[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35954-35956]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17180]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-375-000]


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

July 3, 2001.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the potential environmental impacts of the TVA Project. This 
project involves the construction and operation of facilities by East 
Tennessee Natural Gas Company (East Tennessee) in Moore, Lewis, 
Lawrence, Giles, Maury, Marshall, Hickman, and Franklin Counties, 
Tennessee.\1\ These facilities would consist of about 26.5 miles of 
pipeline loop, a new 3,255-horsepower compressor station, additional 
compression at an existing compressor station, and other facilities. 
This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process 
to determine

[[Page 35955]]

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.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    East Tennessee wants to expand the capacity of its facilities in 
Tennessee to render firm natural gas transportation service of 86,000 
dekatherms per day (Dth/d) to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). 
East Tennessee seeks authority to:
     construct approximately 8.74 miles of 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop and 9.63 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline loop on its 
existing pipeline right-of-way and construct approximately 8.09 miles 
of 20-inch-diameter pipeline loop adjacent to its existing pipeline 
right-of-way in Moore, Lewis, Lawrence, Giles, Maury, and Franklin 
Counties;
     hydrostatically test approximately 5.44 miles of 12-inch-
diameter pipeline on its existing Line 3200 in Franklin County in order 
to increase the maximum allowable operating pressure;
     install a 6,270-horsepower (hp) compressor unit and a 
regulator at its existing Station 3206 in Marshall County; and a 
regulator at the Elk River Springs Meter Station in Franklin County;
     construct a new 3,255-hp compressor station (Station 3202) 
in Hickman County;
     replace aerodynamic assemblies for two existing compressor 
units at Station 3206 and for two existing compressor units at Station 
3209, Franklin County; and
     install associated valves, piping, and appurtenant 
facilities.
    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., 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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    The TVA would construct approximately 4 miles of 12-inch-diameter 
pipeline as well as a 510-megawatt combined cycle gas-fired generating 
plant in Franklin County.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb about 400.9 
acres. Of this total, approximately 27.9 acres would become new 
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 presented 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 East Tennessee. This 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis.
     The location of forty-four residences within 50-feet of 
the proposed construction right-of-way.
     One federally listed endangered or threatened species may 
occur in the proposed project area.
     Fifteen wetlands would be crossed by the proposed project.
    Also we have made a preliminary decision not to 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), 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., N.E., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 1, 
PJ-11.1.

[[Page 35956]]

     Reference Docket No. CP01-375-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before August 2, 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.gov under the ``e-Filing'' 
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.''
    We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving 
it, please return the Information Request (appendix 3). If you do not 
return the Information Request, your name will be taken off the mailing 
list.

Site Visit

    On July 18 through 20, 2001, we will be conducting a site visit to 
the project area. This will be an on-the-ground inspection, conducted 
by automobile on public roads, or where access to private property has 
been granted (specific locations to be determined later). Anyone 
interested in participating in the site visit may contact the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs (identified at the end of this 
notice) for more details and must provide their own transportation.

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).\4\ Only intervenors have 
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \4\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
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    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.gov) 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. 01-17180 Filed 7-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P