[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 122 (Friday, June 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37109-37110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15857]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP11-18-000]


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

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Mid-
South Expansion Project proposed by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 
Company, LLC (Transco) in the above-referenced docket. Transco requests 
authorization to construct and operate five new pipeline loops,\1\ 
construct one new compressor station, add compression at two existing 
compressor stations, and perform other modifications to five compressor 
stations. The MSEP would provide about 451 million standard cubic feet 
of natural gas per day to Transco's existing mainline system from the 
Clean Energy LNG import terminal currently under construction in 
Pascagoula, Mississippi, with existing capacity on Transco's Mobile Bay 
Lateral, down to existing Compressor Station 85. According to Transco, 
its project would expand delivery capacity on its existing pipeline 
system to growing markets in the east as far downstream as Rockingham 
County, North Carolina.
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    \1\ A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an existing 
pipeline to increase capacity.
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    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Mid-South 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 proposed Mid-South Expansion Project includes the following 
facilities:
     Five pipeline loops located in Coosa and Randolph 
Counties, Alabama, and Gaston, Rowan and Davidson Counties, North 
Carolina;
     One new compressor station, Station 95, to be located in 
Dallas County, Alabama;
     Additional new compression at two existing compressor 
stations:
    [cir] Station 90 in Marengo County, Alabama; and
    [cir] Station 125 in Walton County, Georgia;

[[Page 37110]]

     Modifications at the following existing compressor 
stations:
    [cir] Station 105 in Coosa County, Alabama;
    [cir] Station 115 in Coweta County, Georgia;
    [cir] Station 120 in Henry County, Georgia;
    [cir] Station 140 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina; and
    [cir] Station 145 in Cleveland County, North Carolina.
    The planned loops would be constructed with 42-inch-diameter steel 
pipe and would have a combined total length of about 22.6 miles.
    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; 
potentially affected landowners and 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 July 20, 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 (CP11-18-000) 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., CP11-18-000). 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: June 20, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-15857 Filed 6-23-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P