[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 208 (Friday, October 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55287-55288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27383]



[[Page 55287]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-687-000]


Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Athens Compressor 
Station Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 21, 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 Athens Compressor Station 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\ Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'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

    Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P. (Iroquois) wants to expand 
the capacity of its facilities in New York and Connecticut to transport 
an additional 30 million cubic feet per day of natural gas for two 
shippers. Iroquois seeks authority to construct and operate 9,500 
horsepower of natural gas compression at the proposed Athens compressor 
Station in Greene County, New York.
    The specific location of the facility is shown on the map in 
appendix 1.\2\ The compressor facilities would be located about 2,700 
feet south of the Athens-Leeds Turnpike, which forms the northern 
boundary of the proposed site.
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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 25.7 
acres of land. Following construction, about 15.3 acres would be 
maintained as a new aboveground facility site. The remaining 10.4 acres 
of land would be restored and allowed to revert to open space. The 
closest residence is about 2,400 feet west of the proposed compressor 
building.

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
     Public safety
     Land use
     Cultural resources
     Air quality and noise
     Hazardous waste
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed 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 Iroquois. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     Conversion of the Athens Airport to industrial use.
     Effect the proposed compressor station would have on air 
quality in the vicinity.
     Alternative siting feasibility.

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 locations), 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. CP96-687-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Mark Jensen, 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 November 22, 1996.
    If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one 
from Mr. Jensen 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 later intervention.
    You do not need intervenor status to have your scoping comments 
considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mr.

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Mark Jensen, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0828.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-27383 Filed 10-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M