[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 54 (Monday, March 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14963-14964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6758]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-91-000]


National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line AM-60 Replacement 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

March 14, 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 Line AM-60 Replacement Project 
involving the construction and operation of facilities by National Fuel 
Gas Supply Corporation (National Fuel) in Elk, McKean and Warren 
Counties, Pennsylvania.\1\ 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.
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    \1\ National Fuel's application was filed with the Commission of 
February 22, 2000, under Sections 7(b and c) of the Natural Gas Act.
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    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 
the follow the instructions.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representive 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 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 National Fuel 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).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    The project would be known as the AM-60 Replacement Project, and 
would replace 12.9 miles of 8-inch-diameter pipelines known as Lines A-
M60 and S-1; abandon in place 18.9 miles of 8- and 10-inch-diameter 
pipeline; add 360 horsepower to the Roystone Compressor Station; and 
relocate, modify or abandon other appurtenant facilities. National Fuel 
proposes to replace Lines A-M60 and S-1 with a new 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline to be known as Line AM-60. Section 1 of Line AM-60 would be 
located within 6.3 miles of the existing Line S-1 right-of-way, but 
section 2 would need about 6.6 miles of additional permanent right-of-
way to construct the balance of the replacement along the existing Line 
A-M60 segment.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 132.2 
acres of land including 7.6 acres of permanent right-of-way (ROW), and 
124.6 acres of temporary construction ROW that includes extra work 
spaces, staging areas and access roads. National Fuel proposes to use 
two 5-acre staging areas, and up to 11 access roads for construction. 
Extra work spaces would be used at road and railroad crossings, areas 
of steep side slopes, and in agricultural areas.

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 and wetlands.
     Vegetation, fisheries and wildlife.
     Endangered and threatened species.
     Cultural resources.
     Land use.
     Air quality and noise.
     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 void 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 6 of 
this notice.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified the following issues that we think 
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed 
facilities and the environmental information provided by National Fuel. 
This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments 
and our analysis.
     Twenty-six wetlands would be crossed by the project route, 
with 3.22 acres of potential wetland impacts.
     Thirteen perennial streams that are all high quality cold 
water systems would be crossed by the project route, including 3 
between 10- and 25-feet-wide.
     Seven water supply wells would be within 150 feet of the 
construction ROW.

[[Page 14964]]

     Ten residences in the project area would be within 50 feet 
of the construction ROW.
     About 10.6 miles of forest would be crossed by the project 
route, and 38.8 acres of forest would be cleared. This includes areas 
of habitat potentially used by federally endangered Indiana bats for 
maternity roosting areas.
     About 5.0 of the 12.9 miles of AM-60 replacement pipeline, 
and all of the 18.9 miles of Line L pipeline to be abandoned in place, 
would be on federally owned land within the Allegheny National Forest.

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 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., NE, 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas Group 2;
     Reference Docket No. CP00-91-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 13, 2000.

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 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. 00-6758 Filed 3-17-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M