[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14884-14886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4229]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP06-53-000]


Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 2006-2008 Expansion Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

March 15, 2006.

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) is preparing an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of Eastern Shore Natural Gas 
Company's (ESNG) proposed 2006-2008 Expansion Project involving 
construction and operation of natural gas pipeline facilities in 
Chester County, Pennsylvania, and New Castle, Kent, and Sussex 
Counties, Delaware.\1\ This EA will be used by the Commission in its 
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the 
public convenience and necessity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ ESNG's application was filed with the Commission under 
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's 
regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 Commission's 
proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    The purpose of ESNG's project is to increase the capacity of its 
existing pipeline system to accommodate growing demand within its 
market area. To meet this demand, ESNG would construct about 55 miles 
of various diameter pipeline and two new meter stations. Specifically, 
ESNG proposes to add 15.0 miles of mainline pipeline, 40.0 miles of 
looping pipeline and appurtenant facilities. The project is composed of 
seven segments and includes:
     Segment 1 (Chester County, PA)--About 1.5 miles of 16-
inch-diameter pipeline, looping ESNG's existing 8-inch-diameter 
Parkesburg mainline;
     Segment 1A (Chester County, PA)--About 0.6 mile of 16-
inch-diameter pipeline, looping ESNG's two existing pipelines;
     Segment 2 (New Castle and Kent Counties, DE)--About 23.8 
miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline, looping ESNG's existing 10-inch-
diameter Hockessin mainline;
     Segment 3 (New Castle County, DE)--About 6.1 miles of 10-
inch-diameter pipeline, looping ESNG's existing 6-inch-diameter 
Parkesburg mainline;
     Segment 4 (Sussex County, DE)--About 4.0 miles of 10-inch-
diameter pipeline, looping ESNG's existing 6-inch-diameter Parkesburg 
mainline;
     Segment 5 (Sussex County, DE)--About 4.0 miles of 10-inch-
diameter pipeline, looping ESNG's existing 6-inch-diameter Cambridge/
Easton mainline; and
     Segment 6 (Sussex County, DE)--About 15.0 miles of 6-inch-
diameter pipeline to tie into an existing ESNG 6-inch-diameter pipeline 
upstream and extend southerly to Millsboro, DE.
    ESNG also proposes to construct two new metering stations located 
at Mileposts 10.4 and 15.0 as part of Segment 6.
    The general locations of the project facilities are shown in 
Appendix 1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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.
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 752.46 
acres of land including some of ESNG's existing permanent easement. 
Following construction, about 1.52 acres would be maintained for new 
permanent easement and operation of the aboveground facility sites. The 
remaining 750.94 acres of land would be restored and allowed to revert 
to its former use.

[[Page 14885]]

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (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, 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. State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify 
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to 
comment on their areas of concern.
    In the EA we \3\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result 
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these 
general headings:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Geology and soils
     Land use
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
     Cultural resources
     Vegetation and wildlife
     Air quality and noise
     Endangered and threatened species
     Hazardous waste
     Public safety
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project 
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    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.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section below.

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 
the environmental information provided by ESNG. This preliminary list 
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
    Project-related impact on:
     Residences or structures within 50 feet of construction 
work space;
     Wellhead Water Resource Protection Areas;
     Effects to private water wells;
     Waterbody crossings;
     Construction effects to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, 
Drawyer Creek and the Appoquinimink River;
     Effect to category 5 impaired waterbodies; and
     Restoration of natural landscape.

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/or 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 2.
     Reference Docket No. CP06-53-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 17, 2006.

Scoping Meeting

    The public scoping meetings are designed to provide another 
opportunity to offer comments on the proposed project. Interested 
groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meetings and to 
present comments on the environmental issues they believe should be 
addressed in the EA. A transcript of the meetings will be generated so 
that your comments will be accurately recorded. There will be one 
scoping meeting in a centralized location for all segments of the 
project.

2006-2008 Expansion Project Wednesday--March 29, 2006, 7 p.m. (EST), 
The AmericInn, 1259 Corn Crib Road, Harrington, DE 19952, (302) 398-
3900.

    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 a free account which can be created on-line.
    We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving 
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 3). If you do not 
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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

    An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, 
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially 
affected by the

[[Page 14886]]

proposed project. This includes all landowners who are potential right-
of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily for project 
purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the Commission's 
regulations of certain aboveground facilities. By this notice we are 
also asking governmental agencies to express their interest in becoming 
cooperating agencies for the preparation of the EA.

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 (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. E6-4229 Filed 3-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P