[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 227 (Wednesday, November 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73747-73749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-29965]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP16-9-000]


Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, 
LLC; Supplemental Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for and Requesting Comments on the Proposed Atlantic Bridge 
Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) is preparing an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Atlantic Bridge Project 
(Project), which would involve construction and operation of facilities 
by Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC (Algonquin) and Maritimes & 
Northeast Pipeline, LLC (Maritimes), collectively referred to as the 
Applicants, in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Commission 
will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether 
the Project is in the public convenience and necessity.
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) for this Project was issued by the FERC on 
April 27, 2015. Since that time, some additional stakeholders not 
previously identified have been added to the environmental mailing 
list. In addition, the Applicants are proposing to use additional 
available horsepower at a compressor station in New York that was not 
previously included during the pre-filing process. As a result, this 
notice announces a supplemental scoping period to gather input from the 
public and agencies on the Project.
    You can make a difference by providing us \1\ 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 need to be evaluated in the 
EA. 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 21, 2015; however, this will not 
be the last public input opportunity for the Project. Please refer to 
the Review Process flow chart in Appendix 1.\2\
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    \1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
    \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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    If you sent comments on this Project to the Commission under Docket 
No. PF15-12-000, prior to the opening of the CP docket on October 22, 
2015, you do not need to refile your comments under Docket No. CP16-9-
000. We have received your comments and will use the information in the 
preparation of the EA.
    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 and the Project is approved, 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.

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. The commission will provide equal 
consideration to all comments received. In all instances, please 
reference the Project docket number (CP16-9) 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]. 
Please carefully follow these instruction so that your comments are 
properly recorded.
    (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 submitting 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,

[[Page 73748]]

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; 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.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    The Applicants plan to construct, install, own, operate, and 
maintain the proposed Atlantic Bridge Project, which (as described more 
fully below) would involve expansion of its existing pipeline and 
compressor station facilities located in New York, Connecticut, and 
Massachusetts.
    The proposed Atlantic Bridge Project, which was reduced in scope 
after the issuance of the first NOI, includes replacing about 6.3 miles 
of existing 26-inch-diameter mainline pipeline with 42-inch-diameter 
pipeline. About 4.0 miles of the pipeline replacement would be in 
Westchester County, New York (Stony Point Discharge L&R). The remaining 
2.3 miles of pipeline replacement would be in Fairfield County, 
Connecticut (Southeast Discharge L&R).
    In addition to the pipeline facilities, the Applicants plan to 
modify/uprate three existing compressor stations, construct one new 
compressor station, modify five existing metering and regulating (M&R) 
stations and one regulator station, and construct one new M&R station 
to replace an existing station. The modifications and uprating to the 
existing compressor stations would occur in Rockland County, New York 
and New Haven and Windham Counties, Connecticut, and would add a total 
additional 18,800 horsepower to the Applicants' pipeline system. The 
new compressor station would be located in Norfolk County, 
Massachusetts and would include a new 7,700 horsepower gas-fired 
compressor unit. The modifications to the five existing Algonquin M&R 
stations and one regulator station would occur in New York, 
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine to accept the new gas flows 
associated with the Project. The new M&R station to replace an existing 
station would be constructed in New London County, Connecticut. The 
Applicants would also need to construct a number of pig\3\ launcher and 
receiver facilities and four new mainline valves.
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    \3\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into 
and pushed through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, 
conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
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    The proposed Atlantic Bridge Project has been modified since the 
issuance of the NOI to include uprating of existing horsepower at the 
Stony Point Compressor Station in Rockland County, New York. The 
proposed uprate would involve the removal of a software control and 
would not require any facility construction or ground disturbance.
    The general locations of the Project facilities are shown in 
Appendix 2.

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 
to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. 
This discovery 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.
    In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation and maintenance of the planned Project 
under these general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     land use, including residential, commercial, and prime 
farmland uses;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife, including migratory birds;
     air quality and noise;
     endangered and threatened species;
     traffic and transportation;
     public safety; and
     cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
Project or portions of the Project, and make 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 and will be 
published and distributed 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 of this notice, 
beginning on page 2.

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 update the project status 
in our ongoing consultation with applicable State Historic Preservation 
Offices (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.\4\ We will define 
the Project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation 
with the SHPOs. 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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    \4\ 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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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 the Applicants. This 
preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our 
analysis.
     Geology--Effects as a result of blasting to remove 
existing surface and bedrock during construction.
     Biological Resources--Effects on threatened and endangered 
species and sensitive habitats.
     Water Resources--Effects on waterbodies and wetlands.
     Land Use--Effects on residential and commercial areas as 
well as traffic and transportation corridors from construction.
     Cultural Resources--Effects on archaeological sites and 
historic resources.
     Air Quality and Noise--Effects on the local air quality 
and noise

[[Page 73749]]

environment from construction and operation.
     Socioeconomics--Effects on Environmental Justice 
communities.
     Reliability and Safety--Hazards associated with natural 
gas pipelines and aboveground facilities.
     Alternatives--Evaluation of other locations for the new 
Weymouth Compressor Station.

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. We encourage 
government representatives who receive this notice to notify their 
constituents about this proposed Project and encourage them to comment 
on their areas of concern. This list also includes the 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 proposed workspaces, 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 individuals, organizations, and government 
entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the Project.
    When 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 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, now that the 
Applicants have filed their 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. As indicated in the Notice of Application for the Project issued 
on November 5, 2015, the deadline for motions to intervene in 
accordance with the requirements of the Commission's Rules of Practice 
and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations under 
the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10) close on November 27, 2015. 
However, those individuals who were not previously noticed in this 
proceeding may request to intervene out of time, in accordance with 18 
CFR 385.214(d).

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., CP16-
9). 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/esubscribenow.htm.
    Any public meetings or site visits that are conducted by our staff 
will be posted on the Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

    November 19, 2015.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-29965 Filed 11-24-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P