[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42516-42518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17000]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP13-502-000]


Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wright 
Interconnect Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of two related projects proposed 
by Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P. (Iroquois) and Constitution 
Pipeline Company, LLC (Constitution). On September 7, 2012, the FERC 
issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Planned Constitution Pipeline Project,

[[Page 42517]]

Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meetings. At that time, Constitution proposed to construct a 
new compressor station as part of its Constitution Pipeline Project 
(which also included other facilities). However, Constitution has since 
identified that the objectives of the new compressor station could be 
met by making modifications at Iroquois' existing Wright Compressor 
Station in Schoharie County, New York. The other aspects of the 
Constitution Pipeline Project remain unchanged.\1\
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    \1\ On June 13, 2013, Constitution filed an application with the 
FERC to construct and operate approximately 122 miles of 30-inch-
diameter pipeline in various counties in New York and Pennsylvania 
in Docket No. CP13-499-000.
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    These modifications, known as the Wright Interconnect Project 
(WIP), would render the proposed compressor station for the 
Constitution Pipeline Project unnecessary. The impacts of 
Constitution's modified proposal together with the WIP will be 
discussed collectively in one EIS. This EIS, analyzing both the 
Constitution Pipeline Project and the WIP, will be used by the 
Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the two 
related projects are in the public convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process that the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the WIP. Your input will help us \2\ determine what issues 
need to be evaluated in the EIS. Please note that the scoping period 
will close on August 9, 2013. Scoping comments received previously on 
the Constitution Pipeline Project will be considered in our EIS and do 
not need to be resubmitted.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for the WIP. State and local government representatives 
are asked to notify their constituents of this proposed project and 
encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Iroquois has proposed to construct and operate the WIP within the 
property boundary, (but outside of the existing fence-line) of its 
existing Wright Compressor Station in Schoharie County, New York. The 
WIP would provide firm natural gas capacity to Constitution through a 
long-term capacity lease agreement.
    The proposed WIP would consist of the following:
     Construction of the Constitution Transfer Station, which 
would contain two approximately 10,900-horsepower turbo-compressors, 
natural gas coolers, gas filters, and an emergency generator;
     Modifications to the existing Wright Compressor Station 
including the installation of a blend valve and upgraded piping;
     Installation of additional pumps on the existing Wright 
Odorization System to increase reliability;
     Upsizing gas piping and measurement controls at the 
existing Wright Meter Station to accommodate additional gas delivery to 
the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, LLC's system; and
     Construction of an interconnect between the proposed 
Constitution Pipeline Project and Iroquois' Wright Compressor Station.
    The general location of the proposed project facilities is shown in 
Appendix 1.\3\
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    \3\ 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 ``Additional Information'' 
section of this notice.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the WIP would disturb approximately 12.5 acres of 
land already owned by Iroquois, but outside the fence-line of its 
existing facility. Following construction, about 7.5 acres would be 
used for permanent operation of the facilities. The remaining acreage 
would be restored and allowed to revert to former uses.

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 
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 WIP to address in 
the EIS. We will consider all filed comments during the preparation of 
the EIS.
    In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the WIP under these general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Land use;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Endangered and threatened species;
     Cultural resources;
     Air quality and noise;
     Socioeconomics;
     Cumulative impacts; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate reasonable 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. The 
EIS will be published and distributed for public comment. 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 on page 5.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or 
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally 
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS.\4\ These agencies may 
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to 
their responsibilities. 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. The 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New York State Department of 
Agriculture and Markets, and the Federal Highway Administration are 
already participating as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the 
EIS to satisfy their NEPA responsibilities associated with these 
proposals.
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    \4\ 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 applicable State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to 
solicit their and those of other governmental agencies,

[[Page 42518]]

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 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 EIS 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, 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 WIP. Your comments should focus on the 
potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures 
to avoid or lessen environmental impact. 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 August 9, 2013.
    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 (CP13-502-000) 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''; 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) as individuals who own homes within 0.5 mile of the 
proposed WIP. 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. 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 Mailing List Form (Appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EIS 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 1-866-208-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., CP13-502). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. 
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact 1-202-502-8659. The eLibrary link on the FERC Internet Web site 
also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription that 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, Iroquois has established an internet Web site for the 
project at http://www.iroquois.com/Project/WIP/. The Web site includes 
a description of the project, contact information, and copies of 
project filings. You can also request additional information or provide 
comments directly to Iroquois at 203-925-7209.

    Dated: July 10, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-17000 Filed 7-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P