[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 5 (Monday, January 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2348-2350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00068]



[[Page 2348]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Supply Header 
Project, and Capacity Lease Proposal

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Docket Nos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC...........  CP15-554-000, CP15-554-001
Dominion Transmission, Inc.............  CP15-555-000
Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc......  CP15-556-000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) and Supply Header Project (SHP) 
as proposed by Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC (Atlantic) and Dominion 
Transmission, Inc. (DTI), respectively, in the above-referenced 
dockets. Atlantic and DTI request authorization to construct and 
operate a total of 641.3 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline and 
associated facilities, and three new natural gas-fired compressor 
stations, and to modify four existing compressor stations. The projects 
would provide about 1.44 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to 
electric generation, distribution, and end use markets in Virginia and 
North Carolina. In addition, Atlantic and Piedmont Natural Gas Co., 
Inc. (Piedmont) request authorization to allow Atlantic to lease 
capacity on Piedmont's existing pipeline distribution system in North 
Carolina for use by Atlantic (Capacity Lease Proposal). No construction 
or facility modifications are proposed with the Capacity Lease 
Proposal.
    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the projects in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the projects would have some adverse 
and significant environmental impacts; however, the majority of impacts 
would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with the 
implementation of the Atlantic's and DTI's proposed mitigation and the 
additional measures recommended in the draft EIS.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture--Forest Service (FS); 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 participated as cooperating agencies in 
the preparation of the draft EIS. Cooperating agencies have 
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources 
potentially affected by the proposals and participate in the NEPA 
analysis. Further, the FS may use the EIS when it considers amendments 
to Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMPs) for the proposed 
crossings of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) and George 
Washington National Forest (GWNF). Although the cooperating agencies 
provide input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in the 
draft EIS, each agency will present its own conclusions and 
recommendations in its respective record of decision or determination 
for the projects.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following proposed project 
facilities:
    The ACP includes:
     519.1 miles of new 42- and 36-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina;
     84.6 miles of 20- and 16-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline in Virginia and North Carolina;
     three new compressor station in Lewis County, West 
Virginia; Buckingham County, Virginia; and Northampton County, North 
Carolina; and
     nine meter stations, along with pig launchers/receivers 
and mainline valves.
    The SHP includes:
     37.5 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in 
Pennsylvania and West Virginia;
     modifications at four existing compressor stations in 
Westmoreland and Green Counties Pennsylvania and Marshall and Wetzel 
Counties West Virginia;
     abandonment of existing compressor units and associated 
facilities in Wetzel County, West Virginia; and
     one meter station, along with pig launchers/receivers and 
mainline valves.

Actions of the Forest Service

    The FS's purpose and need for the proposed action is to respond to 
a special use application submitted by Atlantic on November 12, 2015, 
to allow the construction and operation of the ACP on national forest 
system (NFS) lands managed by the MNF and the GWNF. If the FS decides 
to authorize the pipeline crossing of NFS lands and issue a special use 
permit, the FS has determined that amendments to each national forest 
LRMP would be needed.
    Project-specific plan amendments would be needed to deviate from 
the precise wording of forest plan standards for the construction and 
operation of the ACP. These amendments are considered ``project-
specific'' amendments because they would not change FS requirements for 
other projects or authorize any other actions. Additionally, if the 
proposed route is authorized and a special use permit issued, the GWNF 
LRMP would need to be amended to change the current management 
prescriptions in the pipeline's operational corridor to Management 
Prescription Area (Rx) 5C-Designated Utility Corridors. The MNF does 
not have LRMP direction that would require a similar plan amendment to 
reallocate management prescriptions. Therefore, this amendment is 
considered a ``plan-level'' amendment and would change future 
management direction for the lands reallocated to the new management 
prescription. The FS has also identified other potential amendments 
that may be required, pending survey information and analyses that are 
not currently available.
    Pursuant to Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 
1506.3(c) (40 CFR 1506.3(c)), the FS may adopt and use the EIS 
developed by FERC to consider authorization for the construction and 
operation of the ACP crossing NFS lands. Further, the FS may use this 
EIS when it considers amendments to the LRMPs that would be required 
for the proposed crossings of the MNF and GWNF. The FS will prepare 
separate Records of Decision for the authorization decision and for the 
plan amendments decisions, after issuance of the FERC final EIS.
    The following amendments have been proposed by the FS as part of 
the proposed action in the FERC draft EIS:

