[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14882-14884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4239]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP06-64-000]


Central New York Oil and Gas Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Stagecoach Phase 
II Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues 
and Notice of Site Visit

March 17, 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 the Stagecoach Phase II Expansion 
Project, involving construction and operation of facilities by Central 
New York Oil and Gas, LLC (CNYOG) in Tioga County, New York and 
Bradford County, Pennsylvania.\1\ The EA will be used by the Commission 
in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is the 
public convenience and necessity.
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    \1\ CNYOG's application in Docket No. CP06-64-000 was filed with 
the Commission under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
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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. 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 April 17, 2006.
    An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, 
organizations, Native American Tribes, and government entities 
interested in and/or potentially affected by the 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. We encourage government representatives 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 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?'' was attached to the 
project notice (CNYOG) provided to landowners. 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. 
It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    The entire Stagecoach Storage Field would consist of a total of six 
reservoirs (``pools''), two of which and were converted into storage 
reservoirs as part of the original Stagecoach Phase I construction, and 
four of which are nearly depleted production reservoirs and would be 
added to the Stagecoach Storage Facility as part of the Phase II 
Expansion Project. The existing Stagecoach Storage Facility consists of 
the Barnhart-Owen and Widell pools, ten storage wells, seven 
observation wells, about 12 miles of interconnecting pipeline, and a 
central compressor facility. The existing working storage capacity is 
13.25 Billion cubic feet (Bcf).
    The Phase II Expansion Project would develop the four remaining 
pools (Lidell, Racht, Brenchley-Cook, and Nichols-Mead pools) for an 
additional working storage capacity estimated at 13 Bcf.
    As part of the proposed expansion, CNYOG would construct:
     An additional 12,000-horsepower electric-drive centrifugal 
compressor unit to be installed within the existing Stagecoach Central 
Compressor Station building;
     A power transformer and gas cooling unit and other 
appurtenant facilities to be installed within the Central Compressor 
Station;
     A total of nine storage injection/withdrawal wells; \2\
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    \2\ Four of the wells (one in each of the Lidell, Racht, 
Brenchley-Cook, and Nichols-Mead pools) would be drilled during the 
late spring/early summer of 2006 under the existing FERC 
authorization for the Stagecoach Storage Facility issued in 2001 
(Docket No. CP00-62-000). The remaining five storage wells would be 
located within the Lidell Pool and would be drilled once CNYOG 
receives any approval for the Phase II Expansion Project.
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     Approximately 7.3-miles of 6-inch-, 8-inch-, and 20-inch-
diameter gathering pipeline and associated rights-of-way;
     Eight wellhead meter stations and other appurtenant 
facilities, including isolation valves, separators, measurement and 
communication equipment, and a 20-foot by 70-foot building at each 
storage well site to house equipment; and
     About 4.4 miles of access roads not contained within 
pipeline or well easements.
    As part of the storage facility, CNYOG also proposes to construct 
and operate a 9.3-mile-long, 24-inch-diameter lateral (North Lateral) 
from the existing compressor station to the proposed Millennium 
Pipeline located north of the town of Owego, New York.\3\ Its 
appurtenant facilities will include measurement and regulation, 
communication, isolation valves, and pigging facilities.
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    \3\ The Millennium Pipeline Project was approved by the 
Commission on September 19, 2002 in Docket Nos. CP98-150-006 and -
007. Construction of the Millennium Pipeline has not commenced to 
date.
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    The general location of CNYOG's proposed facilities is shown on the 
map attached as appendix 1.\4\
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    \4\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other 
than Appendix 1 (map), 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 278.1 
acres of land. Of this acreage, 115.5 acres would be permanently 
affected. The remaining 162.6 acres would be temporarily impacted and 
allowed to revert to its former use. Each of CNYOG's nine test/storage 
wells would temporarily disturb about a 250-foot-radius area.
    A 100-foot-wide construction right-of-way is proposed for the North 
Lateral pipeline facilities, and a 50-foot-wide construction right-of-
way is proposed for all pipeline laterals to the storage wells. The 
North Lateral construction

[[Page 14883]]

area parallels/crosses a New York State Electric and Gas Company 
(NYSEG) electric transmission line for about 2,852 feet. The North 
Lateral follows the same general alignment as an existing Columbia Gas 
pipeline across the Susquehanna River north to the proposed Millennium 
Pipeline interconnect. CNYOG would maintain a 50-foot permanent right-
of-way for operation of the pipeline facilities.

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 will be 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 \5\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result 
of the construction and operation of the proposed project. 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. The EA we will discuss impacts that 
could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the 
proposed project under these general headings:
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    \5\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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     Geology and soils.
     Land use.
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
     Cultural resources.
     Vegetation and wildlife.
     Air quality and noise.
     Endangered and threatened species.
     Public safety.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
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.
    Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the 
EA may be published and mailed to Federal, State, and local government 
agencies; public interest groups; Native American tribes; interested 
individuals; affected landowners, newspapers, libraries, and the 
Commission's official service list for this proceeding. A 30-day 
comment period will be allotted for review if the EA is published. We 
will consider all comments submitted in any Commission Order that is 
issued for the project.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commenter, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission. 
Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects of 
the proposal, reasonable 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 1.
     Reference Docket No. CP06-64-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC, on or before April 17, 2006.
    Please note that the Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 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.''

Public Meeting

    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite 
you to attend the public scoping meeting we will conduct in the project 
area. The location for this meeting is listed below. The meeting is 
scheduled for Tuesday, April 4, 2006 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

    Owego Treadway Inn, 1100 State Route 17C, Owego, NY 13827. (607) 
687-4500.

    Public scoping meetings are designed to provide State and local 
agencies, interested groups, affected landowners, and the general 
public with another opportunity to offer comments on the project. 
Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meeting 
and to present comments on the environmental issues they believe should 
be addressed in the EA.

Site Visit

    On April 5, 2006, the FERC staff will conduct a site visit of the 
Stagecoach Storage Facility. The purpose of the visit will be to 
inspect both the existing storage facility and the proposed Stagecoach 
Phase II Expansion Project. We will view the proposed storage field 
expansion, well sites, and associated pipeline routes. Representatives 
of CNYOG will be accompanying the FERC staff.
    All interested parties may attend the site visit on April 5, 2006. 
Those planning to attend must provide their own transportation. If you 
are interested in attending the site visit, please meet at 8 a.m. in 
the lobby of the Owego Treadway Inn at the address listed above.

Becoming an Intervener

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding, or ``intervener''. To 
become an intervener you must file a motion to intervene according to 
Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 
385.214). Interveners have the right to seek rehearing of the 
Commission's decision. Motions to Intervene should be electronically 
submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov. 
Persons without Internet access should send an original and 14 copies 
of their motion to the Secretary of the Commission at the address 
indicated previously. Persons filing Motions to Intervene on or before 
the comment deadline indicated above must send a copy of the motion to 
the Applicant. All filings, including late interventions, submitted 
after the comment deadline must be served on the Applicant and all

[[Page 14884]]

other interveners identified on the Commission's service list for this 
proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-mail addresses may be 
served electronically; others must be served a hard copy of the filing. 
Please refer to Appendix 2 if you would like more information on how to 
intervene in Commission proceedings.
    Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be 
granted intervener 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 intervener 
status to have your environmental comments considered.

Environmental Mailing List

    If you do not want to remain on our mailing list, please return the 
Remove From Mailing List Form included in Appendix 3. If you return 
this form, you will be removed from the Commission's environmental 
mailing list.

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., CP06-64-
000), and follow the instructions. 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 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. E6-4239 Filed 3-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P