Saguaro Connector Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Border Facilities Project, 8418-8420 [2023-02749]
Download as PDF
8418
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 27 / Thursday, February 9, 2023 / Notices
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225
Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
(4) In lieu of sending written or
electronic comments, the Commission
invites you to attend one of the public
comment sessions its staff will conduct
to receive comments on the draft EIS,
scheduled as follows:
Date
Time
Location
2/21/2023 ..............
5:00–8:00 p.m. Central Standard Time ....................
2/22/2023 ..............
5:00–8:00 p.m. Central Standard Time ....................
Events on Main, 105 S Main Street, Dickson, TN 37055, (615) 202–
3453.
Cumberland City Fire Hall, 121 Main Street, Cumberland City, TN
37050, (931) 627–4610.
The primary goal of these comment
sessions is to have you identify the
specific environmental issues and
concerns regarding the draft EIS.
Individual oral comments will be taken
on a one-on-one basis with a court
reporter. This format is designed to
receive the maximum amount of oral
comments, in a convenient way during
the timeframe allotted.
Each comment session is scheduled
from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central
Standard Time. You may arrive at any
time after 5:00 p.m. There will not be a
formal presentation by Commission staff
when the session opens. If you wish to
speak, the Commission staff will hand
out numbers in the order of your arrival.
Comments will be taken until 8:00 p.m.
However, if no additional numbers have
been handed out and all individuals
who wish to provide comments have
had an opportunity to do so, staff may
conclude the session at 7:30 p.m. Please
see attachment 1 for additional
information on the session format and
conduct.1
Your oral comments will be recorded
by the court reporter (with FERC staff or
representative present) and become part
of the public record for this proceeding.
Transcripts will be publicly available on
FERC’s eLibrary system (see page 2 for
instructions on using eLibrary). If a
significant number of people are
interested in providing oral comments
in the one-on-one settings, a time limit
of 5 minutes may be implemented for
each commentor. Although there will
not be a formal presentation,
Commission staff will be available
throughout the comment session to
answer your questions about the
environmental review process.
It is important to note that the
Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received,
whether filed in written form or
provided at a comment session.
1 The attachment referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. A copy of the
attachment was sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502–
8371.
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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 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
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 the 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: February 3, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023–02748 Filed 2–8–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP23–29–000]
Saguaro Connector Pipeline, L.L.C.;
Notice of Scoping Period Requesting
Comments on Environmental Issues
for the Proposed Border Facilities
Project
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental document, that will
discuss the environmental impacts of
the Border Facilities Project (Project)
involving construction and operation of
facilities by Saguaro Pipeline Connector,
L.L.C. (Saguaro) in Hudspeth County,
Texas. The Commission will use this
environmental document in its
decision-making process to determine
whether the project is in the public
interest.
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 an authorization. This
gathering of public input is referred to
as ‘‘scoping.’’ The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis
in the environmental document on the
important environmental issues.
Additional information about the
Commission’s NEPA process is
described below in the NEPA Process
and Environmental Document section of
this notice.
By this notice, the Commission
requests public comments on the scope
of issues to address in the
environmental document. To ensure
that your comments are timely and
properly recorded, please submit your
comments so that the Commission
receives them in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March
E:\FR\FM\09FEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 27 / Thursday, February 9, 2023 / Notices
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
6, 2023. Comments may be submitted in
written form. Further details on how to
submit comments are provided in the
Public Participation section of this
notice.
Your comments should focus on the
potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to
avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
Your input will help the Commission
staff determine what issues they need to
evaluate in the environmental
document. Commission staff will
consider all written comments during
the preparation of the environmental
document.
If you submitted comments on this
project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on December 20,
2022, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP23–29–000
to ensure they are considered as part of
this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of this
proposed project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
Saguaro provided landowners with a
fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled
‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On
My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’
which addresses typically asked
questions, including the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the
Commission’s proceedings. This fact
sheet along with other landowner topics
of interest are available for viewing on
the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) under
the Natural Gas Questions or
Landowner Topics link.
Public Participation
There are three methods you can use
to submit your comments to the
Commission. Please carefully follow
these instructions so that your
comments are properly recorded. The
Commission encourages electronic filing
of comments and has staff available to
assist you at (866) 208–3676 or
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov.
