[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 67 (Thursday, April 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 18084]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8464]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP99-392-000; Docket No. CP00-17-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp.; South Carolina Public 
Service Authority; Notice of Availability of the Environmental 
Assessment for the Proposed Southcoast Expansion Project and Santee 
Cooper Natural Gas Pipeline Project

March 31, 2000.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Corporation (Transco) and the South Carolina Public Service 
Authority (Santee Cooper) in the above-referenced dockets.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the proposed underground gas pipeline 
loops and aboveground facilities including:
     About 11.3 miles of a 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop 
(designated as Loop E) in Choctaw and Marengo Counties, Alabama; 
installation of a pig launcher upstream of the loop in Choctaw County; 
and installation of a pig receiver and liquid scrubber at Station 90 in 
Marengo County;
     About 13.9 miles of a 48-inch-diameter pipeline loop 
(designated as Loop E) in Marengo, Perry and Dallas Counties, Alabama; 
and relocation of an existing pig receiver currently at the origin of 
the loop in Marengo County to the ending point in Dallas County;
     About 19 miles of a 24-inch-diameter pipeline loop 
(designated as the North Georgia Extension Loop) in Walton and Gwinnett 
Counties, Georgia; installation of a new pig launcher and valve at 
Station 125 in Walton County; and installation of a new pig receiver 
and valve at the terminus of the loop in Gwinnett County;
     About 2.1 miles of a 16-inch-diameter pipeline (designated 
as the Santee Cooper pipeline) to connect the planned Rainey Generating 
Station in Anderson County, South Carolina, to the Transco system at a 
new delivery tap and meter station in Hart County, Georgia;
     Addition of a new 15,000 horsepower (hp) gas turbine-
powered compressor unit at Compressor Station 105 in Coosa County, 
Alabama;
     Addition of a new 16,500 hp electric motor driven 
compressor unit and gas coolers at Compressor Station 115 in Coweta 
County, Georgia;
     Rewheeling of Compressor Unit 16 at Compressor Station 120 
in Henry County, Georgia; and
     Installation of new suction piping at Compressor Station 
100 in Chilton County, Alabama, to allow sufficient gas to flow to 
Compressor Unit 10.
    The purpose of the proposed facilities would be to provide about 
204,099 dekatherms per day of new firm transportation capacity on 
Transco's existing system, and to provide up to 80,000 dt/day to Santee 
Cooper's planned Rainey Generating Station. Transco is proposing the 
project in order to meet projected growth needs of twelve of its 
natural gas customers in the southeastern market. The proposed Rainey 
Generating Station is needed to meet current and future growth in 
Santee Cooper's marketing area while maintaining adequate reserve of 
electric power.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public 
inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference 
and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A, 
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, state and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that we receive your comments before the date specified 
below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your 
comments are received in time and properly recorded:
     Send two copies of your comments to: 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, PJ-11.2;
     Reference Docket Nos. CP99-392-000 and CP00-17-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before May 1, 2000.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commenter a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to 
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene 
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).
    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 comments considered.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-8464 Filed 4-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M