[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 86 (Friday, May 4, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25287-25290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8524]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[ FERC Docket No. CP06-459-000]


Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft General Conformity 
Determination for the Proposed Phoenix Expansion Project

April 27, 2007.
    The environmental staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC); the U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM); the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service (FS); the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of 
Pipeline Safety (OPS); the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA); and the Navajo Nation, collectively referred to 
as the Agency Staffs, have prepared the draft environmental impact 
statement (draft EIS) to address Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC's 
(Transwestern) proposed expansion of its natural gas pipeline system. A 
draft General Conformity Determination was also prepared by the FERC to 
assess the potential air quality impacts associated with construction 
and operation of the proposed project and is included as Appendix Q of 
the draft EIS.
    The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Agency Staffs have 
concluded that if the project is constructed and operated in accordance 
with applicable laws and regulations, Transwestern's proposed 
mitigation, and the Agency Staffs' additional mitigation measures, it 
would have limited adverse environmental impact.

[[Page 25288]]

    The FERC is the lead federal agency and will use the EIS to 
consider the environmental impacts that could result if it issues 
Transwestern a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under 
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
    The BLM and the FS are federal land management agencies affected by 
Transwestern's proposal and have elected to act as cooperating agencies 
in preparing the draft EIS. The BLM will use the document to meet its 
NEPA responsibilities in considering Transwestern's application for a 
Right-of-Way Grant and obtain Temporary Use Permits for the portion of 
the project on federal lands under section 185(f) of the Mineral 
Leasing Act of 1920. The BLM would issue the Right-of-Way Grant and 
Temporary Use Permits for the crossing of BLM-managed lands and the 
Kaibab and Prescott National Forests, which are managed by the FS, and 
for crossing lands managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The BLM would consider the concurrence or 
non-concurrence of the FS and BOR, as well as FERC approval or denial, 
in making its decision whether to issue the Right-of-Way Grant and 
Temporary Use Permits. The BLM's decision would be documented in a 
Record of Decision.
    The OPS is participating as a cooperating agency in preparing the 
draft EIS because it is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, 
and environmentally sound operation of the nation's transportation 
system and for providing oversight for oil and natural gas pipelines. 
The OPS' authority is found under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act 
of 1968 (49 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.) and the Hazardous Liquids Pipeline 
Safety Act of 1979 (49 U.S.C. 2001 et seq.).
    The BIA and the Navajo Nation have also elected to act as 
cooperating agencies in preparing the draft EIS because the proposed 
project would be near tribal lands in Arizona and would cross two 
classes of Navajo Nation lands in New Mexico: Tribal lands and allotted 
lands. Tribal lands are owned in fee by the Navajo Nation, and access 
to these lands would be acquired through direct negotiation between 
Transwestern and officials of the Navajo Nation Tribal Headquarters in 
Window Rock, Arizona. Allotted lands are held in trust by the United 
States government and managed by the BIA for the benefit of individual 
allottees.
    The Phoenix Expansion Project is designed to transport up to 500 
million cubic feet per day of natural gas to the Phoenix area, which is 
one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. The project 
would not only help to satisfy the increasing demand for electricity 
and natural gas, but would also increase competition in the regional 
energy market, thereby working to stabilize costs to the consumer.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities proposed by 
Transwestern:
     24.6 miles of new 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop \1\ (the 
San Juan Lateral Loops A and B) extending along the existing San Juan 
Lateral in San Juan and McKinley Counties, New Mexico;
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    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipeline that is usually installed 
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. 
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
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     259.3 miles of new 42- and 36-inch-diameter lateral \2\ 
pipeline (the Phoenix Lateral), consisting of 95.7 miles of 42-inch-
diameter pipeline extending from milepost (MP) 0.0 in Yavapai County, 
Arizona to MP 95.2 in Maricopa County, Arizona, and 163.6 miles of 36-
inch-diameter pipeline extending from MP 95.2 in Maricopa County, 
Arizona to MP 255.1 in Pinal County, Arizona;
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    \2\ A lateral pipeline typically takes gas from the main system 
to deliver it to a customer, local distribution system, or another 
interstate transmission system.
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     1.4 miles of new 24-, 20-, 16-, and 6-inch-diameter 
lateral pipeline (the customer laterals) connecting the Phoenix Lateral 
to meter stations that are not located immediately adjacent to the 
Phoenix Lateral right-of-way;
     Minor piping and pressure control modifications at the 
existing Bloomfield Compressor Station in San Juan County, New Mexico 
and at the existing Seligman Compressor Station No. 1 in Mohave County, 
Arizona;
     Installation of the Ash Fork Facility at MP 0.0 of the 
Phoenix Lateral in Yavapai County, Arizona including 2 filter 
separators, odorant injection facilities, and telecommunications 
equipment; and
     Installation of 4 taps, 31 valves, 11 meter stations, 6 
pig launchers, and 3 pig receivers.
    Transwestern would also acquire an undivided interest in the 
existing East Valley Lateral consisting of 36.7 miles of 24-inch-
diameter lateral pipeline in Pinal and Maricopa Counties, Arizona.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS and/or draft General 
Conformity Determination is encouraged to do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that your comments be received before the date specified 
below.
    Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic 
filing of any comments, interventions, or protests to this proceeding. 
See Title 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the FERC 
Internet Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the eFiling link and the link to 
the User's Guide. Before you can submit comments, you will need to 
create a free account by clicking on ``Sign-up'' under ``New User.'' 
You will be asked to select the type of submission you are making. This 
type of submission is considered a ``Comment on Filing.'' Comments 
submitted electronically must be submitted by June 18, 2007.
    If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that 
they will be received in Washington, DC on or before June 18, 2007. 
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: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St. NE; Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP06-459-000; and
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
2, DG2E.
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, the FERC and 
the cooperating agencies invite you to attend public meetings the 
Agency Staffs will conduct in the project area to receive comments on 
the draft EIS and draft General Conformity Determination. The dates, 
times, and locations of these meetings are as follows:

[[Page 25289]]



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                  Date                               Location
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Monday, June 4, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST).....  Central Arizona Seniors
                                          Association, 9360 East
                                          Manzanita Circle, Prescott
                                          Valley, AZ 86314, (928) 772-
                                          3337.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST)....  Albins Civic Center, Black
                                          Canyon Community
                                          Association,19055 East K-Mine
                                          Road, Black Canyon City, AZ
                                          85375, (623) 374-5553.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST)..  Buckeye Community Center, 201
                                          East Centre Avenue, Buckeye,
                                          AZ 85326, (623) 349-6600.
Thursday, June 7, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST)...  Hotel Casa Grande, Cotton/
                                          Copper Room, 777 North Pinal
                                          Avenue, Casa Grande, AZ 85222,
                                          (520) 426-3500.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007; 1 p.m. (MST)...  Navajo Technical College,
                                          (former Crownpoint Institute
                                          of Technology), Lower Point
                                          Road and State Highway 371,
                                          Crownpoint, NM 87313, (505)
                                          786-4100.
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    These public meetings will be posted on the FERC's calendar located 
at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx. Interested groups 
and individuals are encouraged to attend and present written or oral 
comments on the draft EIS and/or draft General Conformity 
Determination. Transcripts of the meetings will be prepared.
    After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and necessary modifications are made to the draft EIS and 
draft General Conformity Determination, a final EIS, including a final 
General Conformity Determination, will be published and distributed. 
The final EIS will contain the Agency Staffs' responses to timely 
comments filed on the draft EIS and draft General Conformity 
Determination that are related to environmental issues.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission and the cooperating 
agencies 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 Procedure (Title 18 CFR Part 385.214).
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on the draft EIS and 
draft General Conformity Determination. You must file your request to 
intervene as specified above.\3\ You do not need intervenor status to 
have your comments considered.
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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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    The draft EIS, including the draft General Conformity 
Determination, has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for distribution and public inspection at:

Federal Regulatory Energy Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First 
St. NE; Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.

    A limited number of copies are available from the FERC's Public 
Reference Room identified above. These copies may be requested in hard 
copy or as .pdf files on a CD that can be read by a computer with a CD-
ROM drive. The draft EIS, including the draft General Conformity 
Determination, is also available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web 
site at www.ferc.gov. In addition, copies of the document have been 
mailed to federal, state, and local government agencies; elected 
officials; Native American tribes; affected landowners; local libraries 
and newspapers; intervenors to the FERC's proceeding; and other 
interested parties. Hard copies of the draft EIS, including the draft 
General Conformity Determination, can be viewed at the following 
libraries in the project area:

Ash Fork Public Library, 518 Lewis Avenue, Ash Fork, AZ 86320.
Avondale-Goodyear Public Library, 328 West Western Avenue, Avondale, AZ 
85323.
Black Canyon City Community Library, 34701 South Old Black Canyon Hwy, 
Black Canyon, AZ 85324.
Buckeye Public Library, 310 North 6th Street, Buckeye, AZ 85032.
Casa Grande Public Library, 449 North Dry Lake, Casa Grande, AZ 85222.
Chino Valley Public Library, 1020 West Palomino Road, Chino Valley, AZ 
86323.
Coolidge Public Library, 160 West Central Avenue, Coolidge, AZ 85228.
Flagstaff Public Library, 300 West Aspen, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
Fredonia Public Library, 118 North Main Street, Fredonia, AZ 86022.
Mayer Public Library, 10004 Wicks Street, Mayer, AZ 86333.
Arizona State Library, 1700 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007.
North Central Regional Library, 17811 North 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 
85032.
Yavapai County Library District, 172 East Merritt Street, Suite E, 
Prescott, AZ 86301.
Prescott Public Library, 215 East Goodwin, Prescott, AZ 86303.
Prescott Valley Public Library, 7501 East Civic Circle, Prescott 
Valley, AZ 86314.
Williams Public Library, 113 South First Street, Williams, AZ 86046.
Bloomfield Public Library, 333 South First Street, Bloomfield, NM 
87413.
Farmington Public Library, 100 West Broadway, Farmington, NM 87401-
6420.
Octavia Fellin Public Library, 115 West Hill, Gallup, NM 87301.

    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 (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 on the FERC Internet website 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 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 the eSubscription 
link on the FERC Internet Web site.
    Information concerning the involvement of the cooperating agencies 
in the EIS process may be obtained from:

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Mark 
Mackiewicz, (435) 636-3616.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Prescott National 
Forest, Ken Simeral, (928) 443-8010.
Kaibab National Forest, Tom Mutz, (928) 635-5661.
U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety, John 
Pepper, (713) 272-2849.

[[Page 25290]]

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Area 
Office, Harrilene Yazzi, (505) 863-8286.
Phoenix Area Office, Amy Heuslein, (602) 379-6750.
Navajo Nation, Ron Maldonado, (928) 871-7139.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-8524 Filed 5-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P