(1) You can file your comments
electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the
Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to FERC Online. Using
eComment is an easy method for
submitting brief, text-only comments on
a project;
(2) You can file your comments
electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the
Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to FERC Online. With
eFiling, you can provide comments in a
variety of formats by attaching them as
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:28 Feb 08, 2023
Jkt 259001
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 (CP23–29–000)
on your letter. Submissions sent via the
U.S. Postal Service must be addressed
to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426. Submissions sent via any
other carrier must be addressed to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225
Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland
20852.
Additionally, the Commission offers a
free service called eSubscription which
makes it easy to stay informed of all
issuances and submittals regarding the
dockets/projects to which you
subscribe. These instant email
notifications are the fastest way to
receive notification and provide a link
to the document files which can reduce
the amount of time you spend
researching proceedings. Go to https://
www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to
register for eSubscription.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Saguaro proposes to site, construct,
connect, operate, and maintain a 48inch in-diameter natural gas pipeline
from the United States (U.S.) to the
Estados Unidos Mexicanos (Mexico)
International Border in Hudspeth
County, Texas. The section under the
jurisdiction of the Commission extends
from approximately 1,000 feet on State
of Texas land to the U.S.-Mexico
international border in the middle of the
Rio Grande River. The 48-inch-diameter
pipeline segment from a point
approximately 1,000 feet in Hudspeth
County to the international border is
referred to as the ‘‘Border Facilities.’’
The Border Facilities would be
interconnected to the NewCo Mexico
Pipeline on the Mexico side of the Rio
Grande River and to approximately 155
miles of non-FERC jurisdictional
intrastate pipeline in Texas, which
would have a design capacity of 2.834
billion standard cubic feet of natural gas
per day for the entire length of the
Border facilities and non-jurisdictional
intrastate pipeline. According to
Saguaro, the Border Facilities
interconnect would allow for natural gas
produced in Texas to be exported to a
natural gas facility in Mexico.
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
8419
The Border Facilities would consist of
the following components:
• approximately 1,000 feet of 48-inch
in-diameter pipeline;
• 50-foot-wide permanent easement;
• Additional temporary workspaces
(total of 14.2 acres) and
• 6.9 miles of temporary access road
(Indian Hot Springs Road).
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.1
Land Requirements for Construction
The Project would affect
approximately 35.5 acres of land during
construction, of which 34.4 acres would
be restored. The remaining 1.1 acre,
which includes a 50-foot-wide
permanent easement for the
approximately 1,000 feet of 48-inchdiameter pipeline, would be used for
operation of the Project. The entire
Border Facilities would be in a
greenfield (new construction) and there
would be no aboveground facilities
associated. In the application, Saguaro
indicates that it would also construct
and own new pipeline facilities
(approximately 155 miles of 48-inchdiameter intrastate pipeline, two new
compressor stations, one new meter
station, approximately five launchers
and receivers, and approximately seven
mainline valve sites) that are not under
FERC jurisdiction. These facilities are
located in Pecos, Reeves, Jeff Davis, and
Culberson counties, Texas. Although
FERC does not have regulatory authority
to modify or deny the construction of
these facilities, we will disclose
available information regarding the
construction impacts in our
environmental document.
NEPA Process and the Environmental
Document
Any environmental document issued
by the Commission will discuss impacts
that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the
proposed project under the relevant
general resource areas, as applicable:
• geology and soils;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• threatened and endangered species;
• cultural resources;
• land use;
• socioeconomics;
• air quality and noise;
• cumulative impacts; and
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. For assistance, contact FERC at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll free, (886)
208–3676 or TTY (202) 502–8659.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 27 / Thursday, February 9, 2023 / Notices
• reliability and safety.
Commission staff will also evaluate
reasonable alternatives to the proposed
project or portions of the project and
make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various
resource areas. Your comments will
help Commission staff identify and
focus on the issues that might have an
effect on the human environment and
potentially eliminate others from further
study and discussion in the
environmental document.
