[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 180 (Friday, September 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57728-57729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23741]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP11-56-000]


Texas Eastern Transmission, LP, Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC; 
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed New Jersey--New York Expansion Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared this draft environmental impact statement 
(EIS) for the New Jersey--New York Expansion Project (NJ-NY Project or 
Project) proposed by Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) and 
Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC (Algonquin), both Spectra Energy 
Corporation natural gas pipeline companies, in the above-referenced 
docket. Texas Eastern and Algonquin request authorization to expand 
their natural gas pipeline systems in New Jersey, New York, and 
Connecticut, to deliver up to 800,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas 
from multiple receipt points on the Texas Eastern and Algonquin 
pipeline systems to new delivery points in New Jersey and New York.
    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the NJ-NY 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 would 
have some adverse environmental impact; however, these impacts would be 
reduced to less-than-significant levels with the implementation of 
Texas Eastern's and Algonquin's proposed mitigation and the additional 
measures we recommend in the draft EIS.
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York City Mayor's 
Office, and New York City Department of Environmental Protection 
participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the draft 
EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise 
with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and 
participate in the NEPA analysis. While the conclusions and 
recommendations presented in the draft EIS were developed with input 
from the cooperating agencies, the agencies will present their own 
conclusions and recommendations in their respective Records of Decision 
for the Project.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the facilities listed below:
    Texas Eastern and Algonquin propose to construct and operate:
     Approximately 19.8 miles of new and replacement 42- and 
30-inch-diameter pipeline;
     Six new metering and regulating (M&R) stations;
     Abandonment of 8.95 miles of existing pipelines;
     Modification of four existing compressor stations;
     Installation of aboveground over-pressure protection 
regulation at two existing M&R stations;
     Installation of three pig launchers and two pig receivers, 
relocation of four pig receivers, and removal of two pig launchers;
     Installation of four mainline and three tap valves along 
the proposed pipeline facilities; and
     Installation of a block valve and blind flange to 
accommodate a temporary pig receiver.
    The draft EIS 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. A limited number of copies 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 draft EIS have been mailed to Federal, State, and 
local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; local 
newspapers and libraries in the Project area; intervenors to the FERC's 
proceeding; and potentially affected landowners and other interested 
individuals and groups. Paper copy versions of this EIS were mailed to 
those specifically requesting them; all others received a CD version.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is 
important that the Commission receive your comments before October 31, 
2011.
    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 (CP11-56-000) 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]. Please carefully follow these instructions so that 
your comments are properly recorded.
    (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

[[Page 57729]]

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    (4) In addition to or in lieu of sending written or electronic 
comments, the Commission invites you to attend one of the public 
comment meetings the staff will conduct in the Project area to receive 
comments on the draft EIS. Date, time, and location of these meetings 
will be sent under a different cover. Interested groups and individuals 
are encouraged to attend and present oral comments on the draft EIS. 
Transcripts of the meetings will be prepared.
    After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the draft EIS, a final EIS 
will be published and distributed. The final EIS will contain the 
staff's responses to timely comments received on the draft EIS.
    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 part 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.

Questions

    Additional information about the Project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC or on the 
FERC (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-
56). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnline 
[email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676; 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 that 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: September 9, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-23741 Filed 9-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P