[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 42 (Friday, March 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8050-8052]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4766]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-153-000]


Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed North Alabama Pipeline 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meeting

February 26, 1996.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and 
operation of the facilities proposed in the North Alabama Pipeline 
Project.\1\ This EIS will be used by the Commission in its decision-
making process to determine whether to approve the project.

    \1\ Southern Natural Gas Company's application was filed with 
the Commissioner under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 
of the Commission's regulations.
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    We are asking a number of Federal agencies to indicate whether they 
wish 

[[Page 8051]]
to cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS. These agencies are 
listed in appendix 1 and may choose to participate once they have 
evaluated each proposal relative to their agencies' 
responsibilities.\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, NE, Room 2A, 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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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Southern Natural Gas Company (Southern) wants to expand the 
capacity of its facilities in Alabama to transport an additional 76,350 
thousand cubic feet per day of natural gas to five local distribution 
companies. Southern seeks authority to construct and operate:
     About 105 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline in 
Tuscaloosa, Fayette, Walker, Cullman, Morgan, and Madison Counties, 
Alabama. The proposed pipeline would begin at a tie-in at Southern's 
existing McConnells Compressor Station in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, 
and proceeds northeast to its termination in Madison County, Alabama;
     Two new meter stations: Huntsville Meter Station and North 
Alabama Gas District Meter Station, both located in Madison County, 
Alabama;
     About 8.5 miles of 12-inch-diameter lateral and the 
Decatur Meter Station in Morgan County, Alabama;
     One additional 1,600-horsepower (hp) compressor at 
Southern's existing McConnells Compressor Station in Tuscaloosa County, 
Alabama; and
     One additional 4,700-hp compressor at Southern's recently 
authorized Providence Compressor Station (approved by the Commission in 
May 1995 in Docket No. CP95-505-000) in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
    The general location of the project facilities are shown in 
appendix 2.\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, 888 
First 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

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 935 
acres of land. Following construction, about 329 acres would be 
maintained as new right-of-way. The remaining 606 acres of land would 
be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.
    Southern proposes to use a 70-foot-wide right-of-way in 
nonagricultural areas; and a 90-foot-wide right-of-way in agricultural 
areas. Southern proposes to maintain a 50-foot-wide permanent easement.

The EIS 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 EIS 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 EIS. All comments received 
are considered during the preparation of the EIS. 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 EIS 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

--Seismology and soil liquefaction.
--Hazardous waste.
--Effect of blasting.
--Topsoil/subsoil mixing.
--Soil compaction.
--Erosion control.
--Right-of-way restoration.

     Water Resources

--Groundwater withdrawal and discharge to surrounding surface waters.
--Directional drilling of the Tennessee River.
--128 perennial waterbody crossings, including Sipsey Fork, Lost River, 
and the North River.
--Effect on water quality and riparian resources.

     Biological Resources

--Effect of pipeline construction and operation on wildlife and 
fisheries habitat.
--Effect on federally threatened, endangered, or sensitive animal and 
plant species and their habitats.
--Effect on forested wetlands and other wetland habitats.

     Cultural Resources

--Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.
--Native American and tribal concerns.

     Land Use

--Impact on Wheeler Wildlife Refuge and other areas of critical 
environmental concern.
--Consistency with local land use plans and zoning.
--Impact on residences and recreation areas.
     Air Quality and Noise
--Air quality and noise impacts associated with construction.
--Effect on local and regional air quality and local noise environment 
as a result of operation of additional compression at the McConnells 
and Providence Compressor Stations.

     Reliability and Safety

--Assessment of hazards associated with natural gas pipelines.

    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 result in the 
publication of a Draft EIS which will be 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 45-day comment period 
will be allocated for the review of the Draft EIS. We will consider all 
comments on the Draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before 
issuing a Final EIS. The Final EIS will include our response to each 
comment received.

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 Southern. Keep in mind that 
this is a preliminary list:
     Twenty-three federally listed endangered or threatened 
species may occur in the proposed project area.
     About 33 acres of forested wetlands would be affected.
     About 128 perennial streams, several over 50 feet-wide, 
would be crossed by the proposed project.
     About 391 acres of upland forest would be affected.
     The proposed pipeline crosses the Wheeler National 
Wildlife Refuge (Tennessee River) from mileposts (MP) 107.81 to 108.72.
     Nineteen residences are located within 50 feet of the 
proposed construction right-of-way.
    The list of issues may be added to, subtracted from, or changed 
based on your comments and our analysis.

[[Page 8052]]

    Two nonjurisdictional small-diameter pipeline laterals are 
associated with this proposal. These laterals would service the 
municipal of Decatur and Huntsville, Alabama. We have determined that 
those facilities will be included in the environmental document.

Public Participation/Scoping Meeting

    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, 888 First St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP96-153-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Ms. Alisa Lykens, EIS 
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., 
N.E., PR 11.1, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, D.C. on or before April 5, 1996.
    Beyond asking for written comments, we invite you to attend our 
public scoping meeting that will be held on Monday, April 1, 1996 at 
7:00 p.m., at the Sheraton Airport Inn, 1000 Glenn Hearn Blvd., 
Huntsville, Alabama 35824, (205) 772-9661.
    The purpose of the scoping meeting is to obtain input from state 
and local governments and from the public. Federal agencies have formal 
channels for input into the Federal process (including separate 
meetings where appropriate) on an interagency basis. Federal agencies 
are expected to transmit their comments directly to the FERC and not 
use the scoping meetings for this purpose.
    Southern will be invited to present a description of its proposal 
at the scoping meeting. Interested groups and individuals are 
encouraged to attend the meeting and present oral comments on the 
environmental issues which they believe should be addressed in the 
Draft EIS. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will 
be. Anyone who would like to make an oral presentation at the meeting 
should contact the EIS Project Manager identified at the end of this 
notice to have his or her name placed on the list of speakers. Priority 
will be given to those persons representing groups. A list will be 
available at the public meeting to allow for non-preregistered speakers 
to sign up. A transcript will be made of the meeting and comments will 
be used to help determine the scope of the Draft EIS.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EIS 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) (see 
appendix 3).
    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.

Environmental Mailing List

    This notice is being sent to individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested and/or potentially affected by the 
proposed project. It is also being sent to all potential right-of-way 
grantors to solicit focused comments regarding environmental 
considerations related to the proposed project.\4\ As details of the 
project become established, representatives of Southern will directly 
contact landowners, communities, and public agencies concerning any 
other matters, including acquisition of permits and rights-of-way.

    \4\ Southern has supplied a preliminary landowner list. This 
list is based on the ownership of the land containing the existing 
right-of-way. A supplemental mailing will be made, if necessary, 
after the route has been surveyed.
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    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
keep informed and receive copies of the Draft and Final EISs, please 
return the Information Request (appendix 4). If you do not return the 
Information Request you will be taken off the mailing list.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Ms. Alisa Lykens, EIS Project Manager, at (202) 208-0766.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-4766 Filed 2-29-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M