[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66268-66271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23237]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP16-10-000; Docket No. CP16-13-000]


Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC, Equitrans LP; Notice of 
Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Mountain Valley Project and Equitrans Expansion Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the projects proposed by Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC (Mountain 
Valley) and Equitrans LP (Equitrans) in the above-referenced dockets. 
Mountain Valley requests authorization to construct and operate certain 
interstate natural gas facilities in West Virginia and Virginia, known 
as the Mountain Valley Project (MVP) in Docket Number CP16-10-000. The 
MVP is designed to transport about 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) 
of natural gas from production areas in the Appalachian Basin to 
markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. Equitrans 
requests authorization to construct and operate certain natural gas 
facilities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, known as the Equitrans 
Expansion Project (EEP) in Docket No. CP16-13-000. The EEP is designed 
to transport about 0.4 Bcf/d of natural gas, to improve system 
flexibility and reliability, and serve markets in the Northeast, Mid-
Atlantic, and Southeast, through interconnections with various other 
interstate systems, including the proposed MVP.
    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the MVP and EEP in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the MVP and EEP would have some 
adverse environmental impacts; however, these impacts would be reduced 
with the implementation of Mountain Valley's and Equitrans' proposed 
mitigation measures, and the additional measures recommended by the 
FERC staff in the EIS.
    The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS), 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM), U.S. Department of Transportation, West Virginia Department of 
Environmental Protection, and West Virginia Division of Natural 
Resources participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of 
the EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the 
proposals and participated in the NEPA analysis. The BLM, COE, and FS 
may adopt and use the EIS when they consider the issuance of a Right-
of-Way Grant to Mountain Valley for the portion of the MVP that would 
cross federal lands. Further, the FS may use the EIS when it considers 
amendments to its Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) for the 
proposed crossing of the Jefferson National Forest. Although the 
cooperating agencies provided input to the conclusions and 
recommendations presented in the draft EIS, the agencies will present 
their own conclusions and recommendations in their respective permit 
authorizations and Records of Decision (ROD) for the projects.

Proposed Facilities

    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the proposed facilities. For the MVP, 
facilities include:
     About 301 miles of new 42-inch-diameter pipeline extending 
from the new Mobley Interconnect in Wetzel County, West Virginia to the 
existing Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC (Transco) Station 
165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia;
     3 new compressor stations (Bradshaw, Harris, Stallworth) 
in West Virginia, totaling about 171,600 horsepower (hp);
     4 new meter and regulation stations and interconnections 
(Mobley, Sherwood, WB, and Transco);
     2 new taps (Webster and Roanoke);
     5 pig \1\ launchers and receivers; and
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    \1\ A ``pig'' is a device used to clean or inspect the interior 
of a pipeline.
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     36 mainline block valves.
    For the EEP, facilities include:
     About 8 miles total of new various diameter pipelines in 
six segments;

[[Page 66269]]

     new Redhook Compressor Station, in Greene County, 
Pennsylvania, with 31,300 hp of compression;
     4 new taps (Mobley, H-148, H-302, H-306) and 1 new 
interconnection (Webster);
     4 pig launchers and receivers; and
     decommissioning and abandonment of the existing 4,800 hp 
Pratt Compressor Station in Greene County, Pennsylvania.

