Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Ohio Valley Connector Expansion Project, 6252-6253 [2023-01931]

Download as PDF 6252 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 31, 2023 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP22–44–000] khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Ohio Valley Connector Expansion Project The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Ohio Valley Expansion Project (Project), proposed by Equitrans, LP (Equitrans) in the above-referenced docket. Equitrans requests authorization to construct and operate approximately 5.5 miles of new pipeline and pipeline loop; 1 acquire and add compression to one non-jurisdictional compressor station; and add compression at two existing compression facilities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. The Project would provide approximately 350,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas to mid-continent and Gulf Coast markets, create new transportation paths, and provide longterm reliability. The final 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). FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed Project, with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would not result in significant adverse impacts. Regarding climate change impacts, this 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 conclude significance going forward.2 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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District (COE) participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS. A cooperating agency has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the NEPA analysis. 1 A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed next to an existing pipeline to increase capacity. 2 Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Natural Gas Infrastructure Project Reviews, 178 FERC ¶ 61,108 (2022); 178 FERC ¶ 61,197 (2022). VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:46 Jan 30, 2023 Jkt 259001 Although a cooperating agency provides input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in an EIS, the agency may present its own conclusions and recommendations in any applicable Record of Decision for a project. Accordingly, the final EIS for this Project is intended to fulfill the COE’s NEPA obligations, as applicable, and to support the COE’s subsequent conclusions and decisions. The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the following Project facilities: Greene County, Pennsylvania • Acquisition of the existing nonjurisdictional Cygrymus Compressor Station and addition of two Solar Taurus 70 turbines; • approximately 0.5 mile of new 16inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (H– 327); • approximately 0.5 mile of new 12inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (H– 328); and • ancillary facilities, such as a valve yard, taps, and internal inspection device (e.g., pig launchers and receivers3). Wetzel County, West Virginia • addition of one Solar Mars 100 compressor at the existing Corona Compressor Station; • approximately 3.7 miles of new 24inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (H– 326); • approximately 129 feet of new 8inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (H– 329); • approximately 0.7 mile of new 16inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (H– 330); • approximately 0.09 mile of new 16inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (H– 330 Spur); • approximately 160 feet of new 12inch-diameter natural gas pipeline; and • ancillary facilities, such as mainline valves, valve yards, measuring equipment, and pigging facilities. Monroe County, Ohio • addition of one Solar Titan 130 compressor at the existing Plasma Compressor Station. The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the final EIS 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; 3 A ‘‘pig’’ is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning, conducting internal inspections, or other purposes. PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 and newspapers and libraries in the Project area. The final 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 final 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, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP22–44). 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. In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA, no agency decision on a proposed action may be made until 30 days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes a notice of availability of the final EIS in the Federal Register. However, the CEQ regulations provide an exception to this rule when an agency decision is subject to a formal internal appeal process that allows other agencies or the public to make their views known. In such cases, the agency decision may be made at the same time the notice of the final EIS is published, allowing both periods to run concurrently. The Commission decision for this proposed action is subject to a 30-day rehearing period. The final 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. 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/ E:\FR\FM\31JAN1.SGM 31JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 31, 2023 / Notices ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription. Dated: January 20, 2023. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2023–01931 Filed 1–30–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [P–2551–091] khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Indiana Michigan Power Company; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection. a. Type of Application: Request to amend winter reservoir elevation. b. Project No.: 2551–091. c. Date Filed: November 7, 2022. d. Applicant: Indiana Michigan Power Company. e. Name of Project: Buchanan Hydroelectric Project. f. Location: The project is located on the St. Joseph River in Berrien County, Michigan. g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r). h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Edward S. Brennan, Plant Environmental Coordinator Principal, American Electric Power, 40 Franklin Road SW, Roanoke, VA 24011 (540) 985–2984. i. FERC Contact: Mr. Steven Sachs, (202) 502–8666, Steven.Sachs@ferc.gov. j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and protests is 30 days from the issuance of this notice by the Commission. 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/doc-sfiling/ 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:46 Jan 30, 2023 Jkt 259001 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. The first page of any filing should include docket number P–2551–091. 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 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, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. k. Description of Request: The applicant’s license allows it to operate the project reservoir at an elevation of 637.0 ± 0.25 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) between December 1 and March 31 to control ice buildup, which is 0.50 feet lower than the normal elevation during the remainder of the year. The applicant requests that its license be amended to allow it to operate the reservoir at an elevation of 637.20 ± 0.25 feet NGVD between December 1 and March 31 to better control ice. l. 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. For assistance, contact FERC at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (886) 208–3676 or TYY, (202) 502–8659. 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, Motions to Intervene, or Protests: Anyone may submit comments, a motion to intervene, or a protest in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214. 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, motions to intervene, or protests must be received on or before the specified PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6253 comment date for the particular application. o. Filing and Service of Responsive Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in all capital letters the title ‘‘COMMENTS’’, ‘‘MOTION TO INTERVENE’’, or ‘‘PROTEST’’ as applicable; (2) set forth in the heading the name of the applicant and the project number(s) of the application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone number of the person intervening or protesting; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, motions to intervene, or protests must set forth their evidentiary basis. A copy of all other filings in reference to this application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2010. Dated: January 24, 2023. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2023–01870 Filed 1–30–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER23–883–000] Bell Ridge Solar, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding of Bell Ridge Solar, LLC’s application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying rate tariff, noting that such application includes a request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest should file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214). Anyone filing a motion to intervene or protest must serve a copy of that document on the Applicant. Notice is hereby given that the deadline for filing protests with regard to the applicant’s request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and E:\FR\FM\31JAN1.SGM 31JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6252-6253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01931]



