[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20005-20006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10580]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP97-238-000]


Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C.; Portland Natural Gas 
Transmission System; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Proposed PNGTS/Maritimes Phase I Joint 
Facilities Project

April 18, 1997.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
on certain of the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Maritimes 
& Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C. and Portland Natural Gas Transmission 
System (the applicants) in the above-referenced docket, collectively 
referred to as the PNGTS/Maritimes Phase I Joint Facilities Project 
(Phase I Joint Facilities).
    The DEIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would have 
limited environmental impact.
    The DEIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities:
     About 66.1 miles of 30-inch-diameter mainline between 
Dracut, Massachusetts and Wells, Maine;
     About 0.8 mile of 20-inch-diameter pipeline (Haverhill 
Lateral);
     About 1.1 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline (Newington 
Lateral); and
     Four meter stations, one tap, and other associated 
aboveground facilities.

Comment Procedure

Written Comments

    Any person wishing to comment on the DEIS may do so. Please 
carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments are 
received in time and properly recorded:
     Reference Docket No. CP97-238-000;
     Send two copies of your comments to: Office of the 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, 
N.E., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received on or 
before June 9, 1997;

Public Meeting Schedule

    Three public meetings to receive comments on the DEIS will be held 
at the following times and locations:

                                                                        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Date                       Time              Location     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 20, 1997....................  7:00 p.m.........  Great Hall, 41     
                                                      Pleasant Street,  
                                                      Methuen,          
                                                      Massachusetts.    
May 21, 1997....................  7:00 p.m.........  Memorial School    
                                                      Gymnasium, 31 West
                                                      Main Street,      
                                                      Newton, New       
                                                      Hampshire.        
May 22, 1997....................  7:00 p.m.........  Wells High School  
                                                      Gymnasium, Sanford
                                                      Road, Wells,      
                                                      Maine.            
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and 
present oral comments on the environmental impacts described in the 
DEIS. Anyone who would like to speak at the public meetings may get on 
the speakers list by signing up at the public meetings. Priority will 
be given to persons representing groups. Transcripts will be made of 
the meetings.
    After these comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the DEIS, a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will be published and 
distributed. The FEIS will contain the staff's responses to timely 
comments received on the DEIS.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to 
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene 
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Any person may file a motion to intervene 
on the basis of the Commission's staff's DEIS (18 CFR 380.10). You do 
not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
    The DEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Public Reference and Files Maintenance

[[Page 20006]]

Branch, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
    A limited number of copies are available at this location.
    Copies of the DEIS have been mailed to Federal, state, and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Paul McKee in the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-
1088.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-10580 Filed 4-23-97; 8:45 am]
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