[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 107 (Friday, June 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30010-30011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14177]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP87-203-007]


CNG Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed CNG Tioga Expansion Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

May 28, 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 CNG Transmission Corporation's 
(CNG) proposal to modify the active storage field boundary, to 
authorize a protective boundary, and to convert certain observation 
wells to storage wells at CNG's Tioga Storage Complex in Tioga County, 
Pennsylvania.
    CNG requests authority to operate four storage wells which were 
previously drilled as observation wells and converted to storage wells. 
In addition, CNG requests authorization to convert and operate two 
additional observation wells to storage wells. CNG would also construct 
0.1 mile of 6-inch-diameter and 0.2 mile of 4-inch-diameter pipeline to 
connect these two wells to existing storage field pipeline facilities. 
CNG states that neither the certificated capacity nor the certified 
deliverability of the Tioga Storage Complex would be increased by the 
conversion of these wells. This EA on the CNG Tioga Expansion Project 
\1\ will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to 
determine whether the project is in the public convenience and 
necessity.
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    \1\ CNG Transmission Corporation'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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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to abandon, 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

    CNG seeks authorization for the following:
     Operate four storage wells (well Nos. TW-209, TW-707, TW-
708, and TW-800) which were previously drilled as observation wells and 
converted to storage wells.

[[Page 30011]]

     Convert and operate observation well Nos. TW-605 and TW-
403 as storage wells.
     Construction of 536 feet of 6-inch-diameter (LN-2465-S) 
and 1,117 feet of 4-inch-diameter pipeline (LN-2464-S) to connect well 
Nos. TW-605 and TW-403 to existing gas storage pipeline facilities.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 66.2 
acres of land. Following construction, about 18.8 acres would be 
maintained as permanent pipeline right-of-way and about 20.0 acres 
would be required for new well sites and aboveground facilities. The 
remaining 27.4 acres of land would be restored and allowed to revert to 
its former use.

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 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.
     Endangered and threatened species.
     Public safety.
     Land use.
     Cultural resources.
     Air quality and noise.
     Hazardous waste.
    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 on pages 4 and 5 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 CNG. This preliminary list of 
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     A total of about 18.9 acres of forest would be disturbed.
     The project may affect 2 wetlands.
     Blasting may be required in some areas.

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/routes), 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. CP87-203-007; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before June 28, 1999.
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request 
(appendix 4). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be 
taken off the mailing list.

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 at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/
rims.htm (please call (202) 208-2222 for assistance).
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-14177 Filed 6-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M