[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 105 (Friday, June 1, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 30587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10532]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP06-446-000, et al.]


Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP; Notice of Availability of the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed East Texas to 
Mississippi Expansion Project

May 25, 2007.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared this Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Gulf South 
Pipeline Company, LP (Gulf South) under the above-referenced docket. 
Gulf South's East Texas to Mississippi Expansion Project (Project) 
would be located in various counties and parishes in eastern Texas, 
northern Louisiana, and western Mississippi.
    The Final EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act. The FERC staff concludes that the 
proposed Project, with the appropriate mitigation measures as 
recommended, would have limited adverse environmental impact.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Park Service 
(NPS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers (COE) are federal cooperating agencies for the 
development of this EIS. A federal cooperating agency has jurisdiction 
by law or special expertise with respect to any environmental impact 
involved with the proposal and is involved in the NEPA analysis.
    The general purpose of the proposed Project is to transport up to 
1.7 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from production fields in 
eastern Texas to markets in the Gulf Coast, Midwestern, Northeastern, 
and Southeastern regions of the United States.
    The Final EIS addresses the potential environmental impacts 
resulting from the construction and operation of the following 
facilities:
     Approximately 240.3 miles of 42-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline extending easterly from DeSoto Parish, Louisiana to Simpson 
County, Mississippi;
     approximately 3.3 miles of 36-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline extending northward from Gulf South's existing Carthage 
Junction Compressor Station in Panola County, Texas to interconnects 
with existing natural gas facilities within Panola County;
     two new compressor stations, the Vixen and the Tallulah 
Compressor Stations, located in Ouachita and Madison Parishes, 
Louisiana, respectively;
     modifications to three existing compressor stations, the 
Carthage Junction, Hall Summit, and McComb Compressor Stations in 
Panola, County, Texas, Bienville Parish, Louisiana and Walthall County, 
Mississippi, respectively; and
     other ancillary facilities, including six meter and 
regulator (M/R) facilities, eleven mainline valves, nine side valves, 
and five pig launcher and/or receiver facilities.
    Dependent upon Commission approval, Gulf South proposes to complete 
construction and begin operating the proposed Project in September 
2007.
    The Final EIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and 
is available for public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, 
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    A limited number of copies of the Final EIS are available from the 
Public Reference Room identified above. In addition, CD copies of the 
Final EIS have been mailed to affected landowners; various federal, 
state, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental 
and public interest groups; Native American tribes; local libraries and 
newspapers; intervenors; and other individuals that expressed an 
interest in the proposed Project. Hard-copies of the Final EIS have 
also been mailed to those who requested that format during the scoping 
and comment periods for the proposed Project.
    In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 
regulations implementing NEPA, no agency decision on a proposed action 
may be made until 30 days after the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) publishes a notice of availability of a Final EIS. 
However, the CEQ regulations provide an exception to this rule when an 
agency decision is subject to a formal internal process that allows 
other agencies or the public to make their views known. In such cases, 
the agency decision may be made at the same time the notice of the 
Final EIS is published, allowing both periods to run concurrently. 
Should the FERC issue Gulf South authorizations for the proposed 
Project, it would be subject to a 30-day rehearing period. Therefore, 
the Commission could issue its decision concurrently with the EPA's 
notice of availability.
    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 (CP06-446) 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-10532 Filed 5-31-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P