[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 86 (Friday, May 4, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25293-25296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8522]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF07-4-000]


Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Midcontinent Express 
Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and 
Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

April 27, 2007.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that 
will identify and address the environmental impacts that could result 
from construction and operation of the Midcontinent Express Pipeline 
Project (Project) proposed by Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC (MEP). 
The Commission will use the EIS in its decision-making process to 
determine whether or not to authorize the Project. This notice explains 
the scoping process we \1\ will use to gather 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 EIS. Please note that the 
scoping period will close on May 29, 2007.
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    \1\ ''We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    Comments on the Project and the issues that should be addressed in 
the EIS may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further details 
on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of sending written 
comments, we invite you to attend the public scoping meetings that we 
have scheduled as follows:

[[Page 25294]]



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             Date and time                           Location
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Monday, May 14, 2007; 7 p.m. (CDT).....  Quitman Depot, Main Street and
                                          Railroad Avenue, Quitman, MS
                                          39355.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007; 7 p.m. (CDT)....  Pearl Community Room, 2420 Old
                                          Brandon Rd., Pearl, MS 39208.
Thursday, May 17, 2007; 7 p.m. (CDT)...  Delhi High School Auditorium,
                                          413 Main Street, Delhi, LA
                                          71232.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date and time                           Location
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Monday, May 21, 2007; 7 p.m. (CDT).....  Minden Community House, 711
                                          Gladney Street, Minden, LA
                                          71055.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007; 7 p.m. (CDT)....  Mt. Pleasant Civic Center, 1800
                                          North Jefferson, Mt. Pleasant,
                                          TX 75455.
Thursday, May 24, 2007; 7 p.m. (CDT)...  Love Civic Center, 2025 South
                                          Collegiate Drive, Paris, TX
                                          75460.
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    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State, 
and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers; all of which are 
encouraged to submit comments on the proposed Project. Details on how 
to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section of 
this notice.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a MEP representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed Project facilities. The 
pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement. However, if the Project is approved by the FERC, 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.
    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 Internet Web site (http://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 FERC's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    MEP proposes to construct, own and operate approximately 494 miles 
of new 30-, 36-, and 42-inch-diameter interstate natural gas 
transmission pipeline, a total of approximately 111,420 horsepower (hp) 
of compression at one booster and four new mainline compressor 
stations, and related appurtenant facilities located in portions of 
Oklahoma, northeast Texas, northern Louisiana, central Mississippi, and 
Alabama. The proposed pipeline route identified by MEP would extend 
from a receipt point with existing pipeline infrastructure near 
Bennington in Bryan County, Oklahoma, to an interconnect with the 
existing Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company system near Butler in 
Choctaw County, Alabama. The general location of the proposed pipeline 
is shown in the figure included 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 all appendices, 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 
Public Participation section of this notice. Copies of the 
appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail. 
Requests for detailed maps of the proposed facilities should be made 
directly to MEP.
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    Specifically, the MEP Project facilities under FERC jurisdiction 
would include the following:
     Approximately 40 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline in 
Bryan County, Oklahoma, and Fannin and Lamar Counties, Texas;
     Approximately 257 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline in 
Lamar, Red River, Franklin, Titus, Morris, and Cass Counties, Texas, 
and Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, Lincoln, Union, Ouachita, 
Morehouse, Richland, and Madison Parishes, Louisiana;
     Approximately 197 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in 
Madison Parish, Louisiana, and Warren, Hinds, Rankin, Simpson, Smith, 
Jasper, Clarke, Counties, Mississippi, and Choctaw County, Alabama;
     Four new mainline and one booster, natural gas-fired 
compressor stations, including:
--A new 38,555 hp compressor station at Milepost (MP) 43.9 in Lamar 
County, Texas;
--A new 12,270 hp compressor station at MP 131.7 in Cass County, Texas;
--A new 32,720 hp compressor station at MP 249.7 in Union Parish, 
Louisiana;
--A new 18,405 hp compressor station at MP 346.1 in Warren County, 
Mississippi;
--A new 9,470 hp booster compressor station at MP 300.6 in Madison 
Parish, Louisiana;

