[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 142 (Monday, July 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44530-44533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1649]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF04-10-000]


Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Capacity Replacement 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meetings

July 19, 2004.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) 
will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will discuss 
the environmental impacts of Northwest Pipeline Corporation's 
(Northwest), a Williams Gas Pipeline company, proposed Capacity 
Replacement Project. This notice explains the scoping process that will 
be used to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the 
project. Your input will help us determine which issues need to be 
evaluated in the EIS. Please note that the scoping period for the 
project will close on August 18, 2004.
    Comments may be submitted electronically, in written form, or 
verbally. In lieu of sending comments, we invite you to attend the 
public scoping meetings that have been scheduled in the project area. 
These meetings are scheduled for August 2, 2004, in Arlington, 
Washington; August 3, 2004, in Redmond, Washington; and August 4, 2004, 
in Yelm, Washington. Further instructions on how to submit comments and 
additional details of the public scoping meetings are provided in the 
public participation section of this notice.
    The FERC will be the lead Federal agency for the preparation of the 
EIS. The document will satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Washington Department of Ecology 
(Ecology) will be the lead State agency with responsibility for 
complying with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and has agreed 
to participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS. 
This notice serves as Ecology's Determination of Significance and 
Request for Comments on the Scope of the EIS. The U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (COE) has also agreed to participate as a cooperating agency 
in the preparation of the EIS to satisfy its NEPA responsibilities 
under section 404 of the Clean Water Act and section 10 of the Rivers 
and Harbors Act. It is the goal of the FERC, Ecology, and the COE to 
avoid duplication of effort and prepare a single EIS that can be used 
to satisfy their respective NEPA and SEPA responsibilities.
    With this notice, we \1\ are asking other Federal, State, local, 
and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the preparation 
of the EIS. These agencies may choose to participate once they have 
evaluated Northwest's proposal relative to their responsibilities. 
Agencies that would like to request cooperating status should follow 
the instructions for filing comments described later in this notice.
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    \1\ ''We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State, 
and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage government 
representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project 
and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a Northwest representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The pipeline 
company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. 
However, if the project is approved by the FERC, that approval conveys 
with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement 
negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could 
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with Washington state 
law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). This fact 
sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the 
use of eminent domain and how to participate in the FERC's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Northwest proposes to construct approximately 81 miles of new 36-
inch-diameter pipeline in four loops \2\ located in Whatcom, Skagit, 
Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Thurston Counties, Washington. The new 
loops would be adjacent to Northwest's existing 26-inch- and 30-inch-
diameter mainlines and primarily within Northwest's

[[Page 44531]]

existing right-of-way. Mainline block valves and pig \3\ launcher/
receiver facilities would be installed along the loops. The Capacity 
Replacement Project would also involve the total net addition of 17,120 
horsepower at five existing compressor stations (one each in Whatcom, 
Skagit, Snohomish, Lewis, and Clark Counties, Washington). A general 
overview of the major project facilities is shown on figure 1 in 
appendix 1.\4\
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    \2\ 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.
    \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.
    \4\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the 
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room at 
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to 
the end of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps 
of the proposed facilities should be made directly to Northwest via 
e-mail at [email protected] or by calling 1-866-
623-4336.
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    The purpose of the project is to replace the delivery capacity of 
Northwest's existing 26-inch-diameter mainline within a 3-year 
timeframe established by the U.S. Department of Transportation under a 
Corrective Action Order. Once the new loops are installed, Northwest 
would disconnect the entire 26-inch-diameter pipeline and abandon \5\ 
the system in place.
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    \5\ In utility law, the term abandonment refers to government 
authorization for a utility to cease provision of a particular 
service and/or to shut down a particular facility.
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    The Capacity Replacement Project is scheduled to be in service by 
November 1, 2006. Northwest is requesting approval to begin compressor 
station work in March 2006 and pipeline construction in May 2006. The 
compressor station modifications would take a maximum of 7 months; 
pipeline construction is estimated to take approximately 5 months.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of Northwest's proposed pipeline facilities would 
require about 929.6 acres of land, of which 733.9 acres would be within 
Northwest's existing maintained right-of-way and 195.7 acres would be 
new temporary disturbance. The typical construction right-of-way for 
the pipeline would be 95 feet wide, consisting of Northwest's existing 
75-foot-wide maintained right-of-way and 20 feet of new temporary 
workspace. Additional right-of-way width and temporary extra workspace 
would be required at certain feature crossings and areas requiring 
topsoil segregation and special construction techniques.
    The pipeline loops would be generally installed within Northwest's 
existing 75-foot-wide right-of-way using a standard 20-foot offset from 
the existing 30-inch-diameter mainline. At certain locations (e.g., 
utility and road crossings), variations from this standard offset would 
be needed. Most variations would still be located within the existing 
right-of-way but offset at slightly wider or narrower intervals. In 
some areas, the proposed pipeline would deviate from the existing 
right-of-way due to topographic or resource/land use constraints. In 
certain areas where encroachment, development, or other limitations 
confine available workspace to the existing right-of-way, Northwest 
would remove the existing 26-inch-diameter mainline and install the new 
36-inch-diameter pipeline loop in the same ditch.
    Northwest currently retains a 75-foot-wide permanent right-of-way 
for the majority of its existing pipelines. Because the majority of the 
new pipeline loops would be installed within the existing 75-foot-wide 
right-of-way, no additional permanent right-of-way would be required. 
However, in some locations, Northwest retains only a 60-foot-wide 
permanent right-of-way. In these areas, Northwest may request 
additional operational right-of-way to bring the easement up to 75 feet 
if space is available and the landowner is willing to expand the 
easement. If the proposed pipeline loop would deviate from the existing 
right-of-way, Northwest would typically retain a 75-foot-wide new 
permanent right-of-way (37.5 feet on either side of the pipeline).
    The modifications to the existing compressor stations would be 
constructed within the existing facility sites, except for a 1.6-acre 
extra workspace that would be temporarily needed at the Sumas 
Compressor Station and a 1.0-acre extra workspace that would be 
temporarily needed at the Chehalis Compressor Station.
    Mainline block valves would be installed within the permanent 
right-of-way at the beginning and end points of each loop and at 
intermediate locations as necessary. The majority of the proposed 
mainline valves would be collocated with existing mainline valves and 
other aboveground facilities. Pig launchers and receivers would be 
installed within the permanent right-of-way at the beginning and end 
points of each loop. The majority of the proposed pig launchers and 
receivers would be collocated with existing aboveground facilities.

