[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 185 (Friday, September 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57334-57335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24202]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

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


Central New York Oil and Gas Company, LLC and Tennessee Gas 
Pipeline Company; Notice of Availability of the Environmental 
Assessment for the Proposed Stagecoach Storage and Expansion Projects

September 15, 2000.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas storage and pipeline facilities proposed by Central New 
York Oil and Gas Company, LLC (CNYOG) and Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company (Tennessee) in the above-referenced dockets.
    The EA was proposed to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed projects, 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 CNYOG's proposed underground gas storage 
facilities and Tennessee's related pipeline facilities. CNYOG's 
proposed Stagecoach Storage Project would include:
     Up to 26 storage injection/withdrawal wells;
     A 25,000-horsepower (hp) electrically-driven compressor 
station (Central Compression Facility) with gas cleaning and 
dehydration equipment, regulating facilities, pig launchers and 
receivers, miscellaneous valves and regulators, and control equipment;
     A total of about 10 miles of 8-, 
12-, 16-, and 20-inch-diameter gathering 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 Project also includes a 4.7-mile-long, 12-
inch-diameter pipeline (Twin Tier Lateral) from the Central Compressor 
Facility to a nonjurisdictional electric generating facility (Twin Tier 
Power Plant); and 1.5-mile-long nonjurisdictional 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.
    Tennessee's proposed Stagecoach Expansion Project would include:
     About 23.7 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline (Stagecoach 
Lateral) extending from an interconnection with Tennessee's mainline 
system in Bradford County, Pennsylvania to an interconnect with CNYOG's 
Stagecoach Storage Project in Tioga County, New York;
     A new bi-directional meter station, capable of handling 
500,000 dekatherms (Dth) per day, at the northern end of the Stagecoach 
Lateral;
     About 3.9 miles of 30-inch-diameter loop \1\ on its 300-
Line in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania;
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    \1\ 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 centrifugal 
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.
    The Stagecoach Storage Project would have a working gas capacity of 
up to 13.6 billion cubic feet (Bcf), with the capability of withdrawals 
of as much as 500 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) and injections of 
as much as 250 MMcf/d. Tennessee's proposed Stagecoach Expansion 
Project would expand its existing 300-Line to transport an additional 
90,000 Dth per day of natural gas to accommodate additional firm 
transportation service.
    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 
Gas 1, PJ-11.1;
     Reference Docket Nos. CP00-63-000 and CP00-65-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before October 16, 2000.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commentor 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). 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 comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (202) 208-0004 or on 
the FERC Internet 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,

[[Page 57335]]

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. 00-24202 Filed 9-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M