[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 83 (Wednesday, April 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23121-23123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-10620]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP03-79-000, CP03-33-000, CP03-34-000 and CP03-35-000]


National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Wyckoff Gas Storage 
Company, LLC; Supplemental Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the Proposed National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation Line 
Z-67 Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

April 24, 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 National Fuel Gas Supply 
Corporation (National Fuel) Line Z-67 Project in Steuben County, New 
York.\1\ This project is related to Wyckoff Gas Storage Company, LLC's 
(Wyckoff) proposed Wyckoff Gas Storage Project in Docket Nos. CP03-33-
000, CP03-34-000 and CP03-35-000, involving construction and operation 
of natural gas storage facilities in Steuben County, New York. We \2\ 
issued a notice of intent to prepare an EA for Wyckoff's project on 
February 10, 2003. The EA being prepared for the Wyckoff project will 
be expanded to include National Fuel's Line Z-67 Project. The 
facilities National Fuel proposes to abandon include about 6.8 miles of 
8-inch-diameter pipeline (Line Z-67), one block valve, and two bridle 
valve connections. 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.
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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.
    \2\ ''We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    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 Wyckoff 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 Project

    National Fuel states that it would abandon its facilities only if 
the Wyckoff Storage Project is developed. After completion of 
abandonment activities, Wyckoff would exercise its option to acquire 
National Fuel's right-of-way under the right-of-way agreements, subject 
to a reservation allowing National Fuel to use the right-of-way for a 
single pipeline. This would be consistent with the terms and conditions 
of the applicable right-of-way agreements. National Fuel's facilities 
that would be abandoned would consist of:

    [sbull] 35,670 feet of 8-inch-diameter pipeline Line Z-67, would be 
abandoned in place near the Towns of Troupsburg and Jasper, Steben 
County, New York. Landowners request that the pipeline be removed. If 
pipeline sections are removed at the request of landowners, that work 
would be performed by Wyckoff. One block valve and two bridle valve 
connections would be abandoned by removal along Line Z-67.
    [sbull] One 100-horsepower nonjurisdictional skid mounted field 
compressor would also be retired by removal.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.\3\
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    \3\ 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 (202) 502-8371. 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.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Abandonment of the proposed facilities would require less than 0.1 
acre of land, and the work would be performed on National Fuel's 
existing right-of-way. At milepost (MP) 0.0, an approximate 5-foot by 
15-foot bell hole would be dug over the existing trench line on the 
edge of an agricultural field in order to cut and remove the

[[Page 23122]]

aboveground block valve. At MPs 3.14 and 6.76, three bell holes would 
be dug at each site. Each bell hole would be about 5-foot by 5-foot 
over the existing trench line in order to cut and remove the bridle 
connection aboveground facilities. Additional land would be disturbed 
in areas where landowners want the old pipeline removed.

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 
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] soils
    [sbull] land use
    [sbull] cultural resources
    [sbull] vegetation and wildlife
    [sbull] endangered and threatened species
    [sbull] polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)

    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.

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 Wyckoff. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.

    [sbull] National Fuel's Line Z-67 would be abandoned in place 
unless requested to be removed by the landowners. Additional land would 
be disturbed where any landowners want the pipeline removed.
    [sbull] Excavations would occur on the existing Line Z-67 pipeline 
right-of-way at MPs 0.0, 3.14, and 6.76 to allow workmen to access, 
cut, test for PCBs, and cap the existing pipeline.

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 
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 2 
Branch.
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. CP03-79-000.
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before May 27, 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.''
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, 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 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 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.
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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 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.

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

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Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription which allows you too keep track of all formal issuances 
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time 
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to 
the documents. Go tohttp://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-10620 Filed 4-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P