[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 167 (Monday, August 31, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44836-44838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20852]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[FERC Docket No. CP09-161-000]


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

August 21, 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 Bison Pipeline, 
L.L.C. (Bison) in the above-referenced docket. The Bison Pipeline 
Project facilities would be located in Wyoming, Montana, and North 
Dakota and have been designed to transport

[[Page 44837]]

approximately 477 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/day) of natural gas.
    Bison proposes to construct, operate, and maintain 302.5 miles of 
new 30-inch-diameter interstate natural gas transmission pipeline, one 
compressor station, two meter stations, 20 mainline valves, and three 
pig launcher/pig receiver facilities. The proposed Bison Pipeline 
Project would extend northeast from a point near Dead Horse, Wyoming, 
through southeastern Montana and southwestern North Dakota. It would 
connect with the Northern Border pipeline system near Northern Border's 
Compressor Station 6 in Morton County, North Dakota.
    As the Federal agency responsible for evaluating applications filed 
for authorization to construct and operate interstate natural gas 
pipeline facilities, FERC is the lead Federal agency for the 
preparation of this EIS. The EIS has been prepared in compliance with 
the requirements of NEPA, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations for implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 
1500-1508), and FERC regulations implementing NEPA (18 CFR 380).
    The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) is a cooperating agency in preparation of the EIS. A cooperating 
agency has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to 
environmental impacts associated with a proposal and is involved in the 
NEPA analysis. BLM is a cooperating agency because the Project would 
cross federal lands and resources for which the BLM has jurisdiction 
and special expertise with respect to environmental issues and impacts. 
BLM will use the EIS to meet its NEPA responsibilities in considering 
Bison's application for a Right-of-Way Grant and Temporary Use Permit 
for the portion of the Project on Federal land.
    This draft EIS has been prepared for public review and comment. The 
principal purposes in preparing this EIS were to:
     Identify and assess potential impacts on the natural and 
human environment that would result from implementation of the proposed 
Project;
     Facilitate public involvement in identifying any 
potentially significant environmental impacts;
     Identify and assess reasonable alternatives to the 
proposed Project that would avoid or minimize adverse effects on the 
environment; and
     Identify and recommend specific mitigation measures to 
minimize environmental impacts.
    Based on the analysis included in the EIS, the FERC staff concludes 
that construction and operation of the Bison Pipeline Project would 
result in some adverse environmental impacts. However, we believe that 
environmental impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels 
if the proposed Project is constructed and operated in accordance with 
applicable laws and regulations, Bison's proposed mitigation, and 
additional measures we recommend in this draft EIS.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the Bison 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 
October 12, 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 CP09-161-000 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 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 St., NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426; label one copy of your comments for the 
attention of the Gas Branch 3, PJ-11.3 and reference Docket No. CP09-
161-000 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 run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., local time, and are scheduled 
as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Date                               Location
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September 21, 2009.....................  Sacred Heart Parish Hall,
                                          Sacred Heart Church, 208 Ash
                                          Avenue East, Glen Ullin, ND
                                          58631.
September 22, 2009.....................  Bowman County Fairgrounds, Four
                                          Seasons, 12 HWY 12 E, Bowman,
                                          ND 58623.
September 23, 2009.....................  Powder River County District
                                          High School, 500 N Trautman,
                                          Broadus, MT 59317.
September 24, 2009.....................  American Legion, 200 Rockpile
                                          Blvd, Gillette, WY 82716.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 this 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 and 
BLM and is available for public inspection at:

[[Page 44838]]

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 
20426, (202) 502-8371
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY 82003
Buffalo Field Office, 1425 Fort Street, Buffalo, WY 82834
Montana State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101
Miles City Field Office, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City MT 59301
North Dakota Field Office, 99 23rd Avenue West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND 
58601
    A limited number of hard copies and CD-ROMs of the draft EIS are 
available from the FERC's Public Reference Room identified above. This 
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 still under 
consideration.
    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., CP09-161), and follow 
the instructions. You may also search using the phrase ``Bison 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. E9-20852 Filed 8-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P