Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Planned Southside Reliability Enhancement Project and Notice of Public Virtual Scoping Session, 72949-72952 [2021-27789]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 244 / Thursday, December 23, 2021 / Notices
designated the information collection
activities in the rule as FERC–517. Upon
final approval of FERC–517, OMB will
assign an OMB Control Number and
expiration date.
Send written comments on FERC–517
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) through www.reginfo.gov/public/
do/PRAMain, Attention: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer.
Please identify the OMB control number
(1902–TBD) in the subject line. Your
comments should be sent within 30
days of publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. OMB submissions
must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines
at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Using the search function under the
‘‘Currently Under Review field,’’ select
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;
click ‘‘submit’’ and select ‘‘comment’’ to
the right of the subject collection.
For assistance with any of the
Commission’s online systems, please
contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at (866) 208–3676, or for TTY, contact
(202) 502–8258.
Dated: December 16, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–27776 Filed 12–22–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 15249–000]
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Notice of Preliminary Permit
Application Accepted for Filing and
Soliciting Comments, Motions To
Intervene, and Competing
Applications; Lewis Ridge Pumped
Storage, LLC
On November 22, 2021, Lewis Ridge
Pumped Storage, LLC., filed an
application for a preliminary permit,
pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal
Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the
feasibility of a pumped storage
hydropower project located in Bell
County, Kentucky. The sole purpose of
a preliminary permit, if issued, is to
grant the permit holder priority to file
a license application during the permit
term. A preliminary permit does not
authorize the permit holder to perform
any land-disturbing activities or
otherwise enter upon lands or waters
owned by others without the owners’
express permission.
The proposed Lewis Ridge Pumped
Storage Hydroelectric Project would
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consist of the following: (1) A 5,700foot-long, 77-foot-high zoned rockfill
embankment ring dike; (2) an upper
reservoir with a surface area of 30 acres
and a storage capacity of 2,300 acre-feet;
(3) a 4,987-foot-long, 20-foot-diameter
power tunnel; (4) a 120-foot-high, 30foot-diameter steel surge tower; (5) a
420-foot-long, 80-foot-wide powerhouse
containing four 54-megawatt (MW)
reversible pump-turbines with a total
capacity of 216 MW; (6) a 1,700-footlong, 3.5-foot-diameter pipeline from a
concrete pump station on the
Cumberland River for fill/refill water;
(7) a 1,400-foot-long, 100-foot-high
zoned rockfill dam with a 5,900-footlong, 10-foot-high zoned rockfill
embankment ring dike surrounding (8) a
23 acre lower reservoir with a storage
capacity of 2,300 acre-feet; and (9) a 1.3mile-long, 161 kilovolt overhead
transmission line. The proposed project
would have an estimated annual
generation of 605,000 megawatt-hours.
Applicant Contact: Nate Sandvig,
Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage, LLC., 220
NW 8th Ave., Portland, OR 97209;
phone: (503) 309–2496, email: nathan@
ryedevelopment.com.
FERC Contact: Michael Spencer;
phone: (202) 502–6093, or by email at
michael.spencer@ferc.gov.
Deadline for filing comments, motions
to intervene, competing applications
(without notices of intent), or notices of
intent to file competing applications: 60
days from the issuance of this notice.
Competing applications and notices of
intent must meet the requirements of 18
CFR 4.36.
The Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing. Please file comments,
motions to intervene, notices of intent,
and competing applications using the
Commission’s eFiling system at https://
ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx.
Commenters can submit brief comments
up to 6,000 characters, without prior
registration, using the eComment system
at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/
QuickComment.aspx. 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
PO 00000
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72949
Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland
20852.
More information about this project,
including a copy of the application, can
be viewed or printed on the ‘‘eLibrary’’
link of the Commission’s website at
https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search.