Monongahela National Forest

    The type of amendment applicable to the MNF would be a project-
specific amendment. This amendment would not change FS requirements for 
other projects or authorize any other actions.
    Potential Amendment 1: The MNF LRMP may need to be amended to allow 
construction of the ACP to temporarily exceed standards identified 
under management direction for soils and water, specifically forest-
wide standards SW06 and SW07, provided that design criteria, mitigation 
measures, project requirements, and/or monitoring activities agreed 
upon by the FS are

[[Page 2349]]

implemented as needed to achieve adequate slope and soil stability.
    Other potential amendments may be needed pending the outcome of 
ongoing analyses and development of project design and mitigation.

George Washington National Forest

    The first type of LRMP amendment applicable to the GWNF would be a 
plan-level amendment that would change land allocations. This would 
change future management direction for the lands reallocated to the new 
Rx and is required by LRMP Standards FW-243 and FW-244.
    Proposed Amendment 1: The LRMP would be amended to reallocate 102.3 
acres to the Rx 5C-Designated Utility Corridors from these Rxs: 7E1-
Dispersed Recreation Areas (7 acres), and 13-Mosaics of Habitat (95 
acres). Rx 11-Riparian Corridors would remain embedded within the new 
Rx 5C area.
    Rx 5C-Designated Utility Corridors contains 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 53.5 feet wide, the 
width of the final operational right-of-way of the ACP. The area would 
not cross into the Rx 4A-Appalachian National Scenic Area but would 
stop and start at the existing Rx 4A boundary. The Rx4A would continue 
to be managed for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
    The second type of amendment applicable to the GWNF would be a 
project-specific amendment that would apply only to the construction 
and operation of the ACP. The following standards would require 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 ACP to exceed restrictions on soil conditions and 
riparian corridor conditions as described in LRMP Standards FW-5, FW-
15, FW-16, FW-17, and 11-019, provided that mitigation measures or 
project requirements agreed upon by the FS are implemented as needed.
    Proposed Amendment 3: The LRMP would be amended to allow the ACP to 
cross the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Augusta County, Virginia 
(reference LRMP Standard 4A-025).
    Potential Amendment 4: The LRMP may need to be amended to allow the 
removal of old growth trees within the construction corridor of ACP 
(reference LRMP Standard FW-85).
    Potential Amendment 5: The LRMP may need to be amended to allow 
major reconstruction of a NFS road within the Rx 2C3 area to provide 
access for pipeline construction. This is contingent on the final 
location of access roads (reference LRMP Standard 2C3-015).
    Potential Amendment 6: The LRMP may need to be amended to allow the 
ACP to not immediately meet Scenic Integrity Objectives; however, 
mitigation measures, including vegetation management and restoration 
actions, are expected to improve visual quality over an extended 
timeframe (reference LRMP Standard FW-182).
    The FS is requesting public comments on the authorization of the 
ACP on NFS lands and the draft proposed and potential amendments of the 
LRMPs that would allow the ACP to cross the MNF and GWNF. All comments 
must be submitted to the FERC as directed in this notice. The FS 
decision to authorize the ACP will be subject to FS predecisional 
administrative review procedures established in 36 CFR 218. The MNF 
Potential Amendment 1, GWNF Proposed Amendments 2 and 3, and Potential 
Amendments 4, 5, and 6 were developed in accordance with 36 CFR 219 
(2012 version) regulations but will be subject to the administrative 
review procedures under 36 CFR 218 regulations Subparts A and B, per 36 
CFR 219.59(b). GWNF Proposed Amendment 1 was developed in accordance to 
36 CFR 219 (2012) regulations and will be subject to the administrative 
review procedures under 36 CFR 219 Subpart B. Refer to the applicable 
administrative review regulations for eligibility requirements.
    All comments must be submitted to the FERC, the lead federal 
agency, within the timeframe stated in this Notice of Availability. 
Refer to Docket No. CP15-554-000 (ACP) in all correspondence to ensure 
that your comments are correctly filed in the record. You may submit 
your comments to the FERC using one of the four methods listed below.

