[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53184-53186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21206]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF14-13-000]


Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the Planned Ohio Valley Connector 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 Ohio Valley Connector Project 
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Equitrans, L.P. (EQT) in Wetzel, Marshall, and Marion Counties, West 
Virginia, and Monroe County, Ohio. 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 September 29, 2014.
    You may submit comments in written form. 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 planned 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.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). 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.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    EQT proposes to provide approximately 900,000 dekatherms per day of 
new firm transportation capacity from natural gas produced in the 
central Appalachian Basin into the systems of Rockies Express Pipeline, 
LLC (REX) and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (TETCO). Construction of 
the Project is planned to begin in August 2015 in order to meet the 
proposed in-service date of May 2016. The Ohio Valley Connector Project 
would include the following facilities:

 34 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline along with pig \1\ 
receiving/launching facilities in Wetzel and Marshall Counties, West 
Virginia and Monroe County, Ohio that would deliver gas to the proposed 
Plasma Compressor Station (the H-310 segment);
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    \1\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into 
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, 
conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
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 1.5 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline, with a pigging 
facility, in Monroe County, Ohio from the proposed Plasma Compressor 
Station to the existing REX System (the H-311 segment);
 14 miles of 24-inch-diameter loop \2\ along with pig 
receiving/launching facilities in Marion and Wetzel Counties, West 
Virginia from EQT's existing system to the proposed Corona Compressor 
Station (the H-313 segment);
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    \2\ A loop is a segment of pipeline constructed parallel to an 
existing pipeline that ties into the existing system to increase 
capacity.
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 0.6 mile of 16-inch-diameter discharge pipeline, and pigging 
facility, in Wetzel County, West Virginia that would serve as a 
discharge line from the proposed Corona Compressor Station (the H-306 
segment);
 Construction of two new compressor stations:
    [ssquf] Plasma Compressor Station--installation of two gas-driven 
centrifugal compressors in Monroe County, Ohio with a combined 21,000 
horsepower (hp) of compression; and
    [ssquf] Corona Compressor Station--installation of one gas-driven 
15,000-hp centrifugal compressor in Wetzel County, West Virginia;
 Installation of two new interconnects:
    [ssquf] REX Interconnect--A 100-foot by 200-foot fenced area that 
would contain two 8-foot by 12-foot enclosures to house measurement and 
gas sampling equipment and other associated aboveground facilities; and
    [ssquf] TETCO Interconnect--Two 8-foot by 12-foot enclosures that 
would house measurement and gas sampling equipment, along with other 
associated aboveground facilities and a short interconnect, all of 
which would be placed within the fenceline of the planned Plasma 
Compressor Station; and
 relocation of existing pigging facilities at EQT's Pickenpaw 
Meter Station to the eastern terminus of the H-306 pipeline segment 
within the proposed Corona Compressor Station and installation of new 
pipeline and valves at the Pickenpaw Meter Station.

    Maps depicting the general location of the Project facilities are 
included in Appendix 1.\3\
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed 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

    The planned pipeline construction for the H-310 and H-311 segments 
(approximately 71 percent of the pipeline length) would impact 
approximately 456 acres of land temporarily and 213 acres permanently. 
EQT is still in the planning phase for the Project and construction 
workspace requirements for the H-306 and H-313 segments have not been 
finalized;

[[Page 53185]]

however, operation of these two segments would permanently impact 
approximately 87 acres. Impacts associated with the use of additional 
temporary workspaces, laydown/contractor yards, and access roads would 
temporarily impact a minimum of 229 acres. The Plasma and Corona 
Compressor Stations would have a permanent footprint of 5.5 and 3.1 
acres, respectively; the workspaces associated with these locations are 
still being determined.

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. NEPA also requires us 
\4\ 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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    \4\ ``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 planned Project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Water resources;
     Wetlands and vegetation;
     Fish and wildlife;
     Threatened and endangered species;
     Land use, recreation, and visual resources;
     Air quality and noise;
     Cultural resources;
     Socioeconomics;
     Reliability and safety; and
     Cumulative environmental impacts.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the planned 
Project or portions of the Project, and make recommendations on how to 
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before 
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we 
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their 
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
    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 recommendations 
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and 
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the 
Public Participation section on page 5.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of 
this Project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the 
EA.\5\ 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.
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    \5\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Sec.  1501.6.
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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 the 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.\6\ We will define the Project-specific Area of 
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the Project 
develops. On natural gas facility 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 
of consultations under section 106.
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    \6\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of 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 your comments so 
that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before 
September 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 (PF14-13-000) 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 on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to 
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for interested persons to 
submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can 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.

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American 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

[[Page 53186]]

Project purposes, or who own homes 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 we publish and distribute the EA, 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 CD 
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please 
return the attached Information Request (Appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once EQT files its application with the Commission, 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 in the User's 
Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site. Please 
note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status 
at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a formal 
application for the project.

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., PF14-
13). 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 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: August 29, 2014.
 Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-21206 Filed 9-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P