[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 197 (Thursday, October 11, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51945-51946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-25490]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP01-384-000 and CP01-387-000]


Islander East Pipeline Company, L.L.C., Algonquin Gas 
Transmission Company; Notice of Site Visit and Summary of Scoping 
Issues; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

October 4, 2001.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Notice of 
Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Islander East 
Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues (NOI) 
on July 3, 2001, stating that we \1\ would prepare either an 
environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the proposed project. The Islander East Pipeline Project would 
involve construction of facilities by Islander East Pipeline Company, 
L.L.C. (Islander East) and related facilities constructed by Algonquin 
Gas Transmission Company (Algonquin) in New Haven County, Connecticut 
and Suffolk County, New York.\2\ Islander East's facilities would 
consist of about 50.4 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline and lateral, 
including 22.6 miles offshore in Long Island Sound, and three new meter 
stations. Algonquin would retest and uprate about 27.4 miles of its 
existing pipelines from Cheshire to North Haven, Connecticut, and 
construct a new compressor station.
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    \1\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
    \2\ The Islander East and Algonquin applications were filed with 
the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 
of the Commission's regulations.
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    In the NOI, we solicited public comments to identify significant 
environmental issues that would be used in deciding whether an EA or 
EIS would be prepared. Based on the issues raised, we have decided to 
proceed with preparation of an EIS for this project.

Summary of Issues Identified

    We have received over 70 letters or interventions from concerned 
landowners, state and local agencies, townships, and environmental 
groups. The issues raised are summarized into the following general 
categories:

Need for Project and Location

    What is the need for the project and how would it benefit their 
areas (especially in Connecticut)? Prefer various other alternatives, 
including ones away from their communities; an alternative Long Island 
Sound crossing location; following more existing pipelines or roads; 
and use of existing capacity.

Landowner Issues

    Proximity to homes--property devaluation, safety, noise from 
construction activities and the directional drill; septic system 
impacts from poor drainage; drinking water well disruption or 
contamination; blasting impacts to the granite/bedrock and potential 
for foundation cracking; disruption near a school; previous damage from 
Algonquin pipeline installation; and unauthorized all terrain vehicle 
(ATV) usage along the pipeline right-of-way (ROW).

Tidal and Inland Ecological Impacts

    Potential for impacts to tidal and inland wetlands and wildlife 
preserves including the Central Pine Barrens in New York and 
compatibility with the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act; impacts 
to surface water and groundwater drainage; invasive species 
introduction; wildlife impacts; soil erosion/sedimentation impacts from 
tree and upland buffer removal; impacts to threatened and endangered 
species/desire for species surveys; impacts to the Carmans and Peconic 
Rivers; Islander East's adherence to local environmental regulations; 
impacts from pesticides; and impacts to the Thimble Islands.

Human and Socioeconomic Impacts

    Tourism and recreational impacts to local towns; economic and 
social impacts; proximity to Branford Steam Railroad (new open corridor 
and safety concerns); procedures for handling a gas emergency (concern 
that some volunteer fire departments could not handle a gas emergency); 
impacts to public lands preserved for open spaces or beaches in the 
affected towns; future zoning/development issues; noise impacts from 
screening tree removal along Interstate 95; and scenic highways/visual 
impacts.

Long Island Sound Ecological Impacts

    Impacts to the ecosystem of the Long Island Sound including impacts 
to shellfish, lobsters, and commercial fishing; directional drilling 
impacts on shellfish beds in the event of a frac-out or spill; spawning 
and nesting windows; impacts from anchoring and cable sweep from 
barges; general water quality degradation; and a preference for 
complete burial of the underwater pipeline.

[[Page 51946]]

Various Concerns

    Various other issues including assurances that the company will do 
the mitigation it has stated; that additional industrialization in the 
area may occur with a new or expanded corridor; that two pipeline 
projects that could cross Long Island Sound (Iroquois and Tennessee--to 
be filed) be evaluated at the same time and be considered as 
alternatives and cumulative impacts; cumulative impacts from underwater 
cable installation; All Saints Cemetery and cultural resources impacts; 
and air quality impacts.

Agenda for Site Visit

    We will conduct a site visit in the project area during the week of 
October 15, 2001. We will tour the onshore portions of the pipeline 
route and alternatives by automobile and on foot, as appropriate. All 
interested parties may attend but must provide their own 
transportation. Any additional comments received that did not arise 
during the scoping period which ended on August 3, 2001 and during the 
site visit will be addressed in the EIS.
    Tuesday, October 16, 2001: Meet at 8:00 am at the Grumman Memorial 
Park (main parking lot), near the intersection of State Routes 25 and 
25A, near Calverton, New York. After a question and answer session, we 
will drive to the southern terminus of the proposed pipeline ROW and 
head north along the ROW, through the Town of Ridge, along the 
Calverton Lateral, and ending along the shore of the Long Island Sound 
between the Towns of Shoreham and Wading River.
    Thursday, October 18, 2001: Meet at 8 am at the commuter parking 
lot at the end of the Branford Connector, at exit 53 off of Interstate 
95 in Branford, Connecticut. After a question and answer session, we 
will drive the ROW from Branford south to Long Island Sound, head north 
along the proposed pipeline ROW, and end in the Town of North Haven. 
For additional information on the site visit contact the Commission's 
Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-1088.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-25490 Filed 10-10-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P