[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 53 (Wednesday, March 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13294-13296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6599]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP03-49-000]


National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Abandonment of Facilities 
at Summit Storage Field and Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

March 13, 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 a proposal by National Fuel Gas 
Supply Corporation (National Fuel) to abandon certain facilities at its 
Summit Storage Field in Summit Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania.\1\ 
These facilities consist of about 752 feet of 4-inch pipe, that would 
be disconnected and abandoned in place to minimize construction-related 
disturbances, and two injection/withdraw wells, and one observation 
well that would be plugged and abandoned. The 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\ National Fuel's application was 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 abandonment of 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 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 
notice National Fuel provided to affected 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

    National Fuel proposes to plug and abandon natural gas storage 
wells P-

[[Page 13295]]

1511, P-1518 (indicator well), and P-1528, and to abandon in place the 
associated 4-inch-diameter well lines. The locations of the project 
facilities are shown in Appendix 1.\2\ The abandonment of the wells and 
well lines would involve dismantling and removing the appurtenances at 
the well heads, including meters, valves, drips, and associated piping. 
The well lines connecting the wellhead to Line S-52 would be 
disconnected, purged, capped, and abandoned in place. The applicant 
states that deliverability from the wells has decreased over time, 
primarily due to deterioration of the facilities and they are not 
necessary for the continued operation of the storage field. All project 
components are located in the Summit Heights Mobile Home Park in Summit 
Township. All work would take place within the existing well sites and 
National Fuel's 35-foot-wide permanent right-of-way (ROW). No 
nonjurisdicitonal facilities are involved.
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register nor will they be available on the 
Commission's website. Copies are available from the Commission's 
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, 
NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. Copies of the 
appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    The project area encompasses a total of approximately 1.19 acres of 
land, including the three well pad work areas and a 35-foot-wide ROW 
associated with each of the three well lines. Work space will be 
confined to National Fuel's existing 35-foot-wide permanent ROW and the 
three wellhead areas. No access roads other than public roadways and 
roadways within the Summit Heights residential community will be 
required to complete the proposed project. No improvements to these 
roads will be required for the proposed activities.
    Following completion of the abandonment project, National Fuel 
would allow the easements associated with the permanent ROWs to revert 
back to the use of property owners in Summit Heights Mobile Home Park. 
The construction workspaces would be restored and allowed to revert to 
their previous land use and vegetative cover.

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 the 
Commission 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 
proposed abandonment project under these general headings:

1. Geology and soils
2. Land use
3. Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
4. Cultural resources
5. Vegetation and wildlife
6. Air quality and noise
7. Endangered and threatened species
8. Hazardous waste
9. Public safety

    We will also evaluate reasonable 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 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, 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 3.
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. CP03-49-000.
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 14, 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. 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.''
    We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving 
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 3). 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).\4\ Only Interveners 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

[[Page 13296]]

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 and residents adjacent to the proposed 
facilities. By this notice we are also asking governmental agencies, 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 the application and 
supplemental filings by National Fuel, and formal documents issued by 
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-6599 Filed 3-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P