[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 45 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10398-10400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5437]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-40-006]


Florida Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Compressor Station 31 
Relocation Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and 
Notice of Site Visit

March 1, 2002.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts involved with Florida Gas 
Transmission Company's (FGT) construction and operation of Compressor 
Station 31 at its newly proposed location in Osceola County, 
Florida.\1\ This EA/EIS 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\ FGT's amended application was filed with the Commission 
under Sections 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act on January 22, 2002. The 
original application in Docket No. CP00-40-000 was filed by FGT on 
December 1, 1999.
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Background

    FGT originally proposed to construct this station on a parcel owned 
by Osceola County adjacent to Osceola Parkway. This location, and 
alternative

[[Page 10399]]

locations, were analyzed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS ) 
issued by the Commission in July 2001 for FGT's Phase V Expansion 
Project. The EIS also responded to the numerous comments received on 
the draft EIS expressing concerns and the proximity of the station to 
residences and other related issues.\2\ The analysis in the EIS 
indicated that none of the alternative locations were environmentally 
preferable to the original location.
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    \2\ The draft EIS was issued by the Commission in April 2001 for 
a 45-day comment period. The majority of comments on the draft EIS 
were related to Compressor Station 31.
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    After consideration of the issues in the proceeding, the Commission 
approved FGT's Phase V Expansion Project, with conditions, in an Order 
granting a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity on July 27, 
2001. Several of the environmental conditions in the Order specifically 
address the remaining concerns related to noise and visual impacts 
associated Compressor Station 31.
    Recognizing the concerns surrounding the approved location, FGT 
reevaluated the engineering criteria used to design the compressor 
station. As a result, FGT determined that it could move the compressor 
station further than previously indicated, and consequently filed its 
amendment to requesting authorization from the Commission to move the 
station.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    The proposed facilities consist of a single 2,500-horsepower, gas 
driven compressor and associated piping to be installed at milepost 
12.6 on FGT's existing St. Petersburg Lateral. The compressor would be 
enclosed within a small building.
    The proposed new location of the compressor station would be 
constructed near the intersection of Interstate 4 and County Road 545. 
Both the original site and newly proposed station site are shown on the 
map 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

    FGT has executed an option to purchase a 5-acre tract to construct 
the compressor station. Of the 5 acres, only 1 acre would be occupied 
by the compressor station during operation. The remaining 4 acres would 
be held as a buffer area.

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 
\4\ 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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    \4\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    Our independent analysis of the impacts that could occur as a 
result of the construction and operation of the proposed project will 
be in the EA. We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the 
project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on 
the various resources. 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.
    This notice is being sent to landowners of property within a half-
mile radius of newly proposed location for Compressor Station 31; 
parties who commented on Compressor Station 31 in the EIS process; 
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.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section beginning on page 5.
    Additional information about the Commission's process can be found 
on a fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'', which was attached 
to the project notice FGT 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 Web site, 
www.ferc.gov.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    In general, the EA will address:
     geology and soils;
     wetlands;
     wildlife and vegetation;
     threatened and endangered species;
     land use and visual resources
     cultural resources;
     air quality and noise;
     public safety; and
     alternatives
    We have already identified several specific issues that we think 
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the environmental 
information provided by FGT. This preliminary list of issues may be 
changed based on your comments and our analysis.

     Land Use and Visual Resources
--proposed expansion of Interstate 4 in the vicinity of the to the 
station
--relocation of adjacent recreational vehicle park
--visibility of the station from the adjacent roadways
--potential for residential development near the station site

     Public Safety
--lightning strikes

     Air Quality and Noise
--compressor station emissions
--noise from compressor station equipment

     Alternatives
--comparison of approved and currently proposed sites

    We will not discuss impacts to water resources and fisheries since 
these resources are not in the project area and would not be affected 
by the construction or operation of the proposed compressor station.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your

[[Page 10400]]

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, 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: Magalie 
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
St., NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of OEP--
Gas 1, PJ-11.1.
    sbull; Reference Docket No. CP00-40-006.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 1, 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.''
    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, you will be taken off the mailing list.

Site Visit

    We will also be visiting the proposed location on Wednesday, March 
13, 2002 beginning at approximately 11:00 a.m. Anyone interested in 
participating in the site visit should 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).\5\ Only intervenors have 
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \5\ Interventioins 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 (direct 
line) or you can call the FERC operator at 1-800-847-8885 and ask for 
External Affairs. Information is also available on the FERC Web site, 
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 Web site 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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-5437 Filed 3-6-02; 8:45 am]
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