[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 238 (Monday, December 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66125-66127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29617]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF09-15-000]


Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Planned Appalachian Gateway Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

December 4, 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 Appalachian Gateway Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion 
Transmission, Inc. (DTI) in northeastern West Virginia (WV) and 
southwestern Pennsylvania (PA). The EA will be used by the Commission 
in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in 
the public convenience and necessity.

[[Page 66126]]

    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we \1\ 
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 February 3, 2010.
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    \1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to environmental staff of 
the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the public 
participation section of this notice. Comments may be submitted 
verbally during public scoping meetings, which will be scheduled for 
late January 2010. Another notice will be distributed to announce the 
dates and locations of the public scoping meetings.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project, which includes affected landowners; 
federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; 
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native 
American Tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and 
newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to 
notify their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to 
comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. 
The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. 
However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that approval 
conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement 
negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could 
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
    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/for-citizens/citizen-guides.asp). 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.

Summary of the Planned Project

    DTI plans to construct and operate approximately 110 miles of 20-, 
24-, and 30-inch diameter natural gas pipeline and associated 
aboveground facilities in northeastern West Virginia and southwestern 
Pennsylvania. According to DTI, its project would provide about 484,260 
dekatherms of natural gas per day of firm transportation services from 
increasing gas production in the Appalachian region of West Virginia 
and Pennsylvania to the east coast markets.
    The Appalachian Gateway Project would consist of the following 
facilities:
     Approximately 43.1 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline in 
Marshall County, WV and Greene County, PA;
     Approximately 54.2 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline in 
Greene, Washington, Allegheny, and Westmoreland Counties, PA;
     Approximately 5.2 miles of 20-inch diameter pipeline loop 
in Kanawha County, WV and 6 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline loop in 
Greene County, PA; \2\
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    \2\ A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an existing 
pipeline to increase capacity.
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     A total of approximately 1.5 miles of various diameter 
discharge and suction pipelines to serve the Lewis-Wetzel Compressor 
Station (Wetzel County, WV) and the Morrison Compressor Station 
(Harrison County, WV);
     Two new compressor stations on new sites: Burch Ridge 
Station (Marshall County, WV) with approximately 6,130 horsepower (HP) 
and Morrison Station (Harrison County, WV) with approximately 1,775 HP;
     Two new compressor stations on existing sites: Chelyan 
Station (Kanawha County, WV) with approximately 4,735 HP and Lewis 
Wetzel Station (Wetzel County, WV) with approximately 3,550 HP;
     A new metering and regulation facility at the existing 
Oakford Compressor Station in Westmoreland County, PA; and
     Upgrades and minor additions to other existing facilities 
in Wyoming, Doddridge, McDowell, and Barbour Counties, WV.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 
1.\3\
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to 
all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 
http://www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' 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.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 1,612 
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. 
Following construction, about 785 acres would be maintained for 
permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage 
would be restored and allowed to revert to former uses. About 80 
percent of the planned pipeline route parallels existing pipeline, 
utility, or road rights-of-way.

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 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. To ensure 
your comments are considered, please carefully follow the instructions 
in the Public Participation section of this notice, beginning on page 
5.
    In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Land use, recreation and visual resources;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Air quality and noise;
     Endangered and threatened species;
     Hazardous waste;
     Public safety; and
     Cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project 
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an 
application is filed with the FERC. As part of our pre-filing review, 
we have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss 
their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA 
may

[[Page 66127]]

be published and mailed to those on our environmental mailing list (see 
discussion of how to remain on our mailing list on page 6). A comment 
period will be allotted for review of the EA if it is published. We 
will consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations 
to the Commission.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or 
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally 
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may 
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to 
their responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating 
agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments 
provided under the Public Participation section of this notice.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    Based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and the 
environmental information provided by DTI, we have identified potential 
visual and land use impacts that we think deserve attention. DTI 
anticipates that longwall coal mining may proceed beneath the pipeline 
at some point in the future. Mitigation measures that DTI would take to 
maintain the integrity of its pipeline may require unearthing the 
pipeline post-construction to conduct stress tests, which could in turn 
impact both land use and visual resources. Additional issues may be 
included in our analysis based on your comments.

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 
February 3, 2010.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your written comments to the Commission. The Commission 
encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert eFiling 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 at http://www.ferc.gov under the link 
called ``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 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.
    In all instances, please reference the project docket number PF09-
15-000 with your submission. 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 planned project. This includes all landowners who are 
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily 
for project purposes, or who own homes within certain distances of 
aboveground facilities (as defined in the Commission's regulations).
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Mail List Retention Form 
(Appendix 2). If you do not return the Mail List Retention Form, you 
will be taken off the mailing list.

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once DTI files its application with the Commission, 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 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. Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this 
time. You must wait until a formal application for the project is filed 
with the Commission.

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, excluding the last three digits, in the Docket Number field 
(i.e., PF09-15). 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. E9-29617 Filed 12-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P