[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9312-9314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3144]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-64-000]


Trailblazer Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Trailblazer Expansion Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

February 2, 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 Trailblazer Expansion Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Trailblazer 
Pipeline Company (Trailblazer) in Logan County, Colorado and Lincoln 
and Kearney Counties, Nebraska.\1\ These facilities would consist of 
54,800 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Trailblazer'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 Trailblazer 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

    Trailblazer wants to expand the capacity of its facilities in 
Colorado and Nebraska to transport an additional 324,000 million 
British thermal units per day of natural gas to two other pipeline 
companies--Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America and Northern Natural 
Gas Pipeline Company to serve six shippers. Trailblazer seeks authority 
to construct and operate:
     A new Compressor Station 601, consisting of two 10,000 hp 
gas-fired compressors in Logan County, Colorado;
     Increase the horsepower of an electric motor-driven 
compressor from 5,200 hp to 10,000 hp and install one new 10,000 hp 
electric unit at Compressor Station 602 in Lincoln County, Nebraska; 
and
     Construct a new Compressor Station 603, consisting of two 
10,000 hp electric motor driven compressors in Kearney County, 
Nebraska.
    In addition, 13 miles of nonjursidictional 69 kilovolt electric 
power line would be constructed in Kearney County, Nebraska by Southern 
Power District, to supply electricity for

[[Page 9313]]

Compressor Station 603. Southern Power District has not yet started 
work on the power line. An electric substation would also be 
constructed at Compressor Station 603.
    The location of the project facilities is shown on maps in Appendix 
1.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require up to 113 
acres of land. Compressor Station 601 would be built on a 40-acre 
portion of an 80-acre site. There is a VHF radio building and tower, a 
warehouse, and a small utility building on the 40-acre site. The 
additional compressor facilities at existing Compressor Station 602 
would be built on a 33-acre portion of the 73-acre site south of the 
36-inch-diameter Trailblazer Pipeline. Existing facilities at the 
station include an office building, compressor building, garage, and 
weld shop, meter building, and a VHF radio building and tower. 
Compressor Station 603 would be built on a 40-acre portion of an 80-
acre site. In addition to the 36-inch-diameter pipeline, other 
structures at the site include a VHF radio building and tower, a 
warehouse, and a small utility building. Following construction, no 
more than 113 acres would be maintained as new aboveground facility 
sites. All construction would be located on property owned by 
Trailblazer.

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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``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
     vegetation and wildlife
     air quality and noise
     endangered and threatened species
     land use
     cultural resources
     hazardous waste
    No impacts to water resources, fisheries and wetlands are expected. 
An off-site wetland area is located approximately 75 feet from the 
northwest corner and 25 feet from the north-central property boundary 
of Compressor Station 603. However, no wetland areas exist on the 
Compressor Station 603 property. 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 Trailblazer. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     Federally listed endangered or threatened species may 
occur in the proposed project area.
     Residents in the vicinity of the project may be affected 
by operational noise from the compressor stations.
     Potential environmental impacts may result from the 
construction of 13 miles of nonjurisdictional 69 kilovolt electric 
power line that would be constructed by Southern Power District.
    Also, we have made a preliminary decision to address the 
environmental impacts of the nonjurisdictional electric power line 
facilities to the extent the information is available. The two 
preliminary routes proposed for the power line are shown on the maps 
attached (see Appendix 1), but the final route may change. However, our 
staff will not make any recommendations on route changes for the 
electric power line. Also, under Nebraska State laws, Southern Power 
District must follow a public notice procedure to notify landowners. 
After the public notice is issued for the power line, landowners would 
be contacted about the route by Southern Power District. Therefore, 
this NOI is not being sent to any landowners on the electric power line 
route. We believe the State of Nebraska notification procedure to 
landowners should be adequate.

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 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 2.
     Reference Docket No. CP01-64-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 5, 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.''
    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.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the

[[Page 9314]]

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) 208-1088 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.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-3144 Filed 2-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M