[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 198 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63413-63415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25814]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-385-000]


Williams Gas Pipelines Central, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Redbud Power Pipeline 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 4, 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 Redbud Power Pipeline Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Williams Gas 
Pipelines Central, Inc.(Williams) in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.\1\ 
These facilities would consist of about 12.6 miles of various diameter 
pipeline and a meter station with appurtenant facilities. 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.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about

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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 Williams 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 Web site 
(www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Williams wants to construct and operate 12.6 miles of a 30-inch and 
24-inch-diameter pipeline lateral and a 12-inch-diameter delivery meter 
station with appurtenant facilities located in Oklahoma County, 
Oklahoma. The proposed facilities would transport up to 51,980 million 
British thermal units per day of natural gas to Redbud Energy, LP 
(Redbud) for its new non-jurisdictional 1,100 megawatt power generation 
station.
    The new 12.6-mile-long lateral would commence at a point within 
Williams' existing Edmond Compressor Station and terminate on a site 
owned by Redbud. The lateral would consist of 12.3 miles of 30-inch-
diameter pipeline and 0.3 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline. Pigging 
facilities are proposed at both ends of the lateral. Williams would 
construct a 100-foot by 150-foot meter station within the Redbud Power 
Plant.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\2\

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 136.8 
acres of land. Following construction, about 76.4 acres would be 
maintained as permanent right-of-way. The remaining 60.4 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.
    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:

[sbull] Geology and soils
[sbull] Land use
[sbull] Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
[sbull] Cultural resources
[sbull] Vegetation and wildlife
[sbull] Air quality and noise
[sbull] Endangered and threatened species
[sbull] Public safety

    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.
    Also, we have made a preliminary decision to not address the 
impacts of the nonjurisdictional facilities. We will briefly describe 
their location and status in the EA.
    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.

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 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:
    [sbull] 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.
    [sbull] Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 1, 
PJ-11.1.
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. CP02-385-000.
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before November 4, 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 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.''

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

[[Page 63415]]

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.
    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 project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the 
FERC Internet Web site (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 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at 
[email protected]. 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.
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    \1\ Williams' application was originally filed under the blanket 
certificate authority issued to Williams in Docket No. CP82-479-000 
and the certificate procedures of Part 157 of the Commission's 
regulations. Williams' application was subsequently protested, 
however, and on September 5, 2002, its application was converted to 
a section 7(c) filing under the Natural Gas Act (NGA).
    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Web site at the ``FERRIS'' link or from the 
Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call 1-866-208-3676. 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.
    \3\ ''We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
    \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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[FR Doc. 02-25814 Filed 10-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P