[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56883-56884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24091]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-412-000]


Cross Bay Pipeline Company, L.L.C. and Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the Proposed Cross Bay Project and Request for Comments 
on Environmental Issues

September 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 Cross Bay Project involving 
the transfer, construction and operation of facilities by Cross Bay 
Pipeline Company, L.L.C. (Cross Bay) and Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 
Corporation (Transco) in Middlesex and Monmouth Counties, New Jersey 
and Queens and Nassau Counties, New York.\1\ These facilities would 
consist of about 37 miles of pipeline, a meter and regulator station, 
and 16,000 horsepower (hp) of compression. 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\ Cross Bay'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 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 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 Cross Bay 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

    Cross Bay proposes to expand the capacity of facilities in New 
Jersey and New York to transport an additional 125,000 dekatherms per 
day of natural gas to KeySpan Energy Delivery New York and KeySpan 
Energy Delivery Long Island. Cross Bay proposes to:
     Acquire, hydrostatic test, and replace sections of 3.27 
miles of Transco's 42-inch-diameter Cross Bay Extension in Middlesex 
County, New Jersey;
     Acquire and uprate by hydrostatic testing 33.66 miles of 
Transco's 26-inch-diameter Cross Bay Extension crossing Middlesex and 
Monmouth Counties, New Jersey and Queens and Nassau Counties, New York;
     Acquire Transco's Morgan and Long Beach Meter Stations in 
Middlesex County, New Jersey and Nassau County, New York, respectively; 
and

[[Page 56884]]

     Construct and operate a 16,000-horsepower Cross Bay 
Compressor Station and Cross Bay Meter Station at the same location in 
Middlesex County, New Jersey.
    The applicants also request the abandonment of Transco's pipeline 
facilities by transfer to Cross Bay. 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, NE., 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

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 49.9 
acres of land. Following construction, about 11.5 acres would be 
maintained as new aboveground facility sites. The remaining 38.4 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 \3\ 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.
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    \3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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    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
     Land use
     Cultural resources
     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 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.

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), 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 Gas 1.
     Reference Docket No. CP00-412-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before October 16, 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 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs at 208-0004 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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary,
[FR Doc. 00-24091 Filed 9-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M