[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 155 (Monday, August 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52472-52474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20308]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-387-000]


Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Natural Gas Storage Cavern 
Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

August 6, 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 Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C.'s 
(Petal) proposed natural gas storage cavern expansion project in 
Forrest County, Mississippi.\1\ 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\ Petal's application was filed under section 7(c) of the 
Natural Gas Act and part 157 of the Commission's regulations on June 
18, 2002.
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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a Petal 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, Petal 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?'' should have been 
attached to the project notice Petal 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 
(http://www.ferc.gov).
    This Notice of Intent (NOI) is being sent to landowners along 
Petal's proposed pipeline route; Federal, state, and local government 
agencies; national elected officials; regional environmental and public 
interest groups; Indian tribes that might attach religious and cultural 
significance to historic properties in the area of potential effects; 
local libraries and newspapers; and the Commission's list of parties to 
the proceeding.
    Government representatives are encouraged to notify their 
constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on 
their areas of concern. Additionally, with this NOI we \2\ are asking 
Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or 
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to cooperate 
with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may choose to 
participate once they have evaluated Petal's proposal relative to their 
agencies' responsibilities. Agencies who would like to request 
cooperating status should

[[Page 52473]]

follow the instructions for filing comments described below.
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    \2\ ''We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Petal proposes to expand its existing natural gas storage 
facilities to meet projected future market demands. To accomplish this, 
Petal would:
     convert existing liquefied petroleum gas Cavern No. 3 into 
a storage cavern for natural gas, with a capacity up to 3 billion cubic 
feet (Bcf);
     construct new Cavern No. 8, with a working capacity up to 
5 Bcf;
     add a 5,000 horsepower unit to Petal's existing Compressor 
Station No. 2;
     construct about 3,683 feet of 16-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipelines between Cavern No. 3, Cavern No. 8, and Compressor Station 
No.2;
     construct about 3,575 feet of 12-inch-diameter water and 
brine lines; and
     install dehydration and pressure regulation facilities at 
Compressor Station No. 2.
    Cavern No. 3 is about 0.2 mile west of Petal's existing storage 
plant, on property Petal recently acquired from Suburban Propane, L.P. 
(Suburban). The former Suburban parcel contains existing leach plant 
facilities, brine disposal facilities, and water wells necessary for 
the conversion and expansion of Cavern No. 3. Cavern No. 8 is situated 
on a 23 acre parcel owed by Petal at the northwest corner of its 
existing storage plant. The water wells, leach plant, and brine 
disposal facilities necessary for the creation of Cavern No. 8 are 
extant within the Dynegy, Inc. property adjacent to Petal's storage 
plant. The new compressor unit, dehydration facilities, and regulation 
facilities would be installed within Petal's existing Compressor 
Station No. 2. The general location of the facilities proposed by Petal 
is shown on the map attached as appendix 1.\3\
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available for review at 
the Commission's Public Reference Room during normal business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time) at 888 First Street, NE, Room 2A, 
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371, or on the FERC 
Internet website (www.ferc.gov) using the FERRIS link. For 
instructions on connecting to FERRIS 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 facilities proposed by Petal would affect about 
21 acres of land. The permanent facilities would occupy about 6 acres. 
The remaining land would only be used temporarily, and after 
construction would be restored to their previous condition and uses. 
About 65 percent of the land to be affected by construction is owned in 
fee by Petal. Petal claims to have reached agreements for all other 
necessary rights-of-way with adjacent landowners.

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 
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 NOI, 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.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. We will 
also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed action, or portions 
of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid 
impacts on various environmental resources.
    Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the 
EA may be published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, 
elected officials, affected landowners, regional public interest 
groups, Indian tribes, local newspapers and 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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already 
identified a number of issues that we think deserve attention based on 
a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental 
information provided by Petal. This preliminary list of issues may be 
changed based on your comments and our analysis.
 Geology and Soils
    --Crossing soils with high erosion and poor revegetation potential.
    --Crossing prime farmland soils.
 Water Resources and Wetlands
    --Drilling for Cavern No. 8 will extend through the Miocene 
aquifer.
    --Four wetlands were identified in the project area.
 Vegetation and Wildlife
    --About 9 acres of upland forest would be affected.
    --May affect the federally-listed threatened gopher tortoise.

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 
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:
     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 the 
Gas/Hydro Branch, PJ-11.3;
     Reference Docket No. CP02-387-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before September 9, 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 
strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments, interventions or 
protests to this proceeding. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 
instructions on the Commission's Internet website 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 created by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then 
``New User Account.''
    We may mail the EA for comments. If you are interested in receiving 
it, please return the Information Request (appendix 2). If you do not 
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the

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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).\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

    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC or on the 
FERC Internet website (www.ferc.gov) using the FERRIS link. Click on 
the FERRIS link, enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the Docket Number field. Be sure you have selected an 
appropriate date range. For assistance with FERRIS, the FERRIS helpline 
can be reached at (202) 502-8222, TTY (202) 208-1659. The FERRIS link 
on the FERC Internet website also provides access to the text of formal 
documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and 
rulemakings.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-20308 Filed 8-9-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P