[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33403-33406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13117]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF13-5-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Leidy Southeast 
Expansion Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and 
Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

    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 Leidy Southeast Expansion 
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in Pennsylvania, 
New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. 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.

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Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they 
need to evaluate in the EA. The Commission staff will also use the 
scoping process to help determine whether preparation of an 
environmental impact statement is more appropriate for this project 
based upon the potential significance of the anticipated levels of 
impact. Please note that the scoping period will close on June 24, 
2013. 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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    You may submit comments in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to 
sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the 
public scoping meeting(s) scheduled as follows:

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            Date and time                           Location
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June 12, 2013, 7:00 PM...............  The Woodlands Inn, 1073 Highway
                                        315, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702.
June 13, 2013, 7:00 PM...............  Hillsborough Township Middle
                                        School, 260 Triangle Road,
                                        Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844.
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    The scoping meetings will commence at the times listed above; 
however, representatives from Transco will be present one hour before 
each meeting to describe their proposal, present maps, and answer 
questions.
    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.
    Transco 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 Planned Project

    Transco plans to build approximately 30.1 miles of 42-inch-diameter 
natural gas pipeline in four loop \2\ segments, consisting of 6.4 miles 
in Mercer and Somerset Counties, New Jersey (Skillman Loop), 6.9 miles 
in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties, New Jersey (Pleasant Run Loop), 
11.5 miles in Monroe and Luzerne Counties, Pennsylvania (Franklin 
Loop), and 5.3 miles in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Dorrance Loop). 
The new pipeline loops would primarily be installed adjacent to 
Transco's existing rights-of-way.
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    \2\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel 
(and is connected) to an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
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    The project would also include installing an approximate total of 
84,500 horsepower of compression and making other modifications at 
existing compressor stations in Mercer County, New Jersey and Luzerne, 
Columbia, and Lycoming Counties, Pennsylvania, and modifying various 
existing valve sites and meter stations along Transco's mainline system 
in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. As designed, the project 
would enable Transco to provide an additional 525,000 dekatherms per 
day of natural gas transportation capacity from receipt points on 
Transco's Leidy Line in Pennsylvania to delivery points on Transco's 
mainline system as far south as Choctaw County, Alabama. A map 
depicting the general location of the project facilities is included in 
appendix 2.
    Transco plans to begin construction of the project in late 2014 and 
place the facilities in service by December 2015.

Land Requirements for Construction and Operation

    Transco is still in the planning phase for the project, and 
workspace requirements have not been finalized at this time. As 
currently planned, construction would disturb approximately 485 acres 
of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline loops. 
Following construction, about 95 acres outside of Transco's existing 
easement would be maintained for permanent operation of the project 
facilities. The remaining acreage would be restored and allowed to 
revert to former uses. As planned, the new pipeline loops would 
primarily be installed adjacent to Transco's existing pipeline system.

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 
\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 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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    \3\ ``Us,'' ``we,'' 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 planned project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Vegetation, wildlife, and endangered and threatened 
species;
     Socioeconomics;
     Cultural resources;
     Land use and cumulative impacts;
     Air quality and noise; and
     Public safety.
    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 an 
application is filed with the FERC. 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. 
In addition, representatives from FERC participated in the public

[[Page 33405]]

open houses sponsored by Transco in the project area in April 2013 to 
explain the environmental review process to interested stakeholders.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. 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 beginning on page 5.
    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.\4\ 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. Currently, the U.S. 
Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
Administration has expressed its intention to participate as a 
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA.
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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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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Perservation 
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 applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (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.\5\ We will define the project-specific Area of 
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project 
is further developed. 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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    \5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. 
Historic properties are defined in those regulations as any 
prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or 
object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National 
Register for Historic Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities, the 
environmental information provided by Transco, and comments received by 
the public. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on 
your comments and our analysis:
     Residential impacts, including the potential for decreased 
property values;
     Impacts on forest and unique habitats;
     Impacts on conservation lands;
     Impacts on water resources;
     The purpose and need for the project;
     Consideration of alternatives, including renewable energy 
sources; and
     Public safety.

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 they will be received in Washington, DC on or before June 24, 
2013.
    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 (PF13-5-000) 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 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. This is an easy method for 
interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
    2. You can 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 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 attend and provide either oral or written comments at a 
public scoping meeting. A transcript of each meeting will be made so 
that your comments will be accurately recorded and included in the 
public record; or
    4. 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 
planned project.
    When the 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 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Transco 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 
included in the User's Guide under the ``e-Filing'' link on the 
Commission's Web site. Please note that

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the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status at this 
time. You must wait until a formal application for the project is filed 
with the Commission.

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., PF13-
5). 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 
text 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.
    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.
    Finally, Transco has established a Web site for this project at 
http://leidysoutheast.wordpress.com/. The Web site includes a project 
overview, environmental information, and information for affected 
stakeholders.

    Dated: May 24, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-13117 Filed 6-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P