[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47058-47059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19272]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP12-30-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of 
Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Northeast 
Supply Link Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the 
Northeast Supply Link Project (Project) proposed by Transcontinental 
Gas Pipe Line Company (Transco) in the above-referenced docket. Transco 
requests authorization to construct and operate certain pipeline and 
compressor facilities in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in 
order to expand the natural gas delivery capacity to the northeast 
region of the United States by up to 250,000 dekatherms per year.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the proposed project, with appropriate

[[Page 47059]]

mitigating measures, would not constitute a major federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
and U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Safety Administration participated as cooperating agencies 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 proposed Project includes the following facilities:
     Installing approximately 12.0 miles of new 42-inch-
diameter pipeline loop \1\ in three separate segments in Hunterdon 
County, New Jersey and Lycoming and Monroe Counties, Pennsylvania;
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    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipe that is usually installed 
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. 
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
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     Replacing approximately 0.5 mile of 36-inch-diameter 
pipeline in Essex County, New Jersey;
     Uprating \2\ approximately 25.6 miles of existing 36-inch-
diameter pipeline in Essex, Passaic, Bergen, and Hudson Counties, New 
Jersey;
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    \2\ An uprate is a process by which an existing pipeline is 
approved to operate at a higher pressure, thus increasing the 
capacity of the pipeline. To obtain an uprate, pipeline operators 
must determine and document that the pipeline can safely operate at 
the increased pressure.
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     Uprating approximately 1.4 miles of existing 26-inch-
diameter pipeline in Richmond and Kings Counties, New York;
     Constructing new Compressor Station 303 and an associated 
electrical substation in Essex County, New Jersey;
     Modifying existing Compressor Stations 505 and 515 in 
Somerset County, New Jersey and Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, 
respectively;
     Modifying other existing aboveground facilities in New 
York (three facilities); New Jersey (six facilities); and Pennsylvania 
(one facility);
     Installing associated appurtenant aboveground facilities 
including mainline valves and pig \3\ launchers and receivers; and
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    \3\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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     Using contractor/pipe yards and access roads.
    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 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; 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 August 31, 2012.
    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 (CP12-30-000) 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 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 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.
    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).\4\ Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. The Commission 
grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns 
intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a 
clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can 
adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not 
give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to 
have your comments considered.
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    \4\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing 
comments.
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    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 (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., CP12-
30). 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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

    Dated: August 1, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-19272 Filed 8-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P