[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 111 (Thursday, June 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37192-37195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13649]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP16-361-000]


Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gulf Xpress Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meeting

    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 Gulf XPress Project (GXP) 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Columbia Gulf 
Transmission, LLC (Columbia Gulf) in Kentucky, Tennessee, and 
Mississippi. 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

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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 July 5, 2016.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on April 29, 2016, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. CP16-361-000 to ensure they are considered as 
part of this proceeding.
    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
    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 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.
    (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 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; or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number 
(CP16-361-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the 
Commission invites you to attend the public scoping meeting its staff 
will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows: FERC Public 
Scoping Meeting, Gulf Xpress Project, Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at 6:00 
p.m., Cane Ridge High School, 12848 Old Hickory Boulevard, Antioch, TN 
37013.
    The doors will open at 5 p.m. at which time we will begin our sign 
up of speakers for the meetings. For the hour prior to the start of the 
meeting, Columbia Gulf representatives will be present with maps 
depicting the project area and to answer questions.
    The scoping meeting will begin at 6 p.m. with a description of our 
environmental review process by Commission staff, after which speakers 
will be called. The meeting will end once all speakers have provided 
their comments or at 10 p.m., whichever comes first. Please note that 
depending on the number of people signed up to speak, there may be a 
time limit of 3 minutes to present comments, 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 meeting will be 
recorded by a court reporter to ensure comments are accurately 
recorded. The transcript of the meeting will be entered into the formal 
record of the Commission proceeding.
    Please note this is not your only opportunity to provide public 
input; refer to the review process flow chart in appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ 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 ``Additional Information'' 
section of this notice.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    The GXP would increase the existing transportation capacity of 
Columbia Gulf's system by about 860,000 dekatherms per day of natural 
gas. According to Columbia Gulf, its project is necessary to provide 
additional pipeline capacity to meet contracted-for firm transportation 
demand. The proposed facilities would enable shippers the opportunity 
to transport natural gas to Gulf Coast high-demand markets, markets in 
Mississippi and Louisiana that are accessible through delivery points 
along Columbia Gulf's system, and markets accessible through other 
interstate pipeline connected to Columbia Gulf's system. Columbia Gulf 
has entered into binding precedent agreements for 100 percent of the 
GXP capacity.
    For the GXP, Columbia Gulf proposes to construct, operate, and 
maintain seven new natural gas-fired turbine-driven compressor 
stations:
     The Morehead Compressor Station, a 44,800-horsepower (hp) 
compressor station in Rowan County, Kentucky;
     the Paint Lick Compressor Station, a 41,000-hp compressor 
station in Garrard County, Kentucky;
     the Goodluck Compressor Station, a 31,8000-hp compressor 
station in Metcalfe County, Kentucky;
     the Cane Ridge Compressor Station, a 41,000-hp compressor 
station in Davidson County, Tennessee;
     the Clifton Junction Compressor Station, a 31,800-hp 
compressor station in Wayne County, Tennessee;
     the New Albany Compressor Station, a 31,800-hp compressor 
station in Union County, Mississippi; and
     the Holcomb Compressor Station, a 31,800-hp compressor 
station in Grenada County, Mississippi.
    The GXP would also involve:
     Installation of an additional 15,900 hp of compression at 
the anticipated Grayson Compressor Station \2\ in Carter County, 
Kentucky; and
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    \2\ The Grayson Compressor Station is proposed for construction 
in Docket No. CP15-539-000 as part of Columbia Gulf's Rayne XPress 
Certificated Capacity Increase Project. On April 6, 2016, FERC staff 
issued the Draft EIS for the Columbia Gas Transmission Leach XPress 
Pipeline Project and the Columbia Gulf Transmission Rayne XPress 
Expansion Project, which includes the proposed Grayson Compressor 
Station. As of this date, the Commission has not authorized 
construction of these facilities.
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     demolition and construction of a new flow control building 
to upgrade

[[Page 37194]]

flow control capabilities at the existing Leach C Meter Station in Boyd 
County, Kentucky.
    All new compressor stations would include a building to house the 
compressors; filter/separator and gas cooling equipment; suction and 
discharge piping; and appurtenant facilities. All stations would be 
fenced and include a permanent access road.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    The GXP would temporarily disturb about 198 acres during 
construction with approximately 82 acres converted to permanent use for 
station operations. At the Grayson Compressor Station site, no 
additional land would be disturbed during construction beyond that used 
for the original facility. At the Leach C Meter Station, approximately 
1.4 acres of land outside the existing station fence line would be 
temporarily disturbed during construction. All permanent modifications 
at the Leach C Meter Station would occur within the existing facility 
resulting in no new permanent impacts from station operations.

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 
\3\ 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.
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    \3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EIS, 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;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     endangered and threatened species;
     cultural resources;
     socioeconomics;
     land use;
     air quality and noise;
     public safety; and
     cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate possible 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 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 Office(s), 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 SHPO(s) 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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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 Columbia Gulf. This 
preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our 
analysis.
     air quality and noise impacts;
     wildlife impacts;
     alternative compressor station locations; and
     health and safety of nearby residences during the 
operation of the proposed facilities.

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 who own homes within certain distances of the compressor 
and meter station 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.
    Copies of the completed 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

    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. Motions to intervene are more fully 
described at http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. 
Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in the ``Document-less 
Intervention Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's 
Web site.

[[Page 37195]]

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-
361-000). 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 2, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-13649 Filed 6-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P