[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41731-41733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14738]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP07-8-001 and CP07-8-002]


Guardian Pipeline, L.L.C; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Guardian Pipeline, 
L.L.C.'s Amended Guardian Expansion/Extension Project and Request for 
Comments on Environmental Issues

July 20, 2007.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) is in the process of preparing an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) that will address the environmental impacts of the 
Guardian Expansion/Extension Project (G-II) proposed by Guardian 
Pipeline, L.L.C (Guardian). The Commission will use the EIS in its 
decision-making process to determine whether or not to authorize the 
project. A Draft EIS (DEIS) for the G-II Project was issued on April 
13, 2007.
    This notice announces the opening of a comment period to gather 
input from the public and interested agencies on amendments that 
Guardian has made to its proposed G-II Project in filings with the 
Commission dated April 25, 2007 and July 2, 2007. Each of these

[[Page 41732]]

amendments were filed in response to various environmental and 
stakeholder concerns and are discussed in further detail below.
    On May 19, 2006, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) 
which announced FERC's initiation of preparing the EIS for the G-II 
Project. The May 19, 2006 NOI provided information about the proposed 
Project, the FERC's environmental review process, and requested 
comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. The comment 
period for the May 19, 2006 NOI closed on June 26, 2006. Comments filed 
during the scoping period were addressed in the DEIS.

April 25, 2007 Amendment

    The April 25, 2007, amendment (Amendment 1) consisted of a pipeline 
reroute between mileposts (MPs) 95.3 and 118.2 around the Oneida Nation 
of Wisconsin (Oneida) Reservation in Brown and Outagamie Counties, 
Wisconsin; modifications to the locations of the West Green Bay, 
Rubicon, and Sheboygan Meter Stations in Outagamie, Dodge, and Fond du 
Lac Counties, Wisconsin, respectively; modifications to the location of 
the Sycamore Compressor Station in De Kalb County, Illinois; and three 
minor route variations between MPs 71.9 and 72.1 in Calumet County, 
Wisconsin, MPs 4.1 and 4.6 in Dodge County, Wisconsin, and MPs 41.1 and 
41.4 in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.
    Guardian is proposing the reroute around the Oneida Reservation 
because it has been unable to negotiate an easement agreement with 
Oneida Tribe. The 23-mile reroute would consist of a new 23-mile route 
that would begin at MP 95.3 of the originally proposed route and end at 
a new Pipeline terminus at MP 118.2 in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. The 
reroute would add an additional 8.74 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline 
to the total project length of pipe. This proposed reroute would also 
include moving the location of the proposed West Green Bay Meter 
Station to a site approximately one mile west of the location evaluated 
in the April 13, 2007 DEIS, and about a 0.8 mile pipeline to 
interconnect the new meter station location with the proposed Wisconsin 
Public Service Corporation delivery point in West Green Bay.
    The proposed modification to the Sycamore Compressor Station in 
DeKalb County, Illinois would result in relocating the compressor 
station to a site approximately 0.25 mile north of the location 
evaluated in the April 13, 2007 DEIS.
    Modifications to the Rubicon Meter Station would consist of 
locating the facility to a new site at MP 13.8 in Dodge County, 
Wisconsin about 0.5 mile from the originally proposed site. Moving the 
site would increase the distance between the facility and existing farm 
and residential buildings, as well as avoid impacts on a planned 
structure at MP 13.3. The change in facility location would result in 
approximately 0.3 acre of additional permanent impacts to agricultural 
land. Modifications to the Sheboygan Meter Station would consist of 
relocating the meter station to a new site approximately 150 feet west 
of the location evaluated in the April 13, 2007 DEIS. The new site was 
selected to allow safer operation of the meter station by increasing 
the overall distance between the meter station and the power line.
    Minor route variations were also proposed by Guardian in Amendment 
1 to minimize environmental impacts and address additional landowner 
concerns. The modification between MP 71.9 and 72.1 would avoid a 
wooded area located at MP 72.0, and increase the amount of pipeline to 
be collocated within a power line easement. The minor route variations 
proposed between MPs 4.1 and 4.6 in Dodge County and MPs 41.1 and 41.4 
in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, would avoid the diagonal crossings of 
private property and minimize the number of landowners crossed. These 
variations would result in an additional 0.5 and 0.4 miles of pipeline, 
respectively.
    A map depicting the G-II Pipeline as amended by Guardian on April 
25, 2007 is included in appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Web site (excluding maps) at the ``e-Library'' link or 
from the Commission's Public Reference Room, or call (202) 502-8371. 
For instructions on connecting to the e-Library refer to the end of 
this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those 
receiving this notice in the mail.
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July 2, 2007 Amendment

    The July 2, 2007 amendment (Amendment 2) modified part of the 
proposed reroute presented in Amendment 1 between MPs 88.0 and 98.2, 
including the relocation of the Fox River crossing, and proposed new 
locations for the Denmark and Southwest Green Bay Meter Stations in 
Brown County, Wisconsin. Guardian also proposed the construction of two 
branch lines (a 16-inch-diameter and a 20-inch-diameter branch lines) 
in Brown and Outagamie Counties, Wisconsin to interconnect with the 
Denmark and Southwest Green Bay delivery points currently proposed by 
the Wisconsin Public Service Company (WPS). The proposed branch lines 
would add an additional 1.4 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipe and 1.8 
miles of 20-inch-diameter pipe. Guardian also proposes to move the Fox 
Valley Meter Station location from MP 83.7 to MP 81.4.
    A map depicting the G-II Pipeline route as amended by Guardian 
between MP 88.0 and 98.2 on July 2, 2007 is also in appendix 1. 
Appendix 2 contains a general map of the entire amended pipeline route.
    The total length of the proposed pipeline facilities, as amended 
(including the mainline and branch lines) is now 119.2 miles.

Public Participation

    We \2\ are specifically requesting comments on the revised facility 
locations. Your input will help identify the issues that need to be 
evaluated in the EIS. Comments on the project may be submitted in 
written form. Further details on how to submit written comments are 
provided in the Public Participation section of this NOI. Please note 
that comments for this NOI are requested by August 20, 2007.
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    \2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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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. We encourage government 
representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project 
and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    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 of the revised 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 1.

[[Page 41733]]

     Reference Docket Nos. CP07-8-001 and CP07-8-002 on the 
original and both copies.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before August 20, 2007.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any 
comments in response to this Notice of Intent. For information on 
electronically filing 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.
    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.

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 above-ground facilities.
    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 (http://www.ferc.gov) using the ``eLibrary 
link.'' Click on the eLibrary link, select ``General Search'' and enter 
the project docket number excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP07-
8) 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, Guardian has established an Internet Web site for this 
project at http://www.guardianpipeline.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 Guardian at 1-866-608-7300 
or [email protected].

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-14738 Filed 7-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P