[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 213 (Thursday, November 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76576-76578]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26592]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF16-9-000]


Spire STL Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Planned Spire STL Pipeline Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Sessions

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Spire STL Pipeline Project 
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by Spire 
STL Pipeline Company, LLC (Spire) in Scott, Greene, and Jersey 
Counties, Illinois and St. Charles and St. Louis Counties, Missouri. 
The Commission will use this EA 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 determine what issues they 
need to evaluate 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 November 25, 2016.
    If you sent comments on the Project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on July 22, 2016, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. PF16-9-000 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 planned 
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 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, 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) 502-6652 
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 
(PF16-9-000) 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 scoping sessions its 
staff will conduct in the Project area, scheduled as follows.

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           Date and time                          Location
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Monday, November 14, 2016, 4:00-    North County Recreation Complex 2577
 8:00 p.m..                          Redman Rd., St. Louis, MO 63136.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 4:00-   Elsah Township Community Building
 8:00 p.m..                          14690 Fessler Rd., Dow, IL 62022.
                                     (at Fessler Rd. and Highway 3).
Wednesday, November 16, 2016, 4:00- Knights of Columbus Hall 1/2 mile
 8:00 p.m.                           south of Town of Carrollton on US
                                     67 Highway, Carrollton, IL 62016.
                                     (at U.S. 67 and Jack Pine Rd.,
                                     behind the Dollar General).
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    The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify 
the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be 
considered in the EA to be prepared for this Project. Individual verbal 
comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter. 
This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of verbal 
comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted.
    Each scoping session is scheduled from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 
Central Standard Time. You may arrive at any time after 4:00 p.m. There 
will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when the session 
opens. If you wish to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers 
in the order of your arrival; distribution of numbers will be 
discontinued at 7:30 p.m.
    Your verbal scoping comments will be recorded by the court reporter 
(with FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the 
public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly 
available on FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on 
using eLibrary). If a significant number of people are interested in 
providing verbal comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 
minutes may be implemented for each commentor.
    It is important to note that verbal comments hold the same weight 
as written or electronically submitted comments. Although there will 
not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available 
throughout the scoping

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session to answer your questions about the environmental review 
process. Representatives from Spire will also be present to answer 
project-specific questions.
    Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; please 
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 page 7 of this notice.
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Summary of the Planned Project

    Spire plans to construct and operate a pipeline to transport 
natural gas from the Rockies Express Pipeline LLC pipeline in Scott 
County, Illinois to an interconnect with Laclede Gas Company's Line 
880. The Project would consist of the following facilities in Illinois 
and Missouri:
     Approximately 57.4 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline 
in Scott, Greene, and Jersey Counties, Illinois and St. Charles and St. 
Louis Counties, Missouri;
     purchase of and modification of 7.6 miles of the existing 
20-inch-diameter Line 880 pipeline in St. Louis County, Missouri;
     three new meter and regulating stations in Scott County, 
Illinois and St. Louis County, Missouri;
     modifications at the existing Redman Delivery Station in 
St. Louis County; Missouri; and
     appurtenant underground and aboveground facilities.
    According to Spire, the Project would be designed to transport 
about 400,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas service. The general 
location of the Project facilities is shown in appendix 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 920.3 
acres of land for the new pipeline, modifications to the existing Line 
880, and aboveground facilities. Spire would maintain about 352.2 acres 
for permanent operation of the Spire Project's facilities following 
construction; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to 
former uses. Modifications at the existing Redman Delivery Station 
would occur within the boundary of the facility.

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 
\2\ 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 EA on the important 
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to be addressed in the EA. We will 
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned project under these 
general headings: Geology and soils; land use; water resources, 
fisheries, and wetlands; cultural resources; socioeconomics; vegetation 
and wildlife, including migratory birds; air quality and noise; 
endangered and threatened species; public safety; and cumulative 
impacts.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned Project 
or portions of the Project, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before 
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we 
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their 
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues and will 
be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on the 
comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish and 
distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We will 
consider all comments on the EA before we make 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, 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 EA.\3\ 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. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois 
Department of Agriculture have expressed their intention to participate 
as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EA to satisfy their 
NEPA responsibilities related to this Project.
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    \3\ 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 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 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, meter and 
regulating 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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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 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 anyone who submits 
comments on the Project. We will

[[Page 76578]]

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 planned project.
    Copies of the EA 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 (see appendix 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Spire files its 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. 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. 
Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor 
status at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a 
formal application for the Project.

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., PF16-
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) 502-6652. 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: October 26, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-26592 Filed 11-2-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P