[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 208 (Thursday, October 26, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64217-64218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27489]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-452-000]


Colorado Interstate Gas Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Raton Basin Expansion Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 20, 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 Raton Basin Expansion Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Colorado 
Interstate Gas Company (CIG) in Baca and Las Animas Counties, Colorado; 
Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver Counties, Oklahoma; and Morton County, 
Kansas.\1\ These facilities would consist of about 70 miles of various 
diameter pipeline and 18,050 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.
    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 CIG 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
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    \1\ CIG'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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    CIG wants to expand the capacity of its facilities in Colorado, 
Oklahoma, and Kansas to transport an additional 85,000 Decatherms per 
day of natural gas in order to increase capacity to points east and 
south of CIG's Campo Regulator Station. CIG seeks authority to 
construct and operate the following:
     21.4 miles of 8-inch-diameter pipeline loop of 3C Keyes to 
Campo Loop in Cimarron County, Oklahoma and Baca County, Colorado;
     48.1 miles of 20-inch-diameter loop of 11B Morton to 
Hooker Loop in Morton County, Kansas and Texas County, Oklahoma;
     New 4,700 hp Trinidad Compressor Station in Las Animas 
County, Colorado;
     New 8,900 hp Kim Compressor Station in Las Animas County, 
Colorado;
     Additional 4,450 hp compressor unit at the existing Keyes 
Compressor Station in Cimarron County, Oklahoma;
     Recylindering of the compressors at the Beaver County 
Compressor Station in Beaver County, Oklahoma; and
     Facilities for blending of low and high BTU gas within the 
existing Campo Regulator Station yard in Baca County, Colorado.
    The location of the project facilities is show in appendix 1.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 802 
acres of land. About 95 percent of the project would be within 50 feet 
of existing pipelines. Following construction, about 429.0 acres would 
be maintained as permanent pipeline right-of-way and about 21.5 acres 
would be maintained as new aboveground facility sites. The remaining 
351.5 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 
\2\ to discover and address concerns the

[[Page 64218]]

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.
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    \2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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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.
     Public safety.
     Land use.
     Cultural resources.
     Air quality and noise.
     Hazardous waste.
    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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by CIG. This preliminary list of 
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     Eight federally listed endangered or threatened species 
may occur in the proposed project area.
     The project would cross 14 waterbodies and 8 wetlands.
     The project would cross about 32.7 acres of Comanche 
National Grasslands, and about 73.2 acres of Cimarron National 
Grasslands.
     The project would cross the Santa Fe National Historic 
Trail.
     The pipeline facilities would disturb about 322.2 acres of 
agricultural land.

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/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 original and 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 Gas 2.
     Reference Docket No. CP00-452-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before November 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. Beginning November 1, 2000, comments and 
protests may be filed electronically via the internet in lieu of paper. 
See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the 
Commission's web site at http;//www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm.

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 (202) 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.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-27489 Filed 10-25-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M