[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 4, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68138-68139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23445]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP07-208-000]


Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed REX East Project

November 23, 2007.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared this draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the construction and operation of the natural gas pipeline 
facilities proposed by Rockies Express Pipeline LLC (Rockies Express) 
in the above-referenced docket. The Project facilities would be located 
in Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
    This draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, and Illinois Department of Agriculture are 
cooperating agencies for the development of the EIS. A cooperating 
agency has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to 
potential environmental impacts associated with the proposal and is 
involved in the NEPA analysis.
    The FERC staff concludes that if the Project is constructed and 
operated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and the 
project sponsor's proposed mitigation, and the staff's additional 
mitigation recommendations, it would have mostly limited adverse 
environmental impacts and would be an environmentally acceptable 
action.
    As currently proposed, the Rockies Express (REX) East Project would 
consist of the construction and operation of approximately 639.1 miles 
of natural gas pipeline and a total of 225,716 horsepower (hp) of new 
compression. The REX East Project would be part of the Rockies Express 
Pipeline System--a 1,679-mile natural gas pipeline system that would 
extend from Colorado to Ohio. The Project pipeline would deliver up to 
1.8 billion cubic feet per day of gas to other interstate natural gas 
pipelines. The Project would provide access to an additional 16 inter- 
and intra-state natural gas pipelines at 20 interconnect points. 
Specifically, the draft EIS addresses the potential environmental 
effects of the construction and operation of the following natural gas 
pipeline facilities proposed by Rockies Express:
     639.1 miles of 42-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in 
Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio;
     Seven new compressor stations (Mexico Compressor Station 
in Audrain County, Missouri; Blue Mound Compressor Station in Christian 
County, Illinois; Bainbridge Compressor Station in Putnam County, 
Indiana; Hamilton Compressor Station in Butler County, Ohio; 
Chandlersville Compressor Station in Muskingum County, Ohio; Arlington 
Compressor Station in Carbon County, Wyoming; and Bertrand Compressor 
Station in Phelps County, Nebraska; and
     20 meter stations and associated interconnecting pipeline 
facilities at 13 locations along the proposed pipeline route and 42 
mainline valves.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that the Commission receive your comments before the date 
specified below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure 
that your comments are received and properly recorded:
     Send an original and two copies of your comments to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Reference Docket No. CP07-208-000.
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 2.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before January 14, 2008.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any 
comments, interventions or protests to this proceeding. See 18 Code of 
Federal Register (CFR) 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the 
Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under the ``e-
Filing'' 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 January 14, 2008.
    In lieu of sending written comments, you are invited to attend 
public comment meetings the FERC has scheduled as follows:

January 7, 2008 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
    Lanphier High School, 1300 N 11th Street, Springfield, IL 62702, 
(217) 525-3080
    Clark's Hall Reception Area, 2155 E U.S. Highway 36, Rockville, IN 
47872, (765) 569-5794
    Zanesville High School, 1701 Blue Avenue, Zanesville, OH 43701, 
(740) 588-4203
January 8, 2008 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
    Pittsfield High School, 201 E Higbee Street, Pittsfield, IL 62363, 
(217) 285-6888
    Greensburg Jr. High School, 505 E Central Ave, Greensburg, IN 
47240, (812) 663-7523

[[Page 68139]]

    Teays Valley High School, 3887 St. Route 752, Ashville, OH 43103, 
(740) 983-3131
January 9, 2008 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
    Presser Hall, 900 South Jefferson Street, Mexico, MO, (573) 581-
5592
    Greenwood Community High School, 615 W Smith Valley Road, 
Greenwood, IN 46142, (317) 889-4000
    Edgwood High School, 5005 Oxford State Rd, Trenton, OH 45067, (513) 
867-7425

    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and 
present oral comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings 
will be prepared.
    After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the draft EIS, a final EIS 
will be published and distributed by the FERC staff. The final EIS will 
contain the staff's responses to timely comments received on the draft 
EIS.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission and 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 Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Anyone may intervene 
in this proceeding based on this draft EIS. Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. You must file 
your request to intervene as specified above.\1\ You do not need 
intervenor status to have your comments considered.
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    \1\ 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 has been placed in the public files of the FERC and 
is available for distribution and 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 hardcopies and CD-ROMs of the draft EIS are 
available from the FERC's Public Reference Room, identified above. This 
draft EIS is also available for public viewing on the FERC's Internet 
Web site at http://www.ferc.gov. CD-ROM copies of the draft EIS have 
been mailed to Federal, State, and local agencies; public interest 
groups; individuals and affected landowners who requested a copy of the 
draft EIS or provided comments during scoping; libraries and newspapers 
in the Project area; and parties to this proceeding. Hard copy versions 
of the draft EIS were mailed to those specifically requesting them.
    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 (http://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 
(e.g. CP07-208). 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 Web site 
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 the eSubscription link on the FERC Internet Web 
site.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-23445 Filed 12-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P