[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 199 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59393-59395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E3-00040]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP03-302-000, CP03-303-000, CP03-304-000, PF03-1-000, and 
CP03-301-000]


Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline Company and Colorado Interstate Gas 
Company; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Cheyenne Plains Pipeline Project

October 3, 2003.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) 
on the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Cheyenne Plains Gas 
Pipeline Company (CPG) and Colorado Interstate Gas Company (CIG) in the 
above-referenced dockets. The proposed project, referred to as the 
Cheyenne Plains Pipeline Project, is located in various counties in 
Colorado and Kansas.
    The DEIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that if the project is 
constructed as modified and with the appropriate mitigation measures as 
recommended, it would have limited adverse environmental impact.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS) is 
participating as a cooperating agency in the preparation of this DEIS 
as they (the FS) will be issuing their own Record of Decision on 
whether or not to issue a special use authorization for the portion of 
the pipeline that crosses the Pawnee National Grassland (PNG). The 
Forest Service's Record of Decision is appealable under 36 CFR Part 
215, Notice, Comment and Appeal Procedures for National Forest System 
Projects and Activities. In agreement with 36 CFR 215.13, only 
individuals and organizations who submit substantive written or oral 
comments during the 45-day comment period for the DEIS for the proposed 
Cheyenne Plains Pipeline Project (and specifically addresses the 
portion on the PNG) may appeal the Regional Forester's decision as 
documented in the Record of Decision.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is also a cooperating 
agency in the preparation of the DEIS because the project has the 
potential to affect endangered species, migratory birds, wildlife, and 
habitat.
    The DEIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the

[[Page 59394]]

construction and operation of the following facilities:
    [sbull] A total of 379.8 miles of 30-inch-diameter mainline, with 
189.0 miles in Colorado (Weld, Morgan, Washington, Yuma, and Kit Carson 
Counties) and 190.8 miles in Kansas (Sherman, Wallace, Logan, Scott, 
Lane, Finney, Hodgeman, Ford, and Kiowa Counties);
    [sbull] 0.2 mile of 20-inch-diameter lateral \1\ (Sand Dune 
Lateral) in Kiowa County, Kansas;
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    \1\ A lateral is typically a smaller diameter pipeline that 
takes gas from the main system to deliver it to a customer, local 
distribution system, or another interstate transmission system.
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    [sbull] 4.2 miles of 30-inch-diameter lateral (South Rattlesnake 
Creek Lateral) in Kiowa County, Kansas;
    [sbull] 3.0 miles of 8-inch-diameter lateral (Cossell Lake Lateral) 
in Kiowa County, Kansas;
    [sbull] one 2,443-horsepower (hp) jumper compressor installed 
within CIG's existing compressor station located at the Cheyenne Hub in 
Weld County, Colorado;
    [sbull] three 10,310-hp turbine compressors installed in a new CPG 
compressor station located at the Cheyenne Hub;
    [sbull] a new gas treatment plant at the Cheyenne Hub consisting of 
separate amine and glycol processing trains;
    [sbull] nine new interconnects \2\ with existing pipeline systems. 
These interconnects would include metering facilities and would consist 
of two receipt points, one each with CIG and Wyoming Interstate Company 
at the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, Colorado, and seven delivery 
points, one with Kinder Morgan Interstate Pipeline Company in Scott 
County, Kansas, one with Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America in 
Ford County, Kansas, and one each with Southern Star Central Gas 
Pipeline, LLC, ANR Pipeline Company, Northern Natural Gas Company, 
Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, and Kansas Gas Service Company in 
Kiowa County, Kansas;
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    \2\ An interconnect is a connection to another pipeline system 
that is used to deliver or receive gas. Metering and regulating 
facilities would typically be included at each interconnect.
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    [sbull] 32 mainline valves (MLVs), consisting of 1 at the Cheyenne 
Hub, 4 at interconnects in Kiowa County, Kansas, and 27 located 
independently along the mainline and laterals; and
    [sbull] two pig \3\ launchers, two pig receivers, and five pig 
launcher and receivers, each collocated with new MLV sites.
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    \3\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the DEIS may do so. Please 
carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly 
recorded:
    [sbull] Send an original and two copies of your comments to: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
    [sbull] Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 1, DG2E;
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. CP03-302-000 on the original and both 
copies; and
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before November 24, 2003.
    Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail 
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, the Commission 
encourages electronic filing of comments. See Title 18 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Section 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on 
the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the 
``eFiling'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Prepare your 
submission in the same manner as you would if filing on paper and save 
it to a file on your hard drive. Before you can file comments you will 
need to create an account by clicking on ``Sign-up'' under ``New 
User.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you are making. 
This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.''
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, the FERC 
invites you to attend the public meetings the staff will conduct in the 
project area to receive comments on the draft EIS. All meetings will 
begin at 7 p.m., and are scheduled as follows:

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                       Date                               Location
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Tuesday, November 18, 2003........................  Quality Inn, 14378
                                                     US Highway 34, Fort
                                                     Morgan, Colorado,
                                                     (970) 867-8208.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003......................  Old Town Museum, 420
                                                     S. 14th Street,
                                                     Burlington,
                                                     Colorado, (719) 346-
                                                     7382.
Thursday, November 20, 2003.......................  Scott City
                                                     Fairgrounds, Fair
                                                     Ground Road, Scott
                                                     City, Kansas, (620)
                                                     872-2626.
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    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and 
present oral comments on the DEIS. Transcripts of the meetings will be 
prepared.
    After comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the DEIS, a final EIS will 
be published and distributed by the staff. The final EIS will contain 
the staff's responses to timely comments received on the DEIS.
    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 (Title 18 CFR 385.214).
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this draft EIS. 
You must file your request to intervene as specified above.\4\ You do 
not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
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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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    The DEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, 
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    A limited number of copies of the DEIS are available from the 
Public Reference Room identified above. In addition, copies of the DEIS 
have been mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies; elected 
officials; Native American tribes; newspapers; public libraries; 
intervenors to the FERC's proceeding; individuals who provided scoping 
comments; and individuals who requested the DEIS.
    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208 FERC (3372) or on 
the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). Using the 
``eLibrary'' (formerly FERRIS) link, select ``General Search'' from the 
eLibrary menu, enter the selected date range and ``Docket Number'' 
(i.e., CP03-302-000), and follow the instructions. You may also search 
using the phrase ``Cheyenne Plains'' in the ``Text Search'' field. For 
assistance with access to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at 1-
866-208-

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3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at [email protected].
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription that allows you to 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. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Information concerning the involvement of the FS is available from 
John Oppenlander at (970) 346-5005. Information concerning the 
involvement of the FWS is available from Dan Mulhern at (785) 539-3474 
(ext. 109).

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E3-00040 Filed 10-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P