[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33470-33472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-2921]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP05-8-000]


Starks Gas Storage L.L.C.; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Starks Gas Storage Project

June 2, 2005.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Starks Gas Storage L.L.C. 
(Starks Gas Storage) in the above-referenced docket number.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the proposed Starks Gas Storage Project 
in Calcasieu and Beauregard Parishes, Louisiana. The Starks Gas Storage 
Project would initially utilize Starks No. 1 cavern to store 
approximately 13.3 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas, comprised 
of approximately 8.8 Bcf of working or top gas and approximately 4.5 
Bcf of base or cushion gas. Facilities would be designed to allow 
cycling of the entire storage volume 5 to 6 times per year with 
injections and withdrawals of approximately 400 million cubic feet per 
day (MMcfd). Starks No. 2 cavern would be available for similar 
conversion to gas storage approximately 18 months later, adding an 
incremental working gas volume of approximately 10.4 Bcf and 
approximately 5.3 Bcf of base gas and the overall project injection and

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withdrawal rates would double. The total storage volume of Starks No. 2 
cavern would be approximately 15.6 Bcf.
    In Docket No. CP05-8-000, Starks Gas Storage proposes to construct, 
operate, and maintain the following facilities. The proposed natural 
gas and brine disposal pipelines connected with the future natural gas 
storage caverns and debrining operations of the existing brine wells 
west of the proposed Starks Compressor Station are designated as 
mileposts (MP) 0.00--0.68 on Segment 1. The proposed natural gas and 
brine disposal pipelines east of the proposed Starks Compressor Station 
are designated as MPs 0.00-33.77 on Segments 2 and 3. The proposed 
facilities include:
     Conversion of two existing brine extraction wells 
(formerly called PPG-10 and PPG-9) to natural gas storage caverns 
(Starks No. 1 at MP 0.68 and Starks No. 2 at MP 0.47, respectively, on 
Segment 1) with a combined maximum capacity to store approximately 28.9 
Bcf of natural gas, comprised of approximately 19.2 Bcf of working 
capacity and approximately 9.7 Bcf of cushion gas, with withdrawal 
rates of 800 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) and peak injection 
rates of 750 MMcfd;
     About 0.88 mile of two new 16-inch diameter natural gas 
pipelines and two new collocated 10-inch diameter brine disposal 
pipelines associated with the interconnects on the Starks salt dome 
west of the Starks Compressor Station from MP 0.00 to 0.68 (identified 
as Segment 1);
     About 1.80 miles of new 30-inch diameter natural gas 
pipeline from the Starks Compressor Station to the Tennessee Gas 
Pipeline Company (Tennessee Gas) interconnect from MP 0.0 to MP 1.8 
(identified as Segment 2) and about 1.2 miles of new collocated 10-inch 
diameter brine disposal line from the Starks Compressor Station to the 
salt water disposal (SWD) injection wells from MP 0.00 to 1.21 
(identified as Segment 2a);
     About 31.97 miles (a continuation) of the new 30-inch 
diameter natural gas pipeline from the Tennessee Gas interconnect 
terminating at the Texas Eastern Transmission LP (Texas Eastern) 
interconnect in Beauregard Parish from MP 1.80 to 33.77 (identified as 
Segment 3);
     A new compressor station with dehydration facilities 
(Starks Compressor Station) at MP 0.00, including seven natural gas 
fueled reciprocating engine driven reciprocating compressor units each 
rated at 4,735 brake horsepower (BHP), with seven exhaust noise 
silencers with integral emission control catalysts, and related piping, 
valves, controls, and buildings; two triethylene glycol (TEG) 
dehydration units and appurtenant, auxiliary facilities with one vapor 
recovery/condensing unit and one thermal oxidizer;
     Three new interconnect valve stations connecting to 
existing natural gas pipelines at the Tennessee Gas (MP 1.80), Transco 
(MP 29.80), and Texas Eastern pipelines (MP 33.77) on Segments 2 and 3;
     Three temporary natural gas fueled reciprocating engine 
driven reciprocating compressor units each rated at 1,150 BHP, with 
three exhaust noise silencers with integral emission control catalysts 
for dewatering existing brine extraction well (PPG-9), located at the 
Starks Compressor Station;
     Three new natural gas fueled reciprocating engine driven 
centrifugal multi-stage pumps rated at 860 BHP, with three exhaust 
noise silencers with integral emission control catalysts for injecting 
dewatered brine from the caverns into two disposal wells, located at 
the Starks Compressor Station;
     Two new brine injection (SWD) wells, MP 1.21 on Segment 2, 
located on a two-acre tract to dispose of any surplus brine removed 
from the two caverns as they are converted to gas storage service; and
     One temporary skid mounted brine disposal meter system, 
first located at Starks No. 1 (MP 0.68) and then at Starks No. 2 (MP 
0.47) on Segment 1.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public 
inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference 
and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, 
Washington, DC 20426. (202) 502-8371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, state and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that we receive your comments before the date specified 
below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your 
comments are received in time and properly recorded:
     Send an original and two copies of your comments to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas Branch 2, PJ11.2.
     Reference Docket No. CP05-8-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before July 5, 2005.
    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 by clicking on ``Sign-up.''
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to 
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene 
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).\1\ Only intervenors have the right to see 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \1\ 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 comments considered.
    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. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link 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

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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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Linda Mitry,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-2921 Filed 6-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P