[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 130 (Wednesday, July 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39095-39098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16686]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF14-22-000]


Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Northeast 
Energy Direct Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 
and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of the Northeast Energy Direct 
Project (Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C. (Tennessee Gas) in Pennsylvania, 
New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. The Commission 
will use this EIS 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. 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. 
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they 
need to evaluate in the EIS. 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 August 31, 2015.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on September 15, 2014, you will need to file 
those comments in Docket No. PF14-22-000 to ensure they are considered 
as part of this proceeding.

[[Page 39096]]

    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 planned 
Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a Tennessee Gas 
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 for Citizen's Guides (http://www.ferc.gov/for-citizens/citizen-guides.asp). 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.

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal 
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form 
or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 
or [email protected]. Please carefully follow these instructions so that 
your comments are properly recorded.
    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;
    You can file your comments electronically by 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.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project, 
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type;
    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.
    Be sure to reference the Project docket number PF14-22-000 with 
your submission; or
    In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the Commission 
invites you to attend one of the public scoping meetings its staff will 
conduct in the Project area, scheduled as follows.

                      FERC Public Scoping Meetings
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        Date and time               Location              Location
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Tuesday, July 14, 2015, 7:00  Towanda Jr./Sr. High  Birch Hill Catering,
 p.m.                          School, 1 High        1 Celebration Way,
                               School Drive,         Castleton-on-
                               Towanda, PA 18848,    Hudson, NY 12033,
                               (570) 265-2101.       (518) 732-4444.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015,     VFW, 386 Main St.,    Birch Hill Catering,
 6:30 p.m.                     Great Bend, PA        1 Celebration Way,
                               18848, (570) 879-     Castleton-on-
                               4420.                 Hudson, NY 12033,
                                                     (518) 732-4444.
Thursday, July 16, 2015,      Foothills Performing  Days Inn, 160
 7:00 p.m.                     Arts Center, 24       Holiday Way,
                               Market St.,           Schoharie, NY
                               Oneonta, NY 13820,    12157, (518) 295-
                               (607) 431-2080.       6088.
                             -------------------------------------------
Tuesday, July 28, 2015, 7:00    Taconic High School, 96 Valentine Rd.,
 p.m.                            Pittsfield, MA 01201, (413) 448-9600.
                             -------------------------------------------
Wednesday, July 29, 2015,     Nashua Radisson, 11   Greenfield Middle
 6:30 p.m.                     Tara Blvd., Nashua,   School, 141 Davis
                               NH 03062, (603) 888-  St., Greenfield, MA
                               9970.                 01301, (413) 772-
                                                     1360.
Thursday, July 30, 2015,      Milford Town Hall,    Central Connecticut
 6:30 p.m.                     Town Hall, One        State University,
                               Union Square,         1615 Stanley St.,
                               Milford, NH 03055,    New Britain, CT
                               (603) 249-0600.       06050, (860) 832-
                                                     3200.
                             -------------------------------------------
Tuesday, August 11, 2015,      Dracut Senior High School, 1540 Lakeview
 7:00 p.m.                      Ave., Dracut, MA 01826, (978) 957-1500.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015,    Lunenburg High School, 1079 Massachusetts
 7:00 p.m.                       Ave., Lunenburg, MA 01462, (978) 582-
                                                 4115.
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    Please note that on five nights (July 14-16 and July 29-30), 
meetings will be held concurrently in two different locations. The same 
information will be presented at all of the meetings.
    We \1\ are planning on holding one additional scoping meeting near 
Winchester, New Hampshire, during the week of July 27-31, 2015. We will 
announce this meeting with a future notice once the location is 
finalized.
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    \1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    We will begin our sign up of speakers one hour prior to the start 
of each meeting. The scoping meetings will begin with a description of 
our environmental review process by Commission staff, after which 
speakers will be called. Each meeting will end once all speakers have 
provided their comments or when our contracted time for the facility 
closes. Please note that there may be a time limit to present comments 
(no less than 3 minutes), and speakers should structure their comments 
accordingly. If time limits are implemented, they will be strictly 
enforced to ensure that as many individuals as possible are given an 
opportunity to comment. The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer 
to ensure comments are accurately recorded. Transcripts will be entered 
into the formal record of the Commission proceeding.
    Please note that this is not your only public input opportunity; 
please refer to the review process flow chart in appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the 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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[[Page 39097]]

Summary of the Planned Project

    Tennessee Gas plans to construct and operate approximately 412 
miles of new natural gas transmission pipeline and associated 
facilities in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and 
Connecticut. This Project would also involve modifications at existing 
compressor and meter stations and construction of 9 new compressor 
stations, 14 new meter stations, and various appurtenant facilities. 
These facilities would be capable of providing 2.2 billion cubic feet 
per day of capacity to transport natural gas to markets in the 
northeastern United States and Canada.
    The pipeline planned for construction includes supply path and 
market path components. The Supply Path component would deliver gas 
from the existing Tennessee Gas 300 Line to its existing 200 Line near 
Wright, New York. The Supply Path would include approximately 135 miles 
in Pennsylvania and New York, as well as 32 miles of pipeline loop 
along the 300 Line in Pennsylvania.
    The Market Path would include approximately 188 miles of pipeline 
extending from Wright, New York, into Massachusetts and New Hampshire 
and then ending in Dracut, Massachusetts. The Market Path would 
generally be collocated with existing linear infrastructure.
    In addition, the Project would include construction of nine 
pipeline laterals, loops,\3\ or delivery lines in Massachusetts (38 
miles), Connecticut (15 miles), and New Hampshire (7 miles) to provide 
natural gas to local markets.
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    \3\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to 
an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
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    The general location of the Project facilities is shown in appendix 
2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 6,761 
acres of land for the pipeline and aboveground facilities, not 
including temporary access roads which are not yet determined. 
Following construction, Tennessee Gas would maintain about 2,602 acres 
for permanent operation of the Project's facilities, not including 
permanent access roads; the remaining acreage would be restored and 
revert to former uses. About 82 percent of the planned pipeline route 
parallels existing pipeline and utility rights-of-way.

The EIS 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 
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 EIS on the important 
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EIS. We will 
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EIS.
    In the EIS 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 and wetlands;
    vegetation and wildlife;
    cultural resources;
    land use, recreation, and visual resources;
    socioeconomics;
    air quality and noise;
    cumulative impacts; and
    public safety.
    As part of our analysis under NEPA, we will consider or recommend 
measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts on specific resources. 
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned Project or 
portions of the Project. Tennessee Gas has proposed a number of 
alternatives, developed through the company's route selection process 
or identified by stakeholders, in draft Resource Report 10 filed with 
the FERC in Docket No. PF14-22-000 on March 13, 2015. During scoping, 
we are specifically soliciting comments on the range of alternatives 
for the Project.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our environmental 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 a formal application from Tennessee 
Gas. During the pre-filing process, we have contacted federal and state 
agencies to discuss their involvement in scoping and the preparation of 
the EIS.
    The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We 
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the 
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the 
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. 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 2.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this Project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EIS.\4\ 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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    \4\ 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.\5\ 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 EIS 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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    \5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 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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Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Indian tribes and Native 
American organizations; other interested parties; and local libraries 
and newspapers. This list also includes all affected landowners (as 
defined in

[[Page 39098]]

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 provides a mailing address when they submit 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 planned 
Project.
    Copies of the draft EIS 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 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Tennessee Gas 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 (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-
22-000). 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 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: June 30, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-16686 Filed 7-7-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P