[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 50 (Monday, March 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12798-12799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6605]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-142-000]


National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line K California Road 
Replacement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

March 10, 1998.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of replacing approximately 0.5 mile 
of 20-inch-diameter pipeline proposed in the Line K California Road 
Replacement Project.\1\ This EA will be used by the Commission in its 
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the 
public convenience and necessity.
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    \1\ National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation's application was filed 
with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 
157 of the Commission's regulation.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (National Fuel) would replace 
2,735 feet of its 20-inch-diameter Line K pipeline with 3,210 feet of 
same size pipeline along California Road in Erie County, New York. The 
reroutes on the east and west ends of the project are proposed to avoid 
homes and businesses which have encroached on the right-of-way since 
its original construction in 1910.
    The abandoned pipeline would be removed except for two segments 
(644- and 562-foot lengths) which would be abandoned in place to avoid 
disrupting traffic.
    The general location of the project facilities is 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

    In front of residences (milepost 0.22 to 0.46) the construction 
area would consist of a corridor 60-feet-wide from the edge of the 
California Road pavement. Construction of the proposed facilities would 
require about 4.72 acres of land. Following construction, about 3 acres 
would be maintained as permanent right-of-way for the operation of the 
project. The remaining

[[Page 12799]]

1.72 acres of land would be restored and allowed to revert to its 
former use.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from the 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
 hazardous waste
 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 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

    Based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the 
environmental information provided by National Fuel, we have identified 
the following issues which deserve attention:
     Construction adjacent to homes on the east side of 
California Road; and
     Alternate route deviations.
    Additional issues may be considered 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 relocating the pipeline to the opposite (west 
side) of California Road, 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: David P. Boergers, 
Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., 
N.E., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.2;
     Reference Docket No. CP98-142-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 9, 1998.
    You may request detailed maps or additional information about the 
proposed project by contacting Paul McKee, in the Commission's Office 
of External Affairs, at (202) 208-1088.

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.
    You do not need intervenor status to have your environmental 
comments considered.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-6605 Filed 3-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M