[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11349-11350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4471]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP06-428-000]


Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company, LP; Notice of Availability of 
the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Tuscola East Replacement 
Project

March 7, 2007.
    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 Panhandle Eastern Pipeline 
Company, LP (Panhandle) in the above-referenced docket.
    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 the proposed project. Panhandle proposes 
to replace a total of 31.3 miles of pipeline consisting of three 
segments and abandoning in place or by removal the existing 29.4 miles 
of pipelines that correspond with the new replacement lines. 
Specifically, the project includes:
     Tuscola 100-Line (Douglas County, IL)--Replacing 6.7 miles 
of existing 100-Line 20-inch diameter pipeline with 36-inch diameter 
pipeline, designating the new pipeline as the 500-Line, and installing 
a new pig launcher/receiver;
     Tuscola 200-Line (Douglas County, IL)--Replacing 1.9 miles 
of the existing 200-Line 36-inch diameter pipeline with 20-inch 
diameter pipeline (the 1.9 miles of 36-inch pipeline replaced would be 
used for the new 500-Line);

[[Page 11350]]

     Montezuma 100-Line (Parke County, IN)--Replacing 6.6 miles 
of the existing 100-Line 20-inch diameter pipeline with 36-inch 
diameter pipeline, designating the new pipeline as the 500-Line, and 
installing a new pig launcher/receiver; and
     Zionsville 200-Line (Marion, Boone, and Hamilton Counties, 
IN)--Replacing 17.9 miles of the existing 200-Line 24-inch diameter 
pipeline with 30-inch diameter pipeline, designating the new pipeline 
as the 500-Line, and installing a new pig launcher/receiver and a new 
mainline valve (MLV).
    Due to the age of Panhandle's existing line and the U.S. Department 
of Transportation's Integrity Management Plan regulations, Panhandle 
reduced the operating pressure on one line by 20 percent in 2004. 
Additional measures to mitigate risk for High Consequence Areas must be 
implemented by end of 2011. Panhandle's project purpose is to restore 
long-haul transportation capacity from Tuscola heading east to Michigan 
by replacing the existing diameter pipeline with larger diameter 
pipeline.
    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 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 a free account which can be created by clicking on ``Sign-up.''
    If you are filing written comments, 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: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas Branch 2, PJ11.2 Reference Docket No. CP06-428-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 6, 2006.
    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).\1\ Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \1\ 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 (http://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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Philis J. Posey,
Acting Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-4471 Filed 3-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P