[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 102 (Wednesday, May 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31697-31698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-13207]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP03-32-000]


Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed White River Replacement 
Project

May 20, 2003.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities by Northwest Pipeline Corporation 
(Northwest) in the above-referenced docket.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of:
    [sbull] Abandonment by removal of approximately 2,100 feet of 
parallel 26-inch- and 30-inch-diameter pipelines.
    [sbull] Abandonment in place of approximately 1,100 feet of 
parallel 26-inch- and 30-inch-diameter pipelines.
    [sbull] Retention of approximately 1,100 feet of parallel 26-inch- 
and 30-inch-diameter pipelines for continued service to the Enumclaw 
Meter Station.
    [sbull] Removal of a temporary riprap stabilization structure, 380 
feet of sheet piling from the south floodplain, and a 665-foot-long 
previously abandoned 26-inch-diameter pipeline from the White River 
channel.
    [sbull] Installation of 1,500 to 1,540 feet of 26-inch- and 30-
inch-diameter replacement pipelines in the south floodplain using 
conventional construction.
    [sbull] Installation of approximately 3,200 feet of 26-inch- and 
30-inch-diameter replacement pipelines with 2 parallel HDDs traversing 
underneath the floodplain and White River channel, the slope north of 
the White River, State Route 164, and Cameron Park.
    [sbull] Installation of 300 to 340 feet of 26-inch- and 30-inch-
diameter replacement pipelines north of Cameron Park using conventional 
construction.
    The purpose of the proposed project is to provide a more permanent 
solution for improved pipeline safety and reliability while restoring 
the natural environment of the White River and its floodplain at this 
crossing. Recent highwater events have increased the risk

[[Page 31698]]

of exposure to the 26-inch- and 30-inch-diameter pipelines underneath 
the White River and along its south and north banks. Northwest 
installed a temporary riprap stabilization structure on the north 
riverbank in 1996 to protect its existing pipelines.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public 
inspection at:
    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference and Files 
Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 
20426, (202) 208-1371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, state and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that we receive your comments before the date specified 
below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your 
comments are received in time and properly recorded:
    [sbull] Send two copies of your comments to:

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 the Gas 
Branch 2, PJ11.2.
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. CP03-032-000; and
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before June 18, 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.''
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to 
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene 
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). \1\ Only intervenors have the right to 
seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \1\ 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 comments considered.
    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.
    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. 03-13207 Filed 5-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P