[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 46 (Monday, March 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13295-13296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05119]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP13-36-000, CP13-132-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company; Notice of Availability of 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rockaway 
Delivery Lateral and Northeast Connector Projects

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared this final environmental impact statement 
(EIS) for the Rockaway Delivery Lateral Project and Northeast Connector 
Project (collectively referred to as the Projects) as proposed by 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company (Transco) in the above-
referenced dockets. For the Rockaway Delivery Lateral Project, Transco 
requests authorization to expand its natural gas pipeline system in New 
York to provide firm delivery lateral service of 647 thousand 
dekatherms per day (Mdth/d) of natural gas to National Grid's 
distribution system in New York City. For the Northeast Connector 
Project, Transco proposes to modify existing compressor station 
facilities along its existing pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New 
Jersey to provide 100 Mdth/d of new incremental natural gas supply to 
National Grid, as part of the 647 Mdth/d to be provided by the Rockaway 
Delivery Lateral Project. The Northeast Connector Project would be 
operationally dependent on the Rockaway Delivery Lateral Project with 
similar construction and in-service schedules.
    The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of 
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, but these impacts would be reduced to less-than-
significant levels with the implementation of Transco's proposed 
mitigation and the additional measures recommended in the final EIS.
    The National Park Service; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District; National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service; and City 
of New York participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of 
the final EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by a proposal 
and participate in the NEPA analysis. While the conclusions and 
recommendations presented in the final EIS were developed with input 
from the cooperating agencies, the federal cooperating agencies will 
present their own conclusions and recommendations in their respective 
Records of Decision for the Projects.
    The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of 
construction and operation of the facilities proposed by Transco for 
the Projects. For the Rockaway Delivery Lateral Project, these 
facilities include:
     Approximately 3.2 miles of new 26-inch-diameter pipeline 
to deliver natural gas from Transco's existing Lower New York Bay 
Lateral (LNYBL) in the Atlantic Ocean to an onshore tie-in with the 
National Grid system on the Rockaway Peninsula in the Borough of 
Queens, Queens County, New York; and
     an onshore meter and regulating (M&R) facility to be built 
in the Borough of Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.
    Approximately 2.6 miles of the proposed pipeline would be 
constructed offshore on submerged lands owned by New York State. About 
0.6 mile of the pipeline would be built on federal lands, both onshore 
and offshore, within the Gateway National Recreation Area, which is 
administered by the National Park Service. Less than 0.1 mile of the 
pipeline would be built on land owned by the Triborough Bridge and 
Tunnel Authority.

[[Page 13296]]

    The M&R facility would be constructed within a historic airplane 
hangar complex on Floyd Bennett Field, which is part of the Gateway 
National Recreation Area. Floyd Bennett Field is listed in the National 
Register of Historic Places as a historic district, and the hangar 
complex is considered a contributing element to the significance of the 
site. Transco is proposing to adaptively reuse and restore the hangar 
complex to an exterior appearance that would enhance the visual 
characteristics of Floyd Bennett Field Historic District.
    For the Northeast Connector Project, Transco proposes to:
     Add an incremental 6,540 horsepower (hp) of compression at 
its existing Compressor Station 195 in York County, Pennsylvania by 
replacing three existing natural gas-fired reciprocating engines and 
appurtenant facilities with two new electric motor drives;
     add an incremental 5,000 hp of compression at its existing 
Compressor Station 205 in Mercer County, New Jersey by uprating two 
existing electric motor drives; and
     add an incremental 5,400 hp of compression at its existing 
Compressor Station 207 in Middlesex County, New Jersey by uprating two 
existing electric motor drives.
    These modifications would occur on lands owned by Transco within 
the existing compressor station sites.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the final EIS to federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; 
potentially affected landowners; other interested individuals and non-
governmental organizations; newspapers and libraries in the project 
area; and parties to this proceeding. Paper copy versions of this EIS 
were mailed to those specifically requesting them; all others received 
a compact disk version. In addition, the final EIS is available for 
public viewing on the FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov). A limited number 
of hardcopies 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.
    Additional information about the Projects 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 (i.e., CP13-36). 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; 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: February 28, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-05119 Filed 3-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P