[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52652-52653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21451]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP11-128-000; Docket No. CP11-133-000]


National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the 
Proposed Northern Access and Station 230C Projects

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for National 
Fuel Gas Supply Corporation's (National Fuel) proposed Northern Access 
Project and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company's (TGP) proposed Station 
230C Project in the above referenced dockets. National Fuel and TGP 
request authorization to construct facilities in Pennsylvania and New 
York to provide an additional 320,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas 
to TransCanada Corporation. Because both

[[Page 52653]]

companies would construct their respective proposed facilities to 
provide these additional volumes, we analyzed them jointly in one EA.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of National Fuel's and TGP's proposed 
projects in accordance with the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval 
of the proposed projects, with appropriate mitigating measures, would 
not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the 
quality of the human environment.
    National Fuel's project includes the following facilities:
     A new East Aurora Compressor Station, totaling 4,470-
horsepower (hp), and auxiliary facilities in Erie County, New York;
     Piping modifications at the existing Concord Compressor 
Station in Erie County, to permit bi-directional flow;
     Modifications to underground piping and valves at the 
existing East Eden Metering and Regulation facility in Erie County;
     Expansion of the Ellisburg Compressor Station with two new 
compressor units, totaling 9,470-hp, on an adjacent lot in Potter 
County, Pennsylvania; and
     A new Rose Lake Meter Station and auxiliary piping/
facilities at the Ellisburg Compressor Station.
    TGP's project consists of the following facility modifications at 
its existing Station 230C Compressor Station in Niagara County, New 
York:
     New Solar Centaur natural gas-fired turbines for 
compressor units A2 and A3 and restaging of centrifugal compressors for 
units A2, A3, and A4 for bi-directional flow;
     New station cooling equipment and discharge flow check 
meters and check valves along the existing 20- and 30-inch Niagara Spur 
Loop Line pipelines; and
     Modification to station piping and automation systems, and 
installation of yard valves to allow bi-directional flow.
    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 September 16, 
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 (CP11-128-000 or CP11-133-000) 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 commentor 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).\1\ Only intervenors 
have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \1\ 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., CP11-128 or CP11-133). 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: August 16, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-21451 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P