[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 190 (Friday, October 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53374-53375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25585]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-284-000]


Koch Gateway Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Index 1 Pipeline and Laterals 
Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

September 27, 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 Index 1 Pipeline and Laterals 
Abandonment Project by Koch Gateway Pipeline Company (Koch) in Kaufman, 
Dallas and Tarrant Counties, Texas.\1\ The project would involve 
abandonment of about 101.6 miles of various diameter pipeline and 
appurtenances. 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.
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    \1\ Koch'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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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Koch Gateway pipeline Company (Koch) wants to abandon in place its 
Index 1 Pipeline System and appurtenant facilities in Kaufman, Dallas, 
and Tarrant Counties, Texas because continued operation and maintenance 
of the pipeline system is neither economically feasible nor desirable 
due to the age of the pipeline and U.S. Department of Transportation 
class locations changes resulting from adjacent development. Koch seeks 
authority to:
     abandon in place about 72.4 miles of 10-, 16-, 18-, and 
20-inch-diameter Index 1 pipeline in Kaufman, Dallas, and Tarrant 
Counties, Texas;
     abandon in place the following lateral pipelines totaling 
about 29.2 miles in Dallas and Tarrant Counties, Texas:
     7.3 miles of 12-inch-diameter Index 1-31 pipeline;
     0.9 miles of 18-inch-diameter Index 1-32 pipeline;
     5.6 miles of 20-inch-diameter Index 1-37 pipeline;
     10.6 miles of 16-inch-diameter Index 4 pipeline;
     4.7 miles of 20-inch-diameter Index 6 pipeline; and
     0.1 miles of 4-inch-diameter Index 808 pipeline.
     Replace and run pigs at 39 launching and receiving 
facilities on the pipelines proposed for abandonment; and
     abandon by removal appurtenant facilities consisting of 6 
meter stations, 39 blow-off assemblies, 12 by-pass valves, 15 block 
valves, 8 tap valves, 40 segments of pipeline of various diameters 
totaling about 429 feet, about 1,690 feet of pipeline of various 
diameters at four waterbody crossings, 63 farm taps, 5 industrial taps, 
and certain other minor 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, DC, 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 Requirements for Construction

    Installation and operation of the pig launching and receiving 
facilities, the cutting and capping of the pipelines proposed for 
abandonment in place, and abandonment by removal of the appurtenant 
facilities would require the digging of about 48 bell-holes of various 
sizes, that would disturb a total of about 0.32 acre on existing Koch 
right-of-way. Upon the grant of abandonment, all project related 
rights-of-way would revert to the landowners.

[[Page 53375]]

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 the public comments on 
the scope of the issue sit 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:
     Soils.
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
     Vegetation and wildlife.
     Hazardous waste.
     Land use.
     Endangered and threatened species.
     Cultural resources.
     Public safety.
    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 below.

Currently Identified Environmental Issue

    We have already identified an issue that we think deserves 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Koch. Additional issues may 
arise based on your comments and our analysis.
     If the Commission grants Koch its request for abandonment 
authority, the leases upon which the rights-of-way are located would 
revert to the landowners. Therefore, we will also evaluate whether or 
not Koch should abandon its facilities in-place or by removal.

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 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1;
     Reference Docket No. CP98-284-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before October 27, 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 3). 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.
    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. 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, 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. 99-25585 Filed 9-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M