[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2479-2481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-513]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF08-1-000]


Orbit Gas Storage, Inc.; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Kentucky Energy Hub Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meeting

January 7, 2008.
    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 proposed Kentucky Energy Hub 
Project, which involves construction and operation of natural gas 
storage facilities in Hopkins County, Kentucky. This notice announces 
the opening of the scoping period that will be used to gather 
environmental input from the public and interested agencies on the 
project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine which 
issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on February 6, 2008.
    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public 
Participation portion of this notice. In addition to or in lieu of 
sending written comments, we invite you to attend the public scoping 
meeting at the location listed below.

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               Date and Time                          Location
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008, 7-10 p.m.....  Madisonville Technology
                                             Economic Center, 755
                                             Industrial Road,
                                             Madisonville, KY 42431.
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    Public scoping meetings are designed to provide state and local 
agencies, interested groups, affected landowners, and the general 
public with another opportunity to offer comments on the project. 
Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meeting 
and to present comments on the environmental issues they believe should 
be addressed in the EA.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a

[[Page 2480]]

pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. Orbit Gas 
Storage, Inc. (Orbit) would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that 
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if 
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, Orbit could 
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries 
and newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to 
notify their constituents of this proposed project and to encourage 
them to comment on their areas of concern.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' 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 (http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Orbit seeks authorization to construct a new natural gas storage 
facility in Hopkins County, Kentucky. The Kentucky Energy Hub Project 
would consist of developing a 5 billion-cubic-foot storage cavern from 
a depleted production reservoir; 10 new gas storage wells on 3 new well 
pads; a new 5,400-horsepower compressor station; an 8.6-mile-long, 16-
inch-diameter gathering pipeline; a 13.3-mile-long, 24-inch diameter 
pipeline; and a new meter station. The proposed project would connect 
with an existing ANR Pipeline Company pipeline system near Rabbit 
Ridge, Kentucky.
    The general location of the proposed storage field expansion is 
shown 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 Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the 
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room at 
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to 
the ``Additional Information'' section at the end of this notice. 
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this 
notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps of the well locations 
and other proposed facilities should be made directly to Orbit.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed project would affect a total of about 
246 acres during construction. Following construction, about 134 acres 
would be allowed to revert to its previous conditions. Disturbance 
associated with aboveground facilities would permanently impact 
approximately 45 acres of land. The compressor station would require 
about 25 acres and the three well pads would require about 5, 7, and 8 
acres of disturbance. Orbit would seek a 75-foot-wide construction 
right-of-way for the pipelines, and it would maintain a 30-foot-wide 
permanent right-of-way for operation of the pipelines.

The EA Process

    We \2\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the Commission to take 
into account the environmental impact that could result if it 
authorizes Orbit's proposal. By this notice, we are also asking 
federal, state, and local agencies with jurisdiction and/or special 
expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate 
with us in the preparation of the EA. Agencies that would like to 
request cooperating status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments provided below.
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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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    NEPA also requires the FERC 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, we are requesting public comments on the scope of the 
issues to address in the EA. All comments received will be considered 
during the preparation of the EA.
    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:
     geology and soils
     wetlands and waterbodies
     land use
     cultural resources
     vegetation and wildlife (including sensitive species)
     air and noise quality
    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.
    Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has 
already initiated its NEPA review under its Pre-filing Process. The 
purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage the early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an 
application is filed with the FERC.
    With this notice, we are asking federal, state, and local 
governmental agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to environmental issues, to express their interest in becoming 
cooperating agencies for the preparation of the EA. These agencies may 
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to 
their responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating 
status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided 
below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, reasonable alternatives to the proposal including alternative 
locations and routes, 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 Gas 
Branch 1.
     Reference Docket No. PF08-1-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before February 6, 2008.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments. See 18 
Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on 
the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the 
``eFiling'' link and the link to the User's

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Guide. Prepare your submission in the same manner as you would if 
filing on paper and save it to a file on your hard drive. Before you 
can file comments you will need to create an account by clicking on 
``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' You will be asked to 
select the type of filing you are making. This filing is considered a 
``Comment on Filing.''
    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.

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 (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 
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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.

Appendix 2

Information Request

Docket No. PF08-1-000

    Please keep my name on the mailing list for the Kentucky Energy 
Hub Project.

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ATTN: OEP--Gas 1, PJ--11.1, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.

Staple or Tape Here

 [FR Doc. E8-513 Filed 1-14-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P