[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 233 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71995-71998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28490]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP14-555-000]


Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Lebanon West II 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 Lebanon West II Project 
(Project) involving construction, operation, and abandonment of 
facilities by Dominion Transmission, Inc. (DTI) in Armstrong, 
Allegheny, and Beaver Counties, Pennsylvania, and Licking, Fayette, 
Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Harrison, Carroll, and Columbiana Counties, 
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 December 26, 2014.
    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.

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    DTI 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

    DTI proposes to replace 11 segments of 26- and 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline and install compressor station facilities to transport 130,000 
dekatherms per day on behalf of R. E. Gas Development, LLC from DTI's 
MarkWest Liberty Bluestone Interconnect in Butler County, Pennsylvania 
to DTI's Lebanon-Texas Gas Interconnect in Warren County, Ohio. DTI 
also proposes to increase the maximum allowable operating pressure of 
these pipeline segments from 745 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) to 
848 psig.
    The Project would consist of the following facilities:
    1. Pipeline Facilities--DTI would undertake the following 
activities on its existing TL-400 Pipeline:
     Segment 14--abandon in-place about 2,647 feet, abandon by 
removal about 8,420 feet, and construct about 11,067 feet of 26-inch-
diameter replacement pipeline in Coshocton and Tuscarawas Counties, 
Ohio.
     Segment 15--abandon in-place about 664 feet, abandon by 
removal about 1,434 feet, and construct about 2,098 feet of 26-inch-
diameter replacement pipeline in Tuscarawas County.
     Segment 16--abandon in-place about 1,654 feet, abandon by 
removal about 4,159 feet, and construct about 5,813 feet of 30-inch-
diameter replacement pipeline in Tuscarawas County.
     Segment 17--abandon in-place about 6,664 feet, abandon by 
removal about 3,418 feet, and construction of about 10,082 feet of 30-
inch-diameter replacement pipeline in Harrison County, Ohio.
     Segment 19--abandon in-place about 1,805 feet, abandon by 
removal about 6,243 feet, and construct about 8,048 feet of 30-inch-
diameter replacement pipeline in Carroll County.
     Segment 20--abandon in-place about 1,413 feet, abandon by 
removal about 3,708 feet, and construct about 5,121 feet of 30-inch-
diameter replacement pipeline in Carroll County.
     Segment 21--abandon by removal about 1,709 feet, and 
construct about 1,709 feet of 30-inch-diameter replacement pipeline in 
Columbiana County, Ohio.
     Segment 22--abandon in-place about 920 feet, abandon by 
removal about 3,277 feet, and construct about 4,197 feet of 30-inch-
diameter replacement pipeline in Columbiana County.
     Segment 24--abandon in-place about 897 feet, abandon by 
removal about 2,714 feet, and construct about 3,611 feet of 30-inch-
diameter replacement pipeline in Columbiana County.
     Segment 25--abandon in-place about 151 feet, abandon by 
removal about 951 feet, and construct about 1,102 feet of 30-inch-
diameter replacement pipeline in Columbiana County.
     Segment 27--abandon by removal about 986 feet, and 
construct about 986 feet of 30-inch-diameter replacement pipeline in 
Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
    2. Aboveground Facilities--DTI proposes to undertake the following 
activities on its existing facilities as described below:
     Rural Valley Compressor Station--Install a new 10,915-
horsepower Solar Taurus 70S combustion turbine and a 3.5 million 
British thermal units per hour (MMBtu/hr) boiler that would replace an 
existing 2.1 MMBtu/hr boiler at the Rural Valley Compressor Station, in 
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. In addition, DTI would install one new 
gas cooler, one new filter separator, a blowdown separator/silencer, 
new suction/discharge tie-ins, and expand the existing compressor 
building to accommodate the new compressor unit.
     Newark Compressor Station--Install additional regulation 
at the existing Newark Compressor Station in Licking County, Ohio to 
reduce the pressure in the TL-400 Pipeline as the gas flows west from 
the compressor station.
     Beaver Compressor Station--Install additional regulation 
at the existing Beaver Compressor Station in Beaver County, 
Pennsylvania to allow additional gas to flow from the TL-400 Extension 
1 Pipeline into the TL-400 Pipeline.
     Washington Compressor Station--Install four new valves and 
30-inch diameter steel crossover piping at the existing Washington 
Compressor Station in Fayette County, Ohio.
     Coxcomb Gate Assembly--Install a new relief valve on the 
existing LN-25 Pipeline at the existing Coxcomb Gate Site in Allegheny 
County, Pennsylvania.
    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

    DTI's replacement activities would disturb a total of about 196.4 
acres, including 128.6 acres for abandonment of existing pipeline 
segments and installation of new pipeline, 10.9 acres for 63 additional 
temporary work spaces, 14.6 acres for use of 28 access roads, 18.7 
acres for 10 pipe storage and contractor yards, and 23.6 acres for 
installation of aboveground facilities. Following construction DTI 
would maintain a total of about 109.4 acres for permanent operation of 
the projects facilities, and the remaining acreage would be restored 
and revert to former uses.

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 
\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;
     public safety; and
     cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
project or portions of the project, and make

[[Page 71997]]

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 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 beginning on page 6.
    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.\3\ 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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    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 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 Offices (SHPOs), 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.\4\
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    \4\ 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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    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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by DTI. This preliminary list of 
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.

 Impacts on federally listed threatened and endangered species
 impacts on wetlands
 impacts on perennial waterbodies

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 
December 26, 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 (CP14-555-000) 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 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

    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 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-
555). 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

[[Page 71998]]

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: November 25, 2014.
 Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-28490 Filed 12-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P