[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 151 (Monday, August 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44683-44685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12722]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

 [Docket No. CP06-412-000]


Puget Sound Energy, Inc., Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Jackson Prairie Storage 
Deliverability Expansion Project, Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

July 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 the Jackson Prairie (JP) Storage 
Deliverability Expansion Project involving abandonment, construction, 
and operation of facilities by Puget Sound Energy, Inc. (Puget) in 
Lewis County, Washington.\1\ The Commission will use the EA in its 
decision-making process to determine whether or not to authorize the 
project. 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 us determine 
the issues that need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the 
scoping period will close on August 28, 2006.
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    \1\ Puget's application was filed with the Commission under 
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and part 157 of the Commmission's 
regulations.
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    This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners; 
Federal, State, and local government agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes, other 
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers. State and local 
government representatives are asked to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). 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.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a Puget 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.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Puget is seeking authorization to design, construct, operate, and 
maintain the following new facilities at the existing JP Storage Field 
in Lewis County, Washington:
     Up to ten new withdrawal/injection wells with associated 
well connect pipeline;
     About 0.8 mile of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline to loop a 
portion of the existing gathering system;
     One new 10,480-horsepower (hp) compressor unit at the 
existing JP Compressor Station; and
     Upgrades and auxiliary facility additions at both the JP 
Compressor Station (total 1,551 hp increase) and JP Meter Station.
    Puget also requests to abandon various facilities that would be 
replaced by the proposed upgraded facilities.
    The existing JP Storage Field interconnects with Northwest Pipeline 
Corporation's transmission system which provides natural gas supplies 
to markets in the Pacific Northwest. Puget's proposed new and upgraded 
facilities would allow it to increase maximum firm withdrawal 
deliverability of the JP Storage Field from 850 million cubic feet per 
day (MMcfd) to 1,150 MMcfd. Puget is expected to commence construction 
for the drilling of up to five of the new wells and installation of 
associated well connect lines in the spring of 2007. Production rate 
tests on the initial wells would be conducted to help determine the 
minimum number of wells required to achieve the desired 300 MMcfd. The 
remaining facilities are anticipated to be constructed in 2008.
    The general location of Puget's proposed facilities is shown on the 
map attached as Appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of this notice, 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 last page of 
this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those 
receiving this notice in the mail.

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[[Page 44684]]

Land Requirements for Construction

    Puget states that all of the proposed activities associated with 
this project would occur on private lands owned or leased by the JP 
Storage Field. About 29.66 acres of land would be affected during 
construction and about 22.23 acres would be permanently maintained for 
operation of the proposed facilities. Six of the new withdrawal well 
sites would be located on new graveled well pads covering an area of 
150 feet by 250 feet for drilling operations; the remaining four well 
sites would be co-located on two new graveled well pads which would 
require an area of 150 feet by 300 feet.
    The new 24-inch loop gathering line would be constructed within a 
90-foot-wide right-of-way (ROW); and Puget is proposing to maintain a 
75-foot-wide permanent ROW along the pipeline route. The total surface 
disturbance for the well connect lines and well pads would require 
about 12.22 acres. These new well connect lines would range from 6- to 
10-inch-diameter pipeline and would tie-in to the JP gathering line.
    Puget would generally use established access roads; however, one 
new access road would need to be constructed and improvements on an 
existing two-track road would be necessary. Most modifications to the 
JP Compressor Station would occur within the station boundaries; 
however, the station would need to be expanded 0.51 acre to accommodate 
the new gas coolers. All of the modifications to the JP Meter Station 
would occur within the existing footprint. The existing Chehalis 
Compressor Station, which is about 2 miles southwest of the JP Storage 
Field, would be used as a pipe storage yard for the project.

The EA Process

    We \3\ are preparing the EA to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which 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.
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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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    By this notice, we are also asking 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 below (see Public 
Participation).
    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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    In the EA, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the project. We will also evaluate 
possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the 
project.
    We have already identified some issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Puget. This preliminary list 
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     Potential impacts on local Noise Quality associated with 
construction and operation.
     Potential impacts on Water Use and Quality.
     Potential impacts on Land Use from a 75-foot-wide 
permanent ROW.

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 (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. CP06-412-000.
     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.

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 e-Filing 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).\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

[[Page 44685]]

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. E6-12722 Filed 8-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P