Following this scoping period,
Commission staff will determine
whether to prepare an Environmental
Assessment (EA) or an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the
EIS will present Commission staff’s
independent analysis of the issues. If
Commission staff prepares an EA, a
Notice of Schedule for the Preparation
of an Environmental Assessment will be
issued. The EA may be issued for an
allotted public comment period. The
Commission would consider timely
comments on the EA before making its
decision regarding the proposed project.
If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a
Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/
Notice of Schedule will be issued,
which will open up an additional
comment period. Staff will then prepare
a draft EIS which will be issued for
public comment. Commission staff will
consider all timely comments received
during the comment period on the draft
EIS and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS.
Any EA or draft and final EIS will be
available in electronic format in the
public record through eLibrary 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 of 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.
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, Section 1501.8.
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16:28 Feb 08, 2023
Jkt 259001
Consultation Under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
In accordance with the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation’s
implementing regulations for section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, the Commission is
using this notice to initiate consultation
with the applicable State Historic
Preservation Office(s), and to solicit
their views and those of other
government agencies, interested Indian
tribes, and the public on the project’s
potential effects on historic properties.4
The environmental document for this
project will document findings on the
impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations
under section 106.
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; 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 proposed
project.
If you need to make changes to your
name/address, or if you would like to
remove your name from the mailing list,
please complete one of the following
steps:
(1) Send an email to
GasProjectAddressChange@ferc.gov
stating your request. You must include
the docket number CP23–29–000 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
4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or object included
in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of Historic Places.
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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).
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC
website at www.ferc.gov using the
eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link,
click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the
docket number in the ‘‘Docket Number’’
field. Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or (866)
208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202)
502–8659. The eLibrary link also
provides access to the texts of all formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
Public sessions or site visits will be
posted on the Commission’s calendar
located at https://www.ferc.gov/newsevents/events along with other related
information.
Dated: February 3, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023–02749 Filed 2–8–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings #3
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric rate
filings:
Docket Numbers: ER10–1910–027;
ER10–1911–027.
Applicants: Duquesne Power, LLC,
Duquesne Light Company.
Description: Triennial Market Power
Analysis for Northeast Region of
Duquesne Light Company, et al.
Filed Date: 2/3/23.
Accession Number: 20230203–5148.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 4/4/23.
Docket Numbers: ER23–607–000.
Applicants: K2SO, LLC.
Description: Supplement to December
12, 2022 K2SO, LLC baseline tariff
filing.
Filed Date: 2/3/23.
Accession Number: 20230203–5105.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 2/13/23.
Docket Numbers: ER23–1047–000.
Applicants: Duke Energy Florida,
LLC.
E:\FR\FM\09FEN1.SGM
09FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8418-8420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02749]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP23-29-000]
Saguaro Connector Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Scoping Period
Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Border
Facilities Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental document, that will discuss
the environmental impacts of the Border Facilities Project (Project)
involving construction and operation of facilities by Saguaro Pipeline
Connector, L.L.C. (Saguaro) in Hudspeth County, Texas. The Commission
will use this environmental document in its decision-making process to
determine whether the project is in the public interest.
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 an authorization. This gathering of public input is
referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the environmental document on the important
environmental issues. Additional information about the Commission's
NEPA process is described below in the NEPA Process and Environmental
Document section of this notice.
By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the
scope of issues to address in the environmental document. To ensure
that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please submit your
comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March
[[Page 8419]]
6, 2023. Comments may be submitted in written form. Further details on
how to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section
of this notice.
Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impacts. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what
issues they need to evaluate in the environmental document. Commission
staff will consider all written comments during the preparation of the
environmental document.
If you submitted comments on this project to the Commission before
the opening of this docket on December 20, 2022, you will need to file
those comments in Docket No. CP23-29-000 to ensure they are considered
as part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
Saguaro provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I
Need To Know?'' which addresses typically asked questions, including
the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's
proceedings. This fact sheet along with other landowner topics of
interest are available for viewing on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov)
under the Natural Gas Questions or Landowner Topics link.
Public Participation
There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the
Commission. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your
comments are properly recorded. The Commission encourages electronic
filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 or [email protected].
