[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60854-60856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2586]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF04-16-000]


Empire State Pipeline; Notice of Environmental Review and Scoping 
for the Empire Connector Project and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

October 4, 2004.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of Empire State Pipeline's (Empire) 
proposed Empire Connector Project (project) in New York. The proposed 
facilities would consist of about 80 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline 
extending from Empire's existing pipeline in Victor, New York, to an 
interconnection with the Millennium Pipeline near Corning, New York; 
and about 22,000 horsepower (hp) of compression at a new compressor 
station on Empire's exiting pipeline in Oakfield, New York. The 
Commission will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine 
whether or not the project is in the public convenience and necessity.
    The project is currently in the preliminary design stage. At this 
time no formal application has been filed with the FERC. For this 
project, the FERC staff is initiating its National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving the application. This will allow 
interested stakeholders to be involved early in project planning and to 
identify and resolve issues before an application is filed with the 
FERC. A docket number (PF04-16-000) has been established to place 
information filed by Empire and related documents issued by the 
Commission, into the public record.\1\ Once a formal application is 
filed with the FERC, a new docket number will be established.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To view information in the docket, follow the instructions 
for using the eLibrary link at the end of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This notice is being sent to landowners along the various pipeline 
routes under consideration; Federal, state, and local government 
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; 
Native American tribes; and local libraries and newspapers.
    With this notice, we \2\ are asking these and other Federal, state, 
and local agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EA. These agencies may choose to participate once 
they have evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities. 
Agencies which would like to request cooperating status should follow 
the instructions for filing comments described in appendix 2 of this 
notice. We encourage government representatives to notify their 
constituents of this planned project and encourage them to comment on 
their areas of concern.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Some affected landowners may be contacted by a project 
representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct, 
operate, and maintain the proposed pipeline. If so, the company should 
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. In the event that 
the project is certificated by the Commission, that approval conveys 
the right of eminent domain for securing easements for the pipeline. 
Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the 
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with 
state law.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Empire proposes to construct and operate about 80 miles of 24-inch-
diameter natural gas pipeline and related facilities to deliver up to 
250,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of natural gas from TransCanada 
Pipelines, Ltd. to the Millennium Pipeline. The pipeline would be 
constructed in Ontario, Yates, Schuyler, and Chemung Counties, New 
York. Empire would construct the new 22,000 hp compressor station on 
its existing pipeline in Genesee County, New York.
    At this time, KeySpan Gas East Corporation (KeySpan) has executed a 
precedent agreement for 150,000 Dth/d of the proposed transportation 
capacity on Empire's system. KeySpan has requested that the proposed 
facilities be available to provide the requested service by November 1, 
2006. Therefore, Empire plans to file its certificate application in 
March 2005 and states that it would need to receive authority for the 
project by January 2006 in order to meet the requested in-service date.
    A map depicting the preliminary pipeline route is provided in 
appendix 1. \3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ 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) 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 and Files Maintenance Branch at (202) 502-8371. For 
instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to the last page of 
this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require a total of 
about 900 acres of land. Typically, pipeline construction would occur 
within a nominal 75-foot-wide right-of-way. This width would be reduced 
in forested areas to 65 feet and would be increased up to 100 feet in 
agricultural areas where segregated topsoil would be stored and in 
areas with rugged terrain which would require additional right-of-way 
width for tiered construction or for extra workspace for spoil storage 
or safety. The pipeline construction right-of-way would require about 
815 acres of land plus about 5 acres of land for additional temporary 
workspaces at road, railroad, waterbody and wetland crossings for 
staging the crossing of these features. About 20 acres would be 
required for construction of the compressor station and other 
aboveground facilities. Empire anticipates needing to use about 15 
miles of access roads during construction, affecting about 30 acres of 
land. Most of these roads would be existing roads, but they may be 
widened and/or lengthened and some may be new roads. Also, Empire would 
need about 30 acres for use as contractor or pipe yards.

[[Page 60855]]

    Following construction, about 500 acres would be maintained for 
operation of the new facilities. About 480 acres would be required 
along the permanent, 50-foot-wide pipeline right-of-way. About 10 acres 
would be permanently required for the new compressor station and other 
aboveground facility sites. Empire anticipates needing to use about 5 
miles of the access roads used during construction as permanent access 
road affecting about 10 acres. The remaining 400 acres of land would be 
restored and allowed to revert to its former use.

The EA Process

    NEPA requires the Commission 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. NEPA 
also requires us to discover and address issues and 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 and reasonable alternatives. By 
this notice, we are requesting agency and public comments on the scope 
of the issues to be analyzed and presented in the EA. All scoping 
comments received will be considered during the preparation of the EA. 
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section of this notice.
    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:

     Geology and soils.
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
     Vegetation and wildlife.
     Endangered and threatened species.
     Land use.
     Cultural resources.
     Air quality and noise.
     Public safety.

    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 beginning on page 5.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have identified several issues that we think deserve attention 
based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and the 
environmental resources present in the project area. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based information obtained during the 
public participation period and on our continuing analysis:

 Geology and Soils.

    -- Assessment of construction and restoration on agricultural lands 
and areas with a high water table.
    -- Assessment of impacts related to blasting.

 Water Resources.

    -- Impact on water quality and aquatic species crossed by pipeline 
facilities.
    -- Impacts on water wells and groundwater.
    -- Impacts on wetlands.

 Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation.

    -- Effects on wildlife and fisheries.
    -- Potential effects on essential fish habitat.

 Endangered and Threatened Species.

    -- Potential effects on federally-listed species.

 Cultural Resources.

    -- Assessment of cultural resources studies.
    -- Native American and tribal concerns.

 Land Use, Recreation and Special Interest Areas, and Visual 
Resources.

    -- Effects of construction and operation on existing land uses.
    -- Effects of construction on residential properties.
    -- Permanent land use alteration associated with site development.
    -- Visual impacts associated with the new compressor station and 
other above ground facilities.

 Air Quality and Noise.

    -- Effects on air quality and the noise environment from 
construction and operation of the proposed facilities.

 Reliability and Safety.

    -- Safety and security of the compressor station and pipeline.

    Our evaluation will also include possible alternatives to the 
proposed project or portions of the project, and we will make 
recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various 
resource areas of concern.

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, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative locations 
and routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. 
Empire has established a preliminary pipeline route for the project; 
however, if minor reroutes or variations are required to avoid or 
minimize impacts to certain features on your property, this is your 
opportunity to assist us and Empire in identifying your specific areas 
of concern. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will 
be. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your 
comments are received and properly recorded:

     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;
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 2; and
     Reference Docket No. PF04-16-000 on the original and both 
copies.

    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 
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 ``eFiling'' 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.''
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Mailing List Retention 
Form included in Appendix 3.
    The environmental staff of the FERC will conduct a site visit of 
the proposed facility locations. Anyone interested in participating in 
the field trip may attend, but they must provide their own 
transportation. We will meet at the following locations at the 
indicated dates and times:

[[Page 60856]]

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

8 a.m., Corning Museum of Glass, One Museum Way, Corning, New York.

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

8 a.m., Dresden Post Office parking lot, 60 Main St., Dresden, NY.

    Please contact Empire's representative Vince Dick at (585) 321-4207 
for directions to the locations of the beginning of the site visit.

Availability of Additional Information

    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'' link, select ``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, 
enter the selected date range and ``Docket Number'' (i.e., PF04-16-
000), and follow the instructions. Searches may also be done using the 
phrase ``Empire'' in the ``Text Search'' field. For assistance with 
access to eLibrary, the 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 rule 
makings.
    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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-2586 Filed 10-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P