[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 221 (Friday, November 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67501-67502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-27069]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP08-420-000]


Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Hubline/East to 
West Project

November 7, 2008.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission 
or FERC) has prepared the draft Environmental Impact Statement (draft 
EIS) to address Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC's (Algonquin) proposed 
expansion of its natural gas pipeline system in the above-referenced 
docket. The HubLine/East to West Project (E2W Project or Project) would 
be located in various counties in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode 
Island, and New Jersey.
    The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We \1\ have concluded that if 
the Project is constructed and operated in accordance with applicable 
laws and regulations, Algonquin's proposed mitigation, and our 
additional mitigation measures, it would have limited adverse 
environmental impact.
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    \1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy 
Projects.
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    The FERC is the lead agency for the preparation of the EIS. The 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) and the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) are cooperating agencies. A cooperating agency 
has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to 
environmental impacts involved with the proposal and is involved in the 
NEPA analysis.
    The E2W Project would provide 746,500 dekatherms per day of east to 
west natural gas transportation service for delivery to high growth 
markets in the Northeast. The Project would increase the diversity of 
supply by accessing natural gas from liquefied natural gas projects 
recently constructed or under construction offshore of Massachusetts 
and in New Brunswick, Canada and add natural gas supply reliability and 
security to Algonquin's existing system by eliminating current delivery 
bottlenecks.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities proposed by 
Algonquin:
     I-10 Extension--construction of approximately 12.9 miles 
of new 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Norfolk County, Massachusetts;
     Q-1 System Replacement--installation of approximately 7.5 
miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline that would replace a segment of an 
existing 24-inch-diameter pipeline in Norfolk County, Massachusetts;
     E-3 System Replacement--installation of approximately 11.0 
miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline that would replace a segment of an 
existing 6- and 4-inch-diameter pipeline in New London County, 
Connecticut;
     Rehoboth Compressor Station--a new 10,310-horsepower 
compressor station in Bristol County, Massachusetts;
     Modifications to three existing compressor stations to 
accommodate bidirectional flow along Algonquin's system including:
     [cir] Burrillville Compressor Station in Providence County, Rhode 
Island;
     [cir] Cromwell Compressor Station in Middlesex County, 
Connecticut; and
     [cir] Hanover Compressor Station in Morris County, New Jersey;
     Aboveground over-pressure protection regulation at two 
existing meter stations (Fore River and Sharon Meter Stations) and at 
two new regulator stations (beginning and end of the Q-1 System 
Replacement) along the Algonquin system in Massachusetts; and
     Installation of appurtenant ancillary facilities including 
four mainline valves, two taps, and two remote blow-off valves; five 
pig \2\ launchers; and three pig receivers in Massachusetts and 
Connecticut.
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    \2\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS is encouraged to do 
so. To ensure consideration prior to a Commission decision on the 
proposal, it is important that your comments be received before 
December 29, 2008. Please carefully follow the instructions below so 
that your comments are properly recorded.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
Project docket number (CP08-420-000) with your submission. 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;'' or
    (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 St., NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 3, 
PJ-11.3.

[[Page 67502]]

Mail your comments promptly, so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before December 29, 2008.
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite 
you to attend the public comment meetings we will conduct in the 
Project area. Both meetings will begin at 7 p.m. (Est), and are 
scheduled as follows:

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             Date                               Location
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008.  Stoughton High School Cafeteria, 232
                                Pearl Street, Stoughton, MA 02072, (781)
                                344-7001
Thursday, December 11, 2008..  Norwich City Hall Council Chambers, 100
                                Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360 (860) 823-
                                3732.
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    These public meetings will be posted on the FERC's calendar located 
at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx. Interested groups 
and individuals are encouraged to attend and present written or oral 
comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings will be 
prepared.
    After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and necessary modifications are made to the draft EIS, a 
final EIS will be published and distributed. The final EIS will contain 
our responses to timely comments filed on the draft EIS that are 
related to environmental issues.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission and the cooperating 
agencies 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 Procedure (Title 18 CFR Part 385.214). Only 
intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's 
decision. Further instructions for becoming an intervenor are included 
in the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web 
site (http://www.ferc.gov). You do not need intervenor status to have 
your comments considered.
    The draft EIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and 
is available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal 
Regulatory Energy Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First St., 
NE.; Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    A limited number of copies are available from the FERC's Public 
Reference Room identified above. These copies may be requested in hard 
copy or as .pdf files on a CD that can be read by a computer with a CD-
ROM drive. The draft EIS is also available for viewing on the FERC 
Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov. In addition, copies of the 
document have been mailed to federal, state, and local government 
agencies; elected officials; Native American tribes and regional 
organizations; local libraries and newspapers; intervenors in the 
FERC's proceeding; and other interested parties (i.e., affected 
landowners, other interested individuals, and environmental and public 
interest groups who provided scoping comments or asked to remain on the 
mailing list). All parties on the mailing list were sent a CD of the 
draft EIS. A hard copy was also mailed to those who specifically 
requested one. Hard copies of the draft EIS can be viewed at the 
libraries in the Project area that are listed in Appendix B of the 
draft EIS.
    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, click on ``General Search,'' and 
enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket 
Number field (i.e., CP08-420). 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 on the FERC Internet Web site 
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 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 the eSubscription 
link on the FERC Internet Web site.
    Information concerning the involvement of the COE is available from 
Ted Lento at (978) 318-8863. Information concerning the involvement of 
the EPA is available from Timothy Timmermann at (617) 918-1025.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-27069 Filed 11-13-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P