[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 200 (Monday, October 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61370-61372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2681]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF04-14-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Hardy Storage 
Project and Virginia Looping Project and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

October 8, 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 Columbia Gas Transmission 
Corporation's (Columbia) Hardy Storage Project located in Hardy and 
Hampshire Counties, West Virginia. The EA will also address Virginia 
Looping \1\ Project which consists of constructing new sections of 
pipeline parallel to Columbia's existing pipeline in Shenandoah, Page, 
Rockingham, Greene, and Louisa Counties, Virginia. This notice 
announces the opening of the scoping process we will use to gather 
input from the public and interested agencies on the projects. Your 
input will help the Commission staff determine which issues need to be 
evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period will close on 
November 22, 2004.
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    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipeline installed adjacent to an 
existing pipeline and which connects to the existing pipeline at 
both ends of the loop. The loop allows more gas to be moved through 
the system.
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    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the public 
participation section of this notice. Public scoping meetings will be 
held in early November, and an additional public notice will be issued 
once the dates and locations are determined.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and 
public interest groups; other interested parties; and local libraries 
and newspapers in this proceeding. We encourage government 
representatives to notify their constituents of these planned projects 
and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.

Summary of the Proposed Projects

    Columbia proposes to construct and operate a natural gas storage 
field and related facilities in Hardy and Hampshire Counties, West 
Virginia, and loop its existing pipeline in Shenandoah, Page, 
Rockingham, Greene, and Louisa Counties, Virginia. In addition to the 
facilities described below, both projects will also involve the 
construction of aboveground facilities such as valves, meters, meter 
stations, and pig launchers and receivers. The majority of the 
facilities proposed on these projects are located within or adjacent to 
existing cleared rights-of-way.

Hardy Storage Project

    Columbia proposes to store natural gas in the Oriskany sandstone 
formation in Hardy and Hampshire Counties, West Virginia. The Oriskany 
is a depleted, self-contained, natural gas producing geologic formation 
that is located more than a mile underground. Natural gas existed in 
the Oriskany for millions of years until it was discovered and produced 
in the 1960s and early 1970s. Natural gas supplies from Appalachia, the 
Southwest, or other sources will be stored in the field when demand is 
low, then withdrawn as needed during periods of high demand.
    Maps depicting Columbia's proposed storage project and related 
facilities in West Virginia are provided in Appendix

[[Page 61371]]

1.\2\ Some of the facilities involved in this portion of the project 
include:
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's website at the ``eLibrary'' link or from the 
Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, Room 2A 
or call (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.
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    Existing and new gas wells. Columbia's 15 existing production wells 
in Hardy and Hampshire Counties will be reconditioned and upgraded for 
storage purposes. Columbia may also drill 13 new wells in the storage 
field, some of which will be directionally drilled from existing well 
sites.
    Replacing pipelines. Columbia will upgrade and replace the existing 
pipelines that connect with gas wells in the field to allow them to 
support the storage operation. Approximately 28 new storage lines of 
varying diameters and lengths and approximately 28 miles of 
transmission pipeline will be constructed.
    New compressor station. Located in Hardy County, this 5,000-
horsepower facility will use natural gas-fueled engines to inject 
(compress) gas into and withdraw it out of the storage field, as 
needed.

Virginia Looping Project

    To transport natural gas from the Hardy Storage Project to markets, 
Columbia will construct new 24-inch-diameter sections of loop parallel 
to its existing pipelines in Virginia. This project involves looping 
approximately 31 miles of Columbia's Line WB-2-VA corridor in 
Shenandoah, Rockingham, Page, and Greene Counties, and approximately 
2.5 miles of Columbia's existing VM-108 corridor in Louisa County. Maps 
depicting Columbia's proposed loops in Virginia are provided in 
Appendix 2.
    Columbia plans to file a formal application for this project with 
the FERC in early 2005. They are requesting approval to begin 
construction in late 2005 or early 2006, with most of the construction 
to be completed by the end of the 2006. Storage field injections are 
proposed to begin in the spring of 2007.

The EA Process

    Although no formal application for authorizing natural gas 
facilities has been filed, the FERC staff is initiating its NEPA review 
now. The purpose of the FERC's 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.
    The FERC will use the EA to consider the environmental impact that 
could result if it issues Columbia a Certificate of Public Convenience 
and Necessity.
    This notice formally announces our preparation of the EA and the 
beginning of the process referred to as ``scoping.'' We \3\ are 
soliciting input from the public and interested agencies to help us 
focus the analysis in the EA on the potentially significant 
environmental issues related to the proposed actions.
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    \3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a EA 
that will be mailed to Federal, state, and local government agencies; 
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; affected 
landowners; other interested parties; local libraries and newspapers; 
and the FERC's official service list for this proceeding. A 30-day 
comment period will be allotted for review of the EA. We will consider 
all comments on the EA in any Commission Order that is issued for the 
project.
    With this notice, we 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. Agencies that would like to request cooperating 
status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided 
below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing use with your specific 
comments or concerns about the proposals. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including 
alternative storage sites and pipeline routes), and measures to avoid 
or lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the 
more useful they will be. To ensure that your comments are timely and 
properly recorded, please mail your comments so that they will be 
received in Washington, DC on or before November 22, 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 
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 1, DG2E;
     Reference Docket No. PF04-14-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    Please note that the Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments. See 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. 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 
``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' You will be asked to 
select the type of filing you are making. This filing is considered a 
Comment on Filing.
    When Columbia submits its application for authorization to 
construct and operate the storage facility, the Commission will publish 
a Notice of Application in the Federal Register and will establish a 
deadline for interested persons to intervene in the proceeding. Because 
the Commission's NEPA Pre-filing Process occurs before an application 
to begin a proceeding is officially filed, petitions to intervene 
during this process are premature and will not be accepted by the 
Commission.

Environmental Mailing List

    If you wish to remain on our environmental mailing list, please 
return the Information Request Form included in Appendix 3. If you do 
not return this form, you will be removed from our mailing list.

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., PF04-14), and 
follow the instructions. Searches may also be done using the phrase 
Hardy Storage Project 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 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

[[Page 61372]]

documents. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Finally, Columbia has established an Internet Web site for its 
project at http://www.columbiagastrans.com/newprojects. The Web site 
includes a description of the project, overview map of the proposed 
sites, contact information for Columbia, and links to related 
documents.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E4-2681 Filed 10-15-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P