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to FERC Online. Using eComment is an easy method for
submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments
in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your
submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking
on ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you
are making; a comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment
on a Filing''; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP23-
29-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service
must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances and
submittals regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe. These
instant email notifications are the fastest way to receive notification
and provide a link to the document files which can reduce the amount of
time you spend researching proceedings. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Saguaro proposes to site, construct, connect, operate, and maintain
a 48-inch in-diameter natural gas pipeline from the United States
(U.S.) to the Estados Unidos Mexicanos (Mexico) International Border in
Hudspeth County, Texas. The section under the jurisdiction of the
Commission extends from approximately 1,000 feet on State of Texas land
to the U.S.-Mexico international border in the middle of the Rio Grande
River. The 48-inch-diameter pipeline segment from a point approximately
1,000 feet in Hudspeth County to the international border is referred
to as the ``Border Facilities.'' The Border Facilities would be
interconnected to the NewCo Mexico Pipeline on the Mexico side of the
Rio Grande River and to approximately 155 miles of non-FERC
jurisdictional intrastate pipeline in Texas, which would have a design
capacity of 2.834 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day
for the entire length of the Border facilities and non-jurisdictional
intrastate pipeline. According to Saguaro, the Border Facilities
interconnect would allow for natural gas produced in Texas to be
exported to a natural gas facility in Mexico.
The Border Facilities would consist of the following components:
approximately 1,000 feet of 48-inch in-diameter pipeline;
50-foot-wide permanent easement;
Additional temporary workspaces (total of 14.2 acres) and
6.9 miles of temporary access road (Indian Hot Springs
Road).
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.
For assistance, contact FERC at [email protected] or call
toll free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY (202) 502-8659.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
The Project would affect approximately 35.5 acres of land during
construction, of which 34.4 acres would be restored. The remaining 1.1
acre, which includes a 50-foot-wide permanent easement for the
approximately 1,000 feet of 48-inch-diameter pipeline, would be used
for operation of the Project. The entire Border Facilities would be in
a greenfield (new construction) and there would be no aboveground
facilities associated. In the application, Saguaro indicates that it
would also construct and own new pipeline facilities (approximately 155
miles of 48-inch-diameter intrastate pipeline, two new compressor
stations, one new meter station, approximately five launchers and
receivers, and approximately seven mainline valve sites) that are not
under FERC jurisdiction. These facilities are located in Pecos, Reeves,
Jeff Davis, and Culberson counties, Texas. Although FERC does not have
regulatory authority to modify or deny the construction of these
facilities, we will disclose available information regarding the
construction impacts in our environmental document.
NEPA Process and the Environmental Document
Any environmental document issued by the Commission will discuss
impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation
of the proposed project under the relevant general resource areas, as
applicable:
geology and soils;
water resources and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
threatened and endangered species;
cultural resources;
land use;
socioeconomics;
air quality and noise;
cumulative impacts; and
[[Page 8420]]
reliability and safety.
Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the
proposed project or portions of the project and make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Your
comments will help Commission staff identify and focus on the issues
that might have an effect on the human environment and potentially
eliminate others from further study and discussion in the environmental
document.
Following this scoping period, Commission staff will determine
whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the EIS will present Commission
staff's independent analysis of the issues. If Commission staff
prepares an EA, a Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an
Environmental Assessment will be issued. The EA may be issued for an
allotted public comment period. The Commission would consider timely
comments on the EA before making its decision regarding the proposed
project. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of Intent to
Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule will be issued, which will open up an
additional comment period. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS which
will be issued for public comment. Commission staff will consider all
timely comments received during the comment period on the draft EIS and
revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any EA
or draft and final EIS will be available in electronic format in the
public record through eLibrary \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 of 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, Section 1501.8.
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Consultation Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, the Commission is using this notice to initiate
consultation with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s),
and to solicit their views and those of other government agencies,
interested Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential
effects on historic properties.\4\ The environmental document for this
project will document findings on the impacts on historic properties
and summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; 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 proposed project.
If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please complete one of
the following steps:
(1) Send an email to [email protected] stating your
request. You must include the docket number CP23-29-000 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).
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC website at www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number
in the ``Docket Number'' field. Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online
Support at [email protected] or (866) 208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
Public sessions or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events along with
other related information.
Dated: February 3, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-02749 Filed 2-8-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P