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; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; 
potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and 
groups; newspapers and libraries in the project areas; and parties to 
this proceeding. Paper copy versions of this draft EIS were mailed to 
those specifically requesting them; all others received a CD version. 
In addition, the draft EIS is available for public viewing on the 
FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. A limited 
number of copies of the draft EIS are available for distribution and 
public inspection at:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First 
Street NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration of your comments on the proposals in the final EIS, it is 
important that the Commission receive your comments by April 6, 2017.
    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
appropriate docket numbers (CP15-554-000 and CP15-554-001 for ACP; 
CP15-555-000 for SHP; or CP15-556-000 for Capacity Lease) 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 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.
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the following address:

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy 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 comment sessions its 
staff will conduct in the project area to receive comments on the draft 
EIS. We encourage interested groups and individuals to attend and 
present oral comments on

[[Page 2350]]

the draft EIS. The sessions are scheduled as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Date and time                           Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, February 13, 2017,     Doubletree Hotel, 1965 Cedar Creek Road,
 5:00-9:00 p.m.                 Fayetteville, NC 28312.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017,    Forest Hills Middle School, 1210 Forest
 5:00-9:00 p.m.                 Hills Road, Wilson, NC 27893.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017,  Hilton Garden Inn Roanoke Rapids, 111
 5:00-9:00 p.m.                 Carolina Crossroads Parkway, Roanoke
                                Rapids, NC 27870.
Thursday, February 16, 2017,   Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center, 100
 5:30-9:30 p.m.                 East Constance Road, Suffolk, VA 23434.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017,    Moton Museum, 900 Griffin Boulevard,
 5:00-9:00 p.m.                 Farmville, VA 23901.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017,  Nelson County High School, 6919 Thomas
 5:00-9:00 p.m.                 Nelson Highway, Route 29, Lovingston, VA
                                22949.
Thursday, February 23, 2017,   Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference, 152
 5:00-9:00 p.m.                 Fairway Lane, Staunton, VA 24401.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017,    Highland Center, 61 Highland Center
 5:00-9:00 p.m.                 Drive, Monterey, VA 24465.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017,      Gandy Dance Theater, 359 Beverly Pike,
 5:00-9:00 p.m.                 Elkins, WV 26241.
Thursday, March 2, 2017, 5:00- Marlinton Community Wellness Center, 320
 9:00 p.m.                      9th Street, Marlinton, WV 24954.
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    There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff at any 
of the ten public comment sessions, although a format outline handout 
will be made available. All sessions will begin at 5:00 p.m., with the 
exception of the session on Thursday, February 16, 2017, which will 
begin at 5:30 p.m. If you wish to provide verbal comments, the 
Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. 
Number distribution will be discontinued at 8:00 p.m. in order to 
ensure all comments are received by the session closing time. Comments 
will be taken until 9:00 p.m. (or 9:30 p.m. at the February 16 
session). 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., or after the last 
comment is taken.
    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 Court Reporter (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 Court Reporter. 
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.
    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).\1\ 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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    \1\ 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) 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., CP15-
554, CP15-555, or CP15-556). 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; 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/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to 
subscribe.

    Dated: December 30, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-00068 Filed 1-6-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P