[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 135 (Friday, July 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36724-36725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17713]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-564-000]


National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line K Relocation Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

July 8, 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 facility proposed in the Line K Relocation 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.
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    \1\ National Fuel Gas Supply 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

    National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (National Fuel) wants to 
construct about 877 feet of 20-inch-diameter pipeline to replace about 
454 feet of Line K in Erie County, New York. Of this 454-foot-long 
segment of Line K, about 147 feet would be removed and 307 feet would 
be abandoned in place. National Fuel states that due to encroachment of 
residential development this segment of deteriorating Line K can not be 
replace in the same location.
    The specific location of the project facility 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, 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 facility would require about 0.99 acre 
of land. Following construction, about 0.60 acre would be maintained as 
permanent right-of-way. The remaining 0.33 acre would be restored and 
allowed to revert to its former 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 the ``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
 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 facility and 
the environmental information provided by National Fuel. This 
preliminary list of issues may be

[[Page 36725]]

changed based on your comments and our analysis:
     Three residences are located within 50 feet of the 
construction right-of-way.
     The entire project lies within a residential area.

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 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. CP96-564-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mrs. Medha Kochhar, 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 August 12, 1996.
    If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one 
from Mrs. Medha Kochhar 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).
    You do not need intervenor status to have your scoping comments 
considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mrs. Medha Kochbar, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-2270.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-17713 Filed 7-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M