[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22071-22072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10857]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-415-000]


East Tennessee Natural Gas Company; Notice of Availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Patriot Pipeline 
Project

April 26, 2002.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
on the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by East Tennessee 
Natural Gas Company (East Tennessee) in the above-referenced docket.
    The DEIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Commission's implementing 
regulations under Title 18, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 
380. The staff concludes that approval of the proposed project with the 
appropriate mitigating measures as recommended, would have limited 
adverse environmental impact. The DEIS also evaluates alternatives to 
the proposed Project, and requests comments on them.
    The DEIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Patriot Project which consists of two 
components, the Mainline Expansion and the Patriot Extension.

 Mainline Expansion

     Construct approximately 87.3 miles of pipeline loops, 
ranging in size from 20 to 24 inches in diameter;
     Uprate approximately 77.2 miles of pipeline;
     Abandon and re-lay approximately 22.5 miles of pipeline;
     Construct five new compressor stations; and
     Modify 10 existing compressor stations;

 Patriot Extension

     Construct approximately 99.7 miles of new pipeline (24- 
and 16-inch-diameter);
     Three new meter stations; and
     Associated mainline valves and appurtenant facilities in 
Virginia and North Carolina.
    The staff has also evaluated 12 major route alternatives. Nine of 
these were removed from further consideration. The remaining three 
major route alternatives appear to have environmental benefits relative 
to the proposed route. We \1\ are requesting public comment on these 
three major route alternatives. We analyzed seven route variations; 
five were removed from further consideration, and two are recommended 
over the proposed route. We examined four alternative compressor 
station sites; two were removed from consideration after our analyses 
and two are recommended over the proposed sites. We evaluated two 
alternative interconnect sites for the proposed Transco interconnect, 
both of which were removed from further consideration.
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    \1\ ``We,''``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects, part of the Commission staff.
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Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the DEIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that we receive your comments before the date specified 
below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your 
comments are received in time and properly recorded:
     Send one original and two copies of your comments to: Ms. 
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 the 
Gas Branch 2, PJ-11.2
     Reference Docket No. CP01-415-000
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before June 17, 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. Comments may also be filed electronically 
via the Internet in lieu of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and 
the instructions on the Commission's Internet web site (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 the 
``New User Account.''
    In addition to accepting written comments, the Commission will hold 
five public meetings at the times and locations shown below to receive

[[Page 22072]]

comments on this DEIS. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged 
to attend the meetings and comment on the environmental impacts 
described in the DEIS.

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          Date and time                 Location             Phone
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Tuesday, May 21, 2002 7 p.m.....  Patrick Henry           (276) 638-8777
                                   Community College,
                                   Theatre, 645
                                   Patriot Avenue,
                                   Martinsville, VA
                                   24115.
Wednesday, May 22, 2002 7 p.m...  Patrick County          (276) 694-3917
                                   Community Center,
                                   Rotary Field
                                   Memorial, Building
                                   Gymnasium, 420
                                   Woodland Drive,
                                   Stuart, VA 24171.
Thursday, May 23, 2002 7 p.m....  Veterans of Foreign     (276) 728-2911
                                   Wars, Grover King
                                   Post 1115, 701
                                   West Stuart Drive,
                                   Hillsville, VA
                                   24343.
Wednesday, May 29, 2002 7 p.m...  Mountain Arts           (423) 886-1959
                                   Community Center
                                   Theater, 809
                                   Kentucky Avenue.
Thursday, May 30, 2002 7 p.m....  Slater Community        (423) 764-4023
                                   Center Auditorium,
                                   325 McDowell
                                   Street, Bristol,
                                   TN 37620.
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    After comments have been reviewed, any significant new issues will 
be investigated. When the DEIS has been modified as appropriate, the 
staff will publish and distribute a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS). The FEIS will contain the staff's responses to timely 
comments filed on the DEIS.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to 
become a party to the proceeding must file a Motion to Intervene 
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedures (see 18 CFR 385.214).
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this DEIS. You 
must file your request to intervene as specified above.\2\ You do not 
need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
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    \2\ Interventions also may be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
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    All intervenors, agencies, elected officials, local governments, 
special interest groups, Indian tribes, affected landowners, local 
libraries, media, and anyone providing written comments on the DEIS 
will receive a copy of the FEIS. If you do not wish to comment on the 
DEIS but wish to receive a copy of the FEIS, you must write to the 
Secretary of the Commission, indicating this request.
    The DEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for distribution and 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.
    A limited number of copies are available from the Public Reference 
and Files Maintenance Branch identified above. In addition, copies of 
the DEIS have been mailed to Federal, state, and local government 
agencies; elected officials, environmental and public interest groups; 
affected landowners who requested a copy of the DEIS; Native American 
tribes that might attach religious and cultural significance to 
historic properties in the area of potential effect; local libraries 
and newspapers; and the Commission's list of parties to this 
proceeding. Members of the public who signed petitions but did not 
request a copy of the DEIS were sent the Executive Summary. 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 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 help line 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 with 
regard to this docket, 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 help line can be reached at (202) 208-
2222.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-10857 Filed 5-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P