[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8783-8784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2836]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-114-000]


Trunkline Gas Company; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line 100-1 Abandonment 
Project

January 29, 2001.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed for abandonment by Trunkline 
Gas Company (Trunkline) in the above-referenced docket.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed Line 100-1 Abandonment Project, 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 abandoning

[[Page 8784]]

719.5 miles of Trunkline's Line 100-1 pipeline. The 26-inch-diameter 
Line 100-1 extends from Douglas County, Illinois through Kentucky, 
Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, and terminates in Beauregard 
Parish, Louisiana. Abandonment activities would involve minor ground 
disturbing activities at 147 sites along Line 100-1 to disconnect it 
from the other two pipelines on this portion of Trunkline's system. The 
majority of the work would be conducted at existing compressor station 
and meter station sites or within Trunkline's existing right-of-way. 
About 67 acres would be disturbed by these activities.
    Following its abandonment, Line 100-1 would be transferred to 
Trunkline's affiliate, CMS Trunkline Pipeline Holdings, Inc. (TPH). TPH 
has entered into an agreement with Centennial Pipeline (a joint venture 
between Texas Eastern Products Pipeline Company, L.P. [TEPPCO] and 
Marathon Ashland Petroleum, L.L.C. [Marathon] to convert and jointly 
operate the pipeline to transport refined petroleum products from the 
Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast area to the Midwest. Although the conversion 
and related construction activities proposed by Centennial Pipeline 
(Centennial) are beyond the Commission's regulatory jurisdiction, the 
EA identifies the location and status of Centennial's proposed 
facilities, any known environmental impacts, and the agencies 
responsible for issuing permits for Centennial's project.
    Once Line 100-1 has been disconnected from Trunkline's system, 
Centennial plans to conduct the following activities to convert Line 
100-1 and develop its refined petroleum transportation system:
     Construct taps, valves, and other minor appurtenant 
facilities at 171 work sites (101 of which would also be affected by 
Trunkline's abandonment activities);
     Construct six new pump stations adjacent to Line 100-1;
     Construct about 75 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline 
extending from TEPPCO's existing Beaumont, Texas breakout storage 
terminal (BST) to the southern end of Line 100-1 near Longville, 
Louisiana;
     Construct a new 2.57-million-barrel BST near Creal 
Springs, Illinois \1\; and
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    \1\ Centennial began site work at its Creal Springs BST in 
October 2000. Foundation work is scheduled to begin at the site in 
late January 2001.
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     Construct an interconnect to Marathon's existing pipeline 
system near Effingham, Illinois.
    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, NE, 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 an original and two copies of your comments to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas Group 1, PJ-11.1;
     Reference Docket No. CP00-114-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before February 26, 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.''
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commenter 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) 208-1088 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 instruction. 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. 01-2836 Filed 2-01-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M