[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10071-10074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4444]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP00-61-000, CP00-62-000, CP00-63-000, and CP00-65-000]


Central New York Oil and Gas Company, LLC and Tennessee Gas 
Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the Proposed Stagecoach Storage Field and Expansion 
Projects, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

February 18, 2000.

    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 Stagecoach Storage Field 
Project by Central New York Oil and Gas Company, LLC (Central New York) 
and the Stagecoach Expansion Project by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company 
(Tennessee). These companion projects involve construction and 
operation of facilities in Bradford, Susquehanna, and Pike Counties, 
Pennsylvania; Tioga, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, New York; and 
Sussex, Passaic, and Bergen Counties, New Jersey.\1\ The combined 
facilities would consist of about 49 miles of various diameter pipeline 
and 39,550 horsepower (hp) of compression. The EA will be used by the 
Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the 
projects are in the public convenience and necessity.
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    \1\ Central New York's application in Docket Nos. CP00-61-000, 
CP00-62-000, and CP00-63-000, were filed with the Commission on 
December 30, 1999, under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and parts 
157 and 284 of the Commission's regulations. Tennessee's application 
in Docket No. CP00-65-000 was filed with the Commission on December 
30, 1999, under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
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    If you are a landowner on Central New York's or Tennessee's 
proposed route and receive 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 projects are 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 companies could 
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the 
project notice Central New York and Tennessee provided to landowners. 
This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, 
including the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the 
Commission's proceedings. It is available for viewing on the FERC 
Internet website (www.ferc.fed.us).
    This Notice of Intent (NOI) is being sent to landowners crossed by 
Central New York's and Tennessee's proposed route; Federal, state, and 
local government agencies; national elected officials; regional 
environmental and public interest groups; Indian tribes that might 
attach religious and cultural significance to historic properties in 
the area of potential effects; local libraries and newspapers; and the 
Commission's list of parties to the proceeding. Government 
representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents of this 
proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern. Additionally, with this NOI we are asking Federal, state, 
local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise 
with respect to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EA. These

[[Page 10072]]

agencies may choose to participate once they have evaluated Central New 
York's and Tennessee's proposals relative to their agencies; 
responsibilities. Agencies who would like to request cooperating status 
should follow the instructions for filing comments described below.

Summary of the Proposed Projects

    Central New York proposes to develop an underground natural gas 
storage facility, with a working gas capacity of up to 13.6 billion 
cubic feet (Bcf), in Tioga County, New York, having withdrawals of as 
much as 500 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) and injections of as 
much as 250 MMcf/d. The Stagecoach Storage Field Project would make use 
of two producing but nearly depleted gas fields with a surface area of 
about 5,172 acres. Central New York seeks Commission authority to 
construct and operate the following facilities:
     Up to 24 storage injection/withdrawal wells;
     A 25,000-hp electrically-driven compressor station 
(Central Compression Facility) with gas cleaning and dehydration 
equipment, regulating facilities, pig launchers and receivers, 
miscellaneous values and regulators, and control equipment;
     A total of about 10 miles of 
6-inch-, 12-inch-, and 20-inch-diameter pipeline;
     14 meter stations and isolating valves along the gathering 
pipeline system; and
     About 2 miles of access roads not contained within 
pipeline or well site easements.
    The Stagecoach Storage Field Project also includes a 4.8-mile-long, 
12-inch-diameter pipeline (Twin Tier Lateral) from the Central 
Compressor Facility to a non-jurisdictional electric generating 
facility (Twin Tier Power Plant); and a 1.6-mile-long non-
jurisdictional 115 (kilovolt) kV electric transmission line that would 
extend from the Central Compression Facility to a point of 
interconnection with a 115 kV transmission line owned by the New York 
State Electric & Gas Corporation.
    In addition to connecting its existing pipeline system to the 
proposed Stagecoach Storage Field, Tennessee wants to expand the 
capacity of its existing 300-Line in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New 
York, to transport an additional 90,000 dekatherms (Dth) per day of 
natural gas to accommodate additional firm transportation service. 
Tennessee seeks Commission authority to construct and operate the 
following facilities:
     About 23.7 miles of 30-inch-diameter lateral (Stagecoach 
Lateral) extending from an interconnection with Tennessee's mainline 
system in Bradford County, Pennsylvania to an interconnect with Central 
New York's Stagecoach Storage Field Project in Tioga County, New York;
     A new bi-directional meter station, capable of handling 
500,000 Dth per day, at the northern end of the Stagecoach Lateral;
     About 3.9 miles of 30-inch-diameter loop \2\ on its 300-
Line in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania;
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    \2\ A loop is a segment of pipeline that is installed adjacent 
to an existing pipeline and connected to it on both ends. The loop 
allows more gas to be moved through the pipeline system.
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     A new 14,550-hp Solar Mars gas turbine centrfugal 
compressor station near the Tennessee Mainline Valve 323-1 in Pike 
County, Pennsylvania;
     About 6.5 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline to replace 
various sections along the 300-Line in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as a 
result of increasing the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP of 
74.1 miles of pipeline on the 300-Line; and
     Modifications and/or upgrades at 10 existing meter 
stations and 3 mainline valves at various locations along the 300-Line 
to accommodate the MAOP increase.
    In addition, Tennessee seeks Commission authority to abandon the 
6.5 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline which would be replaced as a 
part of the above-referenced MAOP uprate.
    The general location of Central New York's and Tennessee's Project 
facilities are shown in appendix 1. \3\
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's website at the ``RIMS'' link or from the Commission's 
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, NE, 
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. For 
instructions on connecting to RIMS refer to the last page of this 
notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving 
this notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the Stagecoach Storage Field and Expansion Projects 
would require about 887.2 acres of land. Following construction, 
Central New York would maintain about 171 acres and Tennessee would 
maintain about 198.5 acres as permanent right-of-way (ROW). The 
remaining 517.7 acres of land would be restored and allowed to revert 
to its former use.
    Central New York proposes to use a typical pipeline construction 
ROW width of 85 feet for the gathering pipelines, consisting of 50 feet 
of permanent ROW and 35 feet of temporary extra work space. The Twin 
Tier Lateral would require both a construction and permanent ROW width 
of 100 feet, which it would share with an existing and proposed 
transmission line ROW. Central New York's Central Compression Facility 
would permanently occupy an area of about 5.7 acres on a 45-acre parcel 
it currently owns.
    Tennessee proposes to use a typical pipeline construction ROW width 
of 100 feet for both the Stagecoach Lateral and the 3.9-mile-long loop, 
consisting of 50 feet of permanent ROW and 50 feet of temporary extra 
work space. Tennessee's proposed compressor station would permanently 
occupy an area of about 8 acres on a 91-acre parcel. Construction of 
Tennessee's proposed expansion along its 300-Line would occur primarily 
within existing rights-of-way, although Tennessee would need to acquire 
additional ROW to use as temporary workspace.

