[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 83 (Tuesday, April 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23241-23243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9303]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF08-8-000]


Northwest Pipeline GP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Colorado Hub Connection 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

April 21, 2008.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the potential environmental impacts of the planned Colorado Hub 
Connection Project (CHC). This project would involve the construction 
and operation of about 29 miles of natural gas pipeline and related 
facilities by Northwest Pipeline GP (NWP) in Rio Blanco County, 
Colorado. 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 planned 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 21, 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 planned project and to encourage them to comment 
on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this Notice, you may be contacted 
by a NWP representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed pipeline facilities. NWP 
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement to cover the 
easement, damages that may occur during construction, and any other 
issues raised by the landowner. The FERC encourages pipeline companies 
to acquire as much of the right-of-way (ROW) as possible by negotiation 
with the landowners. If the FERC approves the project, that approval 
will convey with it the right of eminent domain to secure easements for 
the facilities. Eminent domain is intended for use when easement 
negotiations fail to produce an agreement. In such instances, NWP 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 FERC's proceedings. It is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    NWP plans to construct and operate the following facilities:
     about 27.5 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline lateral, 
extending from NWP's interstate pipeline system in Douglas Creek south 
of Rangely on the west to the planned White River Hub and Enterprise 
Products Operating LLC's (Enterprise) Meeker Gas Processing Plant near 
Piceance Creek and Meeker on the east;
     interconnections with the White River Hub system, the 
Enterprise Plant, and NWP's system; and
     appurtenant facilities (including pressure regulation, 
metering, a mainline valve, and future pig launching/receiving 
facilities).\1\
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    \1\ A pipeline ``pig'' is a device to clean or inspect the 
interior of a pipeline. A pig launcher/receiver is an aboveground 
facility where pigs are inserted or retrieved from the pipeline.
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    The CHC would provide shippers with about 445 million dekatherms of 
natural gas transportation capacity per day from the planned White 
River Hub to NWP's mainline system. The general location of the planned 
facilities is shown in appendix 1.\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 planned facilities should be made directly to NWP.
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Land Requirements

    Construction of the CHC would disturb about 480 acres overall, 
including the planned pipeline ROW and three aboveground facility sites 
(333.5 acres), temporary extra work areas along the ROW (71.4 acres), 
upgrades to existing access roads (up to 5 acres), and the use of seven 
existing contractor/pipe storage/rail offloading industrial yards (70.3 
acres). Following construction, operation of the planned

[[Page 23242]]

facilities would permanently affect about 185 acres of land, composed 
entirely of pipeline ROW and the aboveground facilities at each end of 
the pipeline. The remaining acreage disturbed during construction would 
be restored (as closely as practicable) to previous conditions and 
uses.
    NWP would use a 100-foot-wide ROW during construction, but maintain 
either a 75-foot or 50-foot-wide permanent ROW (on private or federally 
administered lands, respectively) during facility operation. On the 
west end of the pipeline in Douglas Creek, the planned Philadelphia 
Creek Pressure Regulating Station and access drive would require about 
0.23 and 0.41 acre, respectively. On the east end near Piceance Creek, 
interconnections with the Meeker Gas Processing Plant and White River 
Hub would require a single site (adjacent to the Gas Plant) with a 
short access road totaling about 1.1 acres of permanent disturbance. 
The third aboveground facility, a mainline valve (located immediately 
adjacent to a block valve owned by Enterprise) and short access road, 
would be sited entirely within the permanent ROW.

The EA Process

    We \3\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which requires the FERC to 
take into account the environmental impact that could result if it 
authorizes NWP's planned CHC. As the lead federal agency for 
preparation of the EA, we are asking 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. Any agency that would like to request cooperating status 
should follow the instructions for filing comments provided below. The 
Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
already requested cooperating-agency status and will be assisting us in 
the scoping, analysis, and preparation of the EA. The EA will be used 
by both the FERC and the BLM (Agencies) to satisfy our NEPA 
requirements and support our respective decisions.
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    \3\ ``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, we are also 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 planned project under these general 
headings:
     geology and soils;
     water resources and wetlands;
     land use, recreation, and visual quality;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife (including threatened and 
endangered species and species of special concern);
     air quality and noise;
     reliability and safety.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the CHC 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 presented 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, 
local libraries and newspapers, 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.
    For this project, we have initiated our NEPA review prior to 
receiving a formal application from NWP. The purpose of our ``pre-
filing'' review process is to involve interested stakeholders early in 
the project planning, and to identify and resolve issues before an 
application is filed with the FERC. A pre-filing docket number (PF08-8-
000) has been established to place information filed by NWP and related 
documents issued by the FERC into the public record. Once a formal 
application is filed with the FERC, a new docket number will be 
established.
    To ensure your comments are received and considered, please 
carefully follow the instructions in the ``Public Participation'' 
section below.

Known Environmental Issues

    The western end of the planned pipeline terminates within the 
Canyon Pintado National Register Historic District and adjacent to an 
associated recreation site. Appropriate consultation and mitigation 
would be developed to avoid potential impacts.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the planned project. By becoming a 
commentor, your concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by 
the Agencies. You should focus on the potential environmental effects 
of the proposal and alternatives to the proposal, including alternative 
routes and aboveground facility 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: 
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, PJ-11.1;
     Reference Docket No. PF08-8-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before May 21, 2008.
    Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic 
filing of any comments or protests to this proceeding. See Title 18 of 
the Code of Federal Regulations, Sec.  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 computer's 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 e-
mail address. All comments submitted under either eFiling or the Quick 
Comment option are placed in the public record for the specified 
docket.

Environmental Mailing List

    As described above, we may publish and distribute the EA for 
comment. If

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you are interested in receiving an EA for review and/or comment, please 
return the Mailing List Return Mailer form (appendix 2). If you do not 
return the Return Mailer, you will be taken off the mailing list. All 
individuals who provide written comments will remain on our 
environmental mailing list for this project.

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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm. Any public 
meetings or site visits scheduled for this proposed project will be 
posted on the Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
    Finally, NWP has established an Internet Web site for this project 
at http://www.coloradohubconnection.com/. The Web site includes a 
project overview, status, and answers to frequently asked questions. 
You can also request additional information by calling NWP at 1-877-
547-5304.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-9303 Filed 4-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P