[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 217 (Friday, November 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63567-63569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22022]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP08-2-000]


El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Eunice Replacement Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

November 2, 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 Eunice Replacement Project 
(Project) involving the abandonment of existing natural gas compression 
facilities, and construction and operation of new natural gas 
compression facilities by El Paso Natural Gas Company (EPNG) in Lea 
County, New Mexico.\1\ The EA will be used by the Commission in its 
decisionmaking process to determine whether the project is in the 
public convenience and necessity.
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    \1\ On October 2, 2007, EPNG filed its application with the 
Commission under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, 15 United 
States Code Sec.  717(b)(a), and Parts 157 and 284 of the 
Commission's regulations. The Commission filed its notice of 
application on October 11, 2007.
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    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the 
project notice EPNG provided to affected landowners. This fact sheet 
addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use of 
eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. 
It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site 
(www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    EPNG seeks authority to abandon in place:
     Its existing Eunice Mainline Compressor Station consisting 
of 11 Clark BA-5 and one Clark HBA-5 reciprocating compressor units, 
rated at approximately 12,100 ISO HP, with appurtenances and related 
structures; and
     an existing pig launcher.
    EPNG also seeks authority to construct on land owned by EPNG:
     A 600 foot segment of 30 pipeline to connect 
the discharge of the proposed Eunice C Compressor Station to the 
California Line and serve as a bypass of the abandoned Eunice Mainline 
Compressor Station;
     Two gas turbine-drive Taurus 60 compressor units on the 
Eunice C Compressor Station site, totaling approximately 15,600 ISO HP;
     A compressor unit building to house the compressor units;
     A pig launcher/check meter station within the proposed 
Eunice C Compressor Station site; and
     A valve station within the proposed Eunice C Compressor 
Station site.
    In addition, EPNG seeks authority to up-rate, on land owned by 
EPNG, a 1,700 foot segment of pipeline (Line 1135) to a maximum 
allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 837 psig. EPNG would connect 
this segment of Line 1135, currently located on the suction side of the 
existing Eunice Mainline Compressor Station, to the discharge of the 
proposed Eunice C Compressor Station.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in 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 website 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 
last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 16.8 
acres of land. Following construction, about 3.0 acres would be 
permanently impacted by the new Eunice C Compressor Station. All 
project facilities would be maintained within existing EPNG property.

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 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 are considered during the preparation of the 
EA. State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify 
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to 
comment on their areas of concern.

[[Page 63568]]

    In the EA, we \3\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result 
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these 
general headings:
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    \3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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     Geology and Soils
     Land Use
     Water Resources, Fisheries, and Wetlands
     Cultural Resources
     Vegetation and Wildlife
     Threatened and Endangered Species
     Air Quality and Noise
    We will also evaluate reasonable 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.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending 
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be 
published and mailed to federal, state, and local agencies, public 
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners, 
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for 
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA 
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make 
our recommendations to the Commission.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section below.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified the following issues that we think 
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed 
facilities and the environmental information provided by EPNG. This 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis.
     The net impact on air quality and noise of the general 
project area may be positively affected by the abandonment of the 
existing compressor station and operation of the proposed new 
compressor station.
     No impacts would occur to water resources, fisheries or 
wetlands. Other than air emissions and noise, all impacts would occur 
within existing EPNG property.

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. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative 
locations), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The 
more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. 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 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 OEP/
DG2E, Gas Branch 3.
     Reference Docket No. CP08-2-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before December 3, 2007.
    We will include all comments that we receive within a reasonable 
time frame in our environmental analysis of this project. However, the 
Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments or 
interventions or protests to this proceeding. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and 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. Before you can file comments you will need to create a 
free account which can be created on-line.
    We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving 
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 3). 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, or ``intervenor''. 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). Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the 
Commission's decision. Motions to Intervene should be electronically 
submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov. 
Persons without Internet access should send an original and 14 copies 
of their motion to the Secretary of the Commission at the address 
indicated previously. Persons filing Motions to Intervene on or before 
the comment deadline indicated above must send a copy of the motion to 
the Applicant. All filings, including late interventions, submitted 
after the comment deadline must be served on the Applicant and all 
other intervenors identified on the Commission's service list for this 
proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-mail addresses may be 
served electronically; others must be served a hard copy of the filing.
    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 land within distances defined in the 
Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities. By this 
notice we are also asking governmental agencies, especially those in 
Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming cooperating agencies 
for the preparation of the EA.

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 (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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

[[Page 63569]]

    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. E7-22022 Filed 11-8-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P