[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 18 (Monday, January 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4856-4858]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1421]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF07-12-000]


Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Storage Factory Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

January 18, 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 Storage Factory Project, 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion 
Transmission, Inc. (Dominion) in Tioga County, Pennsylvania and 
Frederick County, Maryland. The EA will be used by the Commission in 
its decisionmaking process to determine whether the project is in the 
public convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of a second scoping period (due 
to changes in the project and design) 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 19, 2008.
    Comments may be submitted in written or verbal form. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of sending written 
comments, you may choose to attend the public scoping meeting scheduled 
as follows:

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               Date and time                          Location
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Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9    Middletown Middle School,
 p.m. (EST).                                 100 High Street,
                                             Middletown, MD 21769,
                                             Telephone: (240) 236-4200.
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    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State, 
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We \1\ 
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
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    \1\ ``We'' ``us'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects, part of the Commission staff.
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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a Dominion representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed project facilities. The 
pipeline company 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, Dominion could 
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with State law.
    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

    On August 29, 2007, we issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Storage Factory Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meetings and Site Visit. At the time of that Notice, the 
project facilities were all in Pennsylvania. Subsequently, Dominion 
made modifications to its project design, which have resulted in the 
removal of some facilities and the addition of others. The current 
configuration of the proposed facilities is detailed below.
    The Storage Factory Project would involve the leaching of two salt 
caverns and placing the first cavern in service by 2014. The project 
consists of constructing leaching/pumping facilities, a brine 
processing facility, water and brine pipelines, and a new compressor 
station for gas storage injection/withdrawal purposes in Tioga County, 
Pennsylvania. Alternative water sources for leaching of the salt 
caverns are also being investigated. Dominion is also proposing piping 
upgrades to its existing Sabinsville Storage Pool in Tioga County. In 
addition, Dominion proposes construction of a new 14,000 horsepower 
compressor station (Middletown Compressor Station) located off of 
Marker Road approximately two miles west of Middletown in Frederick 
County, Maryland.
    As part of its modifications, Dominion has removed the proposed 
additional compression at Dominion's existing Ardell Station located in 
Elk County, Pennsylvania and approximately 7.5 miles of new 30-inch-
diameter pipeline looping in Clinton County, Pennsylvania.
    Dominion anticipates filing an application with the FERC after 
March 2008 and to seek the Commission's approval in time for Dominion 
to begin construction by March 2009, with a proposed in-service date of 
January 2014.
    Project location maps are included in Appendix A.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices are 
available on the Commission's Web site 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 ``Additional Information'' 
section of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps 
of the proposed facilities should be made directly to Dominion.

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[[Page 4857]]

Land Requirements for Construction

    The Storage Factory Project is in the preliminary planning stage. 
The precise facility design, pipeline route, rights-of-way, and other 
details have not yet been finalized. Specific information on the 
proposed project location and the land used by it will be made 
available to the public when it is finalized.
    Construction of the proposed project would affect a total of about 
190.03 acres during construction. Following construction, about 87.13 
acres would be allowed to revert to its previous conditions. 
Disturbance associated with aboveground facilities would permanently 
impact 57.23 acres of land. This includes the compressor station in 
Frederick County which would be located on approximately 11 acres 
within a 135 acre site that Dominion is seeking to acquire. The land is 
currently used for agriculture.
    Dominion proposes to construct the pipelines associated with the 
Sabinsville Storage Pool in existing rights-of-way and it would seek a 
construction right-of-way width varying between 100-feet and 75-feet 
for the pipelines associated with the leaching and proposed gas storage 
areas.

