[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25859-25861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10316]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP14-104-000]
Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Uniontown to Gas City Project
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
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 Uniontown to Gas City Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by Texas
Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) in Pennsylvania, Ohio and
Indiana. 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. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on May 29, 2014.
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.
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.
Texas Eastern 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 Proposed Project
The purpose of the Project is to make new firm pipeline capacity
available to transport production of five shippers that have executed
precedent agreements with Texas Eastern. It would allow additional
natural gas from the Appalachian production area to be transported to
markets in the Midwest. This would be accomplished by modifying 23
existing aboveground facilities along Texas Eastern's system. These
facilities include:
In Greene County, Pennsylvania, modifications at the
Waynesburg Compressor Station would include new sample lines at the
70009 meter and regulator (M&R) station and 70037 M&R station, a new
gas chromatograph/electronic gas measurement (GC/EGM) building, removal
of a deanalyzer building, and a new GC sample line at the Waynesburg
Suction; new GC/EGM buildings at the 70020 and 73152 M&R station, and
gas turbine modifications at the existing Holbrook Compressor Station;
in Monroe County, Ohio, a new GC and Remote Terminal Units
(RTU) at the 70983 and 70471 M&R Stations, and a new launcher/receiver
and filter separator at the Berne Compressor Station;
in Noble County, Ohio, a new launcher/receiver at the
Summerfield Compressor Station, and new receiver on Somerset Line 65;
in Perry County, Ohio, new launcher/receiver at the
Coserset Compressor Station;
in Fairfield County, Ohio, a new GC building at the 73715
and 70077 M&R Stations;
in Pickaway County, Ohio, a new crossover and receiver at
the Five Points Line 1, and gas turbine modifications at the Five
Points Compressor Station;
in Fayette County, Ohio, new receiver at the Lebanon
Discharge Line 1 and new GC at the 70081 M&R Station;
in Clinton County, Ohio, a new GC at the 73105 M&R
Station;
in Warren County, Ohio, gas turbine modifications at the
Lebanon Compressor Station, a new GC building at 70041 M&R Station,
reversal modifications at the 72945 M&R Station, a new GC/RTU building
at 72908 M&R Station, and a new GC at 71353 M&R Station;
[[Page 25860]]
in Darke County, Ohio, new RTU building at the 72902 M&R
Station, and reverse compressor modifications at the Glen Karn
Compressor Station; and
in Grant County, Indiana, a new delivery meter station,
and reverse compressor modifications at the Gas City Compressor
Station.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear 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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Land Requirements for Construction
With the exception of the proposed 20-inch-diameter crossover
pipeline located at the Five Points Line 1 in Pickaway County, Ohio,
all of the proposed activities associated with the Project would take
place within Texas Eastern's existing right-of-way. About 4.8 acres
would be disturbed during construction at all the modified facilities
combined within the existing right-of-way. The crossover at the Five
Points Line 1 would disturb an additional 0.07 acre outside of the
existing right-of-way.
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. The NEPA also requires
us \2\ 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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\2\ ``We'', ``us'', 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 proposed Project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
land use;
water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
cultural resources;
vegetation and wildlife;
air quality and noise;
endangered and threatened species;
reliability; 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.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We
will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendation
to the Commission. To ensure your comments are considered, please
carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section
of this notice.
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 EA. 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.
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 views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the Project's potential effects on
historic properties.\3\ We will define the Project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project
develops. On natural gas 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 on
consultations under section 106.
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\3\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, 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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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 in your comments
so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before May 29,
2014.
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 (CP14-104-000) 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 may 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. An eComment is an easy method
for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments on a
project;
(2) You may 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 will be asked to select the type of filing you
are making. A comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment
on a Filing;'' or
(3) You may 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; interested Indian 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
[[Page 25861]]
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 proposed project.
If 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 compact
disc version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list,
please return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA 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 (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.,
CP14-104). 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 now 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 http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
Finally, 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.
Dated: April 29, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-10316 Filed 5-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P