Enter the docket number (P–15249) in
the docket number field to access the
document. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
Dated: December 16, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–27780 Filed 12–22–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF22–1–000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Company, LLC; Notice of Scoping
Period Requesting Comments on
Environmental Issues for the Planned
Southside Reliability Enhancement
Project and Notice of Public Virtual
Scoping Session
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental document that will
discuss the environmental impacts of
the Southside Reliability Enhancement
Project involving construction and
operation of facilities by
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Company, LLC (Transco) in
Mecklenburg and Pittsylvania Counties,
Virginia, and Davidson, Hertford, and
Iredell Counties, North Carolina. The
Commission will use this environmental
document 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 regarding the
project. 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 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.
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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 p.m. Eastern Time on
January 14, 2022. Comments may be
submitted in written or oral form.
Further details on how to submit
written or oral 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 or verbal 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 October 1,
2021, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. PF22–1–000 to
ensure they are considered.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment
on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about
the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
planned facilities. The company would
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
easement agreement. You are not
required to enter into an agreement.
However, if the Commission approves
the project, 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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Commission has no jurisdiction over
these matters.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ 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 links to Natural Gas Questions or
Landowner Topics.
Public Participation
There are four 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 also 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;’’
(3) You can file a paper copy of your
comments by mailing them to the
Commission. Be sure to reference the
project docket number (PF22–1–000) 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; or
(4) In lieu of sending written
comments, the Commission invites you
to attend a virtual public scoping
session its staff will conduct by
telephone, scheduled as follows:
Date: Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Time: 6–8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
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Dial-in Number: 888–604–9359
Participant passcode: 8998724
The primary goal of the scoping
session is to have you identify the
specific environmental issues and
concerns that should be considered in
the environmental document.
Individual oral comments will be taken
on a one-on-one basis with a court
reporter present on the line. This format
is designed to receive the maximum
amount of oral comments, in a
convenient way during the timeframe
allotted, and is in response to the
ongoing COVID–19 pandemic.
There will not be a formal
presentation by Commission staff. The
scoping session is scheduled from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
You may call at any time after 6 p.m. at
which time you will be placed on mute
and hold. Calls will be answered in the
order they are received. Once answered,
you will have the opportunity to
provide your comment directly to a
court reporter with FERC staff or
representative present on the line. A
time limit of five minutes will be
implemented for each commentor.
Transcripts of all comments received
during the scoping session will be
publicly available on FERC’s eLibrary
system (see the last page of this notice
for instructions on using eLibrary).
It is important to note that the
Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received,
whether filed in written form or
provided verbally at a virtual scoping
session. Although there will not be a
formal presentation, Commission staff
may answer questions about the
environmental review process during
individual’s time with the court
reporter.
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 Planned Project
Transco plans to modify two existing
compressor stations and three existing
meter stations and construct and operate
one new 30,500 horsepower (hp)
compressor station in North Carolina
and Virginia. The general location of the
planned project facilities is shown in
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appendix 1.1 Specifically, the Southside
Reliability Enhancement Project would
consist of the following facilities:
• Installation of a new compressor
station (Compressor Station 168) which
includes one new 30,500 hp electric
motor-driven compressor unit, and
installation of new mainline valves on
South Virginia Lateral A-Line and BLine at the new Compressor Station 168
in Mecklenburg County, Virginia;
• Addition of one 16,000 hp electric
motor-driven compressor unit at
existing Compressor Station 166 in
Pittsylvania County, Virginia;
• Installation of piping modifications
to allow for flow reversal at existing
Compressor Station 155 in Davidson
County, North Carolina;
• Replacement of one meter run to
increase delivery volumes by 40,000
dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of natural
gas at the existing Ahoskie meter and
regulatory (M&R) station in Hertford
County, North Carolina;
• Installation of new facilities to
increase delivery volumes by 120,000
Dth/d at the existing Pleasant Hill M&R
station in Northampton County, North
Carolina; and
• Upgrade meter and controls and
debottleneck piping to increase delivery
volumes by 263,400 Dth/d at the
existing Iredell M&R station in Iredell
County, North Carolina.
