[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58464-58465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29072]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP01-4-000, CP01-5-000, and CP01-8-000]


Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C., Algonquin Gas 
Transmission Company and Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation; Notice 
of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Phase III/Hubline Pipeline Project

November 15, 2001.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 
on the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Maritimes & 
Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C. (Maritimes), and Algonquin Gas Transmission 
Company (Algonquin) (collectively the Applicants) in the above-
referenced docket.
    The FEIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project with the appropriate mitigating measures as 
recommended would have limited adverse environmental impact. The FEIS 
also evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including major route 
alternatives and route variations.
    The FEIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities:
     About 24.8 miles of new, primarily onshore, natural gas 
pipeline (23.8 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline and 1.0 mile of 24-
inch-diameter pipeline) referred to as the Maritimes Phase III 
Pipeline;
     About 29.1 miles of new, primarily offshore, natural gas 
pipeline (24-inch-diameter pipeline) referred to as the HubLine 
Pipeline;
     About 5.4 miles of new, primarily offshore, natural gas 
pipeline (16-inch-diameter pipeline) referred to as the Deer Island 
Lateral; and
     Three new meter stations, four mainline valves, and 
related facilities.
    The purpose of the proposed facilities would be to transport about 
150,500 decatherms per day of natural gas to five

[[Page 58465]]

customers in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In addition, the project 
would provide leased capacity of 80,000 decatherms per day of natural 
gas for Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation.

Joint State and Federal Review

    On September 14, 2001, the Secretary of the Executive Office of 
Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued a 
Certificate on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for these 
projects. The Secretary determined that the DEIR, prepared pursuant to 
the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), ``adequately and 
properly complies with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and 
with its implementing regulations.'' (Citations omitted). It also 
indicated that:

    As discussed below, I am satisfied that the proponent has 
presented enough information on alternatives and impacts to 
demonstrate that the preferred alternative is feasible and less 
environmentally damaging than other alternatives. The project can 
advance to the Final EIR stage. However, there are several important 
issues that must be addressed in the Final EIR, including analysis 
of local routing alternatives, analysis of construction 
alternatives, and more information of the impacts and mitigation 
associated with the preferred alternative.

    To accomplish the goal of addressing the requirements of both the 
state and the Federal government in a single document, the Applicants 
intend to file the FEIS with the MEPA office along with supplemental 
materials (Supplement) that will respond to specific issues identified 
in the state Certificate that may not have been identified or 
specifically addressed in the FEIS. The Supplement will include an 
appendix containing comments received since the DEIR with indexed and 
narrative responses by the Applicants. The Supplement and the FEIS are 
collectively intended to comprise the Final EIR for purposes of review 
under MEPA.

FERC Process

    The FEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First 
Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
    Copies of the FEIS have been mailed to Federal, state, and local 
agencies; public interest groups; individuals who have requested the 
FEIS; newspapers, and parties to this proceeding.
    In accordance with Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, no 
agency decision on a proposed action may be made until 30 days after 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes a notice of 
availability of an FEIS. However, the CEQ regulations provide an 
exception to this rule when an agency decision is subject to a formal 
internal appeal process that allows other agencies or the public to 
make their views known. In such cases, the agency decision may be made 
at the same time the notice of the FEIS is published, allowing both 
periods to run concurrently. The Commission decision for this proposed 
action is subject to a 30-day rehearing period.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-1088 or on the 
FERC internet 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 web site, 
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. 01-29072 Filed 11-20-01; 8:45 am]
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