[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 106 (Monday, June 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38268-38269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13790]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-142-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Rock Springs 
Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

May 28, 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 Rock Springs Expansion Project 
involving the abandonment, construction and operation of facilities by 
Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation (Columbia) in Chester County, 
Pennsylvania.\1\ The facilities being abandoned consist of 8.6 miles of 
14-inch-diameter pipeline which would be replaced with 8.6 miles of 24-
inch-diameter pipeline. The 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\ Columbia's application was filed with the Commission on 
April 5, 2002, 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 Columbia 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.fed.us).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Columbia is proposing the Rock Springs Energy Expansion Project to 
expand its existing system in Pennsylvania to provide firm 
transportation service to Rock Springs Generation, L.L.C.'s and CED 
Rock Springs, Inc.'s power plant to be built in Cecil County, Maryland. 
This project would allow Columbia to deliver 270,000 Dekatherms per day 
of gas to the power plant.
    Columbia proposes to abandon its existing 8.6 mile 14-inch-diameter 
Line 1278 in Chester County, Pennsylvania and replace it with 24-inch-
diameter pipeline beginning at Columbia's Downingtown Compressor 
Station and extending to its Eagle Compressor Station. The Rock Springs 
Generation, L.L.C. and CED Rock Springs, Inc. would construct 800 feet 
of nonjurisdictional 16-inch-diameter pipeline from the existing Rock 
Springs Meter Station in Cecil County, Maryland to the power plant. See 
appendix 2 for a location map of Columbia's Line 1278.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of Columbia's proposed facilities would require about 
97 acres of land, including construction right-of-way for the pipeline 
and extra work areas needed for access and staging areas. Columbia 
would generally use a 50-to 75-foot-wide construction right-of-way 
during replacement. Line 1278 parallels for 6.5 miles Columbia's 
existing Line 1896 which will be replaced the summer of 2002 under the 
order issued in Docket No. CP01-439-000. The majority of the 
construction right-of-way for Line 1278 would overlap the construction 
right-of-way used for Line 1896. About 53 acres would be maintained as 
permanent right-of-way.
    Construction access to Columbia's project generally would be via 
the construction right-of-way, private drives, and existing road 
network. Columbia has identified 10 existing access roads necessary for 
the construction of its project. No new access roads would be 
constructed.

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 
\2\ 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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    \2\ ''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 and wetlands
--vegetation and wildlife
--threatened and endangered species
--cultural resources
--land use
--reliability and safety
--air quality and noise

    We will 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 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.

[[Page 38269]]

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 Columbia. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Water Resources and Wetlands
--Crossing 8 perennial waterbodies
--Crossing 20 wetlands
Vegetation
--About 5.5 acres of forest to be cleared
Federally-Listed Threatened and Endangered Species
--Potential impact on the bog turtle
Land Use
--Impact on 97 residences and 13 buildings located within 50 feet of 
the construction work area

Public Participation and Site Visit

    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 
or 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:
    [sbull] 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;
    [sbull] Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 1, 
PJ-11.1;
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. CP02-142-000; and
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before June 28, 2002.
    Comments, protests, and interventions may 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 web site at http://www.ferc.gov 
under the ``e-Filing'' link and 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''.
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request 
(appendix 2)\3\. If you do not return the Information Request, you will 
be removed from the environmental mailing list.
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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, 
Room 2A, 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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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 1). 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.
    Copies of this filing are on file with the Commission and are 
available for public inspection. This filing may also be viewed on the 
web at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket 
'' and follow the instructions (call 202-208-2222 for 
assistance).
    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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-13790 Filed 5-31-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P