The Southside Reliability
Enhancement Project would enable
Transco to provide 160,000 Dth/d of
incremental firm transportation capacity
from Transco’s Compressor Station 165
in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and
263,400 Dth/d from the Pine Needle
storage facility to delivery points in
North Carolina. As described by
Transco, the total delivery capacity of
423,400 Dth/d would reduce supply
constraints when natural gas demand is
the highest, support overall reliability
and diversification of energy
infrastructure in the mid-Atlantic, and
benefit the public by promoting
competitive markets and increasing the
security of natural gas supplies to major
delivery points serving the midAtlantic.
1 The appendices referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’. 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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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction and modification of the
planned facilities would disturb about
117 acres of land, which includes
temporary construction workspace,
permanent easement, and permanent
access roads. Following construction,
Transco would maintain all 117 acres
for permanent operation of the project’s
facilities.
NEPA Process and the Environmental
Document
Any environmental document issued
by Commission staff will discuss
impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the
planned 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;
• socioeconomics;
• air quality and noise; and
• reliability and safety.
Commission staff have already
identified minority and/or low-income
environmental justice communities
adjacent to the existing compressor
stations and M&R stations. Community
groups, schools, churches, and
businesses within these environmental
justice communities, along with known
environmental justice organizations,
have been included on the
Commission’s environmental mailing
list for the project, as further explained
in the Environmental Mailing List
section of this notice.
Commission staff will also evaluate
reasonable alternatives to the planned
project or portions of the project and
make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various
resource areas. 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.
Although no formal application has
been filed, Commission staff have
already initiated a NEPA review under
the Commission’s pre-filing process.
The purpose of the pre-filing process is
to encourage early involvement of
interested stakeholders and to identify
and resolve issues before the
Commission receives an application. As
part of the pre-filing review,
Commission staff will contact federal
and state agencies to discuss their
involvement in the scoping process and
the preparation of the environmental
document.
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If a formal application is filed,
Commission staff will then 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
environmental 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
determination on the proposed project.
If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a
Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/
Notice of Schedule will be issued once
an application is filed, which will open
an additional public comment period.
Staff will then prepare a draft EIS that
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 2 and the
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 related to this
project to formally cooperate in the
preparation of the environmental
document.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 applicable State Historic
Preservation Office(s), and to solicit
their views and those of other
government agencies, interested Indian
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 1501.8.
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tribes, and the public on the project’s
potential effects on historic properties.4
The environmental document for this
project will document our findings on
the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations
under section 106.
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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; local
community groups, schools, churches,
and businesses; other interested parties;
and local libraries and newspapers. This
list also includes all affected
landowners (as defined in the
Commission’s regulations) who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose
property may be used temporarily for
project purposes, or who own homes
within certain distances of aboveground
facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the project 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 planned
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
steps:
(1) Send an email to
GasProjectAddressChange@ferc.gov
stating your request. You must include
the docket number PF22–1–000 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 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Transco files its application
with the Commission, you may want to
become an ‘‘intervenor’’ which is an
4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or object included
in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of Historic Places.
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official party to the Commission’s
proceeding. Only intervenors have the
right to seek rehearing of the
Commission’s decision and be heard by
the courts if they choose to appeal the
Commission’s final ruling. An
intervenor formally participates in the
proceeding by filing a request to
intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Motions
to intervene are more fully described at
https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/
how-to.asp. Please note that the
Commission will not accept requests for
intervenor status at this time. You must
wait until the Commission receives a
formal application for the project, after
which the Commission will issue a
public notice that establishes an
intervention deadline.
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC
website (www.ferc.gov) using the
eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link,
click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the
docket number in the ‘‘Docket Number’’
field (i.e., PF22–1). Be sure you have
selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online
Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov
or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or for
TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. The
eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of all formal documents issued by
the Commission, such as orders, notices,
and rulemakings.
Public sessions or site visits will be
posted on the Commission’s calendar
located at https://www.ferc.gov/newsevents/events along with other related
information.
