[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15854-15855]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7003]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-92-000]


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

March 15, 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 Gateway Project involving 
construction and operation of facilities by East Tennessee Natural Gas 
Company (East Tennessee) in Washington County, Virginia, and Overton, 
Fentress, Loudon and Putnum Counties, Tennessee.\1\ These facilities 
would consist of about 2.23 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline, 
replacement of seven road crossings, and the installation of a gas 
cooler, regulation and control 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\ East Tennessee'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 East Tennessee 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

    East Tennessee wants to expand the capacity of its facilities in 
Virginia and Tennessee to render firm natural gas transportation 
service for 1,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) to Etowah Utility 
Department, 3,000 Dth/d to Loudon Utilities Gas Department, and 4,000 
Dth/d to Stone Mountain Energy, LC. East Tennessee seeks authority to 
construct and operate:

Virginia Facilities

     About 2.23 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline loop (Loop 
1) from Valve Section (VS) 3310-2+Milepost (MP) 0.00 to MP 2.23 in 
Washington County, Virginia.

Tennessee Facilities

     An increase in maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) 
of 4.56 miles of existing 22-inch-diameter pipeline from main line 
valve (MLV) 3107-1 to MLV 3107-1A, which includes one road crossing 
replacement;
     An increase in MAOP of 12.85 miles of existing 22-inch-
diameter pipeline from MLV 3107-1A to MLV 3108-1, which includes six 
road crossings replacements and hydrotesting of the pipeline section 
from MLV 3107-1A to MLV 3108-1;
     Pressure control facilities at the beginning of the 
Monterey Lateral, VS 3107+4.56;
     A gas cooler at Monterey Station, VS 3107; and
     Regulation at the Loudon M&R, VS 3218D-102.
    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, NE, 
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. For 
instructions on connecting the 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 30.9 
acres in Virginia and about 18.2 acres in Tennessee for a total of 
about 49.1 acres in land. No new aboveground facility sites would be 
constructed in either Virginia or Tennessee, therefore, no new 
permanent operation impacts would result. East Tennessee would continue 
to maintain the existing 11.1 acres of permanent right-of-way.

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.
     Air quality and noise.
     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

[[Page 15855]]

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 East Tennessee. This 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis.
     The location of four residences within 50-feet of the 
proposed construction right-of-way.
     Five federally listed endangered or threatened species may 
occur in the proposed project area.

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/EIS 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 1, 
PJ-11.1
     Reference Docket No. CP00-92-000.
     Mail your comments to that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 16, 2001.
    Comments, protests and interventions 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 or interventions you will need to 
create an account which can be created by clicking on ``Login to File'' 
and then ``New User 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.
    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. 01-7003 Filed 3-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M