[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 40 (Thursday, February 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9264-9266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-4565]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-32-000]


Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Time Project, Request for 
Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Site Visits

February 20, 2002.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Time Project involving 
construction and operation of facilities by Texas Eastern Transmission, 
LP (Texas Eastern) in several counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and 
New York.\1\ These facilities would consist of about 15.8 miles of 36-
inch diameter pipeline; 27,200 horsepower (hp) of additional 
compression, and uprate an existing meter and regulation station. This 
EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to 
determine whether the project is in the public convenience and 
necessity.
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    \1\ Texas Eastern'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 or have 
been 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 Texas Eastern 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).
    This notice is being sent to landowners of property affected by 
Texas Eastern's proposed facilities; Federal, state, and local 
agencies; elected officials; Indian tribes that might attach religious 
and cultural significance to historic properties in the area of 
potential effects; environmental and public interest groups; and local 
libraries and newspapers. 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.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Texas Eastern wants to expand the capacity of its pipeline in 
Pennsylvania to transport an additional 100,000 dekatherms (Dth/day) 
per day of natural gas to New Jersey Natural Gas. Transco seeks 
authority to construct, operate and maintain the following facilities:

--four new segments of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Perry County 
(Perulack), Lebanon County (Grantville), Berks County (Bernville), and 
Bucks County (Bechtelsville), Pennsylvania, totaling 15.8 miles; (The 
Perulack and Bechtelsville discharges were modified in position

[[Page 9265]]

of a section of the pipeline, which did not change the length of each 
line.)\2\
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    \2\ On February 19, 2002, Texas Eastern made a supplemental 
filing revising the Perulack Discharge by moving the beginning point 
approximately 15,000 feet east or downstream of the currently filed 
starting point; and the Bechtelsville Discharge by moving the 
beginning point for the loop approximately 5,800 feet east or 
downstream of the currently filed starting point.
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--8,600 horsepower (hp) uprates, from 13,400 to 22,000 hp, for each of 
two existing compressor stations, the Entriken in Huntingdon County, 
Pennsylvania, and the Armagh in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, totaling 
17,200 hp;
--one new 10,000 hp electric driven compressor unit at the existing 
Lambertville Compressor Station in Hunterdon County, New Jersey; and
--Upgrading the existing meter and regulation station M&R No. 70058 in 
Richmond County, New York.

    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\3\
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    \3\ 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 to 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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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed pipeline additions would affect about 
271 acres of land. Following construction, about 50 acres would be 
maintained as new pipeline right of way. The remaining 221 acres of 
land would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.
    Construction of new facilities at the three existing compressor 
stations would require a total of about 5 acres of land area. However, 
about 2 acres would be required for operation of these facilities.

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 
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.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be 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 of this notice.

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 Texas Eastern. This 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis.

Geology and Soils
    --Erosion control and right-of-way restoration.
    --Potential for mixing of topsoil and subsoil.
Water Resources and Wetlands
    --A total of 16 perennial streams would be crossed by the pipelines 
(14) or access roads (2).
    --Ten wetlands, totaling 8 acres, would be crossed by the pipeline 
during construction. About 2 acres would be affected during operation.
Biological Resources
    --Impacts on about 155 acres of upland forest and scrub-shrub 
habitat.
Cultural Resources
    --Impacts on prehistoric and historic sites.
    --Native American concerns.
Land Use
    --Impacts on about 5 acres of residential areas.
    --Impacts on 11 residents within 50 feet of the proposed 
construction area.
    --Visual effects of the aboveground facilities on surrounding 
areas.
Air and Noise Quality
    --Impacts on local air and noise environment as a result of 
operation of the new compressor upgrades.
Alternatives
    --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.

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/routes), 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 two copies of your letter to: Magalie R. Salas, 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/Hydro Group.
--Reference Docket No. CP02-032-000.
--Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on 
or before March 22, 2002.

    Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail 
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. As a result, we will include 
all comments that we receive within a reasonable time frame in our 
environmental analysis of this project. However, the Commission 
encourages electronic filing of any comments or interventions or 
protests to this proceeding. 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 and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can file 
comments you will need to create an account which can be created by 
clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.''
    All commentors will be retained on our mailing list. If you do not 
want to send comments at this time but still want to stay informed and 
receive copies of the EA, if it is released for further public comment, 
you must return the attached Information Request (appendix 3). If you 
do not send comments or return the Information Request, you will be 
taken off the mailing list.''

Site Visit

    We will also be conducting site visits to the project area. Anyone 
interested in

[[Page 9266]]

participating in the site visit may contact the Commission's Office of 
External Affairs identified at the end of this notice for more details.

Schedule of Site Visits

    The Commission staff will be conducting an environmental site visit 
of the following proposed facilities for the Time project on Tuesday 
and Wednesday, March 5 and 6, 2002: Lambertville Compressor Station, 
NJ; Bechtelsville Discharge, PA; Bernville Discharge, PA; Perulack 
Discharge, PA; and Grantville Discharge, PA. The following list 
specifies the time and location to meet staff at each project facility.

Tuesday, March 5, 2002:

--Lambertville Compressor Station: 7:45 am, Lambertville Construction 
Wareyard, Highway 179 and Mill Road, Lambertville, NJ.
--Bechtelsville Discharge: 9 am, Bethel Baptist Church parking lot, 754 
East Rockhill Road, Sellersville, PA.
--Bernville Discharge: 2 pm, Bernville Project Wareyard, Jake's Flea 
Market, 1372 Route 100, Barto, PA.

Wednesday, March 6, 2002:

--Perulack Discharge: 9:30 am, Blain Family Restaurant, Main Street, 
Blain, PA.
--Grantville Discharge: 12:00 pm, Heisey's Diner, 1740 Route 72 North, 
Lebanon, PA

    Anyone interested in participating in the site visit may meet at 
the appropriate, above-specified time and location, and may contact the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-1088 with any 
questions, or to obtain updates on the above schedule should changes 
occur while staff is en route to the meeting locations. Participants 
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). Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    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 (direct 
line) or you can call the FERC operator at 1-800-847-8885 and ask for 
External Affairs. Information is also 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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-4565 Filed 2-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P