[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 148 (Monday, August 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41248-41250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20563]



[[Page 41248]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP97-315-000, et al., CP97-319-000, CP98-200-000, and 
CP98-540-000]


Independence Pipeline Company; Supplemental Notice of Intent To 
Prepare a Combined Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed 
Independence Pipeline and Market Link Expansion Projects, Request for 
Comments on Environmental Issues Associated With the Market Link 
Expansion Project, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

July 28, 1998.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has determined that the proposed Independence Pipeline and 
Market Link Expansion Pipeline Projects are environmentally related 
projects and will be combined into one environmental impact statement 
(EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.\1\ This EIS 
will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to 
determine whether the proposed actions are in the public convenience 
and necessity. This Notice opens another environmental scoping comment 
period (see below). If you have already provided environmental comments 
as an affected property owner, interested party, agency, or intervenor 
for the Independence Pipeline Project, we request that you not submit 
additional scoping/environmental comments. We are specifically 
requesting comments only from those affected property owners and 
interested parties in the Market Link Expansion Project, project area.
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    \1\ Independence Pipeline Company, ANR Pipeline Company, 
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation, and Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Corporation's applications were filed with the Commission under 
Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's 
regulations.
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    If you are a landowner whose property will be crossed by the 
proposed Market Link Expansion Project, you may be contacted by a 
pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The pipeline 
company may seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement relative 
to land use and access. However, if the project is approved by the 
Commission, the pipeline has the right to use eminent domain. 
Therefore, if negotiations fail to produce an agreement between the 
pipeline company and landowner, the pipeline company would initiate 
condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law. A fact sheet 
addressing a number of typically asked questions, including the use of 
eminent domain, is attached to this notice as appendix 1.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    On March 9, 1998, the Commission issued a ``Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Independence 
Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and 
Notice of Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit (NOI).'' The NOI 
described the Independence Pipeline Project facilities proposed by ANR 
Pipeline Company, Independence Pipeline Company, and National Fuel Gas 
Supply Corporation. This Notice will only describe those facilities 
proposed by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) in its 
Market Link Expansion Project. Please refer to the NOI of March 9, 1998 
for additional detail and project information concerning the 
Independence Pipeline Project.
    The facilities discussed below are proposed by Transcontinental Gas 
Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) in its Market Link Expansion Project, 
and will be incorporated into the Commission staff's Independence 
Pipeline Project EIS:
     24.19 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop between 
mileposts 161.29 and 185.48 in Lycoming and Clinton Counties, 
Pennsylvania (Haneyville Loop); \2\
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    \2\ These facilities or portions of these facilities were 
previously proposed in Transco's Seaboard Expansion Project in 
Docket No. CP96-545-000. The Commission staff conducted an 
environmental review and had planned to publish an environmental 
assessment (EA) for Transco's Seaboard Expansion Project. Four 
comments were received during the public scoping period. However, 
Transco subsequently withdrew its application on April 4, 1997 and 
the EA was never issued.
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     13.23 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop between 
mileposts 129.51 and 142.74 in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania; and 1.79 
miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline between mileposts 142.74 and 144.53 
in Lycoming County (Williamsport Loop); \2\
     17.73 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop between 
mileposts 28.56 and 115.18 in Luzerne and Columbia Counties, 
Pennsylvania (Benton Loop);
     6.27 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop between 
mileposts 30.29 and 36.56 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania 
(Allentown Loop);
     29.23 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop between 
mileposts 0.14 and 29.37 in Somerset and Warren Counties, New Jersey 
(Clinton Loop);
     23.88 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop between 
mileposts 1789.53 and 1812.36 in Somerset and Morris Counties, New 
Jersey (Stirling Loop);
     18.81 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop between 
mileposts 1820.66 and 1839.47 in Bergen and Essex Counties, New Jersey 
(Roseland Loop);
     5.46 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop between 
mileposts 1802.73 and 1808.19 in Middlesex and Union Counties, New 
Jersey (Woodbridge Loop)\2\
     7.10 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline between mileposts 
18.96 and 26.06 in Burlington County, New jersey (Bordentown Loop); and 
\2\
     0.30 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop crossing the 
Raritan River between mileposts 1794.70 and 1795.00 in Middlesex 
County, New Jersey (Raritan River Loop).
    Transco also proposes to:
     Replace about 6.3 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline (in 
the same trench) with a new 36-inch-diameter pipeline between mileposts 
30.53 and 36.83 in Burlington County, New Jersey (Mt. Laurel 
Replacement); \2\
     Install a 36-inch-diameter interconnect pipeline with a 
proposed meter building outlet of Independence Pipeline Company to 
Transco's existing 24-inch-diameter Leidy Lines ``A'' and ``B''; and 
30-inch-diameter Leidy Line ``C'' in Clinton County, Pennsylvania 
(milepost 194.06).
     Replace the impellers on two existing 12,600-horsepower 
(hp), turbine-driven compressor units at Compressor Station (C.S.) 520 
in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania;
     Install two new 15,000-hp turbine-driven compressor units; 
perform the rewheeling of one existing 12,600-hp turbine-driven 
compressor unit, and perform impeller replacement on two existing 
5,500-hp turbine-driven compressor units at C.S. 517 in Columbia 
County, Pennsylvania;
     Install one 15,000-hp turbine-driven compressor unit and 
perform the rewheeling and uprating of an existing 12,600-hp turbine-
driven compressor unit to 15,000-hp at C.S. 515 in Luzerne County, 
Pennsylvania;
     Install one 15,000-hp electric motor-driven compressor 
unit and perform impeller replacement on two existing 7,000-hp electric 
motor-driven compressor units at C.S. 205 in Mercer County, New 
Jersey;\2\
    Transco would also perform modifications to:
     Reduce pressure on Transco's 42-inch-diameter Mainline C 
from 1,200 psig to 800 psig at the existing

