[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 124 (Thursday, June 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29539-29541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13598]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

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


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

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final 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 final 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 of 1969 (NEPA). 
The FERC staff concludes that construction and operation of the 
projects would result in some adverse environmental impacts. In the 
case of the clearing of forest, effects may be long-term and 
significant. However, for most other environmental resources, effects 
should be temporary or short-term, and impacts would be reduced to 
less-than-significant levels with the implementation of the applicants' 
proposed mitigation measures and the additional measures recommended in 
the final EIS.
    The United States (U.S.) Department of Agriculture Forest Service 
(FS); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE); U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA); U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM); the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), West Virginia Field 
Office; 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 final 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.

Proposed Facilities

    The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the proposed facilities. For the MVP, 
facilities include:
     About 304 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);
     3 new taps (Webster, Roanoke Gas Lafayette, and Roanoke 
Gas Franklin);
     8 pig \1\ launchers and receivers at 5 locations; 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 7 miles total of new various diameter pipelines in 
six segments;
     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.

[[Page 29540]]

Actions of the Federal Agencies Informed by the Environmental Impact 
Statement

    Under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, the Commission determines 
whether interstate natural gas transportation facilities are in the 
public convenience and necessity and, if so, grants a Certificate to 
construct and operate them. The Commission bases its decisions on 
technical competence, financing, rates, market demand, gas supply, 
environmental impact, long-term feasibility, and other issues 
concerning a proposed project. The final EIS summarizes the 
environmental impacts and includes recommended conditions to the 
prospective Commission orders that would further reduce the impacts of 
the proposed actions.
    The BLM's purpose and need for the proposed action is to respond to 
a Right-of-Way Grant application submitted by Mountain Valley. Under 
the Mineral Leasing Act, the Secretary of the Interior has delegated 
authority to the BLM to grant a right-of-way 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 
43 CFR 2882.3(i).
    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 an amendment to the Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) 
for the Jefferson National Forest that would make provision for the MVP 
pipeline's construction and operation. The FS amendment to the 
Jefferson National Forest LRMP is analyzed in the EIS.
    The BLM may adopt and use the final EIS when considering the 
issuance of a Right-of-Way Grant to Mountain Valley for the portion of 
the MVP that would cross federal lands; with the concurrence of the FS 
and COE. Further, the FS may use the final EIS when it considers 
amending its LRMP for the proposed MVP crossing of the Jefferson 
National Forest. Although the cooperating agencies provided input to 
the conclusions and recommendations presented in the final EIS, the 
agencies will present their own conclusions and recommendations in 
their respective Records of Decision (ROD) for the projects.

Forest Service's Draft Record of Decision

    The MVP may be implemented across National Forest System (NFS) land 
if the BLM grants the rights-of-way for the MVP pipeline to cross the 
Jefferson National Forest and the FS amends the Jefferson National 
Forest LRMP (Forest Plan). The Forest Supervisor of the George 
Washington and Jefferson National Forests has adopted the environmental 
analysis conducted by FERC (in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.3(a) and 
(c)) to support his decision to amend the Jefferson National Forest 
LRMP. He has determined that five parts of the Jefferson National 
Forest LRMP, where 11 standards would be modified by a Forest Plan 
amendment (section 4.8 of the final EIS), meet the substantive 
requirements of the FS planning regulations (36 CFR part 219); and can 
be implemented without impairing the long-term productivity of NFS 
lands. With the amended LRMP, the MVP would be consistent with the 
Forest Plan. The draft decision is based on a review of the 
environmental analysis disclosed in the final EIS, the project record, 
Mountain Valley's proposed Plan of Development, comments from the 
public, partners, and other agencies, and a consideration of the 36 CFR 
part 219 requirements for amending a Forest Plan.
    The FS decision is subject to objection pursuant to the provisions 
available at 36 CFR part 218, subparts A and B (published in the 
Federal Register Vol. 78, No. 59 at 18481 [March 27, 2013]). Objections 
to the FS decision must be filed within 45 calendar days from the 
publication date of the legal notice of the opportunity to object in 
the Roanoke Times, which is the newspaper of record for the George 
Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The legal notice contains 
the details of the objection process. The FS must respond to all 
objections received before it makes a final decision on the proposed 
Forest Plan amendments. The final decision on the Forest Plan 
amendments and the final EIS analysis will inform the FS concurrence to 
the BLM for its Right-of-Way Grant.
    A copy of the FS draft ROD and of the legal notice for objections 
can be obtained by any of the following methods: Internet Web site: 
http://www.fs.usda.gov/gwj; email: [email protected]@fs.fed.us; or 
regular mail: Karen Overcash, George Washington-Jefferson Environmental 
Coordinator, 5162 Valleypointe Parkway, Roanoke, VA 24019; telephone: 
(540) 265-5100.

Comments on the Bureau of Land Management Record of Decision

    The BLM is soliciting comments specific to MVP impacts on federal 
lands managed by the COE and FS for consideration in its ROD. If you 
wish to submit written comments to the BLM, they must be submitted 
within thirty (30) calendar days from the date that the EPA publishes 
the Notice of Availability of the Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Mountain Valley Project and Equitrans Expansion Project in 
the Federal Register. You may use any of the following methods to 
submit comments to the BLM: E-planning MVP Comment Submission Web page 
at http://bit.ly/2qByLlw; or mail to: Vicki Craft, U.S. Bureau of Land 
Management, Southeastern State District Office, 273 Market Street, 
Flowood, MS 39232.

Distribution of the Final Environmental Impact Statement

    The FERC staff mailed copies of the final 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; and newspapers and libraries in the project area. Paper copy 
versions of this EIS were mailed to those specifically requesting them; 
all others received a compact-disc version. In addition, the EIS is 
available for public viewing on the FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov) 
using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies 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.
    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., CP16-
10 or CP16-13). 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 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

[[Page 29541]]

documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.

    Dated: June 23, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-13598 Filed 6-28-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P