Dated: December 15, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–27789 Filed 12–22–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP22–25–000]
Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC;
Notice of Application To Amend and
Establishing Intervention and Protest
Deadline
Take notice that on December 3, 2021,
Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC
(Calcasieu Pass), 1001 19th Street North,
Suite 1500, Arlington, VA 22209, filed
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in the above referenced docket, an
application pursuant to section 3 of the
natural Gas Act (NGA) and Part 153,
Subpart B, of the Commission’s
regulations for an amendment to the
authorizations granted by the
Commission on February 21, 2019 in
Docket No. CP15–550–000. Those
actions authorized Calcasieu Pass to
site, construct, and operate a new
liquified natural gas (LNG) export
terminal and associated facilities
(Export Terminal) along the Calcasieu
Ship Channel in Cameron Parish,
Louisiana. In this amendment Calcasieu
Pass proposes to increase the Export
Terminal’s peak achievable liquefaction
capacity from 12.0 million metric tons
per annum (MTPA) to 12.4 MTPA of
LNG under optimal operating
conditions. Calcasieu Pass states that
the requested increase in peak
liquefaction capacity reflects
refinements in the conditions and
assumptions concerning the maximum
potential operations and does not
involve construction of any new
facilities nor any modification of the
previously authorized facilities, all as
more fully set forth in the application
which is on file with the Commission
and open to public inspection.
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://
ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link.
Enter the docket number excluding the
last three digits in the docket number
field to access the document. 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 TYY, (202)
502–8659.
Any questions regarding this filing
should be directed to Calcasieu Pass’
outside counsel, Patrick Nevins of
Latham & Watkins, LLP, 555 Eleventh
Street NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC
20004, telephone: (202) 637–3363.
Pursuant to section 157.9 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure,1 within 90 days of this
Notice the Commission staff will either:
complete its environmental review and
place it into the Commission’s public
record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or
1 18
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 244 (Thursday, December 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72949-72952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27789]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF22-1-000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Scoping
Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Planned
Southside Reliability Enhancement Project and Notice of Public Virtual
Scoping Session
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss
the environmental impacts of the Southside Reliability Enhancement
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in Mecklenburg
and Pittsylvania Counties, Virginia, and Davidson, Hertford, and
Iredell Counties, North Carolina. The Commission will use this
environmental document 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 regarding the project. 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 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.
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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 p.m. Eastern Time on January 14, 2022. Comments may be
submitted in written or oral form. Further details on how to submit
written or oral 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 or verbal 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 October 1, 2021, you will need to file
those comments in Docket No. PF22-1-000 to ensure they are considered.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable easement agreement. You
are not required to enter into an agreement. However, if the Commission
approves the project, 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 Commission has no jurisdiction over these
matters.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' 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 links to Natural Gas Questions or
Landowner Topics.
Public Participation
There are four 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 also 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;''
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (PF22-1-
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; or
(4) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you
to attend a virtual public scoping session its staff will conduct by
telephone, scheduled as follows:
Date: Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Time: 6-8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Dial-in Number: 888-604-9359
Participant passcode: 8998724
The primary goal of the scoping session is to have you identify the
specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in
the environmental document. Individual oral comments will be taken on a
one-on-one basis with a court reporter present on the line. This format
is designed to receive the maximum amount of oral comments, in a
convenient way during the timeframe allotted, and is in response to the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff. The
scoping session is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time. You may call at any time after 6 p.m. at which time you will be
placed on mute and hold. Calls will be answered in the order they are
received. Once answered, you will have the opportunity to provide your
comment directly to a court reporter with FERC staff or representative
present on the line. A time limit of five minutes will be implemented
for each commentor.
Transcripts of all comments received during the scoping session
will be publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system (see the last page
of this notice for instructions on using eLibrary).
It is important to note that the Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally at a virtual scoping session. Although there will
not be a formal presentation, Commission staff may answer questions
about the environmental review process during individual's time with
the court reporter.
