[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 45 (Friday, March 7, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11073-11075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5374]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP03-41-000 and CP03-43-000]


Dominion Transmission, Inc., Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; 
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the 
Proposed Mid-Atlantic Expansion Project and Dominion Expansion Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

February 28, 2003.
    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 Mid-Atlantic Expansion and 
Dominion Expansion Projects (collectively referred to as the Projects) 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion 
Transmission, Inc. (Dominion) and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas 
Eastern). Dominion would construct facilities in Wetzel County, West 
Virginia; Greene and Franklin Counties, Pennsylvania; and Loudoun and 
Fauquier Counties, Virginia. The facilities that would be constructed 
by Texas Eastern would be in Greene, Fayette, Somerset, Fulton, and 
Franklin Counties, Pennsylvania.\1\ Dominion's facilities would consist 
of 39,200 horsepower (hp) of new compression. Texas Eastern's 
facilities would consist of about 34.64 miles of 36-inch-diameter 
pipeline looping. This EA will be used by the Commission in its 
decision-making process to determine whether the Projects are in the 
public convenience and necessity.
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    \1\ Dominion's and Texas Eastern's applications were 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 Projects are approved by the Commission, 
that approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, 
if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the appropriate 
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 each 
project's notice Dominion or Texas Eastern 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 
(http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Projects

    Dominion wants to expand the capacity of its facilities in 
Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania to transport an additional 
223,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of gas to fulfill requests for 
service to end users in Virginia. To transport this gas to Dominion, 
Texas Eastern proposes to construct facilities in Pennsylvania.
    Dominion seeks authority to construct and operate:
    [sbull] The new Mockingbird Hill Compressor Station which would 
include one 5,000-hp gas-fired compressor and related facilities near 
Pine Grove, Wetzel County, West Virginia;
    [sbull] Additional compression at the existing Crayne Compressor 
Station in Greene County, Pennsylvania, including replacement of a 
5,500-hp unit with a 7,800-hp gas-fired compressor, and upgrading an 
existing 6,500-hp unit to

[[Page 11074]]

7,800-hp resulting in an increase of 3,600-hp at the station;
    [sbull] An upgrade of the existing Crayne Compressor Station 
measuring and regulating (M&R) station;
    [sbull] Two additional 7,800-hp gas-fired compressors and a 1,200-
hp upgrade of the existing electric-motor driven compressors at the 
existing Chambersburg Compressor Station in Franklin County, 
Pennsylvania, for a total increase of 16,800-hp;
    [sbull] One 7,800-hp gas-fired compressor and related facilities at 
the existing Leesburg Compressor Station in Loudoun County, Virginia; 
and
    [sbull] The new Quantico Compressor Station which would include one 
6,000-hp gas-fired compressor and related facilities near Nokesville 
and Manassas, Fauquier County, Virginia.
    Dominion proposes to have these facilities in service by November 
30, 2004.
    Texas Eastern seeks authority to construct and operate:
    [sbull] About 10.5 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Greene 
County, Pennsylvania, the Waynesburg Discharge Segment 1;
    [sbull] About 3.5 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Fayette 
County, Pennsylvania, the Waynesburg Discharge Segment 2;
    [sbull] About 12.5 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Somerset 
County, Pennsylvania, the Uniontown Discharge Segment;
    [sbull] About 8.1 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Fulton and 
Franklin Counties, Pennsylvania; and
    [sbull] A change out of the aerodynamic assembly on the existing 
11,000-hp electric-motor driven compressor at the Uniontown Compressor 
Station in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.
    Texas Eastern proposes to have its facilities in service by 
November 1, 2004.
    No nonjurisdicitonal facilities would be constructed.
    The locations of the project facilities are shown in appendix 1.2

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of Dominion's proposed facilities would require about 
18.2 acres of land, all but 7.4 acres of this disturbance would be on 
land Dominion already owns. Construction of Texas Eastern's proposed 
facilities would require about 623.2 acres. No new permanent right-of-
way would be required because all of Texas Eastern's new facilities 
would be located within an existing pipeline right-of-way. Pipeline 
construction would generally consist of removing an existing pipeline 
and relaying new pipeline in the same footprint. However, about 0.03 
acre would be required for access roads. Following construction, all of 
the affected 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 
\2\ 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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    \2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``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:
    [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] Hazardous waste
    [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.
    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 beginning on page 6.

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 Dominion and Texas Eastern. 
This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments 
and our analysis.
    [sbull] The addition of 39,200-hp at five compressor stations would 
have impacts on air and noise quality.
    [sbull] Two new compressor stations would be constructed creating 
new visual impacts.
    [sbull] About 623 acres of land would be temporarily disturbed for 
pipeline construction.
    [sbull] Forty-nine waterbodies would be crossed by pipeline 
construction or by access roads.
    [sbull] Pipeline construction would cross the watersheds of the 
Monongahela, Youghiogheny, Juniata, and Potomac Rivers in Pennsylvania.
    [sbull] One public water supply intake, 12 public water supply 
wells, and seven public water supply springs would be located within 1 
mile of the Projects.
    [sbull] Ten private water supply wells have been identified within 
150 feet of construction work areas.
    [sbull] Pipeline construction would cross three Wild Trout Streams 
and six Approved Trout Waters as defined by the Pennsylvania Department 
of Environmental Protection.
    [sbull] Cultural resources may be affected by the Projects.
    [sbull] Blasting may be required for construction.
    [sbull] Some areas with karst terrain would be crossed.
    [sbull] About 1.9 acres of prime farmland soil would be permanently 
affected by construction of aboveground facilities.
    [sbull] Fourteen residences would be within 50 feet of construction 
work areas.
    [sbull] Pipeline construction would cross the Tuscarora Trail and 
Buchanan State Forest.
    [sbull] About 1.66 acres of forested wetland and 0.71 acre of 
agricultural wetland would be permanently affected by construction of 
the Quantico Compressor Station.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project.

[[Page 11075]]

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:
    [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 
Branch 2.
    [sbull] Reference Docket Nos. CP03-41-000 and CP03-43-000.
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 31, 2003.
    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. See18 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.''
    We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving 
it, please return the Information Request (appendix 4). If you do not 
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

Becoming an Intervener

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``Intervener''. Interveners play a more formal role in the process. 
Among other things, Interveners have the right to receive copies of 
case-related Commission documents and filings by other Interveners. 
Likewise, each Intervener 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 Intervener 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).\3\ Only Interveners have 
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \3\ 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 Intervener 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 Intervener 
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 (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 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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-5374 Filed 3-6-03; 8:45 am]
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