[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 146 (Monday, July 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43148-43149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12237]



[[Page 43148]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF05-16-000]


Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Brookhaven Lateral 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of 
Scoping Meeting

July 21, 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 Iroquois Pipeline Operating 
Company's (Iroquois) planned Brookhaven Lateral, located on Long 
Island, in Suffolk County, New York. This notice announces the opening 
of the scoping process we \1\ will use to gather 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 August 25, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The terms ``we,'' ``us,'' or ``our'' refer to the 
environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects at the FERC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Comments may be submitted in written form or presented verbally at 
the public meeting listed below. Further details on how to submit 
written comments are provided in the public participation section of 
this notice. In lieu of sending written comments, you are invited to 
attend the public scoping meeting, scheduled as follows:

Thursday, August 10, 2006, 6:30 p.m. (EST): Islandia Marriott Long 
Island, 3635 Express Drive North, Islandia, New York 11749, 631-232-
3000.

    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and 
public interest groups; Indian tribes and Native American groups; 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.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Iroquois proposes to expand its natural gas transmission system to 
provide about 50 dekatherms per day of natural gas to the planned 
Caithness Energy Center (Caithness Project) by April 2008. The Long 
Island Power Authority (LIPA) selected the Caithness Project, to be 
located in the Town of Brookhaven, to meet the growing electric power 
needs of its customers. The Caithness Project would consist of a new, 
approximate 350 megawatt combined cycle natural gas and oil-fired 
electric generation facility. The Caithness Project is not under the 
jurisdiction of the FERC, and is in the process of obtaining necessary 
federal, state, and local permits prior to construction and operation. 
LIPA asked Iroquois to provide natural gas to the Caithness Project. 
Therefore, Iroquois requested that the Commission review its proposal 
to construct and operate the following facilities:
     Approximately 21.1 miles of 24-inch-diameter underground 
steel natural gas pipeline, extending from the current terminus of 
Iroquois' existing system at the South Commack Meter Station in 
Smithtown to the site of the proposed Caithness Project near the hamlet 
of Yaphank, New York; and
     Six mainline block valves, a pig launcher at the South 
Commack Meter Station, and a pig receiver and new custody transfer 
meter station at the eastern end of the pipeline, at the Caithness 
Project site.
    A map depicting the general location of Iroquois' proposed 
facilities and alternate pipeline routes is attached as Appendix 1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices are 
available at the Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First 
Street NE., Washington DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. Copies of 
the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the 
mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    At this time no formal application has been filed by Iroquois with 
the FERC. For this project, the FERC staff has initiated its review to 
comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) prior to 
receiving the application. The purpose of our NEPA Pre-Filing 
Environmental Review 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 Iroquois, and comments received 
from the public or governmental agencies. This preliminary list of 
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     Accomodation or permission needed from the New York 
Department of Parks and New York Department of Transportation to allow 
the pipeline to cross the control access line easement acquired with 
funds from the Federal Highway Administration along the Sunken Meadow 
Parkway (milepost [MP] 0.4), the Northern State Parkway (MP 1.5), and 
the Long Island Expressway (LIE, I-495, MP 13);
     Potential use of temporary extra work spaces outside of 
the existing easement for the LIPA power line, between about MP 3 and 
MP 12.5, and potential affects from construction of the proposed 
pipeline on residences and schools adjacent to the LIPA easement;
     Potential affects on residences and commercial businesses 
along Long Island Avenue between about MP 13.5 and MP 18.5;
     Feasibility of using horizontal directional drills to 
cross under the Northern State Parkway (MP 1.5), Simeon Woods and 
Wheeler Road (MP 4.8), Veterans Memorial Highway (MP 6.5), Hyatt Golf 
Club Access Road (MP 7.7), Patchogue Road (MP 11.7); and the LIE (MP 
13); and
     Potential impacts on federal or state-listed rare, 
threatened, endangered, or protected species, and cultural resources.

The EA Process

    The FERC will use the EA to consider the environmental impacts that 
could result if it issues Iroquois 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 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.
    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; 
Indian tribes and Native American groups; 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 our recommendations to

[[Page 43149]]

the Commission for an Order that is issued for the project.
    We are currently involved in discussions with other governmental 
agencies to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); U.S. Department of 
Transportation; New York State Department of Environmental 
Conservation; New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and 
Historic Preservation; New York State Department of Transportation; 
Suffolk County; and the Town of Huntington. The EPA and FWS have agreed 
to be cooperating agencies in the production of the EA. By this notice, 
we are asking any 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 August 25, 
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 OEP/
DG2E/Gas Branch 3, PJ-11.3; and
     Reference Docket No. PF05-16-000 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 Iroquois submits its application for authorization to 
construct and operate the Brookhaven Lateral 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 our Pre-filing Environmental Review Process occurs 
before an application to begin a proceeding is officially filed, you 
may not request intervenor status at this time. Petitions to intervene 
during the Pre-filing process are premature and will not be accepted by 
the Commission.

Environmental Mailing List

    If you wish to remain on the environmental mailing list, and 
receive a copy of the EA, please 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., PF05-16--you 
do not need the last three numbers [000] in the docket), and follow the 
instructions. Searches may also be done using the phrase ``Brookhaven 
Lateral'' 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 rule makings.
    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. Finally, Iroquois has established 
a project-specific Internet Web site at http://www.iroquois.com/new-Internet/igts/Brookhaven/brookhaven.asp. Iroquois' Brookhaven Lateral 
Web site includes a project description, public participation, answers 
to frequently asked questions, and links. For additional data, call 
Ruth Parkins, Iroquois Public Relations Representative, at 203-925-
7209, or e-mail: [email protected].

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-12237 Filed 7-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P