[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1719-1721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-445]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

[Docket No. CP07-10-000]


Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed TL-263 Expansion Project and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

January 9, 2007.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) is preparing an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
describe the impacts of constructing and operating the proposed natural 
gas pipeline TL-263 Expansion Project (Project) sponsored by Dominion 
Transmission Inc. (DTI).\1\
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    \1\ DTI's 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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    The proposed Project would include the construction, replacement, 
installation, modification and operation of natural gas pipeline 
facilities in Boone and Wyoming Counties, West Virginia to increase the 
capacity, improve the efficiency and maintain the integrity of DTI's 
existing natural gas delivery system. Specifically, DTI is seeking 
authority to undertake the following activities:
     Construct approximately 6.43 miles of 12-inch-diameter 
natural gas pipeline and associated facilities (TL-570);
     Replace six 12-inch-diameter pipeline sections along the 
existing TL-263 natural gas pipeline (a total of approximately 601 feet 
of pipeline);
     Install overpressure protection; and
     Modify the existing Loup Creek Compressor Station.
    A map indicating the general locations of the proposed Project 
facilities is provided 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 website 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.
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    Construction of the new 12-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline which 
would be known as TL-570 would be

[[Page 1720]]

adjacent to the existing TL-263 pipeline and would require a 60- to 75-
foot-wide construction right-of-way (ROW), affecting approximately 
64.68 acres of land. Following construction, approximately 26.53 acres 
of land would be required for use as permanent ROW and associated 
aboveground facilities.
    The replacement of the six 12-inch-diameter pipeline sections along 
the existing TL-263 natural gas pipeline would require a 75-foot-wide 
construction ROW, affecting approximately 5.17 acres of land. No 
additional lands would be required for maintenance of these replaced 
pipeline sections.
    Other construction work areas, access roads and additional 
temporary work spaces would require the use of approximately 47.29 
acres of land during construction and approximately 5.96 acres of land 
during operation.
    Construction of the proposed Project would temporarily require the 
use of approximately 123.99 acres of land. Operation of the proposed 
Project would permanently require the use of approximately 32.49 acres 
of land.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a DTI representative about the acquisition of an easement to support 
this project. DTI would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement for any easement; however, if the project is approved by the 
Commission, this approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. 
If easement negotiations between you and DTI fail, it would have the 
authority to initiate condemnation proceedings.
    A fact sheet prepared by the Commission entitled ``An Interstate 
Natural Gas Facility on my Land? What do I need to know?'' should have 
been attached to the project notice provided to landowners by DTI. 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. This fact sheet is also available online at http://www.ferc.gov.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to consider the environmental impacts of a proposed project 
whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public 
Convenience and Necessity as has been requested by DTI. NEPA also 
requires the Commission to undertake a process to identify and address 
concerns the public may have about proposed projects. This process is 
commonly referred to as ``scoping''. The main goal of the ``scoping'' 
process is to identify public concerns and then address them in the EA. 
By this Notice of Intent, the Commission requests public comments on 
environmental issues that should be addressed in the EA.
    The Commission's staff will prepare an EA that will describe the 
potential environmental impacts resulting from construction and 
operation of the proposed Project under the following general headings:
     Geology and Soils
     Water Resources and Wetlands
     Vegetation, Wildlife and Fisheries
     Threatened and Endangered or Special Status Species
     Land Use
     Cultural Resources
     Air Quality and Noise
     Reliability and Safety
    The Commission's staff will also evaluate possible alternatives to 
the proposed project or portions of the project and make 
recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts to the identified 
environmental resources.
    Upon completion of the staff's environmental assessment and 
depending on the issues identified and/or comments received during the 
``scoping'' process, the EA may be published and mailed to federal, 
state and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental 
and public interest groups; affected landowners; other interested 
parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the Commission's official 
service list for this proceeding. A 30-day comment period would be 
allotted for review of the EA if it is published. Staff would consider 
all comments submitted concerning the EA before making their 
recommendations to the Commission.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section of this notice.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your comments or 
concerns about the proposed project. By becoming a commentor, your 
comments and concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the 
Commission. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will 
be. Generally, comments are submitted regarding the potential 
environmental effects, reasonable alternatives and measures to avoid or 
lessen environmental impact.
    This notice and request for environmental comments is being sent to 
affected landowners; federal, state and local government 
representatives and agencies; environmental and public interest groups; 
other interested parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and 
newspapers. We encourage government representatives to notify their 
constituents of this notice and to encourage their comments concerning 
this proposed project.
    To ensure that your comments are properly recorded, please mail 
them to our office on or before February 8, 2007. When filing comments 
please:
     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 your comments to the attention of Gas 
Branch 2, DG2E; and Reference Docket No. CP07-10-000 on the original 
and both copies
    Please note that the Commission strongly encourages the electronic 
filing (``eFiling'') of comments, interventions or protests to this 
proceeding. Instructions on how to ``eFile'' comments can be found on 
the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``Documents 
and Filings'' link.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to participating 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) \3\. Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \3\ 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.

Environmental Mailing List

    This notice has been sent to all known individuals, organizations, 
and

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government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
proposed Project. This includes all landowners who are potential right-
of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily for project 
purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the Commission's 
regulations of certain aboveground facilities.
    If you would like to remain on the environmental mailing list for 
this proposed project, please return the Mailing List Retention Form 
found in Appendix 2. If you do not comment on this project or return 
this form, you will be taken off of the staff's environmental mailing 
list.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the proposed 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).
    To access information via the FERC Web site click on the 
``eLibrary'' link then 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. The ``eLibrary'' link 
provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. For assistance 
with ``eLibrary'', please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659.
    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 
these documents. To learn more about eSubscription and to sign-up for 
this service please go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Public meetings and/or site visits along with other Project related 
information will be posted on the Commission's calendar located at 
http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-445 Filed 1-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P