[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 47 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12164-12165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6024]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-138-000]


ANR Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Austin Storage Field Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

March 8, 1999.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of ANR Pipeline Company's (ANR) 
proposed Austin Storage Field Project. The project would involve the 
injection of approximately 2 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of nitrogen into 
the existing Austin Storage Field in Mecosta and Newaygo Counties, 
Michigan, to function as base gas.\1\ The nitrogen injection would 
allow ANR to recover approximately 2 Bcf of the natural gas currently 
serving as base gas. ANR would install skid-mounted facilities to 
generate the nitrogen and then use compressor facilities for storage 
field injections.
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    \1\ ANR'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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    This project would also involve a delineation of the Austin Storage 
Field boundary (including the fringe area protective acreage) which may 
have changed over past 57 years of operation. 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. The application and 
other supplemental filings in this docket are available for viewing on 
the FERC Internet website (www.ferc.fed.us). Click on the ``RIMS'' 
link, select ``Docket #'' from the RIMS Menu, and follow the 
instructions.
    Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides 
access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such 
as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website, 
click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and 
follow the instructions.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, 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 would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that 
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if 
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline 
company could 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.\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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Summary of the Proposed Project

    ANR proposes to inject approximately 2 Bcf of nitrogen into its 
existing Austin Storage Field in Mecosta and Newaygo Counties, 
Michigan, to function as base gas. This project would entail:
     The placement of a 500 horsepower (hp) natural gas fueled 
engine/compressor package approximately 750

[[Page 12165]]

feet east of ANR's Woolfolk Compressor Station for the withdrawal of 
the natural gas; and
     The clearing and regrading of a previously disturbed 200-
foot-square area adjacent to gas well #124 in the Austin Storage Field 
for the placement of a nitrogen generator, three 700 hp air 
compressors, and a 500 hp compressor for nitrogen injection.
    All equipment would be temporary (skid-mounted) and would be 
installed at an existing well location or along existing pipeline 
right-of-way. The location of the project facilities is shown in 
Appendix 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    The proposed activities would be performed within a 0.92 acre area 
of the existing right-of-way.

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 
are considered during the preparation of the EA. State and local 
government representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents 
of the proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
activities associated with the proposed project under these general 
headings:
     Geology and Soils.
     Water Resources, Fisheries, and Wetlands.
     Vegetation and Wildlife.
     Endangered and Threatened Species.
     Public Safety.
     Land Use.
     Cultural Resources.
     Air Quality and Noise.
    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.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section beginning on page 4 of 
this notice.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserved 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by ANR. This preliminary list of 
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     Air and noise impacts associated with the temporary use of 
air and gas compressors.
     Delineation of the storage field's existing boundary 
dimensions.

Public Participation

    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 EA and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives tot he proposal (including alternative 
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: David P. Boergers, 
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. CP99-138-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 7, 1999.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA 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 of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. 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). 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. 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.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mr. Paul McKee of the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 
208-1088 or on the FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us) using the ``RIMS'' 
link to information in this docket number. For assistance with access 
to RIMS, the RIMS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2222. Access to 
the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission with regard to 
this docket, such as orders and notices, is also available on the FERC 
website using the ``CIPS'' link. For assistance with access to CIPS, 
the CIPS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-6024 Filed 3-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M