[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 87 (Friday, May 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19924-19925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11065]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-53-000]


NE Hub Partners, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed NE Hub Tioga Storage Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

April 29, 1996.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and operation of 
the facilities proposed in the NE Hub Tioga Storage Project.\1\ This EA 
will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to 
determine whether an environmental impact statement is required and 
whether or not to approve the project.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ NE Hub Partners, L.P.'s application was filed with the 
Commission under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary of the Proposed Project

    On November 7, 1995, NE Hub Partners, L.P. (NE Hub) filed an 
application requesting, among other things, authority to construct and 
operate a high deliverability natural gas salt cavern storage facility. 
In conjunction with the storage facilities, NE Hub said that it, along 
with other partners, intended to develop a nonjurisdictional commercial 
salt business and possibly other nonjurisdictional business ventures at 
the site (i.e. compressed air storage for electric generation and 
petroleum storage). The project involves the construction of two gas 
storage caverns with a capacity of up to 3 billion standard cubic feet 
per cavern. Leaching of the storage caverns in the existing underground 
salt formation would require the withdrawal of 2,400 gallons of fresh 
water per minute from the Cowanesque Reservoir over about 28 months. 
After the water is pumped from a developing cavern, a portion of the 
brine water would be injected into an underground formation through 
brine disposal wells and the remainder would be shipped out by railroad 
cars to an evaporation plant. When completed, NE Hub indicated that the 
storage caverns would be connected to pipelines owned by CNG 
Transmission Corporation (CNG), Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company 
(Tennessee), and North Penn Gas Pipeline Company (North Penn).
    In its application and subsequent responses to staff data requests, 
NE Hub has said that it intended to begin construction of certain 
bringing facilities, including cavern leaching wells, brine disposal 
wells, and piping, in June 1996, prior to Commission action on its 
certificate application. NE Hub asserts that Commission jurisdiction 
should not attach until the cavern leaching process commences. Any 
facilities needed to start that process (ie., freshwater intake and 
pump station; freshwater pipeline; a brining facility consisting of 
pumps, storage tanks, injection pumps, booster pumps, separators, 
centrifuges and support facilities; brine pipeline; cavern leaching 
wells; brine disposal wells; and possibly a rail loading facility) will 
be built prior to Commission certification.
    We intend to review the environmental impacts of the following of 
NE Hub's activities which involve construction and operation:
 Two cavern leaching/storage wells used to leach two caverns 
(first cavern available for the 1997-1998 winter heating season and 
the second cavern available for the 1999-2000 winter heating 
season);
 Four segments of 26-inch-diameter transmission pipeline 
totalling 12.2 miles;
 7.1 miles of 4-inch-diameter fuel gas lines;
 Approximately 2.5 miles of 24-inch-diameter gas storage 
pipeline;
 Three meter stations;
 Six compressors (18,750 horsepower total) for two storage 
caverns;
 Three gas heaters;
 A methanol injection system;
 Two gas withdrawal separators;
 One dehydrator;
 Other related gas facilities;
 A freshwater intake pumping station at Cowanesque 
Reservoir;
 2.2 miles of 12-inch-diameter freshwater pipeline to 
transport water to the brining operation;
 Three brine disposal wells;
 Freshwater injection pumps;
 Freshwater and brine holding tanks;
 A leaching plant;
 Brine pumps;
 19.2 miles of 12-inch-diameter water injection/brine 
disposal pipeline;
 Five storage tanks for process fluids;
 A rail car loading system to ship either the brine or 
crystallized salt; and potentially,
 An unspecified diameter/length pipeline and an evaporate 
plant to dispose of the brine and other facilities to the extent 
needed for brine disposal.

    NE Hud's interconnections with CNG, Tennessee, and North Penn would 
require the construction of a hot tap, meter, pressure regulator, 
valves, and other related facilities at each delivery site.
    The general location of the project facilities and specific 
locations for the know facilities on new sites are 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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 19925]]

Land Requirements for Construction

    The project would require about 900 acres of land. The proposed gas 
pipelines would be partly built adjacent to existing pipeline or 
electric transmission line rights-of-way (ROW). The construction ROW 
would typically be 100 feet wide consisting of a 50-foot-wide permanent 
ROW and a 50-foot-wide temporary ROW. The construction ROW would serve 
as a multiple use ROW comprising gas pipelines, brine pipelines, 
freshwater pipelines, and fuel gas pipelines were applicable. Following 
construction, the disturbed area would be restored and the 50 feet of 
temporary ROW would be allowed to revert to its former land use.

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 taken into account during the preparation of the EA.
    We intend to use but not duplicate work of other agencies to the 
greatest extent possible. The water intake at the Cowanesque Reservoir 
is under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, 
Maryland District Office. The leaching process and subsurface brine 
disposal are under joint jurisdiction of the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental 
Protection (PADEP). Land disposal permitting is also required by the 
PADEP. 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
 vegatation and wildlife
 endangered and threatened species
 Noise impacts
 land use
 cultural resources
 hazardous waste
 public safety

    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 several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by NE Hub.

     46 streams would be crossed and some of them are 
coldwater fisheries that support trout.
     58 wetlands would be crossed totalling about 30.8 
acres.
     Federal and state-listed threatened or endangered 
species may be affected.
     The project may impact cultural resources.
     Potential land disposal of 2,200 cubic yards of solid 
material (brine filter cake) may occur from the brine leaching 
process used to develop two caverns. The brine filter cake may be 
mixed into the top 2 feet of soil and spread over 9.4 acres.
     Noise impacts would occur to nearby residences from the 
operation of the compressor station, water and brine pumping 
equipment, well drilling, and the rail car loading station.
     A pipeline and evaporation plant may be constructed 
that would be associated with the potential salt business at an 
undetermined location near the project area.

    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 with 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 property recorded:
     Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP96-53-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. John Wisniewski, 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 May 28, 1996.

If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one from 
Mr. Wisniewski 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) (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. 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. John Wisniewski, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-1073.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-11065 Filed 5-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M