[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 237 (Friday, December 8, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77019-77021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31280]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP99-94-003]


Florida Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Modified Tampa South Lateral 
Extension and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

December 4, 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 proposed modified route of the 
Tampa South Lateral Extension (TSLE) involving construction and 
operation of facilities by Florida Gas Transmission Company (FGT) in 
Hillsborough County, Florida.\1\ Specifically FGT proposes to modify 
its certificate in Docket No. CP99-94-000. The proposed facilities 
would consist of about 6.2 miles of 6- and 8-inch-diameter pipeline. 
This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process 
to determine whether the proposed modified route for TSLE is preferable 
to the certificated route.
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    \1\ FGT'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

[[Page 77020]]

To Know?'' was attached to the FGT project notice 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

    FGT wants to modify the route and pipe size of the TSLE as 
previously certificated by the Commission on February 28, 2000 which 
authorized the construction and operation of FGT's Phase IV Expansion 
Project. FGT seeks to change the route of the TSLE, which includes a 
change in the pipeline length from about 5.62 miles to 6.18 miles to 
transport additional natural gas to a local distribution company. 
Specifically FGT proposes to construct and operate:
     About 6.0 miles of 6-inch-diameter pipeline in 
Hillsborough County, Florida;
     About 0.2 miles of 8-inch-diameter pipeline in 
Hillsborough County, Florida; and
     Change the location of the National Gypsum Regulatory 
Station to milepost 5.97 on the modified TSLE route.
    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 on the 
Commission's website at the ``RIMS'' link or from the Commission's 
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, 
N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. For 
instructions on connecting to RIMS refer to the last page of this 
notice. 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 39.9 
acres of land. Following construction, about 8.3 acres would be 
maintained as permanent right-of-way for operational use. The remaining 
31.6 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 
\3\ 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.
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    \3\ ``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
     Land use
     Cultural resources
     Hazardous waste
     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 beginning on page 4.

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 FGT. This preliminary list of 
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     A total of 0.02 linear mile of proposed facilities would 
be within residential areas.
     The proposed project would require two major waterbody 
crossings greater than 100 feet in width (Alafia River and Bullfrog 
Creek).
     A comparison of the proposed route, the certificated 
route, and other route alternative that may be reasonable.

Public Participation and Scoping Meeting

    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 EAa and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal, 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 an 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 
Group 2.
     Reference Docket No. CP99-94-003.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before January 3, 2001.
    Comments may also 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 under 
the link to the User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will 
need to create an account which can be created by clicking on ``Login 
to File'' and then ``New User Account.''
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite 
you to attend the public scoping meeting the FERCc will conduct in the 
project area. The location and time for the meeting is listed below.
    Date and Time: December 19, 2000 7 p.m.
    Location: Gardenville Recreation Center, 6215 Symmes Road, 
Gibsonton, Florida 33534.
    The public meetings are designed to provide you with more detailed 
information and another opportunity to offer your comments on the 
proposed project. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to 
attend the meeting and to present comments on the environmental issues 
they believe should be addressed in the EA. A transcript of the meeting 
will be made so that your comments will be accurately recorded.

[[Page 77021]]

    On the date of the meeting, our staff will also be visiting project 
area. Anyone interested in participating in a site visit may contact 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs identified at the end of 
appendix 1 of this notice for more details and must provide their own 
transportation.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to became 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 (http://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. 00-31280 Filed 12-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M