[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 63 (Monday, April 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17547-17550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7889]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Fourth Interstate Natural Gas Facility-Planning Seminar

March 27, 2001.
    The Office of Energy Projects will hold the fourth in a series of 
public meetings around the country for the purposes of exploring and 
enhancing strategies for constructive public participation in the 
earliest stages of natural gas facility planning. This seminar will be 
held in Seattle, Washington on Thursday, April 26, 2001. We are 
inviting interstate natural gas companies; Federal, state and local 
agencies; landowners and non-governmental organizations with an 
interest in developing new ways of doing business to join us in this 
effort. We will discuss:

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     The pre-filing facility planning process;
     The potential benefits of pipeline facilities;
     Any other ways of improving the environmental review 
process for interstate natural gas pipeline projects.
    The staff of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects will give a 
briefing on the results of our first three seminars in Albany, New 
York, Chicago, Illinois, and Tampa, Florida. We'll discuss problems 
that were identified and potential solutions that were offered in the 
seminars.
    Join us as we continue to explore new strategies being employed by 
the natural gas industry, agencies, and citizens to learn about each 
others' concerns and to engage the public and agencies in participatory 
project design. Interactive discussions will be held with panelists 
from various Federal and state agencies, representatives from natural 
gas companies, and private landowners or citizen representatives who 
have had relevant experiences. There will be substantial opportunity 
for the sharing of experiences and knowledge during both the panel 
discussions and in the interactive ``brainstorming'' session. So, bring 
your ideas with you and prepare to share them.
    The objectives of the seminar are:
     Exchange ideas with other stakeholders and explore the 
best avenues for involving people and agencies, pre-filing, toward 
fostering settlements through creative issue resolution.
     Explore steps taken to identify the parties directly 
involved with and affected by natural gas facility siting and/or 
permitting, so they can work together and resolve issues.
     Build upon the discussions from the first three seminars.
     To encourage the submission of filings with no or few 
contested issues in order to reduce the Commission's processing time.
     Discuss the potential benefits of an interstate natural 
gas pipeline project.
     Explore other ideas for improving the FERC's environmental 
review process.
    We are building on what was learned at our prior meetings and 
continuing to work toward developing a toolbox of the best available 
techniques for increasing public involvement and developing solutions 
to issues during the pre-filing planning process. This will help to 
plan projects with less opposition that can achieve faster action from 
the Commission with less controversy and fewer conditions.
    The meeting in Seattle, Washington will be held at the Washington 
Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101. The 
meeting is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and finish at 2:30 p.m. A 
preliminary agenda (attachment 1) and directions to the Washington 
Athletic Club (attachment 2) are enclosed. Also, see attachment 3 
regarding the selection of locations of future meetings.
    If you plan to attend, please e-mail our team at: 
[email protected] by April 20, 2001. Or, you can respond via 
facsimile to Pennie Lewis-Partee at 202-208-0353. Please include in the 
response the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all attendees 
from your organization. We will send an acknowledgment of your request.
    To help us enhance our panel discussions, please consider issues 
and/or questions you would like to have addressed at the meetings and 
e-mail them to us. If you have any questions, you may contact any of 
the staff listed below:

Richard Hoffmann 202/208-0066
Lauren O'Donnell 202/208-0325
Jeff Shenot 202/219-2178
Howard Wheeler 202/208-2299

J. Mark Robinson,
Director, Division of Environmental & Engineering Review, Office of 
Energy Projects.

Attachment 1

Agenda

4th Interstate Natural Gas Facility Planning Seminar, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington Athletic Club, Seattle, 
Washington

April 26, 2001

9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

9:00 a.m.--Introductions
    Welcome: Mark Robinson, Director, Division of Environmental & 
Engineering Review, Office of Energy Projects, FERC
    Rich Hoffman, Office of Energy Projects (OEP), FERC
9:15--The Pipeline Planning/Approval Process--Lauren O'Donnell, OEP, 
What's the role of FERC
9:30--Summary of Contents from the Albany, Chicago, and Tampa 
Meetings--Rich Hoffman
9:45--Panel 1. Perspectives on Project Announcement, Route Planning, 
and How to Work Together--Howard Wheeler, OEP, Moderator
    (Discussion of factors re: announcement of the project, planning of 
the route, types of surveys needed; extent of disturbance, and who to 
tell. What are the needs of the various stakeholders?)
    John Cassidy, Pacific Gas and Electric
    Citizen/NGO Representative
    Gary Sprague, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
    (10-minute discussion by each panelist with interactive 
Brainstorming/Q&A session with panelists and audience for remainder of 
Panel)
11:00--Break
11:15--Panel 2. What are the Benefits (real and potential) of a natural 
gas project and right-of-way?--Lauren O'Donnell, Moderator
    (Discussion of the various types of benefits of a pipeline project 
to the company, the individual, local area, region and/or state. How to 
identify them, how to advertise them.)
    Agency Representative
    Representative of Northwest Pipeline Corporation
    Joanne Longwoods, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
    (10-minute discussion by each panelist with interactive 
Brainstorming/Q&A session with panelists and audience for remainder of 
Panel)
12:30--Lunch
1:00--Brainstorming Session * * * OEP Staff will lead an all-
participants discussion of issues regarding other potential ways of 
improving and speeding up the environmental review of interstate 
natural gas pipeline projects.
    --Explore Environmental Impact Statement timelines;
    --Explore starting the NEPA process pre-filing; and
    --Discuss the role of state and local agencies.
2:15--Summary of the day
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Attachment 3

Future Meetings?

    Between now and September of 2001, we will conduct additional 
seminars at locations around the country. Locations for the meetings 
will be selected based on the history of past, present and especially 
future pipeline projects where interstate natural gas markets are 
developing or expanding.
    Yes, for those who have been following our progress, we've gone 
west for our fourth meeting. But, we will hold a meeting in the 
northeast!
    Areas we are considering for meetings include:

Boston, Massachusetts/Portland, Maine area--May/June, 2001?
Reno, Nevada or Salt Lake City, Utah--July/August, 2001?

    If you care to voice your opinion about these or other areas, 
please follow the instructions for contacting us in the notice.

[FR Doc. 01-7889 Filed 3-30-01; 8:45 am]
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