[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28170-28172]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13175]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-262-000]
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Eastern Express Project 2000
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
May 19, 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 Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company's
(Tennessee) proposed Eastern Express Project 2000. This project
involves the modification of Tennessee's existing pipeline system in
Massachusetts and Connecticut to allow the transportation of an
additional 173,000 decatherms per day (Dth/d) to American National
Power in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and El Paso Gas Services in
Haverhill, Massachusetts and Dracut, Massachusetts. 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.
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.\1\
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\1\ 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
In order to transport the additional volumes, Tennessee proposes to
make the following system changes (see Appendix 2 for a map of the
proposed project area):
[[Page 28171]]
Install a 6,150 ISO-rated horsepower (hp) Solar Centaur
compressor, associated piping and appurtenant equipment, and restage an
existing compressor at the existing Agawam Compressor Station (CS-261)
in Agawam, Massachusetts, to increase down stream capacity by 83,000
Dth/d;
Install a 7,170 ISO-rated hp Solar Taurus compressor unit
with associated building, minor piping and appurtenant equipment and
relocate blowdown silencers at the existing Mendon Compressor Station
(CS-226A) in Mendon, Massachusetts, to increase downstream capacity by
250,000 Dth/d;
Install a larger flow control valve in place of an
existing flow control valve at a delivery point to Algonquin on the
Blackstone Lateral in Mendon, Massachusetts, to allow incremental
volumes to be delivered to Algonquin;
Install pressure regulation immediately downstream of CS-
266A on the Blackstone Lateral in Mendon, Massachusetts, to enable
efficient operational flexibility for deliveries;
Install station piping at the existing Hopkinton
Compressor Station (CS-267) in Westborough, Massachusetts, to provide a
reverse flow capability that would enable natural gas received from
Haverhill and Dracut, Massachusetts to flow westerly during periods
when the market demand east of CS-267 is low;
Install mainline regulation in East Granby, Connecticut,
approximately 9 miles south of CS-261 on the 300-Line to allow for new
deliveries in Connecticut south of CS-261 without having to install 7.8
miles of replacement piping or looping; and
Modify the existing Southern Connecticut-Milford delivery
point, Meter 2-245, on the 300 Line in Orange, Connecticut, by
installing an additional connection to deliver additional natural gas
to Southern Connecticut for the Milford Power Plant.
Land Requirements for Construction
The proposed activities would be performed within a 20.45 acre area
of the existing right-of-way/fee property.
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 deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by Tennessee. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Air and noise impacts associated with installation of one
new compressor unit at CS-261 and one new compressor unit at CS-266A.
Approximately 1.0 acre of upland forest would be cleared.
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 (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., NE.,
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. CP99-262-000; and
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before June 18, 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. Click on
the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the RIMS Menu, and follow
the instructions. For assistance with access to RIMS, the RIMS helpline
can be reached at (202) 208-2222.
Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides
access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such
as orders,
[[Page 28172]]
notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website, click on the
``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and follow the
instructions. For assistance with access to CIPS, the CIPS helpline can
be reached at (202) 208-2474.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-13175 Filed 5-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M