[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 232 (Friday, December 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63736-63737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28865]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the State of Alaska's Proposed Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline (ASAP) 
Natural Gas Transportation Pipeline

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Alaska District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) 
intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to 
identify and analyze the potential impacts associated with the 
construction of the proposed Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline (ASAP) natural 
gas transportation pipeline. The Corps is the lead federal agency and 
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS) and 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are participating as cooperating 
agencies in the DEIS development process. The Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be used as a basis for the Corps permit decision 
and to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA). The Corps will be evaluating a permit application for work 
under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and Section 404 of the 
Clean Water Act. Because ASAP would require decisions and actions by 
other federal agencies (such as right-of-way grants and other permits), 
this DEIS will also fulfill the NEPA responsibilities of those federal 
agencies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and the DEIS can be answered by: Ms. Serena Sweet, Regulatory Division, 
telephone: (907) 753-2819, toll free in AK: (800) 478-2712, fax: (907) 
753-5567, e-mail: [email protected], or mail: U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, CEPOA-RD, Post Office Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, 
Alaska 99506-0898. Additional information may be obtained at http://www.asapeis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. The permit applicant, the State of Alaska, is proposing to 
construct a 24-inch diameter, high-pressure pipeline from Alaska's 
North Slope to Cook Inlet to transport North Slope natural gas to in-
state Alaska markets. The pipeline would be located entirely within the 
State of Alaska. Gas off-take would be provided for the Fairbanks Area 
and in other locations along the route. The Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline 
project includes a Gas Conditioning Plant on the North Slope prior to 
the pipeline inlet, compressor stations along the pipeline, and natural 
gas liquid (NGL) extraction facilities to produce utility-grade natural 
gas. The gas reserves in the Prudhoe Bay field are some of the largest 
on the North Slope and represent the most likely sources of gas for the 
pipeline system.
    2. Alternatives: Two routing options are being considered to bring 
the gas from the North Slope to Alaska consumers. These two options 
follow routings from Prudhoe Bay to Cook Inlet via the Parks Highway 
and the Richardson Highway. Both route options share the same starting 
point at Prudhoe Bay and ending point (at Mile Post 55 of the Beluga 
Pipeline) as well as a common routing from Prudhoe Bay to the Livengood 
area. In addition, two spur line options and two pre-build options, 
using a proposed Alaska-Canada Gasline as the transport to the takeoff 
points will be included in this analysis.
    a. Stand Alone Alternative Routes:
    i. Parks Highway Stand Alone--from Prudhoe Bay to Livengood, then 
to Cook Inlet generally following the Parks Highway; includes service 
to Fairbanks.
    ii. Richardson Highway Stand Alone--from Prudhoe Bay to Livengood, 
to Fairbanks, then generally following the Trans Alaska Pipeline 
alignment to Delta Junction, to north of Glennallen via the Richardson 
Highway, then to Cook Inlet via the Glenn Highway; includes service to 
Glennallen.
    b. Spur Alternative Routes:
    i. Parks Highway Spur--from Fairbanks to Cook Inlet generally 
following the Parks Highway.
    ii. Richardson Highway Spur--from Delta Junction to north of 
Glennallen via the Richardson Highway, then to Cook Inlet via the Glenn 
Highway; includes service to Glennallen.
    c. Pre-Build Alternative Routes:
    i. Parks Highway Pre-Build--from Cook Inlet to Fairbanks generally 
following the Parks Highway.
    ii. Richardson Highway Pre-Build--from Cook Inlet via the Glenn 
Highway to north of Glennallen then to Delta Junction via the 
Richardson Highway, then generally following the Trans Alaska Pipeline 
alignment to Fairbanks (with a smaller diameter pipeline).
    d. Gas Source Alternatives:
    i. Prudhoe Bay Gas Source: Natural gas from the Prudhoe Bay gas 
fields would require treatment at a gas treatment plant that would 
likely be located at Prudhoe Bay. From Prudhoe Bay the gas pipeline 
would generally follow the existing Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) 
corridor across the North Slope and enter the Brooks Range near 
Galbraith Lake.
    ii. Gubik Gas Source: The Gubik Gas Field is located 19 miles east 
of Umiat and approximately 70 miles west of TAPS Pump Station 
2. The pipeline from the Gubik Field would parallel a proposed 
road alignment to the east, crossing the Anaktuvuk River, and 
proceeding southeast to the Itkillik River. The route would then 
parallel the Itkillik River to the east side of Itigaknit Mountain then 
south to connect with the TAPS Corridor near Toolik Lake. The exact 
location of the Gubik production facilities has not been selected. The 
length of the Gubik Pipeline route to the TAPS corridor is estimated to 
be about 90 miles.
    3. Scoping Process: The scoping period will begin on December 7, 
2009, and end on February 5, 2010.
    a. The Corps invites full public participation to promote open 
communication on the issues surrounding the proposal. All federal, 
state, Tribal, local agencies, and other persons or organizations that 
have an interest are urged to participate in the NEPA scoping process. 
Scoping meetings will be held to receive public input on the proposed 
purpose and need of the project, to identify significant issues and to 
discuss proposed alternatives. The scoping process will help to further 
explain the purpose and need plus the alternatives to be reviewed in 
the DEIS.
    b. The scoping meetings are tentatively planned for the dates and 
locations listed at http://www.asapeis.com (please consult website for 
any changes and additional information including the scoping summary). 
The Corps expects to hold scoping meetings in Anchorage, Barrow, Delta 
Junction, Fairbanks, Glennallen, McKinley Park, Nenana, and Wasilla.
    4. The lands along the proposed pipeline corridor and one or more 
of its alternatives are owned by numerous entities; including, federal 
and state governments, the State of Alaska, and private land holders. 
These federal land managers include the BLM, NPS and the Department of 
Defense. Private landholders include Native corporations, Native 
allottees, and land owned by other private individuals.
    5. The DEIS will analyze the potential social, economic, and 
environmental impacts to the affected areas. The following major issues 
will be analyzed in depth in the DEIS: the natural gas delivery system 
construction and operation and its affect upon the surrounding 
communities; essential fish

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habitat; threatened and endangered species including critical habitat; 
cultural resources; socioeconomics; and secondary and cumulative 
impacts.
    6. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be available August 2010 
for public review.

    Dated: November 23, 2009.
Serena E. Sweet,
Project Manager, Alaska District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
[FR Doc. E9-28865 Filed 12-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P