[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15713-15715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6794]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-80-000]


East Tennessee Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Murray Project and Request 
for Comments on Environmental Issues

March 14, 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 Murray Project involving 
construction and operation of facilities by East Tennessee Natural Gas 
Company (ETNG) in Bedford, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, 
Marshall, McMinn, Moore, and Sequatchie Counties, Tennessee, and 
Catoosa, Murray, and Whitfield Counties, Georgia.\1\ These facilities 
would consist of construction of about 53.3 miles of 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline, uprate of about 46.5 miles of 12- and 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline, and installation of 14,130 horsepower (hp) of compression, 
two meter stations, and appurtenant facilities. 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.
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    \1\ ETNG'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 To Know?'' was attached to the 
project notice ETNG 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

    ETNG wants to provide the cities of Dalton and Cartersville, 
Georgia with 2,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) and 3,000 Dth/d of firm 
transportation service, respectively. In addition, ETNG wants to 
provide up to 165,000 Dth/d of firm transportation service to Duke 
Energy Murray, LLC's (DENA Murray) 1,240-megawatt gas-fired power plant 
(Murray Energy Facility) under construction in Murray County, Georgia. 
ETNG seeks authority to:
     Construct 26.88 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline in 
Hamilton County, Tennessee, and Cattosa, Whitfield, and Murray 
Counties, Georgia (Murray

[[Page 15714]]

Lateral); extending from an interconnect with ETNG's existing Atlanta 
Extension (LIne 3500-1) pipeline lateral and ending at DENA Murray's 
Murray Energy Facility in Murray County, Georgia;
     Construct a 11.16-mile-long, 20-inch-diameter pipeline 
loop in Bedford Moore Counties, Tennessee;
     Construct a 4.74-mile-long 10-inch diameter pipeline loop 
in Franklin County, Tennessee;
     Construct a 7.59-mile-long, 20-inch-diameter pipeline loop 
in Marion County, Tennessee;
     Construct a 3.0-mile-long, 20-inch-diameter pipeline loop 
in Hamilton County, Tennessee;
     Construct two meter stations at Milepost (MP) 20.89 of the 
Murray Lateral to deliver gas to the Cities of Dalton and Cartersville, 
Georgia, and the terminus of the Murray Lateral at MP 26.88;
     Add a new 6,270-horsepower (hp) compressor unit to the 
existing Ooltewah Compressor Station 3214 in Hamilton County, 
Tennessee;
     Install a new 6,270-hp compressor unit at the existing 
Tracy City Compressor Station 3210 in Marion County, Tennessee, and 
remove the existing 1,590-hp compressor unit;
     Construct the new 1,590-hp Compressor Station 3216 in 
McMinn County, Tennessee, by installing the 1,590-hp compressor unit 
removed from the Tracy City Compressor Station 3210;
     Uprate four segments of 12-inch-diameter pipeline and two 
segments of 20-inch-diameter pipeline totaling 46.45 miles in Marshall, 
Bedford, Moore, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, and McMinn 
Counties, Tennessee;
     Construct five temporary pressure limiting devices for the 
above-described uprates in Franklin, Grundy, Sequatchie and Marion 
Counties, Tennessee;
     Install, seven new regulators in Marion, Hamilton, 
Bedford, Moore, and Franklin Counties, Tennessee;
     Under take piping modifications at Compressor Station 3209 
in Franklin County, Tennessee;
     Construct two new main line valves in Whitfield County, 
Georgia; and
     Install new and modified tie-in facilities in Hamilton 
County, Tennessee.
    The general 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, 
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.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 676.1 
acres of land. Following construction, about 132.9 acres would be 
maintained as new right-of-way. The remaining 543.2 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 request 
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
 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 beginning on page 5.

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 ETNG. This preliminary list 
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     One waterboy in Tennessee and three waterbodies in Georgia 
are considered sensitive waterbodies due to their high ecological or 
recreational value.
     29 federally listed endangered or threatened species have 
been identified as occurring in the vicinity of the proposed project 
area.
     About 8.42 acres of agricultural land, including about 
2.86 acres of prime farmland soils, would convert to industrial use.
     Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife Management Area 
in Marion County, Tennessee may be affected by the proposed project.
     Land administered by the Tennessee Valley Authority would 
be crossed by the proposed project.
    Also, we have made a preliminary decision to not address the 
impacts of the nonjurisdictional facilities. We will briefly describe 
their location and status in the EA.

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 
or 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

[[Page 15715]]

Commission, 888 First St., NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas/
Hydro.
     Reference Docket No. CP01-80-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 9, 2001.
    Comments and interventions (see ``Becoming an Intervenor,'' below) 
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 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). Interventions may also be 
filed electronically as described above. 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. 01-6794 Filed 3-19-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M