[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 160 (Thursday, August 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55189-55190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19751]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review of the Atlantic Coast 
Pipeline and the Supply Header Project

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                                                          Docket Nos.
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Atlantic Coast Pipeline,                                    CP15-554-000
LLC..................................................       CP15-554-001
Dominion Transmission, Inc...........................       CP15-555-000
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    On September 18, 2015, Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC (Atlantic) and 
Dominion Transmission, Inc. (Dominion) filed applications in Docket 
Nos. CP15-554-000 and CP15-555-000 requesting a Certificate of Public 
Convenience and Necessity pursuant to Sections 7(b) and 7(c) of the 
Natural Gas Act to construct, operate, and maintain certain natural gas 
pipeline facilities. Atlantic's proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 
West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina would transport about 1.5 
billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from production areas in the 
Appalachian Basin to markets in Virginia and North Carolina. Dominion's 
proposed Supply Header Project in Pennsylvania and West Virginia would 
allow additional gas transportation on its existing system and would 
transport gas to various customers, including Atlantic. Because these 
are interrelated projects, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(FERC or Commission) deemed it was appropriate to analyze them in a 
single environmental impact statement (EIS).
    On October 2, 2015, the FERC issued its Notice of Application for 
the projects. Among other things, that notice alerted other agencies 
issuing federal authorizations of the requirement to complete all 
necessary reviews and to reach a final decision on the request for a 
federal authorization within 90 days of the date of issuance of the 
Commission staff's final EIS for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Supply 
Header Project. This instant notice identifies the FERC staff's planned 
schedule for completion of the final EIS for the projects, which is 
based on an issuance of the draft EIS in December 2016.

Schedule for Environmental Review

    Issuance of Notice of Availability of the final EIS: June 30, 2017.
    90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline: September 28, 2017.
    If a schedule change becomes necessary for the final EIS, an 
additional notice will be provided so that the relevant agencies are 
kept informed of the projects' progress.

Project Description

    The Atlantic Coast Pipeline consists of 333.1 miles of 42-inch-
diameter mainline pipeline in West Virginia, Virginia, and North 
Carolina; 186.0 miles of 36-inch-diameter mainline pipeline in North 
Carolina; 83.0 miles of 20-inch-diameter lateral pipeline in North 
Carolina and Virginia; and two short 16-inch-diameter lateral pipelines 
in Brunswick and Greenville Counties, Virginia. In addition, Atlantic 
proposes to construct and operate three new compressor stations 
totaling 130,345 horsepower in Lewis County, West Virginia; Buckingham 
County, Virginia; and Northampton County, North Carolina, along with 
other aboveground facilities along the mainline and lateral pipelines.
    The Supply Header Project consists of 3.9 miles of 30-inch-diameter 
pipeline loop in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; 33.6 miles of 30-
inch-diameter pipeline loop in West Virginia; and modifications to four 
existing compressor stations in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; 
Greene County, Pennsylvania; and Marshall and Wetzel Counties, West 
Virginia.

Background

    On November 13, 2014, the Commission staff granted Atlantic's and 
Dominion's request to use the FERC's Pre-filing environmental review 
process and assigned the Atlantic Coast Pipeline temporary Docket No. 
PF15-6-000 and the Supply Header Project temporary Docket No. PF15-5-
000. On February 27, 2015, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Supply Header 
Project and Atlantic Coast Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings (NOI). On 
March 22, 2016, the FERC issued a Notice of Amendment to Application 
announcing that Atlantic had filed an amendment to its application. On 
May 3, 2016, the Commission issued a Supplemental NOI that discussed 
the amendments to Atlantic's application and opened a scoping period 
for route modifications that Atlantic incorporated into the Atlantic 
Coast Pipeline.

[[Page 55190]]

    The NOIs were sent to our environmental mailing list that include 
federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials; 
affected landowners; regional environmental groups and nongovernmental 
organizations; Native Americans and Indian tribes; local libraries and 
newspapers; and other interested parties. Major environmental issues 
raised during scoping included karst terrain and caves; impacts on 
groundwater and springs, drinking water supplies, and surface 
waterbodies; impacts on forest; impacts on property values and the use 
of eminent domain; impacts on tourism; impacts on public recreational 
areas such as the Monongahela and George Washington National Forests, 
Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and the Blue Ridge Parkway; impacts 
on historic properties and districts; and pipeline safety.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Monongahela 
National Forest and George Washington National Forest; U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge; West 
Virginia Department of Environmental Protection; and West Virginia 
Division of Natural Resources are cooperating agencies in the 
preparation of the EIS.

Additional Information

    In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EIS and to 
keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, 
the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp). Additional data about the 
projects can be obtained electronically through the Commission's 
Internet Web site (www.ferc.gov). Under ``Dockets & Filings,'' use the 
``eLibrary'' link, select ``General Search'' from the menu, enter the 
docket numbers excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP15-554 or CP15-
555), and the search dates. Questions about the projects can be 
directed to the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-
FERC.

    Dated: August 12, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-19751 Filed 8-17-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P