[[Page 6252]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP22-44-000]


Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Availability of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Ohio Valley Connector 
Expansion Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Ohio Valley Expansion Project (Project), proposed by Equitrans, 
LP (Equitrans) in the above-referenced docket. Equitrans requests 
authorization to construct and operate approximately 5.5 miles of new 
pipeline and pipeline loop; \1\ acquire and add compression to one non-
jurisdictional compressor station; and add compression at two existing 
compression facilities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. The 
Project would provide approximately 350,000 dekatherms per day of 
natural gas to mid-continent and Gulf Coast markets, create new 
transportation paths, and provide long-term reliability.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed next to an 
existing pipeline to increase capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The final 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). FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the proposed Project, with the 
mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would not result in 
significant adverse impacts. Regarding climate change impacts, this 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 
conclude significance going forward.\2\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Natural Gas 
Infrastructure Project Reviews, 178 FERC ] 61,108 (2022); 178 FERC ] 
61,197 (2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District (COE) 
participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS. A 
cooperating agency has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with 
respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and 
participate in the NEPA analysis. Although a cooperating agency 
provides input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in an 
EIS, the agency may present its own conclusions and recommendations in 
any applicable Record of Decision for a project. Accordingly, the final 
EIS for this Project is intended to fulfill the COE's NEPA obligations, 
as applicable, and to support the COE's subsequent conclusions and 
decisions.
    The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following Project facilities:

Greene County, Pennsylvania

     Acquisition of the existing non-jurisdictional Cygrymus 
Compressor Station and addition of two Solar Taurus 70 turbines;
     approximately 0.5 mile of new 16-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline (H-327);
     approximately 0.5 mile of new 12-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline (H-328); and
     ancillary facilities, such as a valve yard, taps, and 
internal inspection device (e.g., pig launchers and receivers\3\).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into 
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning, conducting internal 
inspections, or other purposes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wetzel County, West Virginia

     addition of one Solar Mars 100 compressor at the existing 
Corona Compressor Station;
     approximately 3.7 miles of new 24-inch-diameter natural 
gas pipeline (H-326);
     approximately 129 feet of new 8-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline (H-329);
     approximately 0.7 mile of new 16-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline (H-330);
     approximately 0.09 mile of new 16-inch-diameter natural 
gas pipeline (H-330 Spur);
     approximately 160 feet of new 12-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline; and
     ancillary facilities, such as mainline valves, valve 
yards, measuring equipment, and pigging facilities.

Monroe County, Ohio

     addition of one Solar Titan 130 compressor at the existing 
Plasma Compressor Station.
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the 
final EIS 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 final 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 final 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, excluding the last 
three digits (i.e., CP22-44). 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.
    In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 
regulations implementing NEPA, no agency decision on a proposed action 
may be made until 30 days after the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes a notice of availability of the final EIS in the 
Federal Register. However, the CEQ regulations provide an exception to 
this rule when an agency decision is subject to a formal internal 
appeal process that allows other agencies or the public to make their 
views known. In such cases, the agency decision may be made at the same 
time the notice of the final EIS is published, allowing both periods to 
run concurrently. The Commission decision for this proposed action is 
subject to a 30-day rehearing period.
    The final 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.
    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/

[[Page 6253]]

ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.

    Dated: January 20, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-01931 Filed 1-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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