[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 67 (Thursday, April 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8302]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP94-260-000]

 

Algonquin Gas Transmission Co.; Intent To Prepare An 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Canal Lateral Project and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

April 1, 1994.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss environmental impacts of the construction and operation of 
facilities proposed in the Canal Lateral Project.1 This EA will be 
used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine 
whether an environmental impact statement is necessary and whether or 
not to approve the project.
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    \1\Algonquin Gas Transmission Company's (Algonquin) application 
was filed with the Commission under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas 
Act.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Algonquin proposes to construct, own, and operate 4 miles of 18-
inch-diameter pipeline, a meter station, valve site, and tap. Algonquin 
would use the facilities to transport up to 75,000 MMBtu of natural gas 
from Algonquin's existing G-111A valve site in Barnstable County, 
Massachusetts, to a valve site that would interconnect with 
nonjurisdictional facilities planned to be built by Canal Electric 
Company (CEC).
    CEC would construct 0.9 mile of nonjurisdictional 18-inch-diameter 
pipeline and a regulator station. The facilities would supply an 
electric generating station operated by CEC and Montaup Electric 
Company (MEC) in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
    The general location of these facilities is shown in appendix 
1.2
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    \2\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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Land Requirements for Construction

    The proposed lateral would be built adjacent and parallel to 
existing rights-of-way. Algonquin intends to use a construction right-
of-way that would vary between 40 and 50 feet during construction 
within roads, 70 feet for crossing wetlands and waterbodies, 80 feet 
for upland areas, and 85 feet where additional spoil pile placement 
would be required due to site specific constraints. About 50 feet of 
the planned widths would use existing right-of-way; however, about 25 
feet of new clearing would be required in many areas. Following 
construction, about 30 feet of the construction right-of-way would be 
allowed to revert to its former land use. Additional working space 
would be required adjacent to the planned construction right-of-way at 
road and stream crossings.

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. By 
this Notice of Intent, the Commission requests public comments on the 
scope of the issues it will address in the EA. All comments received 
are taken into account during the preparation of the EA.
    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.
    We will also evaluate possible 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.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending 
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be 
published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public 
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners, 
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for 
this proceeding. 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 not approve the 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 Algonquin. 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 analysis. 
Issues are:
     The construction right-of-way for the lateral would be 
within 50 feet of 10 residences.
     The pipeline would cross one perennial stream (Herring 
River) and two wetlands.
     The entire project would be within the Plymouth/Carver 
Sole Source Aquifer and about 90 percent of the proposed route crosses 
a ``high yield'' area.
     The pipeline would cross three roads and be within four 
roads.
     The project may have an impact on a state-listed Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern, and several state-listed rare flora and 
fauna.
     The project would cross or be near 19 known prehistoric 
and 1 historic sites. There is high potential for additional cultural 
resources concerns within the project area.
     The project would require a coastal zone consistency 
determination.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by sending a letter addressing 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 St., NE., Washington, 
DC 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP94-260-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Jeff Shenot, EA Project 
Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol St., 
NE., room 7312, Washington, DC 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before May 2, 1994.
    If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one 
from Mr. Shenot 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 proceeding or become 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 Sec. 385.214(b)(3), why this time 
limitation should be waived. Environmental issues have been viewed as 
good cause for late intervention. You do not need intervenor status to 
have your scoping comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mr. Jeff Shenot, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-2269.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-8302 Filed 4-6-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P