[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 181 (Friday, September 18, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56453-56454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23426]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP15-95-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Tri-County Bare Steel 
Replacement Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Tri-
County Bare Steel Replacement Project, proposed by Columbia Gas 
Transmission, LLC (Columbia) in the above-referenced docket. Columbia 
requests authorization to replace about 34 miles of bare steel pipe 
within Columbia's existing Line 1570 pipeline in three replacement 
segments spanning Allegheny, Washington, and Greene Counties (i.e., the 
Tri-County), Pennsylvania. The Project is part of Columbia's 
modernization program to replace segments of existing, aging, 
infrastructure in order to improve the safety of its pipeline system 
and increase service reliability.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Tri-County Bare Steel Replacement 
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 proposed Tri-County Bare Steel Replacement Project includes 
replacing 34 miles of 20-inch-diameter bare steel piping with coated 
steel pipeline at the following locations:
     Segment 1: replace approximately 14 miles with 14.9 miles 
from the Hero Valve to Waynesburg Compressor Station in Greene County.
     Segment 2: replace approximately 8 miles with 10.7 miles 
from the Redd Farm Station to Sharp Farm Station in Washington County.
     Segment 3: replace approximately 12 miles with 11.9 miles 
from the Sharp Farm Station in Washington County to the Walker Farm 
Station in Washington and Allegheny Counties.
    Total construction length with the incorporation of minor reroutes 
is approximately 34 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipe. The pipeline would 
also include associated appurtenant facilities including bi-directional 
pig launcher/receivers, cathodic protection, main line valves, and 
taps.
    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 October 
14, 2015.
    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 (CP15-95-000) 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 located on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the 
link to Documents and Filings. This is an

[[Page 56454]]

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).\1\ 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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    \1\ 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., CP15-
95). 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: September 14, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-23426 Filed 9-17-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P