[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 201 (Tuesday, October 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64303-64306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26241]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF10-23-000]


Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Planned Northeast Upgrade Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meetings

October 8, 2010.
    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 Northeast Upgrade Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Tennessee Gas 
Pipeline Company

[[Page 64304]]

(TGP) in northeastern Pennsylvania northern New Jersey. This EA will be 
used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine 
whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission 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 November 12, 2010.
    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. In lieu of or in addition to 
sending written comments, you are invited to attend the public scoping 
meetings listed below.

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             Date and Time                           Location
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Monday, November 1, 2010 7 p.m. EDT....  Eleanor G. Hewitt Elementary
                                          School Gymnasium, 266
                                          Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood, NJ
                                          07456.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 7 p.m. EDT.  Delaware Valley High School
                                          Auditorium, 252 Routes 6 &
                                          209, Milford, PA 18337.
Thursday, November 4, 2010 7 p.m. EDT..  Wyalusing Valley Junior and
                                          Senior High School Auditorium,
                                          11364 Wyalusing New Albany
                                          Road, Wyalusing, PA 18853.
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    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project. 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 where compensation would be 
determined in accordance with Federal or 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). 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

    TGP has announced its intention to build approximately 37 miles of 
30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in five loop \1\ segments and 
other facilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The project would 
increase natural gas transmission capacity to the northeast region of 
the United States by about 636,000 dekatherms per day and would provide 
access to natural gas supplies in the Marcellus Shale supply area. The 
project would not, however, involve facilities necessary to produce 
natural gas from the Marcellus Shale. TGP has signed binding precedent 
agreements with two shippers for all of the project's additional firm 
transportation capacity.
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    \1\ A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an existing 
pipeline to increase capacity.
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    The Northeast Upgrade Project would consist of the following 
components:
    1. Installation of five pipeline loop segments:
     Loop 317--Installation of 5.4 miles of 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
     Loop 319--Installation of 2.0 miles of 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
     Loop 321--Installation of 8.0 miles of 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop in Wayne and Pike Counties, Pennsylvania.
     Loop 323--Installation of 14.0 miles of 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop in Pike County, Pennsylvania and Sussex County, New 
Jersey.
     Loop 325--Installation of 7.7 miles of 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop in Passaic and Bergen Counties, New Jersey.
    2. Modifications at four existing compressor stations:
     Compressor Station 319--An inlet gas filter-separator, a 
blowdown silencer, and a relief valve would be installed and unit 
piping would be modified at the existing compressor station in 
Wyalusing Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
     Compressor Station 321--Approximately 10,310 horsepower 
(hp) of additional compression would be installed at the existing 
compressor station in Clifford Township, Susquehanna County, 
Pennsylvania. An inlet gas filter-separator, a blowdown silencer, and a 
relief valve would also be installed.
     Compressor Station 323--Approximately 10,310 hp of 
additional compression would be installed at the existing compressor 
station in Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania. An existing 
compressor unit would be restaged, unit piping would be modified, and 
an inlet gas filter-separator, a blowdown silencer, and a relief valve 
would also be installed.
     Compressor Station 325--An inlet gas filter-separator, a 
blowdown silencer, and a relief valve would be installed at the 
existing compressor station in Wantage Township, Sussex County, New 
Jersey.
    3. Construction or modification of other aboveground facilities 
including one meter station, two pig \2\ receivers, three mainline 
block valves, and other appurtenant facilities.
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    \2\ A pig is a tool that is inserted into and moves through the 
pipeline, and can be used to clean and/or dry the pipeline, for 
internal inspection, or other purposes.
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    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

    TGP is still in the planning phase for the Northeast Upgrade 
Project, and workspace requirements have not been finalized at this 
time. As currently planned, construction would disturb approximately 
638 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. 
Following construction, about 112 acres would be maintained for 
permanent operation of the project facilities. The remaining acreage 
would be restored and allowed to revert to former uses. As planned, the 
new pipeline loops would primarily be installed adjacent to TGP's 
existing pipeline system.

[[Page 64305]]

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 
\4\ 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.
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    \4\ ``Us,'' ``we,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    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;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Vegetation, wildlife, and endangered and threatened 
species;
     Cultural resources;
     Land use and cumulative impacts;
     Air quality and noise; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate reasonable 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. 
The EA will be placed in the public record and, depending on the 
comments received during the scoping process, may be published and 
distributed to the public. A comment period will be allotted if the EA 
is published for review. 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 beginning on page 6.
    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.

Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation 
with applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), and to 
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested 
Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on 
historic properties.\5\ We will define the project-specific Area of 
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project 
is further developed. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a 
minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples 
include construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, 
compressor stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will 
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and 
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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    \5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 800. 
Historic properties are defined in those regulations as any 
prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or 
object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National 
Register for Historic Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and 
the environmental information provided by TGP. This preliminary list of 
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis:
     Route alternatives on and near the Delaware Water Gap 
National Recreation Area in Pike County, Pennsylvania and Sussex 
County, New Jersey;
     Crossing the Appalachian Trail in Sussex County, New 
Jersey;
     Crossing the Susquehanna River in Bradford County, 
Pennsylvania; and
     Crossing the New Jersey Highlands in Passaic and Bergen 
Counties, New Jersey.

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 
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so 
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before November 12, 
2010.
    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
project docket number (PF10-23-000) with your submission. 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 eComment 
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. An eComment is an 
easy method for interested persons to submit brief, 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 Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you 
can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a 
file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an 
account by clicking on ``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 attend and provide either oral or written comments at a 
public scoping meeting. A transcript of each meeting will be made so 
that your comments will be accurately recorded and included in the 
public record; or
    4. You may file a paper copy of your comments at the following 
address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.

[[Page 64306]]

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes 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. This list also 
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's 
regulations) 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, and anyone who submits 
comments on the project. We will update the environmental mailing list 
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related 
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
planned project.
    If the EA is published for distribution, copies will be sent to the 
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would 
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD 
version, or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, 
please return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once TGP 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 in 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 the Commission will not accept requests for 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 (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., PF10-23). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. 
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the 
text of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, 
notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission 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. 2010-26241 Filed 10-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P