[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 212 (Thursday, November 2, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55709-55710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-27175]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP94-161-003]


Avoca Natural Gas Storage; Notice of Intent To Prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the Avoca Gas Storage Field 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Field Visit

October 27, 1995.
    On October 11, 1995, Avoca Natural Gas Storage (Avoca) filed a 
request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) to modify its certificated facilities in Steuben County, 
New York. The FERC staff will prepare a supplemental environmental 
assessment (EA) on Avoca's proposed modifications, and will consider 
all relevant comments received in response to this notice.\1\ This 
supplemental 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 proposed project modifications.

    \1\ On August 5, 1994, the FERC issued the ``Avoca Gas Storage 
Field Project EA'' for public comment. On September 20, 1994, the 
FERC issued an Order approving the project in Docket No. CP94-161-
000.
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Summary of Proposed Project Modifications

    Avoca proposes to make the following modifications to the Avoca Gas 
Storage Field Project:
     Modify the planned fresh water supply to include a direct 
intake from the Cohocton River of up to 3 million gallons per day 
between June 1 and October 31.
     Replace the five certificated natural gas-fired compressor 
engines with electric motors.
     Contruct six gas storage caverns instead of five. Total 
certificated gas storage volume would remain the same.
     Install a triple header interconnecting pipe rather than 
the single header currently authorized.
    The location of the facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\

    \2\ 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, 888 
First Street, N.E., 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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Additional Background Information and Environmental Overview

    Freshwater Supply Alternative--Avoca proposes to modify its 
freshwater supply source to include a direct surface water intake from 
the Cohocton River as an alternative to groundwater withdrawals between 
June and October. Surface water withdrawals would cease when discharge 
at the stream gage, to be installed at the State Route 415 bridge in 
the town of Avoca, drops to 14 cubic feet per second (cfs). Avoca 
argues that a direct river withdrawal is environmentally desirable 
because it would provide additional protection to fish habitat.
    Avoca is currently authorized to withdraw up to 3 million gallons 
per day of groundwater from wells located on the Slayton farm, about 1 
mile north-northeast of the gas storage area. In accordance with the 
FERC certificate, all withdrawals from these wells must cease when the 
Cohocton River discharge drops to 18.65 cfs, as recorded at the Avoca 
gage. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) and the New York 
State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) imposed higher 
thresholds for phased reductions of groundwater withdrawal.
    Direct withdrawal from the Cohocton River requires construction of 
an intake structure in the river and approximately 1,800 feet of 
additional water pipeline.
    The NYDEC has already approved the direct river withdrawal concept 
and a 14 cfs threshold for ceasing surface water withdrawals, but has 
not yet approved the design of the intake structure or a protocol 
identifying when and how withdrawals would be made and monitored. The 
SRBC will not consider the matter before its November 15, 1995 meeting. 
Avoca states that the intake qualifies for Nationwide Permit 
authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE); although 
that still must be verified through a formal request for determination 
to be submitted to the COE by Avoca.
    Compressor Modifications--Avoca is currently authorized to 
construct a 25,000-horsepower (hp) compressor station to facilitate 
natural gas injections into the storage caverns. The station was to 
consist of five 5,000-hp natural gas-fired gas compressor engines. 
Avoca now proposes to use electric motors to drive the compressor 
units. Avoca states that the switch to electric motors would eliminate 
180 tons per year of criteria pollutant air emissions that would occur 
using natural gas-fired engines. The electric transmission line to the 
site is the same as previously proposed.
    Six Cavern Layout--Construction of the five certificated storage 
caverns was to be phased-in over 3 years: 2 caverns in 1997, 2 caverns 
in 1998, and 1 cavern in 1999. Each cavern would have a storage 
capacity of one billion cubic feet (Bcf).
    Avoca states that to meet its storage service obligations, the 
cavern construction phasing must be altered. It now proposes to 
construct six smaller caverns rather than the authorized five. The 
total storage volume would not exceed the authorized 5 Bcf. A 6-cavern 
arrangement would require 12 storage wells instead of 10. The 
associated structures, two additional 2,500 square foot (ft \2\) well 
pads, two additional mud pits, about 2,000 feet of additional pipeline, 
and a new 1,000 foot access road, would be constructed. The new cavern 
wells would be located about 1,200 feet northeast of cavern well No. 
10.
    Triple Header Interconnection--Avoca proposes to modify the design 
of the gas metering and receipt station to allow for the potential 
interconnection with two additional gas pipelines in addition to the 
authorized interconnection with Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company 
(Tennessee). The new design would consist of three separate metering 
skids; one for each of the interconnecting pipelines. All three 
metering skids would be located on the site originally designated for 
the Tennessee metering station. However, the footprint of the new 
interconnection would be 5,000 ft \2\ larger than originally designed. 
Avoca argues that installing the three interconnections at the same 
time would reduce potential environmental impact associated with 
redisturbing the same area in the future.
    Directional Drilling--On August 11, 1995, the Director of the 
FERC's Office of Pipeline Regulation authorized Avoca to drill an 
experimental directional well from a location near its brine disposal 

[[Page 55710]]
well (BDW-1, or Mitchell 1). The intent was to determine if the six 
authorized brine disposal wells could be constructed using directional 
drilling technology from a single location near the gas storage area. 
Drilling continues as of this date. If successful, directional drilling 
would substantially reduce the environmental impact of the project by 
eliminating the need to drill six brine disposal wells at the 
previously approved locations and approximately 5 miles of brine 
pipeline. The Director of OPR must still give his final approval for 
constructing directionally drilled brine disposal wells.

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, or as in this case, an 
amendment to an existing certificate. 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 supplemental EA. All comments 
received are considered during the preparation of the supplemental 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 supplemental EA will discuss only those impacts associated with 
the proposed modifications to the project, and how these impacts differ 
from those associated with the currently authorized project.
    At this time it appears that the most substantive environmental 
issue is the protection of the Cohocton River fishery resource. 
Specific issues we will address include:
     Whether the direct surface water withdrawal would be 
environmentally less disruptive than groundwater use;
     reduced air and noise emissions from conversion to 
electric motor-driven compressors; and
     other changes and impacts due to construction of:
    > 1,800 feet of additional pipeline and a river intake structure;
    > 6 caverns instead of 5 caverns; and
    > a larger (tripleheader) meter station.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
project modifications, 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 supplemental 
EA. Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the 
supplemental 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 supplemental EA is published. We will 
consider all comments on the supplemental EA before we recommend that 
the Commission approve or not approve the project modifications.

Site Visit

    The FERC staff will conduct a site visit on November 8, 1995, to 
inspect the locations of the newly proposed facilities. Anyone who 
desires to accompany the FERC staff on this site visit is welcome to 
participate. Any interested parties must provide their own 
transportation. Call Lonnie Lister, Project Manager, at (202) 208-2191 
for details on when and where to meet.

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 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, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP94-161-003;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Lonnie Lister, EA 
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North 
Capitol St., N.E., Room 7312, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, D.C. on or before November 27, 1995.
    If you wish to receive a copy of the supplemental EA, you should 
request one from Mr. Lister 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). You do 
not need intervenor status to have your scoping comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mr. Lonnie Lister, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-2191.
Lois D. Cashell,


Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95-27175 Filed 11-1-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M