[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 106 (Friday, June 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32075-32077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8523]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP06-126-000]


Texas Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Texas Gas Storage Expansion 
Project--Phase 2 and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

May 25, 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 Texas Gas Storage Expansion 
Project--Phase 2 involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (Texas Gas) in Webster, Hopkins, and 
Muhlenberg Counties, Kentucky.\1\ Texas Gas' project purpose is to 
enable it to withdraw on a firm basis up to an additional 100,749 MMBtu 
per day from the Midland and Hanson Gas Storage Fields. Also the 
project would enable Texas Gas to utilize an additional 9,320,500 MMBtu 
in the Midland Gas Storage Field to accommodate demand on Texas Gas' 
system. In general these facilities would consist of 7 new horizontal 
injection/withdrawal wells, abandoning 2 horizontal injection/
withdrawal wells, several segments of pipeline connecting the wells to 
lateral pipelines and replacing several segments of pipeline, addition 
of compression at 2 compressor stations, and increasing the 
certificated field capacity at one of the storage fields. 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.
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    \1\ Texas Gas' 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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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Texas Gas proposes to add three compressor units at two existing 
compressor stations (CS), add seven new horizontal injection/withdrawal 
wells and related field piping modifications at two existing gas 
storage fields, and abandon two existing injection/withdrawal wells all 
in Kentucky. Also Texas Gas proposes an increase in certificated field 
capacity at one gas storage field. Specifically, the project includes:
     Slaughters CS (Webster County, KY)--A new 13,338 
horsepower (hp) turbine compressor unit and associated equipment, and a 
new power generator to be installed at an existing compressor station 
site;
     Hanson CS (Hopkins County, KY)--Two new 1,774 hp 
reciprocating compressor units and associated equipment replacing two 
existing reciprocating units, a new power generator, a dehydration 
plant, and a new boiler to be installed at an existing compressor 
station site;
     Hanson Gas Storage Field (Hopkins County, KY)--Two new 
horizontal injection/withdrawal wells (Well Nos. 17567 and 17568); and
     Midland Gas Storage Field (Muhlenberg County, KY)--Five 
new horizontal injection/withdrawal wells (Well Nos. 17562, 17563, 
17564, 17565, and 17566), plugging existing Well Nos. 16774 and 16812, 
new pig trap receiver/launcher facilities, and increased certificated 
field capacity by 2,000,000 MMBtu by increasing the maximum allowable 
field pressure.
    Also, Texas Gas indicates it would construct and operate, under a 
Blanket Certificate from Docket No. CP82-407-000, the following 
facilities at the Hanson and Midland Gas Storage Fields:
     Hanson Gas Storage Field--900 feet (ft) of new 8-inch (in) 
diameter pipeline from Well No. 17567 to the 12-in East Header 
pipeline, and 800 ft of new 8-in diameter pipeline from Well No. 17568 
to the 8-in West Header pipeline.
     Midland Gas Storage Field--1,200 ft of new 8-in diameter 
pipeline from Well No. 17562 to the E-11 lateral pipeline, 800 ft of 
new 8-in diameter pipeline from Well No. 17563 to the E-7 lateral 
pipeline, 1,000 ft of new 8-in diameter pipeline from Well No. 17564 to 
the E-4 lateral pipeline, 200 ft of new 8-in diameter pipeline from 
Well No. 17565 to the E-1 lateral pipeline, 500 ft of new 8-in diameter 
pipeline from well No 17566 to the W-4 lateral pipeline, 1,600 ft of 6-
in diameter pipeline to replace the existing 4-in pipeline tributary to 
existing Well No 16947, 1,500 ft of 6-in pipeline to replace the 
existing 4-in and 6-in tributary pipeline segments extending from the 
E-11 lateral pipeline to the E-7 lateral pipeline.

[[Page 32076]]

    The general 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 
Additional Information section 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 113.39 
acres of land. All work at the Slaughters and Hanson compressor 
Stations would occur within the existing station yards. Of the 20.0 
acres needed for construction at the Hanson Storage Field, 1.34 acres 
would be maintained as new permanent easements and access road. Of the 
39.45 acres needed for construction at the Midland Storage Field, 31.9 
acres would occur within existing permanent easements and 2.75 acres 
would become maintained as new permanent easements and access roads.

The EA 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. 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:
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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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     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 air and noise impacts as issues that we 
think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed 
facilities and the environmental information provided by Texas Gas. 
This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments 
and our analysis.

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, 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. CP06-126-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before June 23, 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 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.
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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.

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)

[[Page 32077]]

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. E6-8523 Filed 6-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P