[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