[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 19 (Monday, January 31, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4837-4838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-337]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF05-2-000]


Midwestern Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed MGT Eastern Extension 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meeting

January 21, 2005.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of Midwestern Gas Transmission 
Company's (MGT) MGT Eastern Extension Project in Sumner and Trousdale 
Counties, Tennessee. This notice announces the opening of the scoping 
process the Commission will use to gather input from the public and 
interested agencies on the project. Your input will help the Commission 
staff determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EA. The 
Commission will use the EA in its decision making process to determine 
whether or not to authorize the project. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on March 3, 2005.
    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. In lieu of sending written 
comments, you are invited to attend the public scoping meeting that is 
scheduled as follows:
    Tuesday, February 24, 2005, 7 p.m. (CST): Sumner County Building, 
355 No. Belvedere Drive, Gallatin, TN, (615) 452-3604.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers in this proceeding. We \1\ 
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
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    \1\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    MGT proposes to construct and operate about 30 miles of 16-inch-
diameter pipeline commencing at the MGT Portland Station in Sumner 
County, Tennessee and traversing southeasterly to proposed 
interconnects with Columbia Gulf Transmission Company and East 
Tennessee Natural Gas Company in Trousdale County, Tennessee. The 
proposed pipeline would deliver up to 120,000 decatherms per day (Dth/
d) to Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc., a local distribution company, 
for long-term transportation. Additional pipeline facilities would 
consist of a pig launcher and piping modifications to existing 
reciprocating engines at the MGT Portland Station, mainline valve 
assemblies and a pig receiver at the terminus of the line, ultrasonic 
meters with electronic flow measurement, flow control valves, and data 
acquisition control buildings.
    MGT plans to file a formal application for this project with the 
FERC in May 2005. They are requesting approval to begin construction in 
June 2006, with a proposed in-service date of November 1, 2006.
    A map depicting MGT's proposed pipeline route is provided in 
Appendix 1.\2\
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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 Web site 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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    Several issues have already been raised by concerned citizens, 
which include public safety, eminent domain, proximity to residences, 
and property values.

The EA Process

    Although no formal application for authorizing natural gas 
facilities has been filed, the FERC staff is initiating its National 
Environmental Policy Act (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 MGT 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 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 action.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in an EA 
that will be mailed to federal, state, and local

[[Page 4838]]

government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; affected landowners; other interested parties; Native 
American tribes; local newspapers and libraries; 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.
    We have held early discussions with other jurisdictional agencies 
to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District; Tennessee Wildlife 
Resources Agency; and the Tennessee Department of Environment and 
Conservation, Divisions of Natural Heritage and Water Pollution 
Control. 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 us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the proposal. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including 
alternative locations/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 March 3, 2005, 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 your comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 1; DG2E; and
     Reference Docket No. PF05-2-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    The public scoping meeting to be held on February 24, 2005 in 
Gallatin, TN is designed to provide another opportunity to offer 
comments on the proposed project. Interested groups and individuals are 
encouraged to attend this meeting and to present comments on the 
environmental issues they believe should be addressed in the EA. 
Transcripts of the meeting will be made so that your comments will be 
accurately recorded.
    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 MGT submits its application for authorization to construct and 
operate the MGT Eastern Extension Project, 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

    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. This includes all landowners who are 
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily 
for project purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the 
Commission's regulations of certain above-ground facilities. If you 
wish to remain on our environmental mailing list, please return the 
Information Request Form included in Appendix 2. If you do not return 
this form, you will be removed from our mailing list.

Availability of Additional Information

    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is also available 
for viewing on the FERC Internet website. This fact sheet addresses a 
number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent 
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.
    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., PF05-2), and 
follow the instructions. Searches may also be done using the phrase MGT 
Extension Project in the Text Search field. For assistance, please 
contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ ferc.gov 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, MGT has established an Internet Web site for its project 
at http://www.mgt.nborder.com. The Web site includes a description of 
the project, overview map, contact information for MGT, and links to 
related documents.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E5-337 Filed 1-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P