[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 204 (Monday, October 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26237]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 24, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP94-763-000]

 

Northern Natural Gas Co.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Peoples/L.S. Power-Cottage 
Grove Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 18, 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 Peoples/L.S. Power-Cottage Grove 
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\Northern Natural Gas Company's application was filed with the 
Commission pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 
of the Commission's regulations.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern Natural) wants Commission 
authorization to:

(1) Construct and operate about 1.42 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline 
to loop its existing 24-inch-diameter pipeline (MNM 86501) in 
Washington County, Minnesota;
(2) Construct a new L.S. Power-Cottage Grove Town Border Station (TBS) 
in Washington County, Minnesota; and
(3) Install and operate an electric-motor driven 1,250-horsepower (hp) 
compressor at the existing Farmington Compressor Station in Dakota 
County, Minnesota.

    The proposed facilities will be used to provide about 29,120 
million cubic feet per day of natural gas to Peoples Natural Gas 
Company and L.S. Power-Cottage Grove Limited Partnership's planned L.S. 
Power-Cottage Grove Cogeneration Plant in Washington County, Minnesota.
    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 Room, Room 3104, 941 North Capitol 
Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 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

    Northern Natural proposes to use a 75-foot-wide construction right-
of-way (ROW) for the loop. Through residential areas, Northern Natural 
would use a 50-foot-wide construction ROW to minimize disturbance to 
residences.
    Ten temporary work areas outside the construction right-of-way 
would be required at road and railway crossings, a retention pond, and 
at the beginning and end of the pipeline loop. Each of these extra work 
areas would occupy an additional 0.03- to 0.34-acre of land. Northern 
would also use a 0.62-acre pipe storage area near the beginning of the 
loop.
    The proposed L.S. Power-Cottage Grove TBS would require about 0.26 
acre of land. The compressor addition at the existing Farmington 
Compressor Station would not require additional land.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from a major Federal action whenever it considers the issuance 
of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. Our EA will give 
the Commission the information it needs to do that. If the EA concludes 
that the projects would result in significant environmental impacts, we 
will prepare an environmental impact statement. Otherwise we will 
prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact.
    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, and to separate these from issues that are 
insignificant and do not require detailed study.
    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed projects under these general 
subject headings:
     geology and soils
     air quality and noise
     endangered and threatened species
     vegetation and wildlife
     land use
     water resources, fisheries and wetlands
     cultural resources
     pipeline safety
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the projects, or 
portions of the projects, 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 
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 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 Northern Natural. 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 on or 
adjacent to about 70 residential properties.
     The pipeline would possibly cross potential habitat for 
the loggerhead shrike, a state-listed threatened species.
     The pipeline may cross or be near historic structures and 
archeological sites.
     The addition of a compressor could affect noise levels in 
the vicinity of the compressor station.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by sending a letter with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. We are particularly interested 
in alternatives to the proposals (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., N.E., Washington, 
D.C. 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP94-763-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Hugh Thomas, Project 
Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol St., 
N.E., Room 7312, Washington, D.C. 20426; and;
     Mail your comments so they will be received in Washington 
D.C. on or before November 21, 1994. 

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) which is 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. 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. Hugh Thomas, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0980.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-26237 Filed 10-21-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P