[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-6630]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 22, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP93-566-000; CP93-564-000; CP93-564-001]

 

ANR Pipeline Co.; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment 
for the Proposed ANR Link Project and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

March 16, 1994.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that 
discusses environmental impacts of the construction and operation of 
facilities proposed in the ANR Link Project. The EA will be used by the 
Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether an 
environmental impact statement is required and whether or not to 
approve the ANR Link Project.1
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    \1\ANR Pipeline Company (ANR) filed an application with the 
Commission under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and part 157 
of the Commission's regulations. ANR has also filed an application 
under section 3 of the NGA for a Presidential Permit.
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    As proposed, the ANR Link Project would be part of an international 
natural gas pipeline system between the United States and Canada, known 
as the InterCoastal Project. ANR would construct the InterCoastal 
Project in the United States. The Canadian facilities will not be 
discussed in the EA.2
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    \2\The Canadian portion would be constructed by InterCoastal 
Pipe Line Inc. (ICP). ICP's system would consist of an existing 130-
mile-long oil pipeline which would be converted to natural gas 
service, and the construction of about 25 miles of new pipeline. 
This portion of the project will be independently reviewed by the 
National Energy Board in Canada.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    ANR wants Commission authorization to construct, own, and operate 
the following facilities to transport gas to ICP in Canada:
     12 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline in St. Clair 
County, Michigan;
     a new 2-acre meter station with measurement and flow 
control assemblies at the intersection of the proposed ANR Link, the 
existing Muttonville Lateral, and the existing Great Lakes Gas 
Transmission Limited Partnership (Great Lakes) pipeline; and
     950 feet of 24-inch-diameter pipeline and a meter station 
connecting the proposed 12-mile-long pipeline (at approximately MP 1.3) 
with Michigan Consolidated Gas Company's (MichCon) existing Columbus 
Storage Field pipeline.

    The general location of these facilities is shown in appendix 
1.3
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    \3\The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the 
Commission's Public Reference Branch, room 3104, 941 North Capitol 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. Copies of 
the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the 
mail.
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    The ANR Link would extend from the northern end of ANR's existing 
7.8-mile-long Muttonville Lateral across St. Clair County, Michigan in 
an easterly direction. The ANR Link would end at the international 
boundary on the St. Clair River. At the border, ANR's facilities would 
connect to ICP's new natural gas transmission system.
    The 2-acre meter station would be constructed adjacent to the 
existing Muttonville Meter Station, at the intersection of the ANR 
Link, the existing Muttonville Lateral, and the existing Great Lakes 
pipeline.
    The 950 feet of 24-inch-diameter pipeline would begin at about 
milepost 1.3 of the proposed 12-mile-long pipeline and end 950 feet due 
south at the proposed meter station. This pipeline would connect the 
ANR Link to MichCon's existing Columbus Storage Field facilities. The 
proposed meter station would be constructed within the yard of the 
existing Columbus Storage Field Compressor Station.
    ANR states that the purpose of the proposed project is to provide 
firm and interruptible transportation service of up to 175,000 
dekatherms of natural gas per day to The Consumers' Gas Company Ltd. 
(Consumers Gas). The gas would be transported through the ANR Link to 
ICP, and would ultimately be delivered to Consumers Gas at points near 
Sarnia or Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Land Requirements for Construction

    ANR proposes to use a 100-foot-wide construction right-of-way in 
non-agricultural areas, and a 125-foot-wide construction right-of-way 
in agricultural areas. In addition, extra work space areas would be 
required at road, utility, wetland, and river crossings, particularly 
at the St. Clair River crossing. After construction, the disturbed 
areas would be restored, and a 50-foot-wide permanent right-of-way 
would be maintained. The remainder of the land, excluding the 2-acre 
fenced meter station, would revert to its preconstruction use.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us 
to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. 
We call this ``scoping''. The main goal of the scoping process is to 
focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues.
    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:
     Geology and soils
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
     Vegetation and wildlife
     Endangered and threatened species
     Land use
     Cultural resources
     Hazardous waste
    ANR has identified three route alternatives that will be discussed 
in the EA. We will evaluate these alternatives to the proposed project. 
We may also evaluate minor route variations to portions of the project, 
and make recommendations, as appropriate, on how to lessen or avoid 
impacts on the various resource areas.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending 
on the response during the scoping process, the EA may be mailed to 
Federal, state, and local agencies, public interest groups, interested 
individuals, affected landowners, newspapers, libraries, and the 
Commissions's official service list for these proceedings. A comment 
period will be allotted for review if the EA is published. We will 
consider all comments on the EA before we recommend that the Commission 
approve or disapprove the proposed ANR Link Project.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by ANR. Keep in mind that this 
is a preliminary list. The list of issues will be added to, subtracted 
from, or changed based on your comments and our own analysis. Issues 
are:
     Construction of the pipeline would take place within 50 
feet of 5 residences.
     The pipeline would cross two perennial streams.
     The pipeline construction could possibly impact sensitive 
fisheries.
     The pipeline would cross 32 wetlands.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by sending a letter with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. You should focus on the 
potential environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to the 
proposal (including alternative routes), and measures to avoid or 
lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more 
useful they will be. Please follow the instructions below to ensure 
that your comments are received and properly recorded:
     Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street NE., Washington, 
DC 20426;
     Reference Docket Nos. CP93-564-000 and -001 and CP93-566-
000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Howard Wheeler, EA 
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North 
Capitol Street NE., room 7312,Washington, DC 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 22, 1994.
    If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one 
from Mr. Wheeler at the above address.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceedings or an ``intervenor''. 
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of 
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors. 
Likewise, each intervenor must provide copies of its filings to all 
other parties. If you want to become an intervenor you must file a 
Motion to Intervene according to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214) attached as appendix 2.
    The date for filing timely motions to intervene in this proceeding 
has passed. Therefore, parties now seeking to file late interventions 
must show good cause, as required by section 385.214(b)(3), why this 
time limitation should be waived. In certain cases environmental issues 
have been viewed as good cause for late intervention. Section 
385.214(d) applies to grants of late intervention. You do not need 
intervenor status to have your scoping comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mr. Howard Wheeler, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-1237.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-6630 Filed 3-21-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P