     Meter stations at up to 13 interconnects with existing 
pipeline infrastructure in Bryan County, Oklahoma; Lamar and Cass 
Counties, Texas; Ouachita, Richland, and Madison Parishes, Louisiana; 
Hinds, Smith, Jasper, and Clarke Counties, Mississippi; and Choctaw 
County, Alabama;
     Various pig \3\ launching and receiving facilities; and
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    \3\ A pig is a mechanical tool used to clean and inspect the 
interior of a pipeline.
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     29 mainline valves.
    MEP indicates that the proposed Project facilities would provide 
long-haul takeaway capacity to facilitate the transport of natural gas 
from production areas in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas to markets in 
the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States that 
can be accessed through interconnects with existing pipeline 
infrastructure. The Project would consist of two capacity zones. The 
initial transport capacity of Zone 1, which would include the 30- and 
42-inch-diameter portions of the pipeline facilities, would be 1.4 
billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/d). However, additional 
supporting contracts could provide for expansion of the Zone 1 
transport capacity to 1.5 Bcf/d. Zone 2, which would include the 
balance of the pipeline facilities, would have a transport capacity of 
1.2 Bcf/d.
    MEP proposes to place the first 40 miles of 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline in service by October 31, 2008, with the remainder of the 
pipeline constructed and operational by February 2009.

Land Requirements for Construction

    As proposed, the typical construction right-of-way for the Project 
pipeline would be 100 feet wide for the 30-inch-diameter portion of the 
pipeline and 125 feet wide for the 36-inch and 42-inch-diameter 
portions of the pipeline. Following construction, MEP would retain a 
50-foot-wide permanent right-of-way for operation of the Project. 
Additionally, temporary extra

[[Page 25295]]

workspaces beyond the typical construction right-of-way limits would 
also be required at certain feature crossings (e.g., roads, railroads, 
wetlands, or waterbodies), in areas with steep side slopes, in 
association with special construction techniques, or at pipe storage 
and contractor yards. In residential areas, wetlands, and other 
sensitive areas, the construction right-of-way width would be reduced 
as necessary to protect homeowners and environmental resources. 
Following construction, all temporary workspaces (including the 
temporary construction rights-of-way and extra workspaces) would be 
restored and allowed to revert to its former use.

