[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61336-61337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24690]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-415-000]


East Tennessee Natural Gas Company; Notice of Availability of the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Patriot Project

September 23, 2002.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 
on the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by East Tennessee 
Natural Gas Company (East Tennessee ) in the above-referenced docket.
    The FEIS 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 FEIS 
also evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including systems 
alternatives; major route alternatives; and route variations.
    The FEIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following Patriot Project facilities, 
which consists of three components, the Mainline Expansion, the Patriot 
Extension, and the TVA Project facilities. East Tennessee proposes to 
expand its existing mainline pipelines in Tennessee and Virginia and 
extend a new pipeline from Virginia into North Carolina.
    The Mainline Expansion involves improvements along East Tennessee's 
existing pipeline in Tennessee and Virginia, and includes construction 
of:
    Approximately 73.6 miles of new pipeline loops;
    Approximately 22.5 miles of pipeline abandonment and re-lay;
    Approximately 71.3 miles of pipeline uprates;
    Five new compressor stations (CS) and modifications at nine 
existing compressor stations, with a net increase in compression 
totaling 58,795 horsepower (hp); and
    Associated mainline valves, piping, and other appurtenant pipeline 
facilities.
    The Patriot Extension involves new pipeline facilities in Virginia 
and North Carolina, and includes construction of:
    Approximately 92.7 miles of new pipeline (Line 3600), extending 
from the East Tennessee mainline in Virginia to a terminus at the 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation's (Transco) mainline 
pipeline in North Carolina;
    Approximately 7.0 miles of new pipeline (Henry County Power Lateral 
[HCP Lateral]), extending from the Patriot Extension in North Carolina 
to the Henry County Power LLC (Henry County Power) energy facility in 
Virginia;
    Three new meter stations;
    Twenty pipeline taps; and
    Associated mainline valves and appurtenant pipeline facilities.
    The previously analyzed TVA Project facilities that are proposed to 
be incorporated into the Patriot Project include:
    8.7 miles of pipeline loops;
    5.4 miles of pipeline uprates;
    1,590 hp of compression at an existing compressor station (CS 3206) 
on Line 3200; and
    Installation of aerodynamic assemblies at two compressor stations 
(CSs 3206 and 3209) on Line 3200.
    The purpose of the project is to provide natural gas to three 
electricity generation facilities (The Duke North America [DENA] Murray 
generating facility, DENA Wythe, LLC [DENA Wythe] energy project, and 
Henry County Power, LLC [Henry County Power] energy project) and 
interconnect with the existing Transco's 24-inch-diameter mainline in 
North Carolina. The Patriot Project is designed to initially transport 
130,000 dekatherms per day (dth/day) of natural gas with an ultimate 
delivery capacity of 510,000 dth/day.
    The FEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for 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 of the FEIS are available from the 
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch identified above. Copies 
of the FEIS have been mailed to Federal, state and local agencies, 
public interest groups, individuals who have requested the FEIS, 
newspapers, and parties to this proceeding.
    In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 
regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, no 
agency decision on a proposed action may be made until 30 days after 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes a notice of 
availability of an FEIS. However, the CEQ regulations provide an 
exception to this rule when an agency decision is subject to a formal 
internal appeal process which allows other agencies or the public to 
make

[[Page 61337]]

their views known. In such cases, the agency decision may be made at 
the same time the notice of the FEIS is published, allowing both 
periods to run concurrently. The Commission decision for this proposed 
action is subject to a 30-day rehearing period.
    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the 
FERC Internet Web site (http://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) 502-8659. The FERRIS link 
on the FERC Internet Web site also provides access to the texts of 
formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and 
rulemakings.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-24690 Filed 9-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P