[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 194 (Monday, October 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58223-58225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23504]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP08-467-000]


Texas Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare An 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Fayetteville Shale 
Compression Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

September 30, 2008.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
address the environmental impacts of the Fayetteville Shale Compression 
Project (project) involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (Texas Gas) in White County, Arkansas, and 
Humpheys and Washington Counties, Mississippi.\1\ The Commission will 
use the EA in its decision-making process to determine whether or not 
to authorize the project. This notice explains the scoping process we 
\2\ will use to gather environmental input from the public and 
interested agencies on the projects. Your input will help the 
Commission determine the issues that need to be evaluated in the EA. 
Please note that the scoping period will close on November 14, 2008.
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    \1\ Texas Gas' application was filed with the Commission under 
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's 
regulations.
    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    Details on how to submit written comments are provided in the 
Public Participation section of this notice.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company 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 for its project. 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, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation proceedings 
in accordance with state law.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage government 
representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project 
and 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?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). This fact 
sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the 
use of eminent domain and how to participate in the FERC's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Projects

    Texas Gas proposes to construct, own, operate, and maintain certain 
natural gas transportation facilities within the states of Arkansas and 
Mississippi. The general locations of the proposed compression 
facilities are shown in the figure included as Appendix 1.\3\ The 
purpose of the project is to facilitate the transportation and delivery 
of natural gas from the Fayetteville Shale natural gas production 
fields in Arkansas via the Texas Gas system to markets in the midwest, 
northeast, and southeast United States.
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other 
than Appendix 1 (maps), 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 
Public Participation 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 Texas Gas.
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    Texas Gas proposes to begin constructing the project in June 2009, 
and to place the project in service in December 2009. The proposed 
facilities are listed below.
     The Bald Knob Compressor Station in White County, 
Arkansas, near milepost (MP) 65.8 of the Fayetteville Lateral would 
include:
    [cir] 26,660 horsepower (hp) of compression consisting of two Solar 
Mars 100 turbines (T1 and T2) equipped with SoLoNOX (low 
nitrogen oxide [NOX ] burners);
    [cir] A control building to house the compressors, an emergency 
backup generator, heaters, and other equipment;
    [cir] An auxiliary building for the heating, ventilating, and air 
conditioning (HVAC) facilities; and
    [cir] An 845-foot-long suction pipeline and a 746-foot-long 
discharge pipeline, both 36 inches in diameter between the station and 
the Fayetteville Lateral.
     The Isola Compressor Station in Humphreys County, 
Mississippi, near MP 27.0 of the Greenville Lateral would include:

[[Page 58224]]

    [cir] 13,330 hp of compression consisting of one Solar Mars 100 
turbine (T1) equipped with SoLoNOX (low NOX 
burners);
    [cir] A control building to house the compressor, an emergency 
backup generator, heaters, and other equipment;
    [cir] An auxiliary building for the HVAC facilities; and
    [cir] A 675-foot-long suction pipeline and a 535-foot-long 
discharge pipeline, both 36 inches in diameter between the station and 
the Fayetteville Lateral.
     The modifications to the existing Greenville Compressor 
Station in Washington County, Mississippi, would include facilities to:
    [cir] Connect two existing reciprocating compressors to the 
existing yard and station piping discharging to the Greenville Lateral;
    [cir] Extend this yard and station piping to attach the T-2 turbine 
compressor to allow it to discharge into the Greenville Lateral; and
    [cir] Upgrade and expand an existing check meter.

Land Requirement

    The total land requirement for the project would be about 91.8 
acres. Construction of the proposed new compressor stations would be 
within 60-acre and 81-acre parcels of land Texas Gas would acquire for 
construction and operation of the Bald Knob and Isola Compressor 
Stations, respectively. Construction of the Bald Knob Compressor 
Station would require about 41.8 acres, and about 8.9 acres of this 
total would be permanently required for operation. Permanent access to 
the site would be directly from North Taylor Road; so no new access 
road would be required.
    Construction of the proposed Isola Compressor Station would require 
about 49.7 acres for construction, and about 13.3 acres of this total 
would be required for operation. Included in the permanent acreage 
requirement would be about 1.1 acres for a 1,996-foot-long, 30-foot-
wide permanent access road extending from Beasley Bayou Road to the 
fenced station yard.
    Construction of the proposed facilities at the existing Greenville 
Compressor Station would require about 0.3 acre to construct within the 
existing 45.8-acre, fenced station.
    The disturbed areas would be restored following construction. Areas 
within the proposed compressor stations that would be fenced and 
permanently impacted by operation of the proposed facilities would be 
gravel-or concrete-covered. Areas outside the fenced areas would be 
seeded and restored.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from an action when it considers whether or not an interstate 
natural gas pipeline should be approved. The FERC will use the EA to 
consider the environmental impact that could result if the project is 
authorized under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires 
us to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals 
to be considered by the Commission. 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. With this 
Notice of Intent, the Commission staff is requesting public comments on 
the scope of the issues to be addressed in the EA. All comments 
received will be considered during preparation of the EA.
    In the EA we 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;
     Land use;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Threatened and endangered species;
     Air quality and noise;
     Hazardous waste; and
     Public safety.
    In the EA, we will also evaluate possible alternatives to the 
proposed projects or portions of the projects, and make recommendations 
on how to lessen or avoid impacts on affected resources.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the Project. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects of the proposal, reasonable 
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen the environmental 
impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. 
To ensure that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please 
send in your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC 
on or before November 14, 2008.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please 
reference the project docket number with your submission. The docket 
number can be found on the front of this notice. The Commission 
encourages electronic filing of comments and has dedicated eFiling 
expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or 
[email protected].
    (1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick 
Comment feature, which is located on the Commission's internet Web site 
at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. A Quick 
Comment is an easy method for interested persons to submit text-only 
comments on a project.
    (2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling 
feature, which is located on the Commission's internet Web site at 
http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. eFiling 
involves preparing your submission in the same manner as you would if 
filing on paper, and then saving the file on your computer's hard 
drive. You will attach that file as your submission. 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. A comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment on 
a Filing.''
    (3) You may file your comments via mail to the Commission by 
sending 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 2, 
PJ11.2.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding, or ``intervenor''. 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). Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the 
Commission's decision. 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

[[Page 58225]]

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 (3372) or on 
the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the ``eLibrary 
link.'' Click on the eLibrary link, select ``General Search'' and enter 
the project docket number excluding the last three digits (i.e., PF06-
1) 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 TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. 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 FERC now offers a free service called 
eSubscription that 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. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Texas Gas has established an Internet Web site for the project at 
www.txgt.com, then click on expansion projects. The Web site includes a 
description of the project, a map of the proposed pipeline route, and 
contact information. You may also use Texas Gas' toll free telephone 
number, 1-866-462-6679 to ask questions about the project.

 Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-23504 Filed 10-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P