[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 151 (Monday, August 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44681-44682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12712]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP06-64-000]


Central New York Oil and Gas Company, L.L.C; Notice of 
Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 
Stagecoach Phase II Expansion Project

July 28, 2006.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Central New York Oil and 
Gas Company, L.L.C. (CNYOG) in the above-referenced dockets.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of CNYOG's proposed underground gas storage 
facilities and associated pipeline

[[Page 44682]]

facilities. The proposed project is associated with CNYOG's existing 
Stagecoach Storage Project which has been in operation since 2002 and 
has a working storage capacity of 13.25 billion cubic feet (Bcf). The 
Stagecoach Phase II Expansion Project would convert four existing 
natural gas production fields that are nearly depleted into storage 
reservoirs in Bradford County, Pennsylvania and Tioga County, New York. 
The facilities required by the project would include: An additional 
12,000-horsepower electric-drive centrifugal compressor unit; eight 
storage injection/withdrawal wells; approximately 6.7 miles of 6-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; about 4.4 miles of access roads not contained within 
pipeline or well easements; and a 9.3-mile-long, 20-inch-diameter 
lateral (North Lateral) from the existing compressor station to the 
proposed Millennium Pipeline located north of the town of Owego, New 
York.\1\
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    \1\ The Millennium Pipeline Project was approved by the 
Commission on September 19, 2002 in Docket Nos. CP98-150-000. 
Construction of the Millennium Pipeline has not commenced to date, 
and Millennium Piepline L.P. is currently seeking Commission 
approval for design and route changes to its project in Docket Nos. 
CP98-150-006 and CP98-150-007.
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    The purpose of the project is to support increased demand for 
natural gas service in the northeast United States. The connection and 
integration of the additional reservoirs would essentially double the 
working storage capacity of the Stagecoach Facility from 13.25 Bcf to 
about 26.25 Bcf. The increase in storage capacity is expected to extend 
the facility's capability to handle withdrawals at a maximum rate of 
500,000 million cubic feet (Mcf)/day from the existing level of 12 
consecutive days to 20 consecutive days.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public 
inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference 
Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-
8371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, State and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that we receive your comments before the date specified 
below. 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 comments to: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP06-64-000;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas Branch 1, PJ-11.1; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before August 28, 2006.
    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 an account which can be created on-line.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to 
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene 
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).\2\ Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \2\ 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 comments considered.
    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 (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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-12712 Filed 8-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P