[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7028-7030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1856]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF06-12-000]


Equitrans, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the Proposed Big Sandy Pipeline Project, Request for 
Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of Site Visit

February 3, 2006.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of Equitrans, LP's (Equitrans) 
planned Big Sandy Pipeline Project located in Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, 
and Carter County, Kentucky.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we 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. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on March 24, 2006.
    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 in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We 
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and

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encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. 
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that 
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if 
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline 
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with 
state law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need to Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). This fact 
sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the 
use of eminent domain and how to participate in the FERC's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    The project would consist of construction of about 60 miles of 20-
inch-diameter pipeline. The pipeline would originate at the discharge 
of the existing Kentucky Hydrocarbon plant in Langley, Kentucky and 
terminate at Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company's Broad Run Lateral in 
Carter County, Kentucky. Equitrans would also construct one new 5,000 
horsepower compressor station on the south end of the line. One pig 
launcher, one pig receiver, eight mainline valves, and one new metering 
and regulating station would also be constructed along the pipeline. 
Location maps depicting Equitrans' proposed facilities are provided in 
Appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's website (excluding maps) at the ``eLibrary'' link or 
from the Commission's Public Reference Room 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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    Equitrans indicates that these facilities are needed to provide 
much needed relief for the summer capacity constraints that are 
currently restricting gas production in the eastern Kentucky basin.
    Equitrans anticipates filing an application with the FERC in June 
2006. If approved, Equitrans would seek approval to begin construction 
by September 2006, with a proposed in-service date of April 1, 2007.

Land Requirements

    Construction of the project facilities would disturb about 912 
acres of land. Following construction, about 550 acres of the total 
would be retained for the operation of the pipeline and the aboveground 
facilities (compressor and meter stations). Equitrans currently 
proposes to use a nominal 100-foot-wide right-of-way (ROW) to construct 
its pipeline, with occasional increases in width for additional 
workspace at waterbody, wetland, road, and railroad crossings. 
Temporary extra workspaces may also be required in areas with site-
specific constraints, such as side-slope construction. Other temporary 
land requirements would include areas needed for pipe storage and 
equipment yards. For operation of the pipeline facilities, Equitrans 
proposes a 50-foot-wide permanent ROW.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
information provided by Equitrans. This list of issues may be changed 
based on your comments and our analysis:
     The effect of blasting on groundwater;
     Difficult ROW restoration in areas of side slope 
construction; and
     Impact on visual resources due to vegetation clearing to 
create a new ROW.

The EA Process

    The FERC will be the lead federal agency for the preparation of the 
EA. The document will satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Big Sandy Pipeline Project is in 
the preliminary design state.
    For this project, the FERC staff has initiated its National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving the 
application. The purpose of the Commission's Pre-Filing Process is to 
involve interested stakeholders early in project planning and to 
identify and resolve issues before an application is filed with the 
FERC. A docket number (PF06-12-000) has been established to place 
information filed by Equitrans, and related documents issued by the 
Commission, into the public record. Once a formal application is filed 
with the FERC, a new docket number will be established.
    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 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. By this Notice of Intent, we are 
requesting public comments on the scope of the issues that should be 
addressed in the EA. We will consider all comments received during 
scoping in the preparation of the EA.
    Our independent analysis and evaluation of the issues will be 
included in the EA. The EA 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. Depending on the comments received during 
the scoping process, the EA may be published and mailed to federal, 
state, and local agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; other interested parties; affected landowners; Native 
American tribes; libraries, and newspapers; and the Commission's 
official service list for this proceeding. A 49-day comment period will 
be allotted for review of the EA. We will consider all comments 
submitted on the EA in any Commission Order that is issued for the 
project.
    We are currently involved in discussions with other jurisdictional 
agencies to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection--Division of Water, 
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kentucky Department of 
Natural Resources, Kentucky State Nature Preserve Commission, Kentucky 
Heritage Council, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. By 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 proposals. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives and 
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific 
your comments, the

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more useful they will be. 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 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. PF06-12-000 on the original and both 
copies; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 24, 2006.
    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 Equitrans submits its application for authorization to 
construct and operate the Big Sandy Pipeline 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 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.

Site Visit

    On February 22 and 23, 2006, the OEP staff will conduct a pre-
certification site visit of the planned Big Sandy Pipeline Project.
    We will view the proposed route and variations that are being 
considered for the planned pipeline. Staff will view the area by 
helicopter on February 22, 2006, and by automobile and on foot on 
February 23, 2006. Representatives of Equitrans will be accompanying 
the OEP staff.
    All interested parties may attend the site visit on February 23, 
2006. Those planning to attend must provide their own transportation. 
If you are interested in attending the site visit, please meet us at 8 
a.m. in the parking lot of the Paintsville Ramada Inn, 624 James 
Trimble Blvd, Paintsville, Kentucky.
    For additional information, please contact the Commission's Office 
of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372).

Equitrans Sponsored Open Houses

    You may have also been notified by Equitrans that it plans on 
holding two public open houses designed to provide opportunities to 
explain the project to stakeholders. OEP staff will be attending these 
events and will be available to answer questions about the NEPA 
process. FERC staff may utilize these open houses to determine the 
amount of stakeholder interest in the project to identify if a FERC 
sponsored public scoping meeting would be necessary in the project area 
at a later date. The location and dates for Equitrans' open houses are 
as follows:

    February 22, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. (EST); Paintsville Ramada Inn, 624 
James Trimble Blvd., Paintsville, Kentucky.
    February 23, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. (EST); Louisa Community Center, 101 
West Pike St., Louisa, Kentucky.

Environmental Mailing List

    The determination of whether to distribute the EA for public 
comment will be based on the response to this notice. If you are 
interested in receiving it, please return the Information Request 
(Appendix 2).

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., PF06-12-
000), and follow the instructions. Searches may also be done using the 
phrase ``Big Sandy Pipeline'' 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 documents. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's 
calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx 
along with other related information.
    You can also contact David J. Spigelmyer, Equitrans Representative, 
by phone at (412) 553-5739 or by e-mail at [email protected] with 
your specific concerns or comments regarding this project.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-1856 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P