[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 108 (Monday, June 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27138-27139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-13229]



[[Page 27138]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP09-237-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Delta Lateral 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

May 29, 2009.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Delta Lateral Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Transcontinental 
Gas Pipe Line Company LLC (Transco) in York County, Pennsylvania. This 
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 we will 
use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the 
project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what 
issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on June 30, 2009.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other 
interested parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and 
newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to 
notify their constituents of this proposed 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 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 Commission's proceedings. 
It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Transco proposes to construct its Delta Lateral Project in York 
County, Pennsylvania, in order to provide 208,800 dekatherms per day of 
firm transportation service to the Delta Power Plant, a natural gas and 
oil fired electric power generation plant that is currently under 
construction in York County.
    Transco is proposing to construct:
     3.42 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline lateral from 
Compressor Station 195 located at milepost (MP) 1674.6 of Transco's 
Mainlines A and C to the interconnection with the Delta Power Plant;
     Two 12-inch taps at MP 1674.6, one each on Mainlines A and 
C discharge headers;
     Minor aboveground facilities and modifications including a 
new pig launcher and receiver;
     A delivery point meter station at the Delta Power Plant 
site, including two 8-inch ultrasonic meters, 12-inch yard piping, 
electronic flow measurement equipment and a radio with a tower;
     An odorization system within the Delta Power Plant site;
     A chromatograph with accessories, and a radio and building 
within the Delta Power Plant site; and
     A 630-foot-long cathodic protection ground bed at MP 1.9, 
adjacent to Delta Road.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 
1.\1\
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    \1\ 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 last page of this notice. 
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this 
notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 54.1 
acres of land. Following construction, about 14.8 acres would be 
maintained as new aboveground facility sites and permanent pipeline 
right-of-way. The remaining 39.3 acres of land would be restored and 
allowed to revert to their former use.

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 whenever it considers the issuance of a 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us 
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, the Commission staff requests 
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. 
State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify 
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to 
comment on their areas of concern.
    In the EA, we \2\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result 
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these 
general headings:
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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     Land use;
     Geology and soils;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Endangered and threatened species; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project 
or portions of the project, 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 the entities on our mailing list (see 
how to remain on our mailing list under Environmental Mailing List, 
below). 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. To ensure your comments are 
considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the public 
participation section below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the Delta Lateral Project. Your comments 
should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable 
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen 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 June 30, 2009.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please 
reference the

[[Page 27139]]

project docket number CP09-237-000 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 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 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 Street, NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 3, 
PJ-11.3.

Environmental Mailing List

    An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, 
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially 
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are 
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily 
for project purposes, or who own property within distances defined in 
the Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities.
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request 
(Appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be 
taken off the mailing list.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to the 
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the 
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard 
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. 
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a 
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are 
included in the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the 
Commission's Web site.

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 Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on 
the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket 
number (CP09-237) 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-13229 Filed 6-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P