[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74572-74574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E3-00630]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP04-13-000]


Saltville Gas Storage Company L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Saltville Storage Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

December 16, 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 Saltville Storage Project 
involving the construction of a limited number of new facilities and 
operation of existing facilities by Saltville Gas Storage Company 
L.L.C. (Saltville) in Smyth and Washington Counties, Virginia.\1\ 
Saltville is currently developing a new 8.2 billion cubic feet (Bcf), 
underground natural gas storage facility using depleted salt caverns 
that was previously authorized for construction and operation by the 
Virginia State Corporation Commission. Saltville has received all 
necessary state regulatory approvals to construct and operate its 
storage facility. See Appendix 1 for a list of the facilities and their 
construction status. The EA will focus its analysis on the facilities 
that still need to be constructed, and on restoration of the areas 
previously disturbed or currently being disturbed by on-going 
construction activities. 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\ Saltville's application was filed with the Commission under 
section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act and part 157 of the Commission's 
regulations. The Commission determined that the project should be 
subject to Federal regulation. Therefore, Saltville has filed for 
approval to complete construction of the project and to operate it 
pursuant to Federal regulatory requirements.
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    The Saltville Storage Project is located entirely on land that is 
either already owned by Saltville or over which it already holds all 
necessary rights-of-

[[Page 74573]]

way. Saltville does not require additional property rights from 
landowners in the vicinity of the project. The 6.7-mile-long, 24-inch-
diameter natural gas pipeline has already been constructed and is in 
service. All of the facilities that remain to be constructed by 
Saltville would be located within its 650-acre property. Saltville 
commenced limited customer service on August 1, 2003.

Summary of the Project

    Saltville wants to develop and operate up to four salt storage 
caverns with a total capacity of 8.2 Bcf. Caverns 1 and 2 have been 
completed and are in service. Well conversion work remains to be 
completed on well 23 in Cavern 3 and this conversion work is in 
progress. Saltville has also substantially completed all of the 
pipelines and other facilities necessary to operate this storage field 
with the exception of the following facilities that will be examined in 
the EA:
    [sbull] Construction of a second 5,250 horsepower electric-motor 
driven reciprocating compressor and associated dehydrators and heaters 
at the existing compressor station;
    [sbull] Development of Cavern 4 (recomplete Well 24) that would 
have a capacity of about 0.2 Bcf and associated gas and brine piping 
(about 500 and 200 feet, respectively) and controls;
    [sbull] Installation of Cavern 3's de minimus associated gas and 
brine piping connections between the already installed gas and brine 
mainlines that are currently in-place adjacent to Wells 18, 19, 21, 22, 
and 23 and controls; and
    [sbull] A new office building.
    All of these facilities are within Saltville's property. No 
nonjurisdictional facilities are needed. The EA would also address any 
facility removal activities.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 2.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other 
than appendix 1 (maps), are available on the Commission's website at 
the ``eLibrary'' 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 
``eLibrary'' 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 the Project

    No new land is required. All of the facilities that remain to be 
constructed would be located in previously disturbed areas that are 
within Saltville's 650-acre property. These areas are mostly covered 
with gravel or broken native rock at this time.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from its action whenever it considers the issuance of a 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us 
\3\ 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.
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    \3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    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] Geology and soils
[sbull] Land use
[sbull] Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
[sbull] Cultural resources
[sbull] Vegetation and wildlife
[sbull] Air quality and noise
[sbull] Public safety
[sbull] Endangered and threatened species

    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed 
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.

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 Saltville and stakeholders. 
This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments 
and our analysis.
    [sbull] Noise from compressor station operations.
    [sbull] Public safety.
    [sbull] Saltville fault.

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, 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 2.
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. CP04-13-000.
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before January 14, 2004.
    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 on-line.
    We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving 
it, please return the Information Request (appendix 4). If you do not 
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

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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 3).\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

    An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, 
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially 
affected by the proposed project.

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 (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on 
the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and 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 
``eLibrary'', the eLibrary helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, 
TTY (202) 502-8659, or at [email protected]. The eLibrary 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 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. Go to www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E3-00630 Filed 12-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P