[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32950-32951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15380]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Fifth Interstate Natural Gas Facility-Planning Seminar 
and Request for Comments

June 13, 2001.
    The Office of Energy Projects will hold the fifth in a series of 
public meetings for the purpose of exploring and enhancing strategies 
for constructive public participation in the earliest stages of natural 
gas facility planning. This seminar will be held in Portsmouth, New 
Hampshire on Thursday, July 19, 2001, This seminar will be a new 
experience because we will present and discuss the draft Outreach 
Action Options for Industry, Agencies, Citizens, and FERC staff which 
we have developed based on the first four seminars. The draft Outreach 
Action Options are a compilation of the ideas, or ``tools'' so to 
speak, the FERC staff has designed to provide each stakeholder group 
with practical strategies for reaching consensus and developing win-win 
solutions.
    The staff of the Commission's Office of Energy projects will give a 
briefing on the draft plans. Then, you will be given an opportunity to 
provide feedback on the plans to help ensure that they address the 
necessary issues. We are inviting interstate natural gas companies; 
Federal, state and local agencies; landowners and non-governmental 
organizations to join us as we continue to develop new strategies in 
participatory project design. Interactive breakout sessions will be 
held with representatives from each stakeholder group to review and 
comment on the draft Outreach Action Options. Then, each breakout group 
will have an opportunity to share its results with the overall seminar 
group in an interactive ``brainstorming'' session.
    The objectives of the seminar are:
    1. Present and discuss the draft Outreach Action Options;
    2. Collect constructive comments and make constructive revisions to 
the plans;
    3. Explore other ideas for improving the FERC's environmental 
review process.
    We are 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. 
These action options will be one of the aids we can provide to further 
that effort.
    The meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire will be held at the 
Holiday Inn, 300 Woodbury Avenue, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801, 
phone number 1-603-431-8000 (website www.hiportsmouth.com). The meeting 
is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. and finish at 2:45 p.m. A 
preliminary agenda (attachment 1) and directions to the Holiday Inn 
(attachment 2) are enclosed.
    If you plan to attend, please email our team at: 
[email protected] by July 6, 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. 
Attendance is first-come, first-served. However, if it becomes 
necessary to limit attendance to achieve balance in stakeholder 
representation, we will notify you.
    Prior to July 19, 2001, the draft Outreach Action Options will be 
posted on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) and will be mailed to all 
past seminar participants and to all registrants for this seminar. 
Interested persons will then have an opportunity to review the draft 
Outreach Action Options and offer comments. Comments should be sent via 
e-mail to: [email protected] and should be sent by 
August 3, 2001.
    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, Office of Energy Projects.

Agenda

5th Interstate Natural Gas Facility Planning Seminar, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Holiday Inn, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

July 19, 2001, 9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
9:00
Introductions and Welcome:
    Rich Hoffmann, Division of

[[Page 32951]]

Environmental & Engineering Review, Office of Energy Projects (OEP), 
FERC
Background on the Seminars & The Pipeline Planning/Approval Process
     What's the role of FERC?
     Why are we here?
    Rich Hoffmann & Lauren O'Donnell, OEP
9:30
Briefing on the Contents of the Industry, Agency, Citizen, and FERC 
staff draft Outreach Action Options
    Rich Hoffmann, Jeff Shenot, Howard Wheeler, and Lauren O'Donnell
10:30
Breakout Groups to discuss, Critique and Improve Each draft Outreach 
Action Option
     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? How 
can they best be met?
12:00
Lunch
1:00
Presentation of Breakout groups results: Each group will present its 
feedback to all seminar participants (15 minutes each group). This 
includes a discussion of other potential ways of improving the draft 
action options and/or the environmental review of interstate natural 
gas pipeline projects.
2:30
Summary of the day & next steps

[FR Doc. 01-15380 Filed 6-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M