Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Virginia Electrification Project, 52378-52379 [2022-18332]

Download as PDF 52378 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 164 / Thursday, August 25, 2022 / Notices whether it may now be inappropriate or inapplicable. [FR Doc. 2022–18259 Filed 8–24–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP21–498–000] khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Virginia Electrification Project The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Virginia Electrification Project (Project), proposed by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia) in the above-referenced docket. Columbia requests authorization to construct and operate natural gas facilities in Virginia. The Project is designed to provide 35,000 dekatherms per day of incremental mainline capacity on Columbia’s pipeline system. The Project would address a request from Columbia Gas of Virginia, an unaffiliated local distribution company, for firm transportation service to meet growing energy demand in the southeast Virginia market area off of Columbia’s existing VM–107, VM–108, and VM–109 pipelines. This draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Columbia’s Project facilities include: one zero emission electric motor compressor unit at the Boswells Tavern Compressor Station located in Louisa County; facility modifications to the Boswells Tavern point of receipt located in Louisa County to allow for increased capacity; replacement of all five existing gas-powered compressor units at the Goochland Compressor Station, located in Goochland County, with new units that will run exclusively on electric motors, but will have the ability to run on gas in order to ensure reliability; and change the status of an existing compressor unit from backup mode to active mode and increase the site-rated station horsepower to 5,500 horsepower at the Petersburg Compressor Station located in Prince George County. The FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed Project, with the VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:25 Aug 24, 2022 Jkt 256001 mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would result in some adverse environmental impacts; however, with the exception of climate change impacts, those impacts would not be significant. The EIS is not characterizing the Project’s greenhouse gas emissions as significant or insignificant because the Commission is conducting a generic proceeding to determine whether and how the Commission will conduct significance determinations going forward.1 The EIS also concludes that no system, route, or other alternative would meet the Project objective while providing a significant environmental advantage over the Project as proposed. The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Virginia Electrification Project to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; local libraries; newspapers; elected officials; Native American Tribes; and other interested parties. The draft EIS 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/industriesdata/natural-gas/environment/ environmental-documents). In addition, the draft EIS 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., CP21–498–000). 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 draft EIS 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 draft EIS may do so. Your comments should focus on the draft EIS’s disclosure and discussion of potential environmental effects, measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts and the completeness of the submitted alternatives, information, and analyses. To ensure consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that the Commission receive your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 11, 2022. For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 file your comments electronically by 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.’’ If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as the filing type; 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 (CP21–498–000) 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, MD 20852. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214). Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/howintervene. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission’s decision. The Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Questions? 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 E:\FR\FM\25AUN1.SGM 25AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 164 / Thursday, August 25, 2022 / Notices 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 that 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 19, 2022. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2022–18332 Filed 8–24–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP22–486–000] khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Appalachia to Market II and Entriken HP Replacement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Schedule for Environmental Review The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Appalachia to Market II and Entriken HP Replacement Project (Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) in Lebanon, Indiana, and Huntingdon counties, Pennsylvania. The Commission will use this EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether the Project is in the public convenience and necessity. The schedule for preparation of the EIS is discussed in the Schedule for Environmental Review section of this notice. 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:25 Aug 24, 2022 Jkt 256001 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. Additional information about the Commission’s NEPA process is described below in the NEPA Process and the EIS section of this notice. By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of issues to address in the environmental document, including comments on potential alternatives and impacts, and any relevant information, studies, or analyses of any kind concerning impacts affecting the quality of the human environment. 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 September 19, 2022. Comments may be submitted in written or oral form. Further details on how to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice. 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 grant, exercise, or oversee the exercise of eminent domain authority. The courts have exclusive authority to handle eminent domain cases; the Commission has no jurisdiction over these matters. Texas Eastern 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. PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 52379 Public Participation There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208–3676 or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded. (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature, which is located on the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to 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 (CP22–486–000) 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. This service provides automatic notification of filings made to subscribed dockets, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to https:// www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription. Summary of the Proposed Project, the Project Purpose and Need, and Expected Impacts Texas Eastern proposes to abandon certain facilities and to construct, install, own, operate, and maintain facilities in Lebanon, Indiana, and Huntingdon counties in Pennsylvania. According to Texas Eastern, the Project is designed to improve reliability on the Texas Eastern system by replacing an E:\FR\FM\25AUN1.SGM 25AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 164 (Thursday, August 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52378-52379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18332]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP21-498-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Virginia 
Electrification Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Virginia Electrification Project (Project), proposed by 
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia) in the above-referenced 
docket. Columbia requests authorization to construct and operate 
natural gas facilities in Virginia. The Project is designed to provide 
35,000 dekatherms per day of incremental mainline capacity on 
Columbia's pipeline system. The Project would address a request from 
Columbia Gas of Virginia, an unaffiliated local distribution company, 
for firm transportation service to meet growing energy demand in the 
southeast Virginia market area off of Columbia's existing VM-107, VM-
108, and VM-109 pipelines.
    This draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 
Columbia's Project facilities include: one zero emission electric motor 
compressor unit at the Boswells Tavern Compressor Station located in 
Louisa County; facility modifications to the Boswells Tavern point of 
receipt located in Louisa County to allow for increased capacity; 
replacement of all five existing gas-powered compressor units at the 
Goochland Compressor Station, located in Goochland County, with new 
units that will run exclusively on electric motors, but will have the 
ability to run on gas in order to ensure reliability; and change the 
status of an existing compressor unit from backup mode to active mode 
and increase the site-rated station horsepower to 5,500 horsepower at 
the Petersburg Compressor Station located in Prince George County. The 
FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed Project, with the 
mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would result in some 
adverse environmental impacts; however, with the exception of climate 
change impacts, those impacts would not be significant. The EIS is not 
characterizing the Project's greenhouse gas emissions as significant or 
insignificant because the Commission is conducting a generic proceeding 
to determine whether and how the Commission will conduct significance 
determinations going forward.\1\ The EIS also concludes that no system, 
route, or other alternative would meet the Project objective while 
providing a significant environmental advantage over the Project as 
proposed.
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Virginia 
Electrification Project to federal, state, and local government 
representatives and agencies; local libraries; newspapers; elected 
officials; Native American Tribes; and other interested parties. The 
draft EIS 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 
draft EIS 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., CP21-498-000). 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 draft EIS 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 draft EIS may do so. 
Your comments should focus on the draft EIS's disclosure and discussion 
of potential environmental effects, measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impacts and the completeness of the submitted 
alternatives, information, and analyses. To ensure consideration of 
your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that 
the Commission receive your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern 
Time on October 11, 2022.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic 
filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 or [email protected]. Please carefully follow these 
instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature 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 file your comments electronically by 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.'' If you 
are filing a comment on a particular project, please select ``Comment 
on a Filing'' as the filing type; 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-
498-000) 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, MD 20852.
    Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a 
motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214). Motions to intervene are 
more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/how-intervene. Only 
intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the 
Commission's decision. The Commission grants affected landowners and 
others with environmental concerns intervenor status upon showing good 
cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this 
proceeding which no other party can adequately represent. Simply filing 
environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do 
not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.

Questions?

    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

[[Page 52379]]

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 that 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 19, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-18332 Filed 8-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

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