[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 46 (Friday, March 10, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13327-13328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04720]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP17-40-000]


Spire STL Pipeline Company, LLC; Supplemental Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Spire STL Pipeline 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    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.
    On October 26, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC 
or Commission) issued in Docket No. PF16-9-000 a 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 (NOI). Spire has subsequently filed a potential 
pipeline route alternative in St. Louis County, Missouri.
    This supplemental notice announces the opening of the scoping 
process the Commission will use to gather input from the public and 
interested agencies regarding the pipeline route alternative. You can 
make a difference by providing us with your specific comments or 
concerns about the new route under consideration. 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 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 April 3, 2017.
    This notice is being sent to a subset of the Commission's current 
environmental mailing list for this Project, relevant to the new 
alternative in St. Louis County. State and local government 
representatives should also notify their constituents 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

[[Page 13328]]

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 three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. 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 
(CP17-40-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.

Summary of the Route Alternative

    Spire has identified a new pipeline route alternative due to 
uncertainty associated with the purchase and conversion, from local 
distribution to interstate transport, of existing Line 880. The route 
alternative would consist of 6.5 miles of new (``greenfield'') 24-inch-
diameter pipeline, and would have similar start and end points as the 
existing Line 880; however, the alternative would follow a slightly 
different route. The alternative would extend south from the proposed 
Leclede/Lange Delivery Station for 1 mile, then turn southeast 
(crossing Line 880 near MP 1.75) for about 3.5 miles before turning 
south again for about 1.8 miles, where it then turns east for the 
terminus at the proposed MRT Bi-directional Station. The general 
location of the proposed and alternative Project facilities is shown 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 last page of this notice.
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    Spire indicates that it intends to use Line 880, as currently 
proposed, if that system is available. However, if Line 880 does not 
become available for use by Spire, and the route alternative were to be 
incorporated, the proposed modifications to the existing Line 880 and 
to the exiting Redman Delivery Station would not be necessary.

Land Requirements for Construction

    The route alternative would be collocated for about 1.7 miles (26 
percent) of the route. The land use types crossed by the alternative 
would be similar to those impacted by the proposed route; however, 
since the alternative would be a new, greenfield route, the total 
impacts would be greater: 71.4 acres during construction (as compared 
to 8.0 acres for the proposed use of existing Line 880) and 39.6 acres 
during operation (as compared to 0.4 acre).

The EA Process

    The FERC process used for implementing the National Environmental 
Policy Act and for evaluating environmental impacts is described in 
more detail in the original NOI issued for the Project. That NOI can be 
viewed on the FERC Web site at http://www.ferc.gov. Using the 
``eLibrary'' link, select ``Advanced Search'' from the eLibrary menu 
and enter 20161026-3066 in the ``Numbers: Accession Number'' field.
    As noted in the original NOI, 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 (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

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

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., CP17-
40). 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 sessions 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: March 3, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-04720 Filed 3-9-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P