[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 73 (Friday, April 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18896-18897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9500]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-277-000]


Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed North Bonneville Emergency 
Realignment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

April 12, 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 North Bonneville Emergency 
Realignment Project involving construction, operation, and abandonment 
of facilities by Northwest Pipeline Corporation (Northwest) in Skamania 
County, Washington.\1\ These facilities consist of replacing about 500 
feet of 26-inch-diameter pipeline destroyed in a landslide incident on 
February 26, 1999, with about 2,200 feet of 26-inch-diameter pipeline 
on a route which circumbents the landslide area and a new mainline 
valve. About 1,390 feet of temporary 16-inch-diameter pipeline would 
also be abandoned.
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    \1\ Northwest'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 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 to 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

    Due to the landslide, Northwest must permanently replace a short 
unlooped section of its mainline system in Skamania County, Washington, 
Northwest seeks authority to:
     Abandon in place about 1,340 feet of existing 26-inch-
diameter mainline;
     Replace this portion of pipeline with about 2,200 feet of 
26-inch-diameter pipeline in a new right-of-way due south of the 
existing mainline;
     Abandon by removal about 1,390 feet of 16-inch-diameter 
pipeline temporarily installed on the ground surface atop the 
landslide; and
     Permanently operate a new mainline block valve installed 
on an emergency basis immediately west of the landslide.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 5.6 
acres of land. Following construction, about 2.5 acres would be 
maintained as new 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 the ``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 proposal 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.
     Vegetation and wildlife.
     Endangered and threatened species.
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
     Land use.
     Public safety.
     Cultural resources.
    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. Because of the 
emergency nature of Northwest's proposal, we are limiting our scoping 
period to 20 days from the date this notice is issued, and plan to 
conduct our assessment on an expedited basis.
    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 mailed to commenting individuals once the Commission acts on 
Northwest's filing.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section beginning on page 4.

[[Page 18897]]

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Northwest. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     Seven federally listed endangered or threatened species 
may occur in the proposed project area; and
     Three waterways would be crossed by the proposed project.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, you 
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 (including alternative 
locations), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The 
more specific you 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-11.1;
     Reference Docket No. CP99-277-000; 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 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. 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 the 
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. 99-9500 Filed 4-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M