[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21625-21627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8631]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP08-85-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Appalachian Expansion 
Project--Hamlin Compressor Station and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

April 15, 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 Appalachian Expansion 
Project--Hamlin Compressor Station Project involving construction and 
operation of a compressor station and piping to an existing pipeline by 
Columbia Gas Transmission Company (Columbia) in Lincoln County, West 
Virginia. The EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making 
process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience 
and necessity.
    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. Please note that the scoping period 
will close on May 19, 2008. Details on how to submit comments are 
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
    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. 
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

    Columbia proposes to build a compressor station along its SM116 
pipeline, a part of its Appalachian Pipeline System, to provide 
additional

[[Page 21626]]

transportation service of natural gas to its customers in the Mid-
Atlantic and Eastern Markets. Proposed construction would include:
     One compressor building housing two 4,735 horsepower 
natural gas-fired compressors;
     One auxiliary building, with office space;
     One truck loading facility with a used oil storage tank 
and two sumps
     An emergency generator; and
     Ancillary foundations, pipe supports, and landscaping that 
include fencing and crushed stone ground cover.
    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 Columbia.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    The project would be built on a 22-acre parcel owned by Columbia 
and would affect approximately 6.75 acres during construction, with 
1.63 acres permanently converted for project use. Construction of 
pipeline facilities would affect approximately 6.07 acres of open land, 
0.58 acres of forested lands, and a 0.10-acre area of County Road 7-2, 
which would be within the proposed facility footprint. The remaining 
5.08 acres would be revegetated to prevent erosion.

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 Columbia'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.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
project or portions of the 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, including alternative compressor 
station sites 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: 
Kimberley 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 3, PJ-11.3;
     Reference Docket No. CP08-85-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before May 19, 2008.
    Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic 
filing of any comments, interventions, or protests to this proceeding. 
See Title 18 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 
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.'' 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 
email address. All comments submitted under either eFiling or the Quick 
Comment option are placed in the public record for the specified 
docket.

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. 
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of 
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors. 
Likewise, each intervenor must send one electronic copy (using the 
Commission's eFiling system) or 14 paper copies of its filings to the 
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding.
    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).\3\ Only intervenors have the right to 
seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \3\ 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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[[Page 21627]]

    The Notice of Application for this proposed project issued on March 
13, 2008 identified the date for the filing of interventions as April 
3, 2008. However, affected landowners and parties with environmental 
concerns may be granted late 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 (http://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. 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. E8-8631 Filed 4-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P