[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69740-69741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27416]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP19-500-000]


Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Palmyra to South Sioux City 
A-Line Abandonment Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the 
Palmyra to South Sioux City A-Line Abandonment Project, proposed by 
Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) in the above-referenced docket. 
Northern requests authorization to abandon a segment of its A-Line 
Pipeline and construct, own, and operate two new natural gas pipeline 
loops.\1\
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    \1\ A loop is a pipeline that is constructed adjacent to another 
pipeline for the purpose of increasing capacity in this portion of 
the system.
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    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Palmyra to South Sioux City A-Line 
Abandonment Project in accordance with the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval 
of the proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would 
not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the 
quality of the human environment.
    The proposed Palmyra to South Sioux City A-Line Abandonment Project 
is in Nebraska and includes the following facilities:
     Abandonment in place of 44.2 miles of 20-inch-diameter and 
14.8 miles of 16-inch-diameter mainline in Otoe, Lancaster, Saunders, 
and Dodge Counties (M581A);
     abandonment in place of 58.7 miles of 16-inch-diameter 
mainline in Dodge, Burt, Thurston, and Dakota Counties (M570A);
     construction of 1.7 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline 
loop in Otoe County (Palmyra North D-Line Loop);
     construction of 2.5 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline 
loop in Dodge County (Fremont North D-Line Loop);
     construction of a new pig \2\ launcher and two valve sites 
within the existing Palmyra Compressor Station at the beginning of the 
Palmyra D-Line Loop and a pig receiver and one valve site at the end of 
the pipeline loop; and
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    \2\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into 
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, 
conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
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     construction of a new pig launcher and one valve site 
within the existing Fremont Compressor Station and one valve site at 
the end of the Fremont North D-Line Loop.
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability 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. The EA is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed 
and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the 
Environmental Documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). In addition, the EA may be accessed by using the 
eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link 
(https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp), click on General 
Search, and enter the docket number in the ``Docket Number'' field, 
excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP19-500). 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.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments 
should focus on the EA's disclosure and discussion of potential 
environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid 
or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the 
more useful they will be. To ensure that the Commission has the 
opportunity to