[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8217-8218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2553]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-65-000]


Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 2001 System Expansion and 
Capacity Stabilization Project and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

January 24, 2001.
    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 2001 System Expansion and 
Capacity Stabilization Project involving construction and operation of 
facilities by Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company (Eastern Shore) in 
Chester County, Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland.\1\ Eastern 
Shore would construct 6 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline loop, 
install two 1,665 horsepower (hp) compressor units at its Daleville 
Compressor Station, and construct a new delivery point/meter station. 
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Eastern Shore's application was filed with the Commission 
under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the 
Commission's regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 Eastern Shore 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 also available for viewing on the FERC Internet website 
(www.ferc.fed.us).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Eastern Shore wants to expand the capacity of its facilities in 
Pennsylvania and Maryland to provide an additional 19,800 decatherms 
per day of firm capacity service for three local distribution 
companies. Eastern Shore seeks authority to construct and operate:
     6 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline loop adjacent to an 
existing pipeline on its existing right-of-way in Chester County, 
Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland;
     Two additional 1,665 hp compressor units at its Daleville 
Compressor Station in Chester County, Pennsylvania; and
     A new delivery point on Eastern Shore's existing mainline 
in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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 NE, 
Washington, DC 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements for Construction

    The proposed project follows the existing Eastern Shore right-of-
way (ROW) for 5.3 miles of the 6-mile project. Construction of the 
proposed facilities would affect about 55.4 acres of land. About 22.7 
acres of existing permanent easement and 28.7 acres of temporary 
construction ROW would be necessary for pipeline construction. New 
compressor station facilities would require an additional 3.9 acres at 
the existing site. Construction of the meter station would require 
about 0.1 acre.

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

[[Page 8218]]

government representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents 
of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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
 Cultural resources
 Public safety
 Land use
 Endangered and threatened species
 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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Eastern Shore. This 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis.
     Impacts to residents within 540 feet of construction, and 
impacts to agricultural areas.
     Effects from the addition of 3,330 hp of compression.
     Effects to wetlands, forested areas, and possible impacts 
to Federal and state-listed species.

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 follow these instructions carefully 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, 1, PJ-11.1.
     Reference Docket No. CP01-65-000.
     Mail you comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 2, 2001.
    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 website 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 by clicking on ``Login to File'' and 
then ``New User's Account.''

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.
    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) 
208-1088 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. 01-2553 Filed 1-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M