[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16957-16958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8521]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-241-000]


ANR Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare in 
Environmental Assessment for the Project and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

April 1, 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 the Wisconsin Expansion Project 
Construction and operation of facilities by ANR Pipeline Company (ANR) 
in Kendall and McHenry Counties, Illinois and Waupaca and Rock 
Counties, Wisconsin.\1\ These facilities would consist of about 3.11 
miles of 16-inch and 42-inch-diameter pipeline, and 23,000 horsepower 
(hp) of compression. This EA will be used by the Commission in its 
decisionmaking process to determine whether the projects 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.
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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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    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 any 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. 
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreements. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that 
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, it 
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\

Summary of the Proposed Project

    ANR want to install certain additional loop pipeline and expand the 
capacity of its facilities in Illinois and Wisconsin to increase its 
transmission capacity by up to 194 million Decatherms per day of 
natural gas between the ANR Joliet Hub and its Wisconsin market area. 
ANR seeks authority to construct and operate:
     About 3.0 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop at its 
Michigan Leg South System in Kendall County, Illinois;
     Two 10,000-horsepower (ph) compressor units at its 
existing Woodstock Compressor Station in McHenry County, Illinois;
     One 1,500-hp compressor unit at its existing Weyauwega 
Compressor Station in Waupaca County, Wisconsin;
     About 0.11 mile of 16-inch-diameter pipeline from the 
Weyauwega Compressor Station to ANR's Marinette Junction tap site on 
its existing 24-inch-diameter mainline in Waupaca County, Wisconsin; 
and
     One 1,500-hp compressor unit at its existing Janesville 
Compressor Station in Rock County, Wisconsin and minor related 
facilities.
    The 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 Requirement for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 57.4 
acres of land. Following construction, about 42.9 acres would be 
maintained as permanent right-of-way. The remaining 14.5 acres of land 
would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use. All 
construction at ANR's Woodstock Compressor Station in McHenry County, 
Illinois and its Janesville Compressor Station in Rock County, 
Wisconsin would occur within each locations' 20-acre site.

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

[[Page 16958]]

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 constitutents 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
     Air quality and noise
     Land use
     Endangered and threatened species
     Public safety
     Cultural resources
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project 
or portions of the projects, 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 on page 4 of this 
notice.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on the 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.
     Two federally listed endangered or threatened species may 
occur in the proposed project area.
     Noise levels around the compressor stations would 
increase.
     Effects of construction and operation of the proposed 
facilities on near-by residences.

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 to the proposal, 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 20416;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1;
     Reference Docket No. CP99-241-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before May 3, 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 filing 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.
    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. 99-8521 Filed 4-6-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M