[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57625-57626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22779]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP13-83-000]


Arlington Storage Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Gallery 2 Expansion Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the 
Gallery 2 Expansion Project, proposed by Arlington Storage Company, LLC 
(Arlington) in the above-referenced docket. Arlington requests 
authorization to convert two existing salt caverns, known as Gallery 2, 
to natural gas storage at its Seneca Lake Storage facility in Schuyler 
County, New York. The conversion of the Gallery 2 caverns to natural 
gas storage would add 0.55 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of working gas 
capacity, and 0.20 Bcf of base gas capacity to the Seneca Lake Storage 
facility, increasing the total working gas capacity from 1.45 Bcf to 
2.0 Bcf.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Gallery 2 Expansion Project in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969. The FERC staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed

[[Page 57626]]

project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a 
major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human 
environment.
    The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 
participated as a cooperating agency 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.
    In addition to the two existing salt caverns previously used for 
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage, the proposed Gallery 2 Expansion 
Project includes the following facilities:
     Approximately 500 feet of pipeline (170 feet of 16-inch-
diameter and 330 feet of 8-inch-diameter pipeline) to connect the 
Gallery 2 injection/withdrawal wells 30A and 31A to Arlington's 
existing Seneca Lake 16-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline;
     A 500 horsepower skid-mounted compressor unit;
     Use of well no. 45 for debrining and future monitoring of 
the caverns;
     A temporary brine pump and temporary brine pipelines;
     Electric and instrument air lines connecting the Gallery 2 
facilities to Arlington's existing Compressor Station; and
     Plugging and abandonment of two existing wells (30 and 31) 
formerly used in the Gallery 2 caverns' brine production and liquefied 
petroleum gas storage operation.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the EA 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; newspapers and libraries in the project area; and parties to 
this proceeding. In addition, the EA is available for public viewing on 
the FERC's Web site (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.
    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 the Commission has the opportunity to consider your 
comments prior to making its decision on this project, it is important 
that we receive your comments in Washington, DC on or before October 
15, 2013.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file 
your comments with the Commission. In all instances please reference 
the project docket number CP13-83-000 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 located on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the 
link to Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting 
brief, text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can also 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.
    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).\1\ 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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    \1\ 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., CP13-
83). 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: September 13, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-22779 Filed 9-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P