The EIS Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from the approval of an interstate natural gas pipeline. The 
FERC will use the EIS to consider the environmental impact that could 
result if the Project is authorized under Section 7 of the Natural Gas 
Act.
    NEPA also requires us to discover and address concerns the public 
may have about proposals to be considered by the Commission. This 
process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of the scoping 
process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on the important 
environmental issues. With this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff 
is requesting public comments on the scope of the issues to be 
addressed in the EIS. All comments received will be considered during 
preparation of the EIS.
    In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the proposed Project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Water resources;
     Wetlands and vegetation;
     Fish and wildlife;
     Threatened and endangered species;
     Land use, recreation, and visual resources;
     Air quality and noise;
     Cultural resources;
     Socioeconomics;
     Reliability and safety; and
     Cumulative impacts.
    In the EIS, 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 affected resources.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a Draft 
EIS. The Draft EIS will be mailed to Federal, State, and local 
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected landowners; 
commentors; other interested parties; local libraries and newspapers; 
and the FERC's official service list for this proceeding. A 45-day 
comment period will be allotted for review of the Draft EIS. We will 
consider all comments on the Draft EIS and revise the document, as 
necessary, before issuing a Final EIS. We will consider all comments on 
the Final EIS before we make our recommendations to the Commission. To 
ensure that your comments are considered, please follow the 
instructions in the Public Participation section of this notice.
    Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has 
already initiated its NEPA review under the Commission's Pre-filing 
Process. The purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage the 
early involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and 
resolve issues before an application is filed with the FERC.
    With this notice, we are asking Federal, State, and local 
governmental agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to environmental issues, especially those identified in 
Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming cooperating agencies 
for the preparation of the EIS. These agencies may choose to 
participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to their 
responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating 
status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided in 
Appendix 2.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
construction and operation of the proposed Project. We have already 
identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a 
preliminary review of the Project site and the facility information 
provided by MEP. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based 
on your comments and our analysis.
     Potential impacts to water resources, including 
groundwater and perennial and intermittent waterbodies.
     Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands 
and development of appropriate mitigation.
     Potential impacts to fish and wildlife habitat, including 
potential impacts to federal and state-listed threatened and endangered 
species.
     Potential impacts to natural vegetative communities, 
including native prairie and forestland.
     Potential effects on prime farmland soils and soils with a 
high potential for compaction or erosion.
     Potential impacts to existing land uses, including 
agricultural and managed forested lands.
     Potential impacts to recreation and special interest 
areas, including Wetland Reserve Program lands and the Natchez Trace 
Parkway.
     Potential impacts to residential areas and planned 
developments.
     Potential disruption to area businesses associated with 
construction.
     Potential visual effects of the pipeline easement and 
aboveground facilities on surrounding areas.
     Potential impacts to local air and noise quality 
associated with construction and operation.
     Potential impacts to cultural resources and Native 
American lands.
     Public safety and hazards associated with the transport of 
natural gas.
     Alternative alignments for the pipeline route and 
alternative sites for the compressor stations.
     Assessment of the effect of the proposed Project when 
combined with other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future 
actions in the Project area, including the potential cumulative effect 
of collocating multiple utility rights-of-way.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the proposed Project. By becoming a 
commentor, your concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by 
the Commission. Your comments should focus on the potential 
environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including alternative 
facility sites and pipeline routes), and measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful 
they will be. To ensure that your comments are timely and properly 
recorded, please carefully follow these instructions:
     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 your comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 3, DG2E.
     Reference Docket No. PF07-4-000 on the original and both 
copies.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before May 29, 2007.

[[Page 25296]]

    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any 
comments in response to this Notice of Intent. For information on 
electronic filing of comments, please see 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, as well as information in 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii). Before you can submit comments you will need to 
create a free account, which can be created on-line.
    The public scoping meetings (dates, times, and locations are listed 
above) are designed to provide another opportunity to offer comments on 
the proposed Project. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged 
to attend the meetings and to present comments on the environmental 
issues they believe should be addressed in the EIS. A transcript of 
each meeting will be generated so that your comments will be accurately 
recorded.
    Once MEP formally files its application with the Commission, you 
may want to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and 
are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts 
if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor 
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to 
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the 
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site. 
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time. 
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.

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 of certain 
aboveground facilities, as defined in the Commission's regulations.
    If you received this notice, you are on the environmental mailing 
list for this Project. If you do not want to send comments at this 
time, but still want to remain on our mailing list, please return the 
Information Request (Appendix 3). If you do not return the Information 
Request, you will be removed from the Commission's environmental 
mailing list.

Availability of Additional Information

    Additional information about the Project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC (3372) or on 
the FERC Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov. Using the 
``eLibrary'' link, select ``General Search'' and enter the Project 
docket number excluding the last three digits (i.e., PF07-4) 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 TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link on the FERC Internet Web site 
also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.
    In addition, the FERC now offers a free service called 
eSubscription that 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. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    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.
    Finally, MEP has established an Internet Web site for this Project 
at http://www.midcontinentexpress.com. The Web site includes a 
description of the Project, a map of the proposed pipeline route, and 
answers to frequently asked questions. You can also request additional 
information or provide comments directly to MEP at 1-877-327-5515 or 
[email protected].

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-8522 Filed 5-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P