[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27312-27313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-11497]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP11-31-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of 
Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Mid-
Atlantic Connector Expansion Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Mid-
Atlantic Connector Expansion Project (MAC Expansion Project) proposed 
by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in the above-
referenced docket. Transco requests authorization to abandon, 
construct, and operate certain natural gas pipeline facilities on its 
existing mainline system in Prince William, Fairfax, Fluvanna, and 
Pittsylvania Counties, Virginia. The purpose of the MAC Expansion 
Project is to increase capacity by 142,000 dekatherms per day from 
Transco's Cascade Creek Interconnect in Rockingham County, North 
Carolina, to delivery points in Virginia and Maryland.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the MAC Expansion Project in accordance 
with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed project, 
with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a major 
Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human 
environment.
    The National Park Service (NPS) participated as a cooperating 
agency in the preparation of the EA. Cooperating agencies have 
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources 
potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the NEPA 
analysis. The NPS will adopt and use the EA to consider the issuance of 
a right-of-way grant for the portion of the MAC Expansion Project on 
Federal lands.
    Transco's proposed MAC Expansion Project includes the following 
facilities:
     Installation of about 2.8 miles of new 42-inch-diameter 
pipeline looping \1\ and replacement in Prince William and Fairfax 
Counties;
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    \1\ A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an existing 
pipeline to increase capacity.
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     Modifications at Transco's existing Compressor Stations 
165 and 175 in Pittsylvania and Fluvanna Counties;

[[Page 27313]]

     Installation and relocation of various appurtenant 
underground and aboveground facilities; and
     Abandonment of certain facilities.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for public viewing on the FERC's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies of the 
EA are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street 
NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other 
interested individuals and groups; newspapers and libraries in the 
project area; and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. 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 properly recorded and considered prior to 
a Commission decision on the proposal, it is important that the FERC 
receives your comments in Washington, DC on or before June 3, 2011.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
project docket number (CP11-31-000) 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].
    (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''; or
    (3) 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.
    Although your comments will be considered by the Commission, simply 
filing comments will not serve to make the commenter 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).\2\ Only intervenors 
have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \2\ 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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    Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be 
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they 
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be 
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor 
status to have your comments considered.
    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., CP11-31). 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 
texts 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.

    Dated: May 4, 2011,
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-11497 Filed 5-10-11; 8:45 am]
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