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 
\4\ 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 NOI, 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.
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    \4\ ``Us,'' ``we,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    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, elected 
officials, affected landowners, regional public interest groups, Indian 
tribes, local newspapers and 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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
construction and operation of the proposed projects.

[[Page 10073]]

We have already identified a number of issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by both Central New York and 
Tennessee. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your 
comments and our analysis.
     Geology and Soils

    --Temporary and permanent impacts on prime farmland soils.
    --Erosion control and right-of-way restoration.
    --Introduction of rock into topsoil.
     Water Resources and Wetlands
    --Crossing 26 perennial streams, including coldwater fisheries.
    --Crossing of three waterbodies greater than 100 feet wide.
    --Impacts on the Delaware River, a designated National Scenic 
River, resulting from Tennessee's hydrostatic test.
    --Crossing 109 wetland areas and affecting a total of 17.1 acres of 
wetlands.
     Biological Resources
    --Impacts on about 324.2 acres of forest or woodland habitat.
    --Impact on State Game Land 219 in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
    --Impact on the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in Sussex 
County, New Jersey.
    --Impacts on the bog turtle, a federally listed threatened species.
     Cultural Resources
    --Impacts on prehistoric and historic sites.
    --Native American concerns.
     Land Use
    --Impacts on crop production.
    --Impacts on residential areas.
    --Visual effect of the aboveground facilities on surrounding areas.
    --Impacts on 79 residences and 3 condominium complexes within 50 
feet of the proposed construction work area.
    --Impacts on the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
     Air and Noise Quality
    --Impacts on local air quality and noise environment as a result of 
the operation of new compressor stations.
     Alternatives
    --Evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed projects or 
portions of the projects, and make recommendations on how to lessen or 
avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Also, we have made a preliminary decision to not address the 
impacts of the nonjurisdictional facilities. We will briefly describe 
their location and status in the EA.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the projects. 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 
or 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-11.1;
     Reference Docket Nos. CP00-61-000, CP00-62-000, CP00-63-
000, and CP00-65-000;
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 20, 2000.
    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.
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments,we invite you 
to attend the public scoping meetings the FERC will conduct in the 
project areas. The locations and times for these meetings are listed 
below.

Schedule of Public Scoping Meetings for the Stagecoach Storage Field 
and Expansion Projects

    March 6, 2000--7:00 pm--Owego, New York, Owego-Apalachin Middle 
School Cafeteria, Elm Avenue, (607) 687-6248.
    March 7, 2000--7:00 pm--Montrose, Pennsylvania, Montrose High 
School Auditorium, 80 High School Road, (570) 278-3731.
    March 8, 2000--7:00 pm--Hamburg, New Jersey, Wallkill Valley 
Regional High School Cafeteria, 10 Grumm Road, (973) 827-4100.
    The public meetings are designed to provide you with more detailed 
information and another opportunity to offer your comments on the 
proposed projects. Central New York and Tennessee representatives will 
be present at the scoping meetings to describe their proposal. 
Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meetings 
and to present comments on the environmental issues they believe should 
be addressed in the EA. A transcript of each meeting will be made so 
that your comments will be accurately recorded.
    On the dates of the meetings, we will also be conducting limited 
site visits to the project areas. Anyone interested in participating in 
the site visit may contact the Commission's Office of External Affairs 
identified at the end of this notice for more details and must provide 
their own transportation.

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 2). Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be 
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they 
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be 
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor 
status to have your environmental comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed projects is available for 
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

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CIPS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-4444 Filed 2-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M