[[Page 41249]]

Centerville Regulator Station at milepost 0.11 in Somerset County, New 
Jersey;
     Reduce pressure on Transco's 36-inch-diameter Mainline D 
from 800 psig to 638 psig at existing Roseland Regulator Station at 
milepost 1820.66 in Essex County, New Jersey;
     Reduce pressure on Transco's 42-inch diameter Mainline E 
from 800 psig to 638 psig at existing Linden Regulator Station at 
milepost 1808.19 in Union County, New Jersey;\2\ and
     Inlet/outlet headers at existing C.S. 200 to provide flow 
control under certain operating conditions on Transco's Trenton 
Woodbury Lateral in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
    The proposed project would deliver about 663,000 Dts/d for nine 
customers.
    A general location map of the project facilities is shown in 
appendix 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of Transco's proposed looping facilities would affect 
a total of about 2,485 acres. Of this total, about 1,604 would be 
disturbed by construction of the pipeline loops. Of the remaining 881 
acres, about 352 acres are proposed for use as extra work spaces; and 
about 518 acres would be disturbed by construction and operation of the 
aboveground facilities.
    About 150.8 miles of the proposed pipeline right-of-way would 
parallel existing rights-of-way (about 98 percent of the project). 
Transco would deviate from existing mainline in several locations to 
avoid environmental or engineering constraints. Transco states it would 
require a 85 to 90-footwide construction right-of-way. Transco would 
retain and operate an additional 35 feet from the south edge of its 
existing corridor as permanent pipeline right-of-way. About 516 acres 
would be maintained as new permanent right-of-way. Existing land uses 
on the remainder of the disturbed areas, as well as most land uses on 
the permanent right-of-way, would be allowed to continue following 
construction.

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. The EIS we are 
preparing will give the Commission the information to do that. NEPA 
also requires us to discover and address concerns the public may have 
about the 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. 
We encourage state and local government representatives to notify their 
constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on 
their areas of concern. Local agencies are requested to provide 
information on other projects, either ongoing or planned, which might 
conflict with, or have cumulative effects when considered in 
combination with, the Independence Pipeline Project.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section on pages 7 and 8 of 
this notice.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have identified a number of issues based upon our preliminary 
review of the proposed facilities, the environmental information 
provided by Transco, and interested parties. Some of these issues are 
listed below. Keep in mind that this is a preliminary list, and is not 
a complete list of site-specific issues. We may add to, subtract from, 
or change the list of issues based on your comments and our analysis.

