[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2036-2038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-186]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP05-388-000, CP06-1-000]


Southern Natural Gas Company; Florida Gas Transmission Company; 
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Cypress Pipeline Project and Phase VII Expansion Project

December 30, 2005.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission 
or FERC) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on 
the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Southern Natural Gas 
Company (Southern) and Florida Gas Transmission Company (FGT) in the 
above-referenced dockets. Southern's Cypress Pipeline Project would be 
located in various counties in southern Georgia and northern Florida. 
FGT's Phase VII Expansion Project (FGT Expansion Project) would be 
located in various counties in northern and central Florida.
    The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act. The FERC staff concludes that the 
proposed projects, with the appropriate mitigation measures as 
recommended, would have limited adverse environmental impact.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is participating as a 
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS because the projects 
would require permits pursuant to section 404 of the Clean Water Act 
(33 United States Code (USC) 1344) and section 10 of the Rivers and 
Harbors Act (33 U.S.C. 403). The COE would adopt the EIS per Title 40 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 1506.3 if, after an independent 
review of the document, it concludes that its comments and suggestions 
have been satisfied.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities:

Cypress Pipeline Project

     About 166.6 miles of new 24-inch-diameter mainline 
pipeline (mainline) in Effingham, Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Long, 
McIntosh, Glynn, Camden, and Charlton Counties Georgia, and Nassau, 
Duval, and Clay Counties, Florida;
     About 9.8 miles of new 30-inch-diameter pipeline loop 
(loop) \1\ in Chatham and Effingham Counties, Georgia;
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    \1\ 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.
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     About 0.1 mile of 12-inch-diameter lateral pipeline in 
Duval County, Florida;
     Three new 10,350 horsepower (hp) gas-turbine-driven 
compressor stations in Liberty and Glynn Counties, Georgia, and in 
Nassau County, Florida;
     Four new meter stations in Glynn County, Georgia, and in 
Nassau, Duval, and Clay Counties, Florida;
     Modifications at two existing meter stations in Chatham 
and Cobb Counties, Georgia, and expansion of one meter station in 
Effingham County, Georgia;
     16 new block valves including 14 associated with the new 
mainline and two associated with the new loop; and
     Four new pig \2\ launcher/receiver facilities, including 
two in Effingham County, Georgia, one in Glynn County,

[[Page 2037]]

Georgia, and one in Clay County, Florida, each collocated with new or 
existing meter stations or new compressor station sites.
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    \2\ 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.
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    Southern proposes to construct its pipeline facilities in three 
phases. Construction of Phase I would begin in October, 2006 and be in 
service by May, 2007. Construction of Phase II would begin in fall 2008 
and be in service by May, 2009. Construction of Phase III would begin 
in fall 2009 and be in service by May, 2010.

FGT Phase VII Expansion Project

     About 32.6 miles of new 36-inch-diameter pipeline in three 
separate loops in Gilchrist, Levy, and Hernando Counties, Florida;
     Replacement and upgrades to existing compressors for a net 
increase of about 7,800 hp at FGT's Compressor Station no. 26 in Citrus 
County, Florida;
     Replacement of an existing compressor to add about 2,000 
hp at FGT's existing Compressor Station no. 24 in Gilchrist County, 
Florida;
     Miscellaneous modifications and upgrades to existing 
compressors with no increases in hp at FGT's Compressor Station nos. 
16, 27, and 17 in Bradford, Hillsborough, and Marion Counties, Florida, 
respectively;
     A new interconnection with Southern's new mainline in Clay 
County, Florida;
     Modifications to five existing metering and/or regulation 
stations in Clay, Polk, Bradford, and Duval Counties, Florida; and
     New remote blowdown piping associated with the new 
pipeline loops at two locations in Levy County and two locations in 
Hernando County, Florida.
    FGT proposes to construct its pipeline facilities in two phases. 
Construction of Phase I would begin in October, 2006 and be in service 
by May, 2007. Phase II is planned to begin in October, 2008 and be in 
service by May, 2009.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is 
important that we receive your comments before the date specified 
below. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments 
are properly recorded:
     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 1, PJ11.1.
     Reference Docket Nos. CP05-388-000 and/or CP06-1-000 on 
the original and both copies; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before February 20, 2006.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments, 
interventions, or protests of this proceeding. See Title 18 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part 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 ``Sign-up'' under ``New 
User.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you are making. 
This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.''
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, the FERC 
invites you to attend the public comment meetings the staff will 
conduct in the project area to receive comments on the draft EIS. All 
meetings will begin at 7 p.m., and are scheduled as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Date                               Location
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Monday, February 6, 2006...............  Bloomingdale Community Center,
                                          202 East Moore Street,
                                          Bloomingdale, Georgia 31302.
Tuesday, February 7, 2006..............  Embassy Suites, 500 Mall
                                          Boulevard, Glynn Place Mall,
                                          Brunswick, Georgia 31525.
Wednesday, February 8, 2006............  Holiday Inn, 6802 Commonwealth
                                          Ave., Jacksonville, Florida
                                          32244.
Thursday, February 9, 2006.............  Best Western Weeky Wachee,
                                          Highway 19 and Highway 50,
                                          Brooksville, FL 34601.
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    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and 
present oral comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings 
will be prepared.
    After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the draft EIS, a final EIS 
will be published and distributed by the FERC staff. The final EIS will 
contain the staff's responses to timely comments received on the draft 
EIS.
    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). Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this draft EIS. 
You must file your request to intervene as specified above.\3\ You do 
not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
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    \3\ 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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    The draft EIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and 
the COE and is available for public inspection at:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First 
Street, NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, 701 San Marco 
Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida 32207, (904) 232-1472.

    A limited number of copies are available from the FERC's Public 
Reference Room identified above. In addition, copies of the draft EIS 
have been mailed to Federal, state, and local government agencies; 
elected officials; Native American tribes; local libraries and 
newspapers; intervenors in the FERC's proceeding; individuals who 
provided scoping comments; and affected landowners and individuals who 
requested the draft EIS.
    To reduce printing and mailing costs for the final EIS, the FERC 
will be issuing that document in both CD and hard-copy formats. In a 
separate mailing, the parties on the current mailing list for the draft 
EIS will be sent a postcard providing an opportunity for them to select 
which format of the final EIS they wish to receive. The FERC is 
strongly encouraging the use of the CD format in their publication of 
large documents.

[[Page 2038]]

    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,'' excluding the last 
three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP05-388 and/or CP06-1), 
and follow the instructions. You may also search using the phrase 
``Cypress Pipeline Project'' or ``FGT Phase VII Expansion 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 
website 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 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.
    Information concerning the involvement of the COE is available from 
Jon Soderberg at 904-232-1472.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-186 Filed 1-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P