[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 90 (Thursday, May 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26103-26104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10172]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP08-8-000]


Leaf River Energy Center LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Leaf River Storage Project

April 30, 2008.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Leaf River Energy Center 
LLC (Leaf River) in the above-referenced docket.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The FERC staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a federal cooperating agency 
for the development of this EA. A federal cooperating agency has 
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to the proposed 
action and participates in the NEPA analysis.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of Leaf River's proposed Leaf River Storage 
(LRS) Project. The LRS Project would involve construction of the 
following facilities in Smith, Jasper, and Clarke Counties, 
Mississippi:
     Four storage wells and caverns with a total working gas 
capacity of 32 billion cubic feet (Bcf);
     Seven 4,800-horsepower gas driven reciprocating compressor 
units at its proposed compressor station/gas handling facility along 
with gas dehydration equipment;
     Four water supply wells and four deep saltwater disposal 
wells, and construct a 16-inch-diameter water supply pipeline and a 16-
inch-diameter saltwater disposal pipeline to these wells;
     6.6 miles of dual bi-directional 24-inch-diameter natural 
gas pipelines called the Dome Lateral;
     The West-East Lateral which consists of a single 6.9 mile 
24-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline to the west of the junction with 
the Dome Lateral and 30.2 miles of dual 24-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipelines to the east of the junction which would follow the corridor 
to be occupied by Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP's Southeast Expansion 
Project currently under construction;
     A fiber optic cable communication system from the gas 
handling facility along the header system to the interconnect locations 
to the cavern wells to transmit communications to operate the storage 
facility;
     A fiber optic cable from the gas handling facility to the 
water supply wells and salt water disposal wells and to the cavern 
wells to transmit communications to develop the cavern wells; and
     Four meter and regulator stations and five interstate gas 
transmission pipeline interconnections.
    The purpose of the project is to provide high-deliverability, 
multi-cycle natural gas storage services to multiple interstate gas 
transmission systems.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public 
inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference 
Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-
8371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to federal, state, and local 
agencies, public

[[Page 26104]]

interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, and libraries in 
the project area, and parties to this proceeding. Any person wishing to 
comment on the EA may do so. To ensure consideration prior to a 
Commission decision on the proposal, it is important that we receive 
your comments before the date specified below.
    Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic 
filing of any comments or interventions or protests to this proceeding. 
See Title 18 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 
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 computer's 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.
    If you are filing written 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 comments to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP08-8-000;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas Branch 1, PJ-11.1; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before May 30, 2008.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to 
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene 
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).\1\ Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 comments considered.
    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, 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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

 Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-10172 Filed 5-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P