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 Planned Project
Transco plans to modify two existing compressor stations and three
existing meter stations and construct and operate one new 30,500
horsepower (hp) compressor station in North Carolina and Virginia. The
general location of the planned project facilities is shown in
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appendix 1.\1\ Specifically, the Southside Reliability Enhancement
Project would consist of the following facilities:
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary''. 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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Installation of a new compressor station (Compressor
Station 168) which includes one new 30,500 hp electric motor-driven
compressor unit, and installation of new mainline valves on South
Virginia Lateral A-Line and B-Line at the new Compressor Station 168 in
Mecklenburg County, Virginia;
Addition of one 16,000 hp electric motor-driven compressor
unit at existing Compressor Station 166 in Pittsylvania County,
Virginia;
Installation of piping modifications to allow for flow
reversal at existing Compressor Station 155 in Davidson County, North
Carolina;
Replacement of one meter run to increase delivery volumes
by 40,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of natural gas at the existing
Ahoskie meter and regulatory (M&R) station in Hertford County, North
Carolina;
Installation of new facilities to increase delivery
volumes by 120,000 Dth/d at the existing Pleasant Hill M&R station in
Northampton County, North Carolina; and
Upgrade meter and controls and debottleneck piping to
increase delivery volumes by 263,400 Dth/d at the existing Iredell M&R
station in Iredell County, North Carolina.
The Southside Reliability Enhancement Project would enable Transco
to provide 160,000 Dth/d of incremental firm transportation capacity
from Transco's Compressor Station 165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia
and 263,400 Dth/d from the Pine Needle storage facility to delivery
points in North Carolina. As described by Transco, the total delivery
capacity of 423,400 Dth/d would reduce supply constraints when natural
gas demand is the highest, support overall reliability and
diversification of energy infrastructure in the mid-Atlantic, and
benefit the public by promoting competitive markets and increasing the
security of natural gas supplies to major delivery points serving the
mid-Atlantic.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction and modification of the planned facilities would
disturb about 117 acres of land, which includes temporary construction
workspace, permanent easement, and permanent access roads. Following
construction, Transco would maintain all 117 acres for permanent
operation of the project's facilities.
NEPA Process and the Environmental Document
Any environmental document issued by Commission staff will discuss
impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation
of the planned 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;
socioeconomics;
air quality and noise; and
reliability and safety.
Commission staff have already identified minority and/or low-income
environmental justice communities adjacent to the existing compressor
stations and M&R stations. Community groups, schools, churches, and
businesses within these environmental justice communities, along with
known environmental justice organizations, have been included on the
Commission's environmental mailing list for the project, as further
explained in the Environmental Mailing List section of this notice.
Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the
planned project or portions of the project and make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. 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.
Although no formal application has been filed, Commission staff
have already initiated a NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing
process. The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early
involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve
issues before the Commission receives an application. As part of the
pre-filing review, Commission staff will contact federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the
preparation of the environmental document.
If a formal application is filed, Commission staff will then
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 environmental 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 determination on
the proposed project. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of
Intent to Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule will be issued once an
application is filed, which will open an additional public comment
period. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS that 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 \2\ and the 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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\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 related to this project to formally cooperate in
the preparation of the environmental document.\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 1501.8.
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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
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tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on historic
properties.\4\ The environmental document for this project will
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; local
community groups, schools, churches, and businesses; other interested
parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also includes
all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's regulations)
who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used
temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within certain
distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits comments on
the project 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
planned 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 steps:
(1) Send an email to [email protected] stating your
request. You must include the docket number PF22-1-000 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 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Transco files its application with the Commission, you may
want to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Only intervenors have the right to seek
rehearing of the Commission's decision and be heard by the courts if
they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor
formally participates in the proceeding by filing a request to
intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice
and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Motions to intervene are more fully
described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to.asp. Please
note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status
at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a formal
application for the project, after which the Commission will issue a
public notice that establishes an intervention deadline.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC website (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number
in the ``Docket Number'' field (i.e., PF22-1). Be sure you have
selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC
Online Support at [email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-
3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also
provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
Public sessions or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events along with
other related information.
Dated: December 15, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-27789 Filed 12-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
