[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38195-38196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18570]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-339-000]


Total Peaking Services, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Total Peaking Services 
Milford LNG Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

July 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 operation of facilities 
proposed in the Total Peaking Services Milford LNG Project. 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\
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    \1\ Total Peaking Services', L.L.C. application was filed under 
Section 7 of the National Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's 
regulations.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Total Peaking Services, L.L.C. (TPS) is seeking approval to acquire 
and operate in interstate commerce an existing liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) peak-shaving facility located in Milford, Connecticut that is 
presently used by The Southern Connecticut Gas Company (Southern 
Connecticut). The purpose of the project is to enable TPS to make 
interstate gas sales to satisfy the Northeast's growing demand for 
peaking gas. Southern Connecticut would sublease the Milford LNG Plant 
to CNE Energy Services Group, Inc. which in turn would sublease the 
plant to TPS.

Exisiting Facilities

    The Milford LNG Plant was constructed in 1972 and consists of 
natural gas liquefaction, LNG storage, and LNG revaporization 
facilities. The plant was designed to supply Southern Connecticut's gas 
utility needs by liquefying and storing natural gas in the summer for 
revaporization during peak periods in the winter heating season. The 
Milford LNG Plant has a design liquefaction rate of 6 million cubic 
feet per day (MMCFD) and a sendout capacity of 72 MMCFD. The LNG is 
stored in a 348,000-barrel LNG storage tank.
    The Milford LNG Plant receives gas for liquefaction and storage 
through facilities of Southern Connecticut that are connected to the 
interstate pipeline system of Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P. 
The plant has also received significant amounts of LNG by transport 
trailer.

Proposed Facilities

    TPS does not propose any new facilities or any modifications to 
existing facilities. The Milford LNG Plant would continue to be 
operated by Southern Connecticut on behalf of TPS.
    The location of the Milford LNG Plant 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, NE., 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

    No additional land is required since TPS does not propose any 
additions or modifications to the existing 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 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.
    Because the LNG plant is an existing facility and no new additions 
or modifications are proposed, the EA will focus on the operation of 
the proposed project, the cryogenic design aspects of the plant, and 
the public safety including LNG trucking.
    Prior to finalizing the EA, the FERC staff will meet with 
representatives of TPS (time and location to be noticed at a later 
date) to conduct a cryogenic design and engineering review of the LNG 
facility at Milford, Connecticut.
    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

[[Page 38196]]

published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we recommend 
that the Commission approve or not approve the project.

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 receive 
and properly recorded:
     Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., Washington, DC 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP96-339-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. James Dashukewich, EA 
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., 
NE., Room 72-56, Washington, DC 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they are received in 
Washington, DC on or before August 14, 1996.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding or 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 a 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).
    Filing of timely motions to intervene in this proceeding should be 
made on or before July 24, 1996. Once this date has passed, parties 
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. James Dashukewich, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0117.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-18570 Filed 7-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M