[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 130 (Friday, July 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38635-38637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10618]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF06-29-000]


Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Gulfstream Phase 
IV Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

June 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 Gulfstream Natural Gas System, 
L.L.C.'s (Gulfstream) planned Phase IV Expansion Project located in 
Florida and Alabama. This notice announces the opening of the scoping 
process we will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the projects. 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 July 31, 2006.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State, 
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We 
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
    At this time we request that comments be submitted in written form. 
Further details on how to submit written comments are provided in the 
public participation section of this notice. For further information 
and an opportunity to provide comments, you are invited to attend 
Gulfstream's public open house meetings that are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 6-8 p.m.: Hillsborough County Commission 
Building, 601 East Kennedy Blvd., 18th Floor, Tampa, FL 33602.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 6-8 p.m.: Weedon Island Preserve, Cultural 
and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 
33702.
Thursday, July 13, 2006, 6-8 p.m.: Manatee Civic Center, Palma Sola 
Room, One Haben Blvd., Palmetto, FL 34221.
    The primary purpose for the open house sessions is to identify 
potential siting issues so that they could be appropriately addressed. 
At the open houses, Gulfstream representatives will be available to 
discuss the various aspects of the project (e.g., land, construction, 
environmental, design/engineering, and operations) and will meet 
individually with attendees to outline how pipelines and related 
facilities are sited, approved, built, and operated. Aerial photography 
and offshore survey maps showing route alternatives will be made 
available to encourage comments on the proposed project. Information on 
the FERC process will also be available.
    In addition to the open houses, Gulfstream has established a toll-
free phone number (888-GAS-4-FLA), an e-mail address 
([email protected]), and has developed a project Web site (http://www.gulfstreamgas.com/phase4.htm). Information included on the project 
Web site includes: The route selection process; the regulatory 
overview, with links to the FERC Web site; construction procedures; 
pipeline safety; and contact information.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Progress Energy Florida, Inc. (Progress Energy) is scheduled to re-
power its Bartow Power Plant. The 472-megawatt (MW) oil-fired plant is 
scheduled to be re-powered with three combined cycle gas turbines that 
will generate 1,100 MW of power. Progress Energy has requested, and 
Gulfstream has agreed to provide 0.155 billion cubic feet per day of 
firm natural gas transportation service to the Bartow Plant. In order 
to provide the requested transportation service, it is necessary for 
Gulfstream to expand its current system, as described below.
    Gulfstream is proposing to construct approximately 17.74 miles of 
20-inch-diameter offshore pipeline from a proposed underwater hot tap 
with the existing 36-inch-diameter Gulfstream Pipeline (Line 200) in 
Hillsborough County waters of Tampa Bay and connecting to the existing 
Progress Energy Bartow Power Plant (Bartow Plant) on the east shore of 
St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Florida. The project would also 
require the installation of

[[Page 38636]]

45,000 horsepower (hp) of new compression. One 15,000 hp compressor 
unit would be added at Gulfstream's existing compressor station in 
Coden, Alabama and a new compressor station with two 15,000-hp units 
would be constructed at an existing pressure reduction station site in 
Manatee County, Florida.
    The proposed offshore pipeline would head north-northeast from the 
proposed hot tap location and would cross Port Manatee channel, cross 
Cut ``C'' of Tampa Bay channel, turn in a north-northwest direction, 
cross Cut ``G'' of Tampa Bay channel and Cut ``K'' of Tampa Bay 
channel, enter Pinellas County waters, turn almost due west, cross the 
Bartow Channel and enter the south side of the Bartow Plant. The 
pipeline would be buried to maintain a minimum of 3 feet of cover 
between the top of the pipeline and the natural bay bottom, in 
accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. The four 
channel crossings would be installed by horizontal directional drills 
(HDD) under each channel and would be buried with a cover of 10 or more 
feet below the design bottom of each channel. The shore approach to the 
Bartow Plant would also be installed by HDD and would start at the 
Bartow Channel, thereby avoiding sensitive nearshore habitats.
    In order to meet the in-service dates requested by Progress Energy, 
Gulfstream intends to place the proposed pipeline in service by 
September 1, 2008, and the compression in service by January 1, 2009.
    Location maps depicting Gulfstream's proposed facilities are 
provided in Appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Web site (excluding maps) at the ``eLibrary'' link or 
from the Commission's Public Reference Room or call (202) 502-8371. 
For instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to the end of this 
notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving 
this notice in the mail.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    At this time no formal application has been filed with the FERC. 
For this project, the FERC staff has initiated its NEPA review prior to 
receiving the application. The purpose of our Pre-Filing Process is to 
involve interested stakeholders early in project planning and to 
identify and resolve issues before an application is filed with the 
FERC.
    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities, 
environmental information provided by Gulfstream, and comments provided 
by other agencies. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based 
on your comments and our analysis.;
     Potential indirect impacts (e.g., turbidity and 
sedimentation) to submerged aquatic vegetation;
     Safety and noise concerns for the new compressor station 
facilities;
     Potential conflicts with future ship channel improvements;
     Potential impacts to aquatic preserves;
     Net benefits to air quality;
     Potential impacts to manatees, sea turtles, and sawfish.

The EA Process

    The FERC will use the EA to consider the environmental impact that 
could result if it issues Gulfstream a Certificate of Public 
Convenience and Necessity.
    This notice formally announces our preparation of the EA and the 
beginning of the process referred to as ``scoping.'' We \2\ are 
soliciting input from the public and interested agencies to help us 
focus the analysis in the EA on the potentially significant 
environmental issues related to the proposed action.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in an EA 
that will be prepared for the project. Our evaluation will also include 
possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the 
project, and we will make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid 
impacts on the various resource areas of concern.
    The EA will be mailed to Federal, State, and local government 
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; 
Native American tribes; affected landowners; other interested parties; 
local libraries and newspapers; and the FERC's official service list 
for this proceeding. A 30-day comment period will be allotted for 
review of the EA. We will consider all comments submitted on the EA in 
any Commission Order that is issued for the project.
    We are currently involved in discussions with other jurisdictional 
agencies to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Department of 
Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. By 
this notice, we are asking these and other 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 provided below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the proposals. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives and 
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific 
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your 
comments are timely and properly recorded, please mail your comments so 
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before July 31, 2006 
and carefully follow these instructions:
     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, DG2E; and
     Reference Docket No. PF06-29-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    Please note that the Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations 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.''
    When Gulfstream submits its application for authorization to 
construct and operate the Phase IV Expansion Project, the Commission 
will publish a Notice of Application in the Federal Register and will 
establish a deadline for interested persons to intervene in the 
proceeding. Because the Commission's Pre-filing Process occurs before 
an application to begin a proceeding is officially filed, petitions to 
intervene during this process are premature and will not be accepted by 
the Commission.

Environmental Mailing List

    If you wish to remain on the environmental mailing list, please

[[Page 38637]]

return the Mailing List Retention Form included in Appendix 2. If you 
do not return this form, you will be taken off our mailing list.

Availability of 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., PF06-29-
000), and follow the instructions. Searches may also be done using the 
phrase ``Gulfstream Phase IV Expansion'' in the ``Text Search'' field. 
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 rulemakings.
    In addition, the FERC now offers a free service called 
eSubscription that 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. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    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. As indicated previously, 
Gulfstream has established an Internet Web site for its project at 
http://www.gulfstreamgas.com/phase4.htm. The Web site includes a 
project overview, contact information, regulatory overview, and 
construction procedures.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-10618 Filed 7-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P