[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 151 (Monday, August 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40635-40636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19773]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-641-000]


ANR Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Michigan Leg South Looping 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

July 30, 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 Michigan Leg South Looping 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\ ANR Pipeline Company'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

    ANR Pipeline Company (ANR) proposes to loop its existing Michigan 
Leg South System with 11.9 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline in two 
segments. The two segments consist of 1.6 miles of loop in Will County, 
Illinois, and 10.3 miles of loop in Porter County, Indiana. The project 
also includes the addition of one aftercooling bay at the existing St. 
John Compressor Station in Lake County, Indiana, and the relocation of 
an existing pig launcher from milepost (MP) 885.02 to MP 874.72 in 
Porter County, Indiana, and a pig receiver from MP 848.31 to MP 849.91 
in Will County, Illinois. The general location of the project 
facilities are 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 facilities would disturb about 186.3 
acres of land. About 35.8 acres of the 186.3 acres is existing pipeline 
right-of-way. About 50.1 acres would be new permanent right-of-way for 
the loop, and about 100.4 acres of the construction right-of-way and 
extra workspaces would be allowed to revert to its prior use after 
construction.

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.
     Land use.
     Cultural resources.
     Air quality and noise.
     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

[[Page 40636]]

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 ANR. Keep in mind that this 
is a preliminary list:
     Thirteen residences are within 25 feet of the construction 
right-of-way.
     The sports facilities on the property of the Liberty 
School and Liberty Middle School are crossed.
    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 (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. CP96-641-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Bob Kopka, EA Project 
Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., PR-
11.1, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, D.C. on or before August 30, 1996.

If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one from 
Mr. Kopka 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 
Mr. Bob Kopka, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0282.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-19773 Filed 8-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M