[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 62 (Monday, April 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15380-15382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7744]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-80-000]


Reliant Energy Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed White River 
Compressor Station Project and Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

March 26, 2002.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the potential environmental impacts of the White River 
Compressor Station. This project involves the construction and 
operation of a new compressor station by Reliant Energy Gas 
Transmission Company (Reliant) on its Line J system in Jackson County,

[[Page 15381]]

Arkansas.\1\ These facilities would consist of a new 4,740-horsepower 
White River Compressor Station and other facilities. 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\ Reliant'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 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 Reliant 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).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Reliant wants to expand the capacity of its facilities in Arkansas 
by 108,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) in order to render firm natural 
gas transportation service of 102,000 Dth/d to TPS Dell, LLC (Dell). 
Reliant seeks authority to construct and operate the White River 
Compressor Station consisting of two 2,370-horsepower Ariel JGK/6 
compressors and two Caterpillar G3608TALE drivers complete with inlet 
filters, H.G. exhaust silencers, PLC control panels, motor driver water 
coolers, pulsation bottles, an inlet scrubber, and lube oil tanks. The 
location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ 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 the 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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    Dell is constructing the Teco Dell, LLC Power Plant (Power Plant), 
a 640-megawatt combined cycle generating plant in Dell, Arkansas. 
Reliant is constructing a 2.2 mile, 6-inch-diameter pipeline and a tap 
in Mississippi County, Arkansas, under parts 157.208 and 157.211 of the 
Commission's regulations, to connect Line J to the Power Plant.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed compressor station would require about 
5 acres. Of this total, approximately 1 acre would be maintained as the 
new compressor station site. The remaining 4 acres would be returned to 
agricultural use.

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 
\3\ 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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    \3\ ''We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:

 Geology and soils
 Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
 Vegetation and wildlife
 Endangered and threatened species
 Land use
 Cultural resources
 Air quality and noise
 Public safety

    We will also 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.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented 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 below.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified one issue (air and noise impacts of the 
proposed compressor station) that we think deserve attention based on a 
preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental 
information provided by Reliant. This preliminary list of issues may be 
changed based on your comments and our analysis.
    Also we have made a preliminary decision not to address the impacts 
of the nonjurisdictional facilities. We will briefly describe their 
location and status in the EA.

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), 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 Gas 1, 
PJ-11.1.
     Reference Docket No. CP02-80-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 25, 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 rerasonable time frame

[[Page 15382]]

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 to the User's Guide. 
Before you can file comments or interventions you will need to create 
an account which can be created by clicking on ``Login to File'' and 
then ``New User Account.''

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) \4\. Only intervenors have 
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \4\ Interventions 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 or 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) 208-2222.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-7744 Filed 3-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P