[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51937-51938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22383]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP18-534-000]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Schedule for
Environmental Review of the Northern Lights 2019 Expansion and
Rochester Projects
On July 27, 2018, Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) filed an
application in Docket No. CP18-534-000 requesting a Certificate of
Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to Section 7(c) of the
Natural Gas Act to construct and operate certain natural gas pipeline
facilities. The proposal has two major components, known as the
Northern Lights 2019 Expansion Project and the Rochester Project, which
together would provide approximately 138,504 dekatherms per day of
upstream firm natural gas transportation service to serve increased
markets for industrial, commercial, and residential uses.
On August 10, 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission or FERC) issued its Notice of Application for the Project.
Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal
authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and
to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the projects. This instant notice
identifies the FERC staff's planned schedule for the completion of the
EA for the projects.
Schedule for Environmental Review
Issuance of EA November 21, 2018
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline February 19, 2019
If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice will be
provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the
Project's progress.
Project Description
The projects consist of new pipeline and compression facilities,
all in the state of Minnesota. The Rochester Project component includes
12.6 miles
[[Page 51938]]
of new 16-inch-diameter pipeline in Olmsted County (Rochester
Greenfield Lateral); increase of maximum allowable operating pressure
on an 8-mile-long segment of 16-inch-diameter pipeline in Freeborn and
Mower Counties; a new town border station in Olmsted County, including
a pig receiver; relocation of a regulator from Freeborn to Mower
County; and appurtenant facilities, including two valves and a pig
launcher at milepost (MP) 0.0 of the Rochester Greenfield Lateral.
The Northern Lights Expansion Project component includes 10.0 miles
of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline in Hennepin and Wright Counties; 4.3
miles of new 8-inch-diameter pipeline loop extension in Morrison
County; 1.6 miles of new 6-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Le Sueur
County; 3.1 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline extension in Carver
County; a new 11,153-horsepower (hp) compressor station in Carver
County; an additional 15,900 hp of compression at the existing
Faribault Compressor Station in Rice County; an additional 15,900 hp of
compression at the existing Owatonna Compressor Station in Steele
County; and appurtenant facilities, including valves, pig launchers,
and pig receivers in Hennepin, Wright, Morrison, Le Sueur, and Carver
Counties.
Background
On February 6, 2018, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Northern Lights
2019 Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
(NOI). The NOI addressed both the Northern Lights 2019 Expansion and
the Rochester Project components, and was issued during the pre-filing
review of the projects in Docket No. PF18-1-000 and was sent to
affected landowners; federal, state, and local government agencies;
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native
American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and
newspapers.
In response to the NOI, the Commission received comments from the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota State Historic
Preservation Office; one Native American tribe; ten landowners; and one
public interest group. The primary issues raised by the commentors were
karst terrain, groundwater, surface waterbodies, special status
species, property values, local economy, land use, and air quality and
noise impacts from construction and operation of pipeline facilities.
All substantive comments will be addressed in the EA.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is a cooperating agency in
the preparation of the EA.
Additional Information
In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to
keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets,
the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. 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.
Additional information about the projects are available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-FERC or on the
FERC website (www.ferc.gov). Using the ``eLibrary'' link, select
``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date
range and ``Docket Number'' excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
CP18-534), and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to
eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-
8659, or at [email protected]. The eLibrary link on the FERC
website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.
Dated: October 9, 2018
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-22383 Filed 10-12-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P