[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 150 (Monday, August 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50661-50663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19647]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-391-000]


Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed North Lansing 
Storage Field NSS Project and Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

July 30, 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 North Lansing Storage Field 
NSS Project involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL) in Harrison County, 
Texas \1\ These facilities would consist of one additional 6,000 
horsepower compressor at an existing compressor station, drill 17 
additional injection/withdrawal wells, and about 4,255 feet of 
connecting well pipelines and appurtenant facilities. The project

[[Page 50662]]

would create an additional 10.7 billion cubic feet of gas storage 
service capability beginning in 2003. 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\ NGPL'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 Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL) 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

    NGPL seeks authority to:
     Install one 6,000 horsepower electric-motor-driven 
compressor at existing Compressor Station 388 in Harrison County; 
Texas;
     Drill 17 additional injection/withdrawal wells in Harrison 
County, Texas; well installation would require development of 8 well 
drilling pads (1 to 3 wells would be drilled at each pad). Each new 
well would be offset from existing or new well by about 100 feet. Each 
well pad would disturb an area of about 600 feet by 600 feet;
     Construct a total of 4,255 feet of 10-inch-diameter 
laterals that would connect the new wells to pipelines; and
     Expand an electrical substation at Compressor Station 388.
    The general location of the facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are 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

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 51.9 
acres of land. Following construction, about 20.3 acres would be 
maintained as permanent right-of-way. The remaining 31.6 acres of land 
would be restored and allowed to revert to its former 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. This process is referred to as ``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'', ``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,
     Vegetation and wildlife
     Endangered and threatened
     Air quality and noise
     Land use
     Cultural resources and wetlands
     Hazardous waste
     Public safety species
    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 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 several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by National Fuel. This 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis.
     The project has a potential to impact cultural resources.
     Four intermittent streams may be impacted.
     The project may have noise impacts on nearby residences.
     Threatened and endangered species may be impacted

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/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:
     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 
Branch 2 ).
     Reference Docket No. CP02-391-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before August 28, 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-

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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 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.

Environmental Mailing List

    This notice is being sent to individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
proposed project. It is also being sent to all identified potential 
right-of-way grantors. By this notice we are also asking governmental 
agencies, especially those in appendix 3, to express their interest in 
becoming cooperating agencies for the preparation of the EA.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (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 website 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) 208-2222.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-19647 Filed 8-2-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P