Actions of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service

    The BLM's purpose and need for the proposed action is to respond to 
a Right-of-Way Grant application submitted by Mountain Valley on April 
5, 2016. Under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 the Secretary of the 
Interior has delegated authority to the BLM to grant a right-of-way in 
response to the Mountain Valley application for natural gas 
transmission on federal lands under the jurisdiction of two or more 
federal agencies. Before issuing the Right-of-Way Grant, the BLM must 
receive the written concurrence of the other surface managing federal 
agencies (i.e., FS and COE) in accordance with Title 43 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 2882.3(i). Through this concurrence process, the 
FS and COE would submit to the BLM any specific stipulations applicable 
to their lands, facilities, waterbodies, and easements for inclusion in 
the Right-of-Way Grant.
    The FS's purpose and need for the proposed action is to consider 
issuing a concurrence to the BLM for the Right-of-Way Grant and to 
evaluate the amendments to the LRMP for the Jefferson National Forest 
that would make provision for the MVP pipeline if the FS decides to 
concur and BLM decides to issue a Right-of-Way Grant.
    The first type of LRMP amendment would be a ``plan-level 
amendment'' that would change land allocations. This would change 
future management direction for the lands reallocated to the new 
management prescription (Rx) and is required by LRMP Standard FW-248.
    Proposed Amendment 1: The LRMP would be amended to reallocate 186 
acres to the Management Prescription 5C--Designated Utility Corridors 
from these Rxs: 4J--Urban/Suburban Interface (56 acres); 6C--Old Growth 
Forest Communities-Disturbance Associated (19 ac); and 8A1--Mix of 
Successional Habitats in Forested Landscapes (111 acres).
    Rx 5C--Designated Utility Corridors contain special uses which 
serve a public benefit by providing a reliable supply of electricity, 
natural gas, or water essential to local, regional, and national 
economies. The new Rx 5C land allocation would be 500 feet wide (250 
feet wide on each side of the pipeline), with two exceptions: (1) The 
area where the pipeline crosses Rx 4A--Appalachian National Scenic 
Trail Corridor would remain in Rx 4A; and (2) the new 5C area would not 
cross into Peters Mountain Wilderness so the Rx 5C area would be less 
than 500 feet wide along the boundary of the Wilderness.
    The second type of amendment would be a ``project-specific 
amendment'' that would apply only to the construction and operation of 
this pipeline. The following amendments would grant a temporary 
`waiver' to allow the project to proceed. These amendments would not 
change LRMP requirements for other projects or authorize any other 
actions.
    Proposed Amendment 2: The LRMP would be amended to allow 
construction of the MVP pipeline to exceed restrictions on soil 
conditions and riparian corridor conditions as described in LRMP 
standards FW-5, FW-9, FW-13, FW-14 and 11-017, provided that mitigation 
measures or project requirements agreed upon by the Forest Service are 
implemented as needed.
    Proposed Amendment 3: The LRMP would be amended to allow the 
removal of old growth trees within the construction corridor of the MVP 
pipeline. (reference LRMP Standard FW-77)
    Proposed Amendment 4: The LRMP would be amended to allow the MVP 
pipeline to cross the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (ANST) on 
Peters Mountain. The Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO) for the Rx 4A 
area and the ANST will be changed from High to Moderate. This amendment 
also requires the SIO of Moderate to be achieved within five to ten 
years following completion of the project to allow for vegetation 
growth. (reference LRMP Standards 4A-021 and 4A-028).
    The decision for a Right-of-Way Grant across federal lands would be 
documented in a ROD issued by the BLM. The BLM's decision to issue, 
condition, or deny a right-of-way would be subject to BLM 
administrative review procedures established in 43 CFR 2881.10 and 
Section 313(b) of the Energy Policy Act. The FS concurrence to BLM to 
issue the Right-of-Way Grant would not be a decision subject to NEPA, 
and therefore would not be subject to FS administrative review 
procedures. The FS would issue its own ROD for the LRMP amendments. The 
Forest Supervisor for the Jefferson National Forest would be the 
Responsible Official for the LRMP amendments. Proposed Amendment 1 was 
developed in accordance to 36 CFR 219 (2012 version) regulations and 
would be subject to the administrative review procedures under 36 CFR 
219 Subpart B. Proposed Amendments 2, 3 and 4 were developed in 
accordance to 36 CFR 219 (2012) regulations but would be subject to the 
administrative review procedures under 36 CFR 218 regulations Subparts 
A and B, per 36 CFR 219.59(b).
    The BLM is requesting public comments on the issuance of a Right-
of-Way Grant that would allow the MVP pipeline to be constructed on 
federal lands managed by the FS and COE. The FS is requesting public 
comments on the consideration of submitting a concurrence to BLM and 
the draft amendments of the LRMP to allow the MVP pipeline to cross the 
Jefferson National Forest. All comments must be submitted to the FERC, 
the lead federal agency, within the timeframe stated in this Notice of 
Availability. Refer to Docket CP16-10-000 (MVP) in all correspondence 
to ensure that your comments are correctly filed in the record. You may 
submit comments to the FERC using one of the four methods listed below 
in this notice. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, 
you should be aware that the entire text of your comments--including 
your personal identifying information--would be publicly available 
through the FERC eLibrary system, if you file your comments with the 
Secretary of the Commission.