 Geology and Soils
    --Temporary and permanent impact on farmland soils.
    --Mixing of topsoil and subsoil during construction.
    --Compaction of soil by heavy equipment.
    --Effects to acid soils in Burlington County, New Jersey.
    --Effect of blasting during trench excavation.
    --Erosion control and restoration of the right-of-way.
 Water Resources
    --Crossing of 177 perennial waterbodies (81 in Pennsylvania; 96 in 
New Jersey).
    --Crossing of 5 perennial waterbodies over 100 feet wide, including 
Pine Creek (twice) in Pennsylvania; and the North Branch of the 
Raritan, Passaic, and Rahway Rivers in New Jersey.
    --Effect on water supplies, including at least 17 private wells 
within 150 fee of the construction work area (more to be determined).
 Vegetation and Wildlife
    --Crossing of 137.3 acres of wetlands, including 41.8 acres 
forested wetlands.
    --Clearing of about 146 acres of forest.
    --Effect of construction on wildlife and fisheries habitat.
    --Effect on federally listed endangered and threatened species or 
proposed listed species, including bald eagle, bog turtle, and 
shortnose sturgeon.
 Cultural Resources
    --Impact on historic and prehistoric sites.
    --Native American and tribal concerns.
 Land Use
    --Use of eminent domain to acquire rights-of-way.
    --Impact on crop production.
    --Proximity to schools and residential developments.
    --Effect on at least 36 residences within 50 feet of the 
construction work area.
    --Crossings of septic fields and drains.
    --Effect on local roads.
    --Control of unauthorized access to rights-of-way.
 Recreation and Public Interest Areas
    --Crossing of the Tiadaghton State Forest and Sproul State Forest, 
Pennsylvania.
    --Crossing of the Hyner State Park and Lick Run, a Pennsylvania 
State Designated ``Wild River''.
    --Crossing of South Branch Nature Preserve, Clinton Wildlife 
Management Area, in New Jersey.
    --Crossing of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
    --Crossing of several municipal parks, and the McEvoy and Passaic 
River Parks in New Jersey.
 Socioeconomics
    --Impact on property values.
    --Effect of construction workforce on demands for services in 
surrounding areas.
 Air Quality and Noise
    --Impact on local air quality during construction, and regional air 
quality during operation, of pipelines and compressor stations.
    --Noise impact on nearby areas from construction and operation of 
pipelines and compressor stations.
 Reliability and Safety
    --Assessment of hazards associated with natural gas pipelines, 
including placement in vicinity of schools, commercial areas and 
residential developments.
 Cumulative Impact
    --Assessment of the combined effect of the proposed project with 
other projects which have been or may be proposed in the same region 
and similar time frame.

    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

[[Page 41250]]

areas. A number of alternatives have been identified to date, both in 
filings made by the applicants and in comments received. We will 
evaluate all feasible alternatives identified.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in a Draft EIS which 
will be mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public interest 
groups, interested individuals, affected landowners, newspapers, 
libraries, and the Commission's official service list for these 
proceedings. A 45-day comment period will be allotted 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 treat all comments received on the Draft EIS.

Public Participation and Scoping Meetings

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative routes or 
compressor station sites), and measure 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:
     Reference Docket Nos. CP97-315-000 et al.
     Send two copies of your comments to: David P. Boergers, 
Acting Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First St., NE 
Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy for the attention of the Environmental 
Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1.
     Please mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before September 11, 1998.
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, you are 
invited to attend one or more of the four public scoping meetings being 
held in the project area. Meetings will be held at the following times 
and locations:

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              Date                               Time                                  Location                 
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September 1, 1998..............  7:00 p.m...........................  Sheraton Inn, Williamsport, 100 Pine      
                                                                       Street, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, (717)
                                                                       327-8231.                                
September 2, 1998..............  7:00 p.m...........................  Hilton, Allentown, 904 East Hamilton      
                                                                       Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania, (610)   
                                                                       433-2221.                                
September 3, 1998..............  7:00 p.m...........................  Sheraton Hotel Tara Parsippany, 199 Smith 
                                                                       Road, Parsippany, New Jersey, (973) 515- 
                                                                       2000.                                    
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    The purpose of the scoping meetings is to obtain input from state 
and local governments and from the public. Federal agencies have formal 
channels for input into the Federal process (including separate 
meetings where appropriate). Federal agencies are expected to file 
their written comments directly with the FERC and not use the scoping 
meetings for this purpose.
    Transco will be invited to present a description of its Market Link 
Expansion Project. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to 
attend the meetings and present oral comments on the environmental 
issues which they believe should be addressed in the Draft EIS. A 
transcript will be made of the meetings and will be made part of the 
Commission's record in this proceeding. Written comments and oral 
comments will be treated equally in our review.
    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 
may choose to participate once they have evaluated each proposal 
relative to their agencies' responsibilities. The list of agencies is 
provided in appendix 3.\3\
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    \3\ The appendices references 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, Room 2A or call (202) 208-
1371. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this 
notice in the mail.
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    On the above dates we will also be conducting limited site visits 
to the project area in the vicinity of each scoping meeting location. 
Anyone interested in participating in the site visit may contact the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, identified at the end of this 
notice, for more details and must provide their own transportation.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EIS scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding, known as an 
``intervenor''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
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 14 copies of its filings to the 
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy to all other parties 
on the Commission's service lists for these proceedings. 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 4). Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    The date for filing timely motions to intervene in this proceeding 
has passed, having ended June 11, 1998. Therefore, parties now seeking 
to file later interventions must show good cause, as required by 
section 385.213(b)(3), why this time limitation should be waived. 
Environmental issues have been viewed as good cause for late 
intervention. However, you do not need intervenor status to have your 
comments considered.

Environmental Mailing List

    Anyone offering scoping comments will be automatically kept on our 
environmental mailing list for the project. If you do not want to offer 
comments at this time you will be taken off the environmental mailing 
list.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Paul McKee in the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-
1088.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-20563 Filed 7-31-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M