[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 245 (Monday, December 22, 1997)] [Notices] [Pages 66860-66862] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-33270] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP98-49-000] K N. Wattenberg Transmission Limited Liability Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Front Runner Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues December 17, 1997. 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 by K N Wattenberg Transmission Limited Liability Company (KNW) as the Front Runner Pipeline 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 the project is in the public convenience and necessity. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ KNW's application was filed with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's regulations. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summary of the Proposed Project KNW proposes to construct, acquire, and operate new and existing pipeline facilities to establish a new natural gas transportation system along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado. KNW would interconnect three segments (about 75 miles) of new pipeline with two segments (about 33.5 miles) of existing pipeline, providing new capacity for transporting gas between the Rockport ``gas hub'' in northern Weld County and natural gas processors, users, and transporters in southern Weld and northern Adams County (northern Denver). The new pipeline would have the capacity to provide users at the southern end with 250 million cubic feet (MMcf) of natural gas per day, and gas producers at the southern end with the ability to transport 80 MMcf per day to new markets accessible via several existing interstate carriers whose facilities converge at Rockport.\2\ Specifically, KNW seeks authority to construct and operate: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ Pipeline carriers having facilities at Rockport include K N Interstate Gas Transmission Company, Colorado Interstate Gas Company, Trailblazer Pipeline Company, Williams Natural Gas Company, and Wyoming Interstate Company. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------About 45.2 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline extending from Rockport (in northern Weld County) south to northern Johnstown; [[Page 66861]] About 10.6 miles of new 16-inch-diameter pipeline extending from the Pan Energy-Mark Mewbourne Gas Processing Plant westward towards an area northwest of Platteville; and About 19.3 miles of new 6- and 12-inch-diameter pipeline extending eastward from the Erie area in southern Weld County. To complete the new system, KNW would also acquire existing gathering and related facilities from its affiliate K N Gas Gathering Company (KNGG). These facilities, which KNGG no longer needs to meet its current level of service requirements in Colorado, include: About 9.5 miles of 16-inch-diameter unprocessed gas pipeline extending from northern Johnstown to an area northwest of Platteville; and About 24 miles of 12-, 10-, and 8-inch-diameter processed gas pipeline extending south from the Amoco gas processing plant near Platteville to an area southeast of Brighton in northern Adams County. (This segment is essentially 21 miles of 12-inch-diameter mainline with three short, small-diameter laterals extending to nearby customers.) KNW would need to clean and dry the 9.5-mile-long segment of unprocessed gas pipeline before converting it to processed gas service. KNW also plans to construct/install mainline valves, interconnects, metering and valving at gas delivery/receipt points, and pigging facilities along the system. The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.\3\ If you are interested in obtaining more detailed maps of a specific portion of the project, or procedural information, please write to the Secretary of the Commission. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\ The appendices referred 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb about 698 acres of land overall, based on a typical 75-foot-wide pipeline construction right-of-way and including extra work spaces needed temporarily at waterbody, road, and railroad crossings. Following construction, about 458 acres would be maintained as new permanent pipeline rights-of-way (typically 50-feet-wide) or aboveground facility sites. (This figure excludes existing easements associated with the pipeline segments that KNW would acquire from KNGG.) The remaining 240 acres of land disturbed during construction would be restored and allowed to revert to its former uses. 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 will be 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 impact on the various resource areas. Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented 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 make our recommendations to the Commission. Currently Identified Environmental Issues We have already identified two issues that we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental information provided by KNW. This preliminary list may be changed based on your comments and our analysis. Eleven federally listed endangered or threatened species may occur in the proposed project area. The proposed facilities would require at least three waterbody crossings which would impact associated wetland and riparian vegetation which are considered sensitive resources in the project area. 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/locations), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments are received in time and properly recorded: Send two copies of your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426; Label one copy of your comments for the attention of the Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1; Reference Docket No. CP98-49-000; and Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before January 16, 1998. 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 late intervention. [[Page 66862]] You do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Lois D. Cashell, Secretary. [FR Doc. 97-33270 Filed 12-19-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-M