[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9988-9989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5786]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-189-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line VM-108 
Replacement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

March 6, 1996.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and operation of 
the facilities proposed in the Line VM-108 Replacement 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\ Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation'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

    Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation (Columbia) wants to replace 
7.3 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline, known as Line VM-108, with 7.3 
miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline in Prince George and Sussex 
Counties, Virginia. Columbia determined that 6.3 miles of the existing 
Line VM-108 have deteriorated and need to be replaced. Columbia also 
received a request from an existing customer, Virginia Natural Gas 
Company (VNG), to shift a delivery point. By replacing the 6.3 miles of 
deteriorated pipeline and extending the replacement an additional mile, 
Columbia can reassign 28,525 decatherms per day of natural gas from its 
Newport News No. 1 Gate Station to its Norfolk Gate Station to 
accommodate VNG's request
    The general location of the project 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, 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 affect about 75.4 
acres of land, including 31.0 acres of temporary right-of-way. 
Following construction, 44.4 acres of land on existing right-of-way 
would be required for operation of the facilities. No new permanent 
right-of-way is required for the project.

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 
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 issues that we think deserve attention 
based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the 
environmental information provided by Columbia. Keep in mind that this 
is a preliminary list:
     Five perennial and seven intermittent streams would be 
crossed.
     Thirteen wetlands totalling about 9.5 acres would be 
affected.
     Two bird species, two fish species and two plant species 
that are rare or sensitive in Virginia are in the vicinity of the 
project area.
     Three residences are within 50 feet, and four domestic 
water wells are within 150 feet of the construction right-of-way.
     The project would cross or be near cultural resources.
    The list of issues may be added to, subtracted from, or changed 
based on your comments and our analysis.

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 St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426;
 Reference Docket No. CP96-189-000;
 Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Jeff Shenot, EA Project 
Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., PR-
11.2, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
 Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, D.C. on or before April 12, 1996.

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

[[Page 9989]]
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).
    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) 219-0295.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-5786 Filed 3-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M