The EIS Process

    NEPA requires the FERC 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. Ecology, 
as the lead State agency, is required to consider the same potential 
impacts under SEPA. The EIS we are preparing will give both the FERC 
and Ecology the information needed to do that.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the FERC's NEPA Pre-Filing Process. The 
purpose of the Pre-Filing Process is to encourage the early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an 
application is filed with the FERC. Ecology has agreed to conduct its 
SEPA review in conjunction with the NEPA Pre-Filing Process. A diagram 
depicting the environmental review process for the project is attached 
to this notice as appendix 2.
    As part of our NEPA Pre-Filing Process review, representatives from 
the FERC participated in public open houses sponsored by Northwest in 
the project area on June 28-30 and July 12-15, 2004, to explain the 
environmental review process to interested stakeholders and take 
comments about the project. On July 1, 2004, the FERC staff conducted 
an interagency scoping meeting in the project area to solicit comments 
and concerns about the project from jurisdictional agencies. Agencies 
present at the meeting included the COE, NOAA Fisheries, Fort Lewis 
Army Base, Ecology, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the 
Washington Department of Natural Resources, and the Washington 
Utilities and Transportation Commission. The Lummi Nation was also 
represented.
    By this notice, we are formally announcing our preparation of the 
EIS and requesting additional agency and public comments to help us 
focus the analysis in the EIS on the potentially significant 
environmental issues related to the proposed action. If you provided 
comments at the interagency scoping meeting discussed above, you do not 
need to resubmit the same comments.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft 
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to Federal, State, and local 
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected landowners; other 
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the FERC's 
official service list for this proceeding. A 45-day comment period will 
be allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will consider all timely 
comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before 
issuing a final EIS.

[[Page 44532]]

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already 
identified a number of issues and alternatives that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities, the 
environmental information provided by Northwest, and the scoping 
comments received to date. This preliminary list of issues and 
alternatives may be changed based on your comments and our additional 
analysis.

