[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 148 (Thursday, August 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49913-49914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19405]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP02-116-000 and CP02-117-000]


Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed South Texas Expansion Project

July 26, 2002.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company (Tennessee) in the above-referenced docket.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the South Texas Expansion Project 
including:
     About 9.28 miles of a 30-inch-diameter lateral in Hidalgo 
County, Texas;
     A new meter station near the terminus of the new lateral 
in Hidalgo, Texas;
     About 7.58 miles of a 24-inch-diameter loop of Tennessee's 
existing Donna Line in Hidalgo County, Texas;
     A new 9,470 horsepower compressor station in Hidalgo 
County, Texas; and
     Minor modifications of Tennessee's existing Compressor 
Station 1 located in Nueces County, Texas, and existing Compressor 
Station 9 located in Victoria County, Texas.
    Tennessee's proposed project also includes a border crossing 
facility at the International Boundary between the United States in 
Hidalgo County, Texas and Mexico in the State of Tamaulipas, which 
would consist of a 1,800-foot-long segment of 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline. The primary purpose of the South Texas Expansion Project is 
to provide up to 320,000 Decatherms per day of natural gas to a 
developing power generation complex located in the Northern Mexico 
Municipalities of Rio Bravo and Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are 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.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, state and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA 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 an original and two copies of your comments to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas Branch 1, PJ11.1.
     Reference Docket Nos. CP02-116-000 and CP02-117-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before August 26, 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 a free account which can be

[[Page 49914]]

created by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.''
    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 (18 CFR 385.214).\1\Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \1\ 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 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 Internet 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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-19405 Filed 7-31-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P