[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 168 (Thursday, August 29, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55400-55401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22040]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-52-000]


Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P., Notice of Availability of 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Eastern Long 
Island Extension Project

August 23, 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 Iroquois Gas 
Transmission System, L.P. (Iroquois) in the above-referenced docket.
    The DEIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. 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 proposal, including system 
alternatives; major route alternatives; and route variations, and 
requests comments on them.
    The DEIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities:
     29.1 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline in New Haven 
County, Connecticut, and Suffolk County, New York;
     a new meter station along the proposed ELI pipeline at 
about milepost (MP) 29.1;
     ancillary facilities including a marine tap 
interconnection and facilities for the attachment of a pig launcher in 
Long Island Sound in Connecticut state waters; three mainline valves 
(MPs 17.5, 22.7, and 29.1), and one pig receiving facility housed 
within the meter station layout at the project terminus at MP 29.1;
     a new 20,000 horsepower compressor station at Iroquois' 
existing

[[Page 55401]]

mainline valve site in Milford, Fairfield County, Connecticut;
     new piping, compressor and piping modifications, and 
ancillary facilities to accept natural gas from the Algonquin Gas 
Transmission (AGT) Company's AGT System at a proposed new Iroquois 
compressor station in Brookfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut (note: 
Iroquois is currently pursuing a separate FERC Certificate for the 
compressor station under Docket No. CP02-31-000);
     a discharge gas cooler to be added to the proposed new 
compressor station in Dover, Duchess County, New York (note: Iroquois 
received a separate FERC Certificate for the compressor station under 
Docket Nos. CP00-232-000 and -001, but has not built this facility 
yet); and
     temporary pipe and storage yards, staging areas, access 
roads, etc., to be used only during construction of the proposed 
facilities.
    The purpose of the proposed facilities would be to transport about 
175,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service to expanding 
markets on Long Island, New York.

Comment Procedures and Public Meeting

    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 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 Gas 
Branch 2, PJ11.2
     Reference Docket No. CP02-52-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before October 18, 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. Also, 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 created by clicking on 
``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' For assistance with e-
filing, the e-filing helpline can be reached at (202) 502-8258.
    We will announce in a future notice, the location and time of at 
least one local public meeting to receive comments on the DEIS.
    After these comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the DEIS, a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will be published and distributed 
by the staff. 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 (18 CFR 385.214).
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this DEIS. You 
must file your request to intervene as specified above.\1\ You do not 
need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
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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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    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) 502-8371.
    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 agencies, public 
interest groups, individuals who have requested the DEIS, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC (3372) 
or on the FERC Internet website (www.ferc.gov) using the ``FERRIS'' 
link to information in this docket number.\2\ Click on the FERRIS link, 
then click on ``General Search'', and then enter the docket number 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 texts of formal documents 
issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
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    \2\ On October 11, 2001, the Commission announced that, as the 
result of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the FERC would limit 
access to certain public documents (PL01-2-000). Documents 
containing specific information on energy facilities would not be 
available through its web site or on its public reference room. 
Individuals requiring such information are directed to file Freedom 
of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-22040 Filed 8-28-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P