[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9735-9736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03646]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP13-499-000; Docket No. CP13-502-000]


Constitution Pipeline Company, LLC, Iroquois Gas Transmission 
System, LP; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement and Public Comment Meetings for the Proposed Constitution 
Pipeline and Wright Interconnect Projects

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Constitution Pipeline and Wright Interconnect Projects 
(projects), proposed by Constitution Pipeline Company, LLC 
(Constitution) and Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P. (Iroquois), 
respectively, in the above-referenced dockets. Constitution and 
Iroquois request authorization to construct and operate certain 
interstate natural gas pipeline facilities in Pennsylvania and New York 
to deliver up to 650,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas supply to 
markets in New York and New England.
    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the projects in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the projects would have some adverse 
environmental impacts; however, these impacts would be reduced to less-
than-significant levels with the implementation of Constitution's and 
Iroquois' proposed mitigation and the additional measures recommended 
by staff in the draft EIS.
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration, and the New York State 
Department of Agriculture and Markets participated as cooperating 
agencies in the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating agencies have 
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources 
potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the NEPA 
analysis. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would adopt the final EIS 
if, after an independent review of the document, it concludes that its 
comments and suggestions have been satisfied.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the facilities in Susquehanna County, 
Pennsylvania and Broome, Chenango, Otsego, Delaware, and Schoharie 
Counties, New York. Constitution's project would include 124.4 miles of 
new 30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline and appurtenant facilities 
that include two new meter stations, two pipe interconnections, eleven 
mainline valves, and one pig launcher and receiver.\1\ Iroquois' 
project facilities would include the addition of 22,000 horsepower of 
incremental compression and other miscellaneous modifications its 
existing Wright Compressor Station with.
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    \1\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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    The FERC staff mailed copies of the draft EIS and this Notice 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 area of the 
projects; and parties to this proceeding. Paper copy versions of this 
EIS were mailed to those specifically requesting them; all others 
received a CD version. In addition, the draft EIS is available for 
public viewing on the FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary 
link. A limited number of copies 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 draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is 
important that the Commission receive your comments before April 7, 
2014.
    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 numbers (CP13-499-000 and CP13-502-000) 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]. Please carefully follow these instructions so that 
your comments are properly recorded.
    (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 submitting brief, 
text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically by 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.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project, 
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; 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.
    (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the 
Commission invites you to attend one of the public comment meetings its 
staff will conduct in the project area to receive comments on the draft 
EIS. We encourage interested groups and individuals to attend these 
meetings and present oral comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of the 
meetings will be available for review in eLibrary under the project 
docket numbers. All meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. and are scheduled 
as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Date                               Location
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Monday, March 31, 2014............  Cobleskill-Richmondville High
                                     School, 1353 State Route 7,
                                     Richmondville, NY 12149, 518-234-
                                     3565.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014............  Oneonta High School, 130 East
                                     Street, Oneonta, NY 13820 , 607-433-
                                     8243.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014..........  Afton High School, 29 Academy
                                     Street, Afton, New York 13730, 607-
                                     639-8200.

[[Page 9736]]

 
Thursday, April 3, 2014...........  Blue Ridge High School, 5058 School
                                     Road, New Milford, Pennsylvania
                                     18834, 570-465-3141.
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    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 Part 385.214).\2\ 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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    \2\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing 
comments.
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Questions?

    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-
499 and CP13-502). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. 
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnline 
[email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676; 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 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.

    Dated: February 12, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-03646 Filed 2-19-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P