[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53186-53187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21205]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP14-17-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed East Side Expansion Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the East 
Side Expansion Project, proposed by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC 
(Columbia) in the above-referenced docket. Columbia requests 
authorization to install a total of about 19.1 miles of 20- and 26-
inch-diameter pipeline loop,\1\ and to modify and upgrade several 
aboveground facilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and 
Maryland in order to provide 312,000 dekatherms per day of firm natural 
gas transportation service to growing mid-Atlantic markets.
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    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipe that is usually installed 
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. 
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
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    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the East Side Expansion Project in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed 
project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a 
major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human 
environment.
    The United States Army Corps of Engineers 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.
    The proposed East Side Expansion Project includes the following:
     Construction of about 9.6 miles of 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop in Gloucester County, New Jersey (Line 10345 Loop);
     construction of about 9.5 miles of 26-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop in Chester County, Pennsylvania (Line 1278 Loop);
     abandonment of existing compressors and installation of 
new compression at the Milford Compressor Station in Pike County, 
Pennsylvania, and at the Easton Compressor Station in Northampton 
County, Pennsylvania;
     modifications to the Eagle Compressor Station in Chester 
County, Pennsylvania, and the Rutledge Compressor Station in Hartford 
County, Maryland; and
     modification of the Pennsburg meter and regulation (M&R) 
Station and the Quakertown M&R Station in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 
and the Wagoner M&R Station in Orange County, New York.
    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 September 
29, 2014.
    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 (CP14-17-000) with your submission. The 
Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert 
staff available

[[Page 53187]]

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).\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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    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., CP14-
17). 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 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/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.

    Dated: August 29, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-21205 Filed 9-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P