[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11606-11608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3194]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP06-66-000]


Port Barre Investments, L.L.C. (d/b/a Bobcat Gas Storage); Notice 
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 
Bobcat Gas Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

February 28, 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 a proposal by Port Barre 
Investments, L.L.C. (d/b/a Bobcat Gas Storage (Bobcat)) to construct a 
new salt cavern natural gas storage facility in St. Landry Parish, 
Louisiana.\1\ The Bobcat Gas Storage Project would provide 
approximately 12 billion cubic feet of working natural gas storage 
capacity, capable of injecting gas at maximum rates of up to 900 
million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) and delivering gas at maximum rates 
of up to 1,200 MMcfd. The facilities would include two solution mined 
storage caverns, a 37,880 horsepower (hp) compressor station, a 
leaching plant, brine disposal facilities, approximately 18.1 miles of 
pipeline, and metering and regulating stations.
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    \1\ Bobcat's application was filed with the Commission under 
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's 
regulations.
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    This notice announces the opening of the scoping period that will 
be used to gather environmental input from the public and interested 
agencies on the project. Please note that the scoping comments are 
requested by March 31, 2006.
    This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners; 
Federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes, other 
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers. State and local 
government representatives are asked to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a Bobcat company representative about the acquisition of an easement 
to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The 
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 natural gas 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 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 Commission's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Bobcat proposes to construct, own, and operate a high-
deliverability natural gas storage project on an 84-acre parcel of land 
leased by Bobcat, located about 2.2 miles east of the Town of Port 
Barre, Louisiana. Two caverns would be solution mined in the Port Barre 
Salt Dome in four phases, over an approximate five-year time span. The 
project would include construction of the following:
    (1) Gas Storage Site, including:
     Eight (8) 4,735 horsepower compressors, dehydration and 
appurtenant facilities (Bobcat Compressor Station);
     A leaching plant;
     0.5 mile of non-jurisdictional electric distribution line;
     2 freshwater and 2 cavern wells; and
     0.5 mile of 16-inch-diameter freshwater pipeline.
    (2) Brine Disposal Site, including three brine disposal wells;
    (3) 1.5 miles of 16-inch-diameter brine disposal pipeline;
    (4) 16.1 miles of 24-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline and 
appurtenances; and
    (5) 5 interstate and 1 intrastate pipeline system interconnects, 
each with a regulator/meter station.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other 
than appendix 1 (maps), are available on the Commission's Web site 
at the ``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference 
Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 
502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to the 
last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 261.9 
acres of land. Following construction, about 104.3 acres would be 
maintained as new aboveground facility sites and right-of-

[[Page 11607]]

way. The remaining 157.6 acres of land would be restored and allowed to 
revert to its former use.

The EA Process

    We \3\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which 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, the Commission staff requests public comments on 
the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments received are 
considered during the preparation of the EA.
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    \3\ ''We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    By this notice, we are also asking 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 below.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending 
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be 
published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public 
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners, 
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for 
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA 
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make 
our recommendations to the Commission.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    In the EA, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the project. We will also evaluate 
reasonable alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the 
project.
    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Bobcat. This preliminary list 
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
    Project-related impact on:
     Noise sensitive areas (i.e., residences) located in 
proximity to construction operations and the proposed compressor 
facility;
     12.0 acres of wetlands;
     171.5 acres of agricultural land;
     3 federally-listed threatened and endangered species 
potentially in the project area;
     7 waterbody crossings; and
     The Chicot sole source aquifer.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative locations 
and routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The 
more specific your comments, the 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 3.
     Reference Docket Number CP06-66-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 31, 2006.
    Please note that 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 and account which can be created online.

Site Visit

    On March 21, 2006, the OEP staff will conduct a pre-certification 
site visit of the planned Bobcat Gas Storage Project. We will view the 
proposed facility locations and pipeline route. Examination will be by 
automobile and on foot. Representatives of Bobcat will be accompanying 
the OEP staff.
    All interested parties may attend. Those planning to attend must 
provide their own transportation and should meet at 9 a.m. (CST) in the 
lobby of the Holiday Inn, 5696 I-49 North Service Road, Opelousas, 
Louisiana on March 21, 2006.
    For additional information, please contact the Commission's Office 
of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372).

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of 
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors. 
Likewise, each intervenor must send one electronic copy (using the 
Commission's eFiling system) or 14 paper copies of its filings to the 
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If 
you want to become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene 
according to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214, see Appendix 2).\4\ Only intervenors have 
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \4\ 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 environmental comments considered.

Environmental Mailing List

    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.

Additional Information

    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

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Support at [email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, 
or for TYY, 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 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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-3194 Filed 3-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P