[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 76 (Friday, April 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23554-23555]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09260]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP13-73-000]


Sierrita Gas Pipeline LLC; Supplemental Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Sierrita Pipeline 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    As previously noticed on August 1, 2012, and supplemented herein, 
the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impact of the Sierrita Pipeline Project 
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Sierrita Gas Pipeline LLC (Sierrita) in Pima County, Arizona (the 
project was previously known as the Sasabe Lateral Project). The 
Commission will use this EIS in its decision-making process to 
determine whether the Project is in the public convenience and 
necessity. The Commission staff began its review of the Project on May 
2, 2012, during the pre-filing process under Docket No. PF12-11-000. 
The initial scoping period closed on October 27, 2012.
    This notice announces the opening of a supplemental scoping period 
that the Commission will use to gather input from the public and 
interested agencies due to a change in the proposed Project route. 
Specifically, this notice is requesting comments as they relate to 
Sierrita's proposed route modification filed on March 25, 2013, and 
detailed below. Your input will help the Commission staff determine 
what issues relevant to the route modification need evaluation in the 
EIS. All previous comments submitted during the pre-filing process and 
initial scoping period do not need to be resubmitted. Further details 
on how to submit written comments are in the Public Participation 
section of this notice. Please note that this supplemental scoping 
period will close on May 13, 2013.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for the Project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of the proposed 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.

Summary of the Project (as Supplemented)

    The Project would consist of the installation of about 60 miles of 
36-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline and construction of two meter 
stations and various other appurtenant facilities in Pima County, 
Arizona. The pipeline would link El Paso Natural Gas Company's \1\ 
existing South Mainline System near Tucson to an interconnect with the 
Sasabe-Guaymas Pipeline at the U.S.-Mexico border near the town of 
Sasabe, Arizona.
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    \1\ El Paso Natural Gas Company is an affiliate of Sierrita.
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    Sierrita's route modification shifts an approximate 10 mile segment 
of the originally proposed pipeline route eastward to a new location 
closer to State Highway 286. It would leave the original proposed route 
at milepost 25.7 and rejoin at milepost 36.3. The route modification 
would be approximately 12 miles long and would add approximately 1.5 
miles of length to the overall project. The general location of the 
Project facilities and route modification are shown in Appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the 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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    Updated environmental information concerning the route 
modification, including field surveys, is pending and Sierrita will 
file this information with the FERC when completed.

The EIS 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 
\3\ 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 EIS on the 
important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests 
public comments on the scope of the issues related to the route 
modification to address in the EIS. We will consider all filed comments 
during the preparation of the EIS.
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    \3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the Project under these general 
headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Vegetation, wildlife, and endangered and threatened 
species;
     Land use and cumulative impacts;
     Socioeconomics;
     Cultural resources;
     Air quality and noise; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the Project or 
portions of the Project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or 
avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We 
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the 
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the 
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we have 
the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully 
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section below.
    Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (both the Arizona 
Ecological Services Office and the Buenos Aires National Wildlife 
Refuge), the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection are participating as cooperating agencies in the 
preparation of the EIS to satisfy their

[[Page 23555]]

NEPA responsibilities related to this Project or provide technical 
expertise.\4\
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    \4\ 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 route modification of the Project. Your 
comments should focus on the potential environmental effects, 
reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental 
impacts associated with the route modification. 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 May 13, 2013. 
This is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to the 
Environmental Review Process flow chart in Appendix 2.
    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 (CP13-73) 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 located 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 located 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, whose property was 
affected by the corresponding segment of the original route, 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.
    Copies of the completed draft EIS will be sent to the environmental 
mailing list for public review and comment.

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 (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., CP13-
73). 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.
    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: April 12, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-09260 Filed 4-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P