[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 122 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30560-30562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15151]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[FERC Docket No. CP09-54-000]


Ruby Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Availability of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement and Notice of Public Comment Meetings 
for the Ruby Pipeline Project

June 19, 2009.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
on the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Ruby Pipeline, 
L.L.C. (Ruby) in the above-referenced docket. The Ruby Pipeline Project 
facilities would be located in Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon and 
would be capable of transporting up to 1.5 million dekatherms per day 
of natural gas.
    The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The U.S. Department 
of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation, 
and Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service (USFS) and Natural Resources Conservation Service; the 
U.S. Army

[[Page 30561]]

Corps of Engineers; the State of Utah Public Lands Policy Coordination 
Office; and the Board of County Commissioners in Lincoln County, 
Wyoming are participating as cooperating agencies in the preparation of 
the EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the 
proposal, and participate in the NEPA analysis. The Ruby Pipeline 
Project would require permits from the cooperating agencies pursuant to 
right-of-way grants (and/or temporary use or special use permits) for 
federally administered lands/canals crossed in Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, 
and Oregon.
    Based on the analysis included in the EIS, the FERC staff concludes 
that construction and operation of the Ruby Pipeline Project would 
result in some adverse environmental impacts. However, most of these 
would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with the 
implementation of Ruby's proposed mitigation measures; additional 
measures and agreements being discussed by Ruby and other agencies 
related to permitting or conservation agreements; and the additional 
measures recommended by staff in the EIS.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
following project facilities:
     About 675.2 miles of 42-inch-diameter mainline pipeline;
     About 2.6 miles of 42-inch-diameter lateral pipeline;
     1 electric-powered compressor station and 3 natural gas-
powered compressor stations (totaling 160,500 horsepower of new 
compression);
     4 meter stations containing interconnects to other 
pipeline systems;
     44 mainline valves;
     20 pig launchers or receivers;
     5 new communication towers; and
     Miscellaneous communications equipment installed at eight 
existing communication towers.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the Ruby Pipeline 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 consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, 
it is important that the Commission receive your comments before August 
10, 2009.
    For your convenience, there are four methods in which you can use 
to submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please 
reference the project docket number CP09-54-000 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]. Please carefully follow these instructions so 
that your comments are properly recorded:
    (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 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 your 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 St., NE; 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426; label one copy of your comments for the 
attention of the Gas Branch 1, PJ-11.1 and reference Docket No. CP09-
54-000 on the original and both copies; and
    (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the FERC 
invites you to attend one of the public comment meetings the staff will 
conduct in the project area to receive comments on the draft EIS. All 
meetings will begin at 7 p.m., local time, and are scheduled as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Date                               Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 21, 2009.........................  Malin Community Hall, 2307 Front
                                         Street. Malin, OR 97623.
July 22, 2009.........................  Elks Lodge, 323 N. F Street,
                                         Lakeview, OR 97630.
July 23, 2009.........................  Winnemucca Convention Center, 50
                                         W. Winnemucca Blvd.,
                                         Winnemucca, NV 89445.
July 27, 2009.........................  Brigham City Senior Center, 24 N
                                         300 W, Brigham City, UT 84302.
July 28, 2009.........................  Hilton Garden Inn, 3650 East
                                         Idaho St., Elko, NV 89801.
July 29, 2009.........................  Kemmerer Senior Center, 105 J.C.
                                         Penney Drive, Kemmerer, WY
                                         83101.
July 30, 2009.........................  Hyrum Civic Center, 83 W. Main
                                         St., Hyrum, UT 84319.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and 
present 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 modifications are made to the draft EIS, a final EIS 
will be published and distributed. The final EIS will contain the 
staff's responses to timely comments received on the draft EIS.
    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). Anyone may intervene in this proceeding 
based on the draft EIS. You must file your request to intervene as 
specified above.\1\ Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing 
of the Commission's decision. You do not need intervenor status to have 
your comments considered.
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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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    The draft EIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC, BLM, 
and USFS and is available for public inspection at:

[[Page 30562]]



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Federal Energy Regulatory Commission     U.S. Bureau of Land  Management             U.S. Forest Service
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Public Reference Room, 888 First      Wyoming State Office, P.O. Box 1828,  Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest,
 Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington,     Cheyenne, WY 82003.                   Ogden Ranger District, 507 25th
 DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.            Kemmerer Field Office, 312 Highway     Street, Ogden, UT 84401.
                                       189 N, Kemmerer, WY 83101.           Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest,
                                      Utah State Office, 440 West 200        Salt Lake Office, 8256 Federal
                                       South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City,     Building, 125 S. State Street, Salt
                                       UT 84145-0155.                        Lake City, UT 84138.
                                      Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 South    Fremont-Winema National Forest, 1301
                                       2300 West, Salt Lake City, UT         S. G Street, Lakeview, OR 97630.
                                       84119.
                                      Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial   U.S. Forest Service Intermountain
                                       Blvd., Reno, NV 89502.                Regional Office, 324 25th Street,
                                                                             Ogden, UT 84401.
                                      Elko District Office, 3900 E. Idaho
                                       Street, Elko, NV 89801.
                                      Winnemucca District Office, 5100 E.
                                       Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV
                                       89445.
                                      Surprise Field Office, 602 Cressler
                                       Street, Cedarville, CA 96104.
                                      Oregon State Office, 333 SW First
                                       Avenue, Portland, OR 97204.
                                      Lakeview Office, 1301 S. G Street,
                                       Lakeview, OR 97630.
                                      Klamath Falls Office, 2795 Anderson
                                       Avenue, Bldg. 25, Klamath
                                       Falls, OR 97603.
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    A limited number of hard copies and CD-ROMs of the draft EIS are 
available from the FERC's Public Reference Room identified above. The 
draft EIS is also available for public viewing on the FERC's Internet 
Web site at http://www.ferc.gov. In addition, copies of the draft EIS 
have been mailed to federal, state, and local government agencies; 
elected officials; Native American tribes; local libraries and 
newspapers; intervenors in the FERC's proceeding; individuals who 
provided scoping comments; affected landowners and individuals who 
requested the draft EIS; and new landowners identified as being crossed 
by route alternatives either recommended by FERC staff or stuill under 
consideration.

Route Alternatives Recommended or Considered by FERC in the Draft EIS

    Some landowners are receiving the draft EIS because their property 
has been identified as potentially being affected by certain route 
alternatives recommended or considered by FERC staff to avoid or lessen 
environmental impacts along Ruby's proposed pipeline route in several 
locations. Refer to the discussion of the Terrace Basin, Willow Creek, 
Southern Langell Valley, Sheldon, and Black Rock Route Alternatives in 
section 3.4 of the draft EIS. Please note that while staff has 
recommended the use of the first three listed alternatives, a decision 
whether or not to recommend use of the Sheldon Route Alternative or 
Black Rock Route Alternative has not yet been made. The Commission 
staff wants to ensure that all potentially affected landowners have the 
opportunity to participate in the environmental review process, thus 
staff is soliciting comments to assist with the environmental analysis 
of these route alternatives, which will be presented in the final 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, select ``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, 
enter the selected date range and ``Docket Number,'' excluding the last 
three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP09-54), and follow the 
instructions. You may also search using the phrase ``Ruby Pipeline 
Project'' in the ``Text Search'' field. For assistance with access to 
eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-
8659, or at [email protected]. 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 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-15151 Filed 6-25-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P