[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 217 (Thursday, November 7, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57671-57672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28598]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-655-000]


Destin Pipeline Company Inc.; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Destin Pipeline 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meeting

November 1, 1996.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and 
operation of the facilities proposed in the Destin Pipeline Project,\1\ 
This EIS will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process 
to determine whether to approve the project.
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    \1\ Destin Pipeline Company Inc.'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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    We are asking a number of Federal Agencies to indicate whether they 
wish to cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS. These agencies 
are listed in appendix 1 and may choose to participate once they have 
evaluated the proposal relative to their agencies' responsibilities.\2\ 
To date, the U.S. Forest Service, DeSoto National Forest Chickasawhay 
Ranger District has requested cooperating agency status.
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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, 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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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Destin Pipeline Company Inc. (Destin) wants to build new natural 
gas pipeline and compression facilities in the Gulf of Mexico and 
southeastern Mississippi to transport 1 billion cubic feet per day of 
natural gas to downstream interconnections in Mississippi. Destin 
requests Commission authorization, in Docket No. CP96-655-000, to 
construct and operate the following facilities:
     72.8 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in the Gulf of 
Mexico extending from Main Pass Block 248 to a point of landfall near 
the city of Pascagoula in Jackson County, Mississippi;
     116.8 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline extending 
northward through Jackson, George, Greene, Wayne, and Clark Counties, 
Mississippi to interconnections with the existing pipeline systems of 
Florida Gas Transmission Company (Florida Gas) and Transcontinental 
Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) near Shubuta, Mississippi;
     17 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline within Clarke County 
from the interconnection with Transco to Southern Natural Gas Company's 
(Southern) existing Enterprise Compressor Station near Enterprise, 
Mississippi;
     2.4 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Clarke 
County, Mississippi extending westward from Southern's Enterprise 
Compressor Station to an interconnection with Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company (Tennessee);
     One new 14,100-horsepower (hp) compressor station near the 
coastline in Jackson County, Mississippi;
     One new 11,600-hp compressor station in Greene County, 
Mississippi;
     Five new meter stations, one each in George and Attala 
Counties and three in Clarke County, Mississippi; and
     Two new offshore platforms in the U.S. territorial waters 
of the Gulf of Mexico.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
2. If you are interested in viewing detailed maps of a specific portion 
of the Destin Pipeline Project, please attend one of the public scoping 
meetings identified in this notice, or contact the EIS project manager 
at the phone number or address listed at the end of this notice.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Based on information supplied by Destin, over 50 percent of the 
proposed onshore pipeline would parallel existing road, pipeline, or 
powerline rights-of-way. Following construction, about 640 acres would 
be maintained as new right-of-way. Another 858 acres of temporarily 
disturbed land would be restored and allowed to revert entirely to its 
former use.
    Building the Destin Pipeline Project would require onshore 
construction rights-of-way ranging from 90 to 110 feet wide. Following 
construction, a 40-foot-wide permanent right-of-way would be retained 
where the pipeline would be adjacent to existing utility rights-of-way 
and a 50-foot-wide permanent right-of-way would be retained in all 
other areas. Additional temporary work areas would be required on each 
side of road, railroad, river, and stream crossings. The two new 
compressor stations would each require about 2.8 acres of land. Each of 
the five new meter stations would require about one acre of land.

The EIS 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 EIS 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 EIS. All comments received 
are considered during the preparation of the EIS. 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 EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already 
identified a number of issues under each topic that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of each topic that we think 
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed 
facilities and the environmental information provided by the applicant. 
These issues are listed below. This is a preliminary list of issues and 
may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.

 Geology and Soils
    --Seismology and areas susceptible to landslide.
    --Prime farmland soils.
    --Erosion control and right-of-way restoration.
 Water Resources
    --Effect of construction on areas with shallow groundwater.
    --Effect of construction on crossings of perennial waterbodies 
including 3 ponds, the Chickasawhay River, and 2 crossings of the 
Escatawpa River.
    --Impact on wetland hydrology.
    --Consistency with Mississippi

[[Page 57672]]

Coastal Zone Management Program.
 Biological Resources
    --Short- and long-term effects of right-of-way clearing and 
maintenance on wetlands, forests, and riparian areas.
    --Effects of habitat alteration
    --Effect of construction on tidal salt marshes, Bangs Lake oyster 
reefs, and on potential spawning areas of the gulf sturgeon in the 
lower Chickasawhay River.
    --Effect on freshwater and estuarine fisheries habitats and Gulf of 
Mexico commercial fisheries.
    --Project impact on threatened and endangered species such as the 
gopher tortoise and the redcockaded woodpecker.
 Cultural Resources
    --Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.
    --Native American concerns.
 Land Use
    --Impact on residences recreation areas.
    --Consistency with local land use plans and zoning.
    --Public lands including the DeSoto National Forest, Chickasawhay 
State Wildlife Management Area, Bangs Lake Coastal Reserve, and Gulf 
Islands National Seashore.
 Air Quality and Noise
    --Effect on local air quality and noise environment as a result of 
construction.
    --Effect on local air quality and noise environment as a result of 
operation of the compressor stations.
 Reliability and Safety
    --Assessment of hazards associated with natural gas pipelines.

    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 Draft EIS 
which will be mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public 
interest groups, affected landowners and other interested individuals, 
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for 
this proceeding. A 45-day comment period will be alloted for review of 
the Draft EIS. We will consider all comments on the Draft EIS and 
revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a Final EIS. The 
Final EIS will include our response to each comment received and will 
be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine 
whether to approve the project.

Public Participation and Scoping Meetings

    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 insure 
that your comments are received and properly recorded:
     Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 
20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP96-655-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Michael Boyle, EIS 
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE, Room 72-59, Washington, DC 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, D.C. on or before December 2, 1996.
    In addition to asking for written comments, we invite you to attend 
the public scoping meetings the FERC will conduct. The locations and 
times for these meetings are listed on the next page. Requests to hold 
additional public scoping meetings will be considered.
    The public meetings are designed to provide you with more detailed 
information and another opportunity to offer your comments on the 
proposed project. Those wanting to speak at the meetings can call the 
EIS Project Manager to pre-register their names on the speaker list. 
Those people on the speaker list prior to the date of the meeting will 
be allowed to speak first. A second speaker list will be developed at 
each meeting. Priority will be given to people representing groups. A 
transcript of each meeting will be made so that your comments will be 
accurately recorded.
    The public scoping meetings will be held at the following times and 
locations:

Pascagoula, Mississippi; November 13, 1996, 7:00 p.m., LaFont Inn, 
Highway 90 East, (602) 762-7111.
Waynesboro, Mississippi; November 14, 1996, 7:00 p.m., Waynesboro City 
Auditorium, 1008 Benton Street, (601) 735-3078.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EIS 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 3).
    The date for filing of 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 late intervention. You do not 
need intervenor status to have your scoping comments considered.

Environmental Mailing List

    This notice is being sent to individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
proposed project. It is also being sent to all potential right-of-way 
grantors. As details of the project become established, representatives 
of Destin may also separately contact landowners, communities, and 
public agencies concerning project matters, including acquisition of 
permits and rights-of-way.
    All commentors will be retained on our mailing list. If you do not 
want to send comments at this time but still want to keep informed and 
receive copies of the Draft and Final EIS, please return the 
Information Request (appendix 4). If you do not send comments or return 
the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.
    Additional information on the proposed project is available from 
Mr. Michael Boyle, EIS Project Manager, at (202) 208-0839.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-28598 Filed 11-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M