[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 93 (Wednesday, May 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25870-25871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12008]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-37-000]


Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Company; Notice of 
Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Grasslands Pipeline Project

May 8, 2003.
    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 Williston Basin 
Interstate Pipeline Company (WBI), the Grasslands Pipeline Project, 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 a system 
alternative; major route alternatives; and route variations.
    The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) is participating as a cooperating agency in the preparation of 
this FEIS because the project would cross Federal land under the 
jurisdiction of two field offices in Wyoming and Montana. The U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) is also a cooperating 
agency in the preparation of this document because the Little Missouri 
National Grasslands would be crossed by the project. The FEIS will be 
used by the BLM to consider issuance of a right-of-way grant for the 
portion of the project on all Federal lands.
    The FEIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities:
    [sbull] Approximately 223 miles of new 16-inch-diameter pipeline 
from near Belle Creek, Montana, to the proposed Manning Compressor 
Station in Dunn County, North Dakota;
    [sbull] Approximately 28 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline loop 
\1\ adjacent to WBI's existing Bitter Creek supply lateral pipeline in 
Wyoming;
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    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipeline that is usually installed 
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. 
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
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    [sbull] Maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) upgrade on 
approximately 28 miles of existing 8-inch-diameter Bitter Creek supply 
lateral pipeline in Wyoming from 1,203 pounds per square inch gauge 
(psig) to 1,440 psig, and abandonment in-place of segments of existing 
pipe at three road crossings and replacement with heavier walled pipe;
    [sbull] MAOP upgrade on approximately 40 miles of existing 8-inch-
diameter Recluse-Belle Creek supply lateral pipeline in Wyoming and 
Montana from 1,203 psig to 1,440 psig, and abandonment in-place of 
segments of existing pipe at eight road crossings and replacement with 
heavier walled pipe;
    [sbull] 4,180 horsepower (hp) of gas fired compression (comprised 
of two 2,090 hp compressors) at one new compressor station located in 
Dunn County, North Dakota (Manning Compressor Station), and electric 
coolers installation at this station;
    [sbull] An additional transmission compressor unit (1,200 hp) at 
the existing Cabin Creek Compressor Station in Fallon County, Montana;
    [sbull] 0.9 mile of 12-inch-diameter pipeline from the proposed 
mainline to the existing Cabin Creek Compressor Station in Fallon 
County, Montana;
    [sbull] 1.0 mile of 16-inch-diameter pipeline from the proposed 
Manning Compressor Station to interconnect with Northern Border 
Pipeline Company's Compressor Station 5 in Dunn County, North Dakota; 
and
    [sbull] Various additional facilities, including 14 mainline 
valves, 6 cathodic protection units, 8 pig launchers/receivers, 5 
metering stations, and 3 regulators.
    The purpose of the proposed facilities would be to provide an 
additional outlet for the increased production of natural gas in the 
Powder River Basin, allowing transportation of about 80 million cubic 
feet per day of natural gas; provide access to WBI's storage facilities 
to shippers of gas produced in the Powder River Basin and elsewhere; 
and provide access to and from WBI's storage facilities to and from the 
facilities of Northern Border Pipeline Company for delivery to 
Midwestern and other national markets.
    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.
    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.

[[Page 25871]]

    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 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 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659 or 
[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.
    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 to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-12008 Filed 5-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P