Distribution and Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement

    The FERC staff mailed copies of the draft EIS to federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
regional environmental groups and non-governmental organizations; 
potentially interested Native Americans and Indian tribes; affected 
landowners; local newspapers and libraries; parties to this proceeding; 
and members of the public who submitted comments about the projects. 
Paper copy versions of this draft EIS were mailed to those specifically 
requesting them; all others received a compact-disc version. In 
addition, the draft EIS is available for public viewing on the FERC's 
Web site (www.ferc.gov).\2\ A limited number of copies are available 
for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Energy

[[Page 66270]]

Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., 
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
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    \2\ Go to ``Documents & Filings,'' click on ``eLibrary,'' use 
``General Search'' and put in the Docket numbers (CP16-10 or CP16-
13) and date of issuance (09/16/16).
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    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is 
important that the Commission receive your comments on or before 
December 22, 2016.
    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 & 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 & 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 
(CP16-10-000 or CP16-13-000) 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 one of the public sessions its staff 
will conduct in the project area to receive verbal comments on the 
draft EIS. To ensure that interested parties have ample opportunity to 
attend, the FERC staff has arranged for seven public sessions, at 
venues spaced a reasonable driving distance apart, and scheduled as 
listed below.
    There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff at any 
of the seven public comment sessions, although a format outline handout 
will be made available. All public sessions will begin at 5:00 p.m. 
Eastern time. If you wish to provide verbal comments, the Commission 
staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival, and will 
discontinue handing them out at 8:00 p.m. Comments will be taken until 
10:00 p.m. However, if no additional numbers have been handed out and 
all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to 
do so, staff may conclude the session at 8:00 p.m.
    The primary goal of the public sessions is to allow individuals to 
provide verbal comments on the draft EIS. Individual verbal comments 
will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a stenographer (with FERC 
staff or representative present), called up in the order of the numbers 
received. Because we anticipate considerable interest from concerned 
citizens, this format is designed to receive the maximum amount of 
verbal comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted. If 
many people are interested in providing verbal comments in the one-on-
one setting at any particular session, a time limit of 3 minutes may be 
implemented for each commenter.
    Your verbal comments will be recorded by the stenographer. 
Transcripts of all comments from the sessions will be placed into the 
dockets for the projects, which are accessible for public viewing on 
the FERC's Web site (at www.ferc.gov) through our eLibrary system.

 FERC Sponsored Public Sessions in the Project Area To Take Comments on
                              the Draft EIS
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               Date                             Location \a\
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Tuesday, November 1, 2016.........  Chatham High School, 100 Cavalier
                                     Circle, Chatham, VA 24531, 434-432-
                                     8305.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016.........  Lewis County High School, 205
                                     Minuteman Drive, Weston, WV 26452,
                                     304-269-8315.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016.......  Franklin County High School, 700
                                     Taynard Road, Rocky Mount, VA
                                     24151, 540-483-0221.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016.......  Nicholas County High School, 30
                                     Grizzly Road, Summersville, WV
                                     26651, 304-872-2141.
Thursday, November 3, 2016........  Sheraton Hotel, 2801 Hershberger
                                     Road, Roanoke, VA 24017, 540-563-
                                     9300.
Thursday, November 3, 2016........  Peterstown Elementary School, 108
                                     College Drive, Peterstown, WV
                                     24963, 304-753-4328.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016.......  California Area High School, 11
                                     Trojan Way, Coal Center, PA 15423,
                                     724-785-5800.
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\a\ While we have agreements with the venues, contracts have not yet
  been finalized with the individual Boards of Education. If a School
  Board declines to sign the contract, the venue may change and the FERC
  would issue a revised notice to announce the replacement venue.

    Commission staff will be available at each venue of the public 
sessions to answer questions about our environmental review process. It 
is important to note that written comments mailed to the Commission and 
those submitted electronically are reviewed by staff with the same 
scrutiny and consideration as the verbal comments given at the public 
sessions.
    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 part 385.214).\3\ 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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    \3\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing 
comments.
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Questions?

    Additional information about the projects is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). The eLibrary link provides access to all 
documents filed in a docket, in addition to the texts of formal 
documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and 
rulemakings. Go to ``Documents & Filings,'' click on the eLibrary link, 
click on ``General Search,'' and enter the docket number excluding the 
last three digits in the field (i.e., CP16-10). Be sure you have 
selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please

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contact FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll free 
at (866) 208-3676; for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
    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 16, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-23237 Filed 9-26-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P