[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 92 (Friday, May 11, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27763-27765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11350]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP12-124-000; CP11-40-000; CP10-34-000]


East Cheyenne Gas Storage, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed West Peetz Well Plan 
Amendment and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    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 West Peetz Well Plan Amendment 
involving construction and operation of facilities by East Cheyenne Gas 
Storage, LLC (East Cheyenne) in Logan County, Colorado. The Commission 
will use this EA 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 amendment. Your input will help the Commission 
staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. Please 
note that the scoping period will close on June 2, 2012.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company 
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The company 
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if 
the Commission approves the project, 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 
state law.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    The proposed project would amend the East Cheyenne Gas Storage 
Project, which consists of construction and operation of a natural gas 
storage facility in two nearly depleted oil production fields in Logan 
County, Colorado. The project was originally authorized by the 
Commission on August 2, 2010 under Docket No. CP10-34-000, and amended 
on April 12, 2011 under Docket No. CP11-40-000. On January 31, 2012, 
under Docket No. CP12-35-000, the Commission further amended the 
certificate by revising the maximum reservoir pressure for the D Sands 
zone in the West Peetz Field. East Cheyenne is not seeking to revise 
the maximum reservoir pressure and therefore does not seek to amend the 
certificate issued to East Cheyenne in Docket No. CP12-35-000.
    Following issuance of the August 2 and April 12 Orders, East 
Cheyenne further evaluated the West Peetz D Sands Formation. Based on 
the findings, East Cheyenne determined that they should modify the 
proposed number and location of wells, in addition to well design and 
installation methods, to develop the authorized working gas capacity 
for optimal performance. The proposed amendment would involve 
reconfiguration of the injection/withdrawal (I/W) wells and associated 
piping, addition of a produced water disposal well and associated 
piping, and two monitoring wells, and an increase in the amount of 
cushion gas capacity. Additionally, East Cheyenne would no longer use 
ten of the originally proposed access roads. The proposed amendment 
consists of the following changes to the East Cheyenne Gas Storage 
Project:
     Relocate and convert four currently certificated wells 
from horizontal to vertical I/W wells;
     Construct four additional I/W wells, three of which would 
be vertical and the fourth a slant well;
     Plug and abandon two previously certificated and operating 
I/W wells and replace them with two new vertical I/W wells;
     Install two additional observation wells and one 
additional produced water disposal well;
     Reconfigure related natural gas lateral pipelines; and
     Install and reconfigure related produced water mainline, 
laterals, and disposal pipelines.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\1\
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    \1\ 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 
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

    The certificated East Cheyenne Gas Storage Project is currently 
storing

[[Page 27764]]

natural gas in nearly depleted reservoirs that underlie an area of 
approximately 2,360 acres, with an additional 3,400 acres serving as a 
storage buffer area. The revised facilities would be located in 
previously surveyed areas within the project site. Construction of the 
revised facilities would require approximately 501.9 acres of land, an 
increase of 26 acres from the previous project total of 485.8 acres. 
Following construction, East Cheyenne would maintain about 200.2 acres 
as permanent facilities and right-of-way; a decrease of 1.3 acres from 
the previous project total of 201.5 acres. The remaining 301.7 acres of 
land would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.

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 
\2\ 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. We will 
consider comments filed during the preparation of the EA.
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    \2\ ``We'', ``us'', 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 proposed project amendment under 
these general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Land use;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Air quality and noise;
     Endangered and threatened species; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
project or portions of the project amendment, and make recommendations 
on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on 
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish 
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We 
will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations 
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and 
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the 
Public Participation section below.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of 
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the 
EA.\3\ 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.
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    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project amendment. 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 
June 2, 2012.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please 
reference the project docket number (CP12-124-000) 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 can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to 
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for interested persons to 
submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically using the eFiling 
feature on the Commission's Web site (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 must select the type of filing you are making. If 
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select 
``Comment on a Filing'';
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 
20426.

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 
proposed project.
    If we publish and distribute the EA, 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

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, 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.

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 at www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Click on the 
eLibrary

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link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number, 
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP12-
124). 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 now 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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

    Dated: May 3, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-11350 Filed 5-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P