 Geology and Soils:
    --Assessment of potential geological hazards.
    --Erosion and sedimentation control.
    --Right-of-way restoration.
 Water Resources:
    --Impact on groundwater and surface water supplies.
    --Impact on wetland hydrology and assessment of wetland mitigation 
options.
    --Effect of pipeline crossings on perennial and intermittent 
waterbodies.
    --Assessment of special measures for the crossing of Saar Creek, 
North Fork Nooksack River, Pilchuck Creek, North Fork Stillaguamish 
River, South Fork Stillaguamish River, and the Nisqually River.
    --Assessment of contingency plans for frac-outs associated with 
horizontal directional drills.
    --Assessment of alternative waterbody crossing methods.
    --Effect of streambottom scour on the new and existing pipelines.
    --Assessment of hydrostatic test water sources and discharge 
locations.
 Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation:
    --Effect on coldwater and sensitive fisheries.
    --Effect on wildlife resources and their habitat.
    --Effect on migratory birds.
    --Assessment of construction time window restrictions.
    --Effect on riparian vegetation.
    --Assessment of measures to successfully revegetate the right-of-
way.
 Special Status Species:
    --Potential effect on federally listed or proposed species 
(including the northern spotted owl).
    --Assessment of mitigation for impacts on the northern spotted owl 
and its designated critical habitat.
    --Potential effect on State-listed sensitive species.
 Cultural Resources:
    --Assessment of survey methodologies.
    --Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.
    --Native American and tribal concerns, including impacts on 
traditional cultural properties and fishing rights.
 Land Use, Recreation and Special Interest Areas, and Visual 
Resources:
    --Impacts on 16.4 miles of agricultural land.
    --Impacts on approximately 182 residences within 50 feet of the 
construction work area.
    --Impacts on Fort Lewis.
    --Evaluation of the project's consistency with regional and local 
land use management plans, policies, and ordinances, including the 
Shoreline Management Act and Shoreline Master Programs.
    --Impacts associated with contaminated sites.
    --Visual impacts.
 Socioeconomics:
    --Effects on transportation and traffic.
    --Effects of construction workforce demands on public services and 
temporary housing.
 Air Quality and Noise:
    --Effects on local air quality and noise environment from 
construction and operation of the proposed facilities.
 Reliability and Safety:
    --Assessment of hazards associated with natural gas pipelines.
 Alternatives:
    --Assessment of the potential to add compression to eliminate or 
minimize pipeline construction.
    --Assessment of the potential to change the locations of the 
pipeline loops to lessen or avoid impacts on residences and various 
resource and special interest areas.
    --Identification of route variations and/or non-standard parallel 
offsets to lessen or avoid impacts.
    --Assessment of returning the existing 26-inch-diameter pipeline to 
permanent service to eliminate or minimize new pipeline construction.
    --Evaluation of removing the 26-inch-diameter pipeline and 
installing the 36-inch-diameter pipeline loops in the same ditch for 
the entire project.
 Cumulative Impact:
    --Assessment of the effect of the proposed project when combined 
with other past, present, or future actions in the same region.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about Northwest's proposal. Your comments should 
focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, 
and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific 
your comments, the more useful they will be. To expedite our receipt 
and consideration of your comments, the Commission strongly encourages 
electronic submission of any comments on this project. See title 18 
Code of Federal Regulations 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. Before you can 
submit comments you will need to create a free account by clicking on 
``Sign-up'' under ``New User.'' You will be asked to select the type of 
submission you are making. This type of submission is considered a 
``Comment on Filing.'' Your comments must be submitted electronically 
by August 18, 2004.
    If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that 
they will be received in Washington, DC on or before August 18, 2004, 
and carefully follow these instructions:
    Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
     Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of the 
Gas Branch 2, DG2E; and
     Reference Docket No. PF04-10-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    The public scoping meetings, which will be joint NEPA/SEPA scoping 
meetings, are designed to provide another opportunity to offer comments 
on the proposed project. Interested groups and individuals are 
encouraged to attend the meetings and to present comments on the 
environmental issues they believe should be addressed in the EIS. A 
transcript of the meetings will be generated so that your comments will 
be accurately recorded. All meetings will begin at 7 p.m. (p.s.t.), and 
are scheduled as follows:

[[Page 44533]]



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             Date                               Location
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Monday, August 2, 2004.......  Hawthorn Inn & Suites, 16710 Smokey Point
                                Blvd., Arlington, WA 98223; (360) 657-
                                0500.
 Tuesday, August 3, 2004.....  Marriott Redmond Town Center, 7401 164th
                                Avenue, NE., Redmond, WA 98052; (425)
                                498-4120.
Wednesday, August 4, 2004....  Prairie Hotel, 700 Prairie Park Lane,
                                Yelm, WA 98597; (360) 458-8300.
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    Everyone who responds to this notice or provides comments 
throughout the EIS process will be retained on our mailing list. If you 
do not want to send comments at this time but still want to stay 
informed and receive copies of the draft and final EISs, you must 
return the Mailing List Retention Form (appendix 3). If you do not send 
comments or return the Mailing List Retention Form asking to remain on 
the mailing list, you will be taken off the mailing list.
    Once Northwest formally files its application with the Commission, 
you may want to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and 
are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts 
if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor 
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to 
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the 
User's Guide under the ``eFiling'' link on the Commission's Web site. 
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time. 
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.
    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 that would not be 
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor 
status to have your environmental comments considered.

Availability of 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 ``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 (i.e., PFO4-10). Be sure you have selected an appropriate 
date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
http://[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, 
or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. 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 rule makings.
    In addition, the FERC 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.
    Finally, Northwest has established an Internet Web site for its 
project at http://www.williams.com/williamsinwashington/. The Web site 
includes a description of the project and an overview map of the 
proposed loops. Northwest will continue to update its Web site with 
information about the project.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-1649 Filed 7-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P