[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 217 (Friday, November 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66236-66237]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26580]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP08-96-000]


Arlington Storage Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Thomas Corners Storage 
Project

October 31, 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 Arlington Storage Company, 
LLC (ASC) in the above-referenced docket.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). 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.
    Three New York State agencies cooperated in the development of this 
EA. These agencies include the New York State Department of 
Environmental Conservation, New York State Department Agriculture and 
Markets, and the New York State Historic Preservation Office. These 
state agencies provided input for the preparation of this EA.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of ASC's proposed Thomas Corners Storage 
(TCS) Project which includes all of the facilities described below in 
Steuben County, New York. ASC proposes to convert an abandoned natural 
gas production field into a new storage field referred to as the Thomas 
Corners Storage Field. The facilities to be constructed at the storage 
field are referred to as the Thomas Corners

[[Page 66237]]

Storage Facility (TCS Facility) and would consist of:
     Drilling up to 10 injection/withdrawal wells from a common 
well pad;
     Drilling two observation wells within the common well pad, 
if two former production wells located near the TCS Facility cannot be 
converted into observation wells;
     Constructing about 1.70 miles of gathering pipeline; and
     Constructing and operating a compressor station (Thomas 
Corners Storage Compressor Station) housing two gas-powered nominal 
3,785-horsepower reciprocating engines within the TCS Facility on its 
western side.
    The TCS Facility would have a total working gas capacity of about 
7.0 Bcf and would occupy about a 27.0-acre site.
    ASC also proposes to:
     Construct about 8.09 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline, 
called the Thomas Corners West Lateral;
     Use an existing 7.50-mile-long, 8-inch-diameter pipeline, 
called the Thomas Corners South Lateral;
     Construct a 0.19-mile-long extension on the Thomas Corners 
South Lateral; and
     Construct three meter and regulator stations and 
interconnections with Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation, Tennessee 
Gas Pipeline Company, and Corning Natural Gas Company.
    The Thomas Corners Storage Field would have a total working gas 
capacity of about 7 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas within an 
abandoned natural gas production field. The purpose of the project is 
to provide highly flexible services natural gas storage services for 
two interstate gas transmission systems and a local distribution 
company.
    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 interest groups; interested individuals; newspapers 
and libraries in the project area; Native America groups; 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, Sec.  
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. CP08-96-000;
     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 December 1, 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.
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    \1\ 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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    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 (http://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 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. To register for this service, go to the eSubscription 
link on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm).

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-26580 Filed 11-6-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P