[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 47 (Friday, March 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13145-13146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5881]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP95-113-000]
KN Interstate Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Casper-Douglas
Pipeline Loop and Spur Project and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
March 6, 1995.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss environmental impacts of the construction and operation of
facilities proposed in the Casper-Douglas Pipeline Loop and Spur
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 to approve the project.
\1\KN Interstate Gas Transmission Company's application was
filed with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and
Part 157 of the Commission's regulations.
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Summary of the Proposed Project
KN Interstate Gas Transmission Company (KN) presently owns and
operates a natural gas processing plant in Casper, Wyoming (Casper
Plant) constructed in 1965. Because of the dated technology used to
remove heavy hydrocarbons from the gas, the Casper Plant is outmoded
and environmentally inefficient to operate. The plant requires large
volumes of fuel gas, and freon, as a refrigerant. Because the
production of freon has ceased and the existing supply of freon at the
plant is finite, KN proposes to close the Casper Plant.
KN wants to reconfigure its main natural gas transmission system in
order to transfer natural gas processing operations from the Casper
Plant to another existing processing plant near Douglas, Wyoming
(Douglas Plant). KN requests Commission authorization, in Docket No.
CP95-113-000, to construct and operate the following facilities needed
to transfer the processing operations:
43.9 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline loop (Casper-
Douglas Pipeline Loop) in Natrona and Converse Counties, Wyoming;\2\
\2\A loop is a segment of pipeline that is installed adjacent to
an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. The loop
allows more gas to be moved through the pipeline system at the
location in which the loop is installed.
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8.0 miles of new 16-inch-diameter pipeline (Douglas Spur)
in Converse County, Wyoming; and
2,000 horsepower (hp) of new compression at KN's existing
Guernsey Compressor Station in Platte County, Wyoming.
The general location of the project facilities and route maps are
shown in appendix 1.\3\
\3\The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the
Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance 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 Casper-Douglas Pipeline Loop would be installed within newly
acquired, 100-foot-wide construction rights-of-way generally parallel
to the right-of-way for an existing 12-inch pipeline. A 66-foot-wide
permanent right-of-way centered on the new pipeline would be used for
long-term maintenance activities. About 532 acres of land would be
disturbed if all 100 feet of construction right-of-way along the
pipeline route is used. The permanent right-of-way would consist of
about 351 acres of land.
The Douglas Spur would be installed within newly acquired, 100-
foot-wide construction rights-of-way. A 66-foot-wide permanent right-
of-way centered on the new pipeline would be used for long-term
maintenance activities. Two temporary staging areas, about 250 by 300
feet, one on each side of the river, would be required for the crossing
of the North Platte River and associated wetlands. A total of about 100
acres of land would be disturbed if all 100 feet of construction right-
of-way along the pipeline route is used. The permanent right-of-way
would consist of about 64 acres of land.
Private roads/lanes and the existing rights-of-way would be used
for access to the pipeline during construction and removal. These roads
may require repair and upgrading to support increased traffic.
The additional 2,000-hp compressor unit would be installed at KN's
existing Guernsey Compressor Station. The compressor unit would be
placed on an existing foundation adjacent to the current compressor. No
new land for construction will be required.
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 considered during the preparation of the EA. State and local
government representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents
of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
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.
Public safety.
Land use.
Cultural resources.
Air quality and noise.
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
[[Page 13146]] 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 a number of issues that we think deserve
attention, based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by KN. Keep in mind that this is
a preliminary list. The list of issues may be added to, subtracted
from, or changed based on your comments and our analysis. The currently
identified issues are:
The construction of new pipeline could affect seven
separate wetlands.
The project could cross habitat of the piping plover,
least tern, bald eagle, whooping crane, peregrine falcon, black-footed
ferret, pallid sturgeon (all federally listed endangered species), and
the mountain plover (a category 2 candidate species).
Construction of a 2,000-hp compressor at the Guernsey
Compressor Station may increase ambient noise levels in the vicinity of
the compressor station.
About 2.5 miles of the pipeline are proposed to cross the
Old Fort Fetterman Reservation, a historic site established in 1867.
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., N.E., Washington,
D.C. 20426;
Reference Docket No. CP95-113-000;
Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Bob Kopka, EA 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 April 7, 1995.
If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one
from Mr. Kopka 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 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) (see 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. You do not
need intervenor status to have your scoping comments considered.
Additional information about the proposed project is available from
Mr. Bob Kopka, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0282.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-5881 Filed 3-9-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M