[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 51 (Friday, March 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13890-13892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5110]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP08-72-000]


Northern Border Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Des Plaines Project and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

March 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 Des Plaines Project 
(Project). The Project is proposed by Northern Border Pipeline Company 
(Northern Border) and involves construction and operation of a new 
natural gas compressor and meter station near Channahon in Will County, 
Illinois. The EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making 
process to determine whether or not to authorize the Project.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the Project. Your input will help determine which issues 
need to be evaluated in the EA. 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. 
Details on how to submit comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on April 7, 2008.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government agencies; elected officials; Native American 
tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. 
Affected landowners include all landowners who own land within 0.5 mile 
of the proposed compressor facility. Northern Border's proposed 
facilities would occupy a parcel of land owned by Northern Border. 
Northern Border has not proposed to acquire any easements to construct, 
operate, or maintain the proposed Project facilities.
    A number of fact sheets prepared by the FERC, including ``An 
Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' 
and ``Guide to Electronic Information at FERC,'' are available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov), using the 
``For Citizens'' link. These fact sheets address a number of typically

[[Page 13891]]

asked questions including how to participate in the Commission's 
proceedings and how to access information on FERC regulated projects in 
your area.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Northern Border seeks authorization to construct, own, and operate 
a new 1,600 horsepower compressor station, meter station, and 
interconnecting and appurtenant facilities, collectively referred to as 
the Des Plaines Project, in Will County, Illinois. The proposed 
construction would include a new interconnect between ANR Pipeline 
Company (ANR) and Northern Border. Northern Border currently does not 
have the ability to receive gas directly from ANR due to Northern 
Border's higher operating pressures. The proposed compressor facilities 
would enable Northern Border to receive 59,681 dekatherms per day from 
ANR for transport to an existing delivery point on Northern Border's 
mainline system in Ventura, Iowa. Northern Border proposes to begin 
construction in July 2008 in order to be in-service by November 1, 
2008.
    The general location of the proposed facilities 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 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 Northern 
Border Pipeline Company by calling Bambi Heckerman at (402) 492-
7575.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    The proposed construction would include an access road, piping 
(above and below ground), and one or more buildings that would contain 
meter equipment, appurtenant piping, and the natural gas compressor and 
engine. Proposed construction would impact approximately 7.8 acres of 
land owned by Northern Border. The site consists of undeveloped, 
disturbed grassland and shrubs, bordered by railroad tracks and active 
light industrial facilities. All proposed workspace for construction 
and material/equipment staging would occur within Northern Border's 7.8 
acre site or at a nearby site (owned by Northern Border or previously 
disturbed commercial storage site). A new road would be installed 
across the CSX rail spur to provide access to the site from Youngs 
Road.

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 Northern Border'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
     Water resources
     Land use and visual quality
     Cultural resources
     Vegetation and wildlife (including threatened and 
endangered species)
     Air quality and noise
     Reliability and safety
     Cumulative impact
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
Project, where necessary, 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 
received and considered, please carefully follow the instructions in 
the Public Participation section 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 
and alternatives to the proposal 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 for the attention of Gas Branch 3, PJ-11.3;
     Reference Docket No. CP08-72-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before April 7, 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 
link to ``Documents and Filings'' and ``eFiling.'' eFiling is a file 
attachment process and requires that you prepare your submission in the 
same manner as you would if filing on paper, and save it to a file on 
your hard drive. New eFiling users must first create an account by 
clicking on ``Sign up'' or ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select 
the type of filing you are making. This filing is considered a 
``Comment on Filing.'' In addition, there is a ``Quick Comment'' option 
available, which is an easy method for interested persons to submit 
text only comments on a project. The Quick-Comment User Guide can be 
viewed at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/quick-comment-guide.pdf. Quick Comment does not require a FERC eRegistration account; 
however, you will be asked to provide a valid e-mail address. All 
comments submitted under either eFiling or the Quick Comment option are 
placed in the public record for the specified docket or project 
number(s).
    As described above, we may publish and distribute the EA for 
comment. If you are interested in receiving the EA for review and/or 
comment, please return the Mailing List Retention Form

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(Appendix 2). If you do not return the Mailing List Retention Form, 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 known as an 
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's 
decision, and also receive copies of case-related Commission documents 
and filings by other intervenors.
    If you want 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). 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.

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, then on ``General Search'' and enter the 
docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number 
field (i.e., CP08-72). 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.
    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. E8-5110 Filed 3-13-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P