
please select ‘‘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 (CP21–57–000)
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.
Filing environmental comments will
not give you intervenor status, but you
E:\FR\FM\19AUN1.SGM
19AUN1
46696
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 158 / Thursday, August 19, 2021 / Notices
do not need intervenor status to have
your comments considered. Only
intervenors have the right to seek
rehearing or judicial review of the
Commission’s decision. At this point in
this proceeding, the timeframe for filing
timely intervention requests has
expired. Any person seeking to become
a party to the proceeding must file a
motion to intervene out-of-time
pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and
(d)) and show good cause why the time
limitation should be waived. Motions to
intervene are more fully described at
https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/ferconline/how-guides.
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. The eLibrary link also
provides access to the texts of all formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission offers a
free service called eSubscription which
allows you to keep track of all formal
issuances and submittals in specific
dockets. This can reduce the amount of
time you spend researching proceedings
by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document
summaries, and direct links to the
documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/
ferc-online/overview to register for
eSubscription.
Dated: August 13, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–17782 Filed 8–18–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 2433–125]
Wisconsin Public Service Corporation;
Notice of Application Accepted for
Filing and Soliciting Comments,
Motions To Intervene, and Protests
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
August 13, 2021.
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection:
a. Type of Application: Reservoir
Drawdown Plan.
b. Project No.: 2433–125.
c. Date Filed: July 28, 2021.
d. Applicant: Wisconsin Public
Service Corporation.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:28 Aug 18, 2021
Jkt 253001
e. Name of Project: Grand Rapids
Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The project is located on
the Menominee River in Marinette
County, Wisconsin, and Menominee
County, Michigan.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act 16 U.S.C. 791a–825r.
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. James
Nuthals, Principal Environmental
Consultant, Wisconsin Public Service
Corporation, 700 North Adams Street,
P.O. Box 19001, Green Bay, WI 54307–
9001; (920) 433–1460; james.nuthals@
wecenergygroup.com.
i. FERC Contact: Linda Stewart, (202)
502–8184, linda.stewart@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing comments,
motions to intervene, and protests:
August 30, 2021.
The Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing. Please file comments,
motions to intervene, and protests using
the Commission’s eFiling system at
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp. Commenters can submit
brief comments up to 6,000 characters,
without prior registration, using the
eComment system at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ecomment.asp. You must include your
name and contact information at the end
of your comments. 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, you
may submit a paper copy. 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. The first
page of any filing should include the
docket number P–2433–125. Comments
emailed to Commission staff are not
considered part of the Commission
record.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure require all intervenors
filing documents with the Commission
to serve a copy of that document on
each person whose name appears 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, it must also
serve a copy of the document on that
resource agency.
k. Description of Request: Wisconsin
Public Service Corporation (licensee)
requests approval of its filed Reservoir
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Drawdown Plan, which would allow the
licensee to lower the reservoir in order
to repair damaged flashboards on the
overflow spillway. The licensee
proposes to draw down the reservoir to
a target elevation of 661.45 feet, which
is 3 feet below the required minimum
reservoir water surface elevation. The
licensee would begin the drawdown on
or before September 7, 2021, and return
the reservoir to its normal operating
elevation the week of October 4, 2021.
The minimum flow requirement under
Article 402 of the license would be
maintained during the drawdown
period; however, the run-of-river
operation and reservoir water surface
elevation requirements under Article
401 would be temporarily modified
during the drawdown period.
l. Locations of the Application: This
filing 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. 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, call 1–866–208–3676 or
email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for
TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Agencies may
obtain copies of the application directly
from the applicant.
m. Individuals desiring to be included
on the Commission’s mailing list should
so indicate by writing to the Secretary
of the Commission.
n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to
Intervene: Anyone may submit
comments, a protest, or a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
requirements of Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214,
respectively. 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 comments, protests, or
motions to intervene must be received
on or before the specified comment date
for the particular application.
o. Filing and Service of Documents:
Any filing must (1) bear in all capital
letters the title ‘‘COMMENTS’’,
‘‘PROTEST’’, or ‘‘MOTION TO
INTERVENE’’ as applicable; (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
commenting, protesting, or intervening;
E:\FR\FM\19AUN1.SGM
19AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 158 (Thursday, August 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46695-46696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17782]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP21-57-000]
Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Availability of the
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline
Amendment Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the
Mountain Valley Pipeline Amendment Project (Amendment Project),
proposed by Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (Mountain Valley) in the
above-referenced docket. Mountain Valley requests authorization to
change the crossing method of specific waterbodies and wetlands from
open-cut dry crossings (as authorized by its October 13, 2017
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity [Certificate]) to
trenchless methods (conventional bore, guided conventional bore, or
Direct Pipe[supreg] \1\). In addition, Mountain Valley requests
authorization for two minor route adjustments to avoid wetlands and
waterbodies and authorization to conduct nighttime construction at
eight trenchless crossings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Direct Pipe[supreg] is a construction method developed by
Herrenknecht AG that combines microtunneling and horizontal
direction drill (HDD).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the Amendment Project in accordance with
the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed project, with
appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a major federal
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is a federal cooperating
agency who assisted us in preparing this EA because they have
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to impacts to
waters of the U.S. The COE may adopt the EA per 40 CFR 1501.8 if, after
an independent review of the document, it concludes that their
requirements and/or regulatory responsibilities have been satisfied.
However, the COE would present its own conclusions and recommendations
in its respective and applicable records of decision or determinations.
Otherwise, it may elect to conduct its own supplemental environmental
analyses.
The proposed Amendment Project includes the following:
120 trenchless crossings (117 conventional bores, 2 guided
conventional bores, and 1 Direct Pipe[supreg]) of 47 wetlands and 136
streams in Wetzel, Lewis, Webster, Nicholas, Greenbrier, Summers, and
Monroe counties, West Virginia and Giles, Montgomery, Roanoke,
Franklin, and Pittsylvania, counties, Virginia;
avoidance of one wetland via a shift in the permanent
operational right-of-way at MP 0.70;
avoidance of one waterbody due to a route adjustment at MP
230.8; and
24-hour construction activities at the previously
authorized Gauley River and Roanoke River, two guided conventional bore
crossings, the Direct Pipe[supreg] crossing, and three conventional
bore locations.
The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to
federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies;
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native
American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested
individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the project
area. The EA is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed
and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the natural
gas environmental documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents). In addition, the EA
may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click
on the eLibrary link (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search),
select ``General Search'' and enter the docket number in the ``Docket
Number'' field, (i.e., CP21-57). 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 EA is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's
independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to
consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding.
Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments should
focus on the EA's disclosure and discussion of potential environmental
effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. To ensure that the Commission has the opportunity to
consider your comments prior to making its decision on this project, it
is important that we receive your comments in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 13, 2021.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file
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 on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
FERC Online. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You can also file your comments electronically using the
eFiling feature 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 must select the type of filing you are making. If
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select
``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-
57-000) 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.
Filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status,
but you
[[Page 46696]]
do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Only
intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the
Commission's decision. At this point in this proceeding, the timeframe
for filing timely intervention requests has expired. Any person seeking
to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene
out-of-time pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the Commission's
Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and (d)) and
show good cause why the time limitation should be waived. Motions to
intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/ferc-online/how-guides.
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. The eLibrary link
also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to
the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to
register for eSubscription.
Dated: August 13, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-17782 Filed 8-18-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P