 The EA Process

    For this project, the FERC staff has initiated its National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving the 
application. The purpose of the Commission's Pre-Filing Process is to 
involve interested stakeholders early in project planning and to 
identify and resolve issues before an application is filed with the 
FERC. A docket number (PF07-12-000) has been established to place 
information filed by Dominion, and related documents issued by the 
Commission, into the public record. Once a formal application is filed 
with the FERC, a new docket number will be established. The FERC will 
be the lead Federal agency for the preparation of the EA which will 
satisfy the requirements of NEPA.
    The 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, we are requesting public comments on the scope of the 
issues that should be addressed in the EA. We will consider all 
comments received during scoping in the preparation of the EA.
    Our independent analysis and evaluation of the issues will be 
included in the EA. The EA will also include possible alternatives to 
the proposed project or portions of the project, and we will make 
recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various 
resource areas of concern. Depending on the comments received during 
the scoping process, the EA may be published and mailed to Federal, 
State, and local agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; other interested parties; affected landowners; Native 
American tribes; libraries and newspapers; and the Commission's 
official service list for this proceeding. A 30-day comment period will 
be allotted for review of the EA. We will consider all comments 
submitted on the EA in any Commission Order that is issued for the 
project.
    We are currently involved in discussions with other jurisdictional 
agencies to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Protection.
    By this notice, we are asking these and other 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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already 
identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a 
preliminary review of the project site and the facility information 
provided by Dominion. This preliminary list of issues and potential 
impacts may change based on your comments and our analysis.
     Impacts on perennial and intermittent streams and 
waterbodies.
     Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands 
and development of appropriate mitigation.
     Effect on federally and State-listed species.
     Alternative leaching water sources.
     Impacts on existing land uses.
     Visual impacts of the aboveground facilities on 
surrounding areas.
     Impacts on local air and noise quality associated with 
construction and operation.
     Impacts on cultural resources.
     Public safety and potential hazards associated with the 
transport of natural gas and the proposed compressor facilities.

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. 
Your comments 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. If you have already mailed in comments in response to the 
initial Notice for this project, your comments will still be considered 
and you do not need to resubmit your comments. 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 Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 1;
     Reference Docket No. PF07-12-000;
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC, on or before February 19, 2008.
    Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic 
filing of comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
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 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.''
    The public scoping meeting (date, time, and location is listed 
above) is designed to provide state and local agencies, interested 
groups, affected landowners, and the general public with

[[Page 4858]]

another opportunity to offer your 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. A transcript of the meeting will be made so that 
your comments will be accurately recorded.\3\
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    \3\ We previously held a public scoping meeting on September 18, 
2007, in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania to address Dominion's proposed 
facilities in Pennsylvania.
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    All public meetings will be posted on the Commission's calendar 
located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with 
other related information.
    Once Dominion formally files its application with the Commission, 
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. 
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time. 
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.

Site Visit

    On February 6, 2008, the Office of Energy Projects staff will 
conduct a pre-certification site visit of the proposed Middletown 
Compressor Station in Middletown, Maryland. We will view Dominion's 
proposed compressor station site and possibly alternative sites that 
are being considered for the proposed project. Staff will tour these 
proposed project areas by automobile and on foot. Representatives of 
Dominion will accompany the OEP staff.
    All interested parties may attend the site visit. Those planning to 
attend must provide their own transportation. If you are interested in 
attending the site visit, please meet us at 1:30 p.m. at the proposed 
Middletown Compressor Station Site. The directions to the location of 
the proposed compressor station from Middletown, Maryland are as 
follows:

    Take US-40-Alt West to Marker Road, turn left. Travel on Marker 
Road about 1.5 miles until you pass PL-1 pipeline and power lines. 
The proposed compressor station property will be on your left (see 
Appendix A map for location).

    For additional information, please contact the Commission's Office 
of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372).

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 aboveground facilities. If you do 
not return the attached form (Appendix B), you will be removed from the 
Commission's environmental mailing list. All individuals who provide 
written comments, attend the scoping meeting, or return the ``Keep on 
Mailing List Form'' will remain on our environmental mailing list for 
this project.
    Any individual who participated in the first scoping period will 
remain on our mailing list and does not need to mail back the enclosed 
``Keep on Mailing List Form''. This includes those who already have:
     Mailed in comments to FERC;
     Mailed back the ``Keep on the Mailing List Form'' ; or
     Attended the scoping meeting in Lawrenceville, 
Pennsylvania, on September 18, 2007.

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, select ``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, 
enter the selected date range and ``Docket Number'' excluding the last 
three digits (i.e., PF07-12), and follow the instructions. For 
assistance with access to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at 1-
866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at [email protected]. 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 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.
    Finally, Dominion has established an Internet Web site for this 
project at http://www.dom.com/about/gas-transmission/storage/index.jsp. 
The Web site includes a project overview, status, and answers to 
frequently asked questions. You can also request additional information 
by calling Dominion at 1-888-882-5055.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-1421 Filed 1-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P