[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13378-13380]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3661]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP06-76-000]


Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC; Notice of Alternative Project 
Site Algonquin Ramapo Expansion Project

March 8, 2006.
    On January 10, 2006, a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (NOI) was issued by the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) concerning the preparation 
of a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) that discusses 
the environmental impacts of Millennium Pipeline L.P.'s (Millennium) 
proposed Millennium Phase I Project (Phase I Project) which involves 
design and route changes to the pipeline facilities previously approved 
as part of the Millennium Pipeline Project and the related projects 
proposed by other pipeline companies. These related projects are: 
Columbia Gas

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Transmission Corporation's (Columbia) Line A-5 Replacement Project 
(Docket No. CP05-19-000), Empire Pipeline, Inc.'s (Empire) Empire 
Connector Project (Docket No. CP05-6-000), Algonquin Gas Transmission's 
(Algonquin) Ramapo Expansion Project (pre-filing Docket No, PF06-5-000 
and certificate application filed in Docket No. CP06-76-000 on March 2, 
2006), and Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'s MarketAccess 
Project (pre-filing Docket No. PF06-6-000). Together, these projects 
are referred to as the Northeast (NE)-07 Project. A copy of the NOI is 
attached for your reference (see appendix 1).
    Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC (Algonquin) filed information 
regarding an alternative compressor station (CS) site for the proposed 
Oxford CS that it may consider as its preferred site. This alternative 
site is in Oxford, New Haven County, Connecticut. The property is 
referred to as alternative ``Site F, Oxford Tax Identification: Map 24, 
Block 21, Lot 8'' (Woodruff Hill 3). It would be at 
approximate Algonquin milepost 132.5. It would be about 0.85 mile east 
of the Oxford Airport runway. It is associated with the planned 
Woodruff Hill Industrial Park (Industrial Park) site just east of the 
Oxford Airport in an area that has been designated as ``future 
development''. But, it is not included in the current plans for 
developing the Industrial Park. A location map for the proposed 
alternative Oxford CS site is in appendix 2.
    Site F occupies a 41-acre parcel that lies mostly within a valley 
that is bisected by an intermittent stream and some associated 
wetlands. The site is moderately level and mostly wooded. Algonquin 
indicates that an approximate 1600-foot-long driveway would be required 
for permanent access to the site.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping period for the 
alternative site that will be used to gather environmental information 
from the public and interested agencies on the NE-07 Project. Please 
note that the scoping period will close on April 7, 2006. Details on 
how to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section 
of this notice.
    This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners within 
a half mile of the alternative new compressor station site; Federal, 
state, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental 
and public interest groups; Native American tribes; and local libraries 
and newspapers.
    Some affected landowners may be contacted by a project 
representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct, 
operate, and maintain the proposed pipeline. If so, the company should 
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. In the event that 
the NE-07 Project is certificated by the Commission, that approval 
conveys the right of eminent domain for securing easements for the 
pipeline. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an 
agreement, the 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?'' addresses a number 
of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and 
how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).

The EIS Process

    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 under 
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. 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 SEIS on the important environmental issues. 
By the NOI, the Commission staff requested public comments on the scope 
of the issues to address in the EIS. All comments received are 
considered during the preparation of the SEIS. Landowners receiving 
this supplemental notice about the alternative compressor station site 
have been given an opportunity to comment of the project outside the 
comment period identified in the attached NOI.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have identified several issues that we think deserve attention 
based on a preliminary review of the proposed alternative facilities 
and the environmental information provided by the applicants. This 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis.

 Water Resources.
    [rtarr8] Impact on water quality.
    [rtarr8] Impact on wetlands.
 Vegetation and Wildlife.
    [rtarr8] Impact on forests due to clearing to construct and operate 
the compressor station and access road.
 Endangered and Threatened Species.
    [rtarr8] Impact on Indiana bats.
    [rtarr8] Impact on bog turtles.
 Reliability and Safety.
    [rtarr8] Assessment of hazards associated with compressor stations.
 Air Quality and Noise.
    [rtarr8] Temporary impacts from construction of the pipeline on 
residences.
    [rtarr8] Impacts of operation of the new compressor stations and 
compressor station additions.
 Alternatives.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the NE-07 Project. By becoming a commentor, 
your concerns may be addressed in the SEIS 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 may 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 2.
     Reference the docket number of the project about which you 
are commenting on the original and both copies. For these projects, 
please reference:--Ramapo Expansion Project--CP06-76-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 7, 2006.
    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 open a free account which can be 
created on-line.

Becoming an Intervenor

    Please see the attached NOI for the NE-07 Project for this 
information.

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Environmental Mailing List

    If you do not want to send comments at this time, but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the attached Mailing List 
Retention Form (Appendix 3). If you do not return the form, you will be 
taken off the 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 Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact 1-202-502-8659. 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.
    Finally, 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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-3661 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P