[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 224 (Monday, November 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61145-61146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28012]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP10-2-000]


Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Elk City Storage 
Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

November 16, 2009.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) is in 
the process of preparing an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
environmental impacts of the Elk City Storage Expansion Project 
(Project) proposed by Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. 
(Southern Star). Southern Star has proposed to construct and operate a 
new natural gas compressor station in Montgomery County, Kansas, and 
amend the current operational plan for the existing natural gas storage 
field.
    The Notice of Intent (NOI) explains the scoping process that will 
be used to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the 
Project. Your input will help determine which issues will be evaluated 
in the EA. Please note that the scoping period for this Project will 
close on December 14, 2009.
    Comments on the Project may be submitted in written form or 
electronically, as described below. This NOI is being sent to Federal, 
State, and local government agencies; elected officials; affected 
landowners; environmental and public interest groups; Indian tribes and 
regional Native American organizations; commentors and other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers. We \1\ encourage 
government representatives to notify their constituents of this 
proposed Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
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    \1\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Southern Star proposes to construct a compressor station adjacent 
to an existing Southern Star dehydration plant and install two 450-
foot, 30-inch diameter pipelines connecting the proposed compressor 
station with the existing dehydration plant. The compressor station 
will be approximately 5.5 acres and the pipeline construction corridor 
will be 100-foot-wide. A new pond will be constructed south of the 
compressor station to replace the existing pond that will be filled 
during construction of the compressor station.
    A location map depicting the proposed facilities is attached to 
this NOI as Appendix 1 .\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not printed in 
the Federal Register, but they are being provided to all those who 
receive this notice in the mail. Copies of the NOI can be obtained 
from the Commission's Web site at the ``eLibrary'' link, 
Commission's Public Reference Room, or by calling (202) 502-8371. 
For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the end of this 
notice.
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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 of Intent, the Commission staff 
requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the 
EA. All comments received are 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 will discuss impacts that could occur as results of 
the construction and operation of the proposed project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils.
     Water resources.
     Aquatic resources Vegetation and wildlife.
     Threatened and endangered species.
     Land use, recreation, and visual resources.
     Cultural resources.
     Socioeconomics.
     Air quality and noise.
     Reliability and safety.
     Cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate reasonable 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 in the EA. Depending 
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be 
published and mailed to federal, state, and local agencies, public 
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners, 
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for 
this proceeding. 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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified issues that we think deserve attention 
based on our previous experience with similar projects in the region. 
This preliminary list of issues, which is presented below, may be 
revised based on your comments and our continuing analyses specific to 
the Project.
     Potential noise and vibration impacts from compressor 
station.
     Air quality impacts from the compressor station.
     Wetland and waterbody impacts.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the 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 
written comments are timely and properly recorded, please send in your 
comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before 
December 14, 2009.
    Comments on the proposed Project can be submitted to the FERC in 
written form. For your convenience, there are three methods which you 
can use to submit your written comments to the Commission. In all 
instances please reference the Project docket number (CP10-2-000) with 
your submission. The three methods are:
    (1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick 
Comment feature, which is located at http://www.ferc.gov under the link 
called ``Documents and Filings''. A Quick Comment is an easy method for

[[Page 61146]]

interested persons to submit text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You may file your comments electronically by using the 
``eFiling'' feature that is listed under the ``Documents and Filings'' 
link. 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 to your submission. 
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on the links 
called ``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 with the Commission via mail 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 whose 
property may be used temporarily for project purposes, who have 
existing easements from the pipeline, or who own homes within distances 
defined in the Commission's regulations of certain aboveground 
facilities. By this notice we are also asking governmental agencies, 
especially those in Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming 
cooperating agencies for the preparation of the EA.
    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 3). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be 
taken off the mailing list.

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 
Internet at 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 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. E9-28012 Filed 11-20-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P