Federal Register, Volume 77 Issue 199 (Monday, October 15, 2012)

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62507-62509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25206]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF12-19-000]

Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Texas Eastern and Appalachia Market
Expansion Project 2014 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 Texas Eastern and Appalachia
Market Expansion Project 2014 (TEAM 2014) involving construction and
operation, modification and abandonment of facilities proposed by Texas
Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) in Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. 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. 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 November 3, 2012. You may submit
comments in written form. Further details on how to submit written
comments are in the Public Participation section of this notice. This
is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to the
Environmental Review Process flow chart 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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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.
Texas Eastern may have provided landowners with a fact sheet
prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility on
My Land? What Do I Need To Know?''. This fact sheet addresses a number
of typically-asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and
how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is also
available for viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

TEAM 2014 involves constructing approximately 33.4 miles of 36-
inch-diameter natural gas transmission pipeline comprised of seven
separate pipeline loops \2\ and associated pipeline facilities in
Pennsylvania; upgrade the horsepower (hp) at four existing compressor
stations in Pennsylvania, and modify existing pipeline facilities in
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and
Mississippi. According to Texas Eastern, the new pipeline would supply
an additional 600,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas to markets
along the Texas Eastern system in the Northeast, Midwest, and Gulf
Coast areas, as well as to markets in the Southeast through Texas
Eastern's interconnections with downstream pipelines. TEAM 2014
modifications would also result in a bi-directional natural gas
transmission system that would provide access to the new, emerging
liquefied natural gas export and gas-to-liquids markets. The 33.4 miles
of planned pipeline loops are, as follows:
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\2\ A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an existing
pipeline to increase capacity.
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The Holbrook Loop--a 6.6-mile pipeline in Fayette County,
Pennsylvania, downstream of the existing Holbrook Compressor Station. A
pig \3\ receiver assembly and crossover piping would be installed along
this loop;
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\3\ A ``pig'' is a tool that is inserted into and moves through
the pipeline, and is used for cleaning the pipeline, internal
inspections, or other purposes.
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The Perulack West Loop--a 2.7-mile pipeline in Perry
County, Pennsylvania, downstream of the existing Perulack Compressor
Station;

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The Perulack East Loop--5.3-mile pipeline in Perry County,
Pennsylvania, downstream of the existing Perulack Compressor Station. A
pig receiver assembly and crossover piping would be installed along
this loop;
The Shermans Dale Loop--7.1-mile pipeline in Dauphin
County, Pennsylvania, downstream of the existing Shermans Dale
Compressor Station. A pig receiver assembly and crossover piping would
be installed along this loop;
The Grantville West Loop--a 2.4-mile pipeline in Lebanon
County, Pennsylvania, downstream of the existing Grantville Compressor
Station;
The Grantville East Loop--a 3.8-mile pipeline in Lebanon
County, Pennsylvania, downstream of the existing Grantville Compressor
Station. A pig receiver assembly and crossover piping would be
installed along this loop; and
The Bernville Loop--a 5.5-mile pipeline in Berks County,
Pennsylvania, downstream of the existing Bernville Compressor Station.
A pig receiver assembly and crossover piping would be installed along
this loop.
In addition, as part of TEAM 2014, Texas Eastern plans to add
approximately 80,060 hp of compression and aboveground facility
modifications at four existing Texas Eastern compressor stations:
Uniontown Compressor Station--a paper uprate (software
update to meet maximum hp) of one existing electric unit and power
uprate (replacing hardware to improve hp) of two existing gas turbine
units;
Delmont Compressor Station--installation of one new gas
turbine compressor unit, one new electric unit, and abandonment of one
gas turbine unit and six gas-reciprocating units;
Armagh Compressor Station--installation of a new gas
compressor unit; and
Entriken Compressor Station--installation of a new gas
compressor unit.
TEAM 2014 would require modifications to numerous existing
facilities to allow bi-directional flow/transmission of natural gas.
These facilities include 18 existing compressor stations, 17 separate
and existing pig launcher and receiver sites, and two existing meter
and regulating facilities between Pennsylvania and Mississippi. These
are described in Appendix 2. Although these modifications would occur
at existing facilities, temporary workspaces may be needed outside of
the existing/maintained facility footprints. The general location of
the project facilities are shown in Appendix 3.

Land Requirements for Construction

Texas Eastern is still in the planning phase of the project, and
workspace requirements have not been finalized. However, TEAM 2014
would disturb approximately 1191.5 acres and install or modify about 12
miles of new access roads. The construction and operation of the
pipeline loops would be mostly collocated adjacent to existing
pipelines and would affect about 547.1 acres of land in Berks, Dauphin,
Fayette, Lebanon, and Perry Counties, Pennsylvania. In addition, 48 new
access roads would be required. Modifications at the compressor
stations would be confined to the existing facility property and would
temporarily affect 124 acres in Fayette, Westmoreland, Indiana and
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Workspace for the bi-directional flow
modifications is planned to temporarily impact about 520.4 acres within
or adjacent to existing facilities in the following counties: Marshall
County, West Virginia; Monroe, Noble, Athens, Meigs, and Scioto
Counties, Ohio; Bath, Madison, Lincoln, Casey, and Monroe Counties,
Kentucky; Trousdale, Wilson, Rutherford, Williamson, Giles, and
Lawrence Counties, Tennessee; Colbert County, Alabama; and Itawamba,
Monroe, Oktibbeha, Attala, Madison, Hinds, and Jefferson Counties,
Mississippi.

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
\4\ 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 all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
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\4\ ``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 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;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed
project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process.
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
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 of this notice.
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.\5\ 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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\5\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Sec. 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act

In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with the applicable State Historic Preservation

[[Page 62509]]

Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views and those of other government
agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the public on the project's
potential effects on historic properties.\6\ We will define the
project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with
the SHPO as the project develops. On natural gas facility projects, the
APE at a minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance
(examples include construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage
yards, compressor stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project
will document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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\6\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Public Participation

You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. 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 the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before
November 3, 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 (PF12-19-000) with your submission.
The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert
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''; or
(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.
When an EA is published for distribution, 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 4).

Becoming an Intervenor

Once Texas Eastern files its application with the Commission, 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 in
the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web
site. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for
intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission
receives a formal application for the project.

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 link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF12-
19). 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, if scheduled, will be
posted on the Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

Dated: October 4, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-25206 Filed 10-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P