[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 101 (Thursday, May 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25863-25865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12915]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket Nos. CP96-164-000 and CP96-254-000]


Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company and Distrigas of Massachusetts 
Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment 
for the Proposed Tennessee Domac Projects; Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting

May 17, 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 Tennessee DOMAC Projects.\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 projects.
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    \1\ Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company's and Distrigas of 
Massachusetts Corporation's applications were 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 Projects

    Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Tennessee) wants to expand the 
capacity of its existing facilities to transport up to 90,000 
dekatherms of natural gas per day on a firm basis for Distrigas of 
Massachusetts Corporation (DOMAC). Tennessee requests Commission 
authorization, in Docket No. CP96-164-000, to construct, operate, and 
abandon upon the termination of Tennessee's contractual obligations to 
DOMAC, the following facilities needed to transport those volumes:
     7.56 miles of 20-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in 
Saugus, Revere, Malden, and Everett, Massachusetts;
     One valve station at the northern end of the proposed 
pipeline in Saugus, Massachusetts; and
     A new meter station and odorization system at the southern 
end of the proposed pipeline at DOMAC's existing liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) facility in Everett, Massachusetts.
    DOMAC wants to construct additional facilities at its LNG facility 
in Everett, Massachusetts to increase reliability and meet the 
anticipated need for increased vaporization capacity. DOMAC requests 
Commission authorization, in Docket No. CP96-254-000, to construct and 
operate the following facilities:
     Two vaporization trains, each with a nominal capacity 
rating of 75 million cubic feet per day;

[[Page 25864]]

     About 0.1 mile of natural gas sendout pipeline; and
     Auxiliary equipment located in separate buildings required 
to operate the vaporization trains, including boilers, water 
circulation pumps, electrical switchgear, and a distributed control 
system.
    DOMAC stated in its application that although the proposed 
vaporization facilities are necessary to deliver vaporized LNG into 
Tennessee's proposed pipeline, its need for additional vaporization 
capacity is independent of Tennessee's proposal. Therefore, DOMAC 
proposes to construct the vaporization facilities regardless of 
Tennessee's action. The Commission staff has elected to analyze the two 
proposals in the same EA because the Tennessee and DOMAC facilities 
would be physically connected and would be built within the same 
general timeframe.
    The location of the proposed facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\
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    \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, Room 
3104, 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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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of Tennessee's facilities would require about 67.8 
acres of land. About 90 percent of this land is within existing 
Conrail, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), or New 
England Power Company (NEPCO) rights-of-way. The railroad rights-of-way 
range in width from 42.5 feet to 122 feet. Tennessee proposes to use 
all available space in these rights-of-way during construction. The 
NEPCO right-of-way is about 150 feet wide in the project area. In this 
area, and where the proposed pipeline would be outside existing rights-
of-way, Tennessee proposes to use a 55-foot-wide construction right-of-
way. In addition, temporary extra work spaces would be required at 
various locations adjacent to the construction right-of-way.
    Following construction, about 15.0 acres, nearly all of which is 
within existing rights-of-way, would be maintained as new permanent 
right-of-way for the pipeline or aboveground facilities. The width of 
the permanent easement within the railroad rights-of-way would be 
determined based on negotiations with the MBTA and Conrail. Tennessee 
proposes to maintain a 30-foot-wide permanent easement within the NEPCO 
right-of-way and where the pipeline is outside existing rights-of-way. 
The remaining land would be restored and allowed to revert to its 
former use. DOMAC's proposed facilities would be constructed within the 
existing fence lien of DOMAC's LNG facility.

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 staff requests public comments on 
the scope of the issues it will address in the EA. The staff also 
requests public comments on its decision to evaluate Tennessee's and 
DOMAC's proposed facilities in the same 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 projects under these general 
headings:
     Geology and soils.
     Water resources and wetlands.
     Vegetation and wildlife.
     Threatened and endangered species.
     Land use.
     Cultural resources.
     Public safety.
     Air quality and noise.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed 
projects or portions of the projects, 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, newspapers, 
libraries, and the Commission's official service list, and those groups 
and individuals that have expressed an interest in these proceedings. 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 projects.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities; our 
attendance at the Massachusetts Energy Facility Siting Board public 
hearings in Saugus, Revere, Malden, and Everett; and the environmental 
information provided by Tennessee and DOMAC. This is a preliminary list 
of issues and may be added to, subtracted from, or changed based on 
your comments and our analysis. Issues are:
     Effects of blasting on water wells, structures, septic 
systems, and natural gas pipelines;
     Crossing of 3 streams and 11 wetlands;
     Crossing of Rumney Marsh, a state-designated Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern;
     Clearing of trees and disturbance of wildlife habitat;
     Effects of construction on traffic, noise levels, and air 
quality (particularly, dust);
     Duration of construction;
     Construction near residences along the construction right-
of-way and effects on existing and future land uses;
     Right-of-way maintenance;
     Crossing of a Coastal Zone Management Area;
     Crossing of Conservation Land in the Town of Saugus;
     Protection of cultural resources and historic properties;
     Potential to expose contaminated soils;
     Potential increase in shipping of LNG into, and trucking 
of LNG out of the DOMAC LNG facility;
     Public safety; and
     Cumulative effect of the projects when combined with other 
developments in the area.

Public Participation and Scoping Meeting

    You can make a difference by sending a letter addressing your 
specific comments or concerns about the projects. You should focus on 
the potential environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to 
the proposal (including alternative pipeline 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 Street, NE., Washington, DC 
20426;

[[Page 25865]]

     Reference Docket Nos. CP96-164-000 and/or CP96-254-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Ms. Lauren O'Donnell, EA 
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE, Room 72-57, Washington, DC 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before June 21, 1996.
    If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one 
from Ms. O'Donnell at the above address.
    Beyond asking for written comments, we invite you to attend our 
public scoping meeting that will be held on June 11, 1996, at 7:00 
p.m., at the Saugus High School, Pierce Street, Saugus, Massachusetts. 
This public meeting will provide you with more detailed information and 
another opportunity to offer your comments on the proposals. We will 
also be visiting the project location on June 11 and 12, 1996.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceedings 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 of timely motions intervene in these 
proceedings has passed. Therefore, parties now seeking to file late 
interventions 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 projects is available 
from Ms. Lauren O'Donnell, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0325.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-12915 Filed 5-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M