[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24286-24287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8333]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP07-128-000]


Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Kirk Compressor Station 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

April 25, 2007.
    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 Kirk Compressor Station 
Project (Project), involving construction and operation of a compressor 
station and appurtenances by Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline Company 
(CPG).
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we 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 May 25, 2007.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners within half mile 
of the proposed compressor station; Federal, State, and local 
government representatives and agencies; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; 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.

Project Description

    CPG proposes to construct a new natural gas-fired compressor 
station referred to as the Kirk Compressor Station which would consist 
of a single 10,310 horsepower gas fired compressor unit and 
appurtenances near Kirk in Yuma County, Colorado. The proposed Project 
would permit the firm transportation of an additional 70,000 dekatherms 
per day of natural gas to a delivery point near Greensburg, Kansas. The 
general location of the project is shown on the map attached as 
Appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendix referenced in this notice is not being printed 
in the Federal Register. Copies of the appendix (map) are available 
from the Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, call (202) 502-8371. Copies of the appendix 
will be sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail.
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    The Kirk Compressor Station would be constructed on a 40 acre tract 
of land which is owned by CPG. Approximately 3.69 acres would be 
permanently disturbed for placement of the compressor station and 
access road. The current land use is fallow agricultural land. The 
closest residence is located more than one mile away from the proposed 
compressor station site (approximately 5,500 feet north northwest of 
the site).

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 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

[[Page 24287]]

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 will be considered during the preparation of 
the EA.
    The Commission's staff will prepare an EA that will describe the 
potential environmental impacts that could result from construction and 
operation of the proposed project under the general headings:

 Water resources, wetlands, and waterbodies
 Vegetation and wildlife
 Threatened and endangered species
 Cultural resources
 Geology and soils
 Land use and residences
 Air quality and noise
 Reliability and safety

    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project or 
portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or 
avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the 
EA may be published and mailed to federal, state, and local government 
agencies; public interest groups; Native American tribes; interested 
individuals; affected landowners, newspapers, libraries, and the 
Commission's official service list for this proceeding. A 30-day 
comment period will be allotted for review if the EA is published. We 
will consider all comments submitted in any Commission Order that is 
issued for the project.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commenter, your 
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 May 25, 2007. When filing comments 
please:
     Send an original and two copies of your letter to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, 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 2; DG2E; and Reference Docket No. CP07-128-000 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.
    We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving 
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 2). If you do not 
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

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 end 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). Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    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

    An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, 
organizations, and 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.

Additional Information

    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.
    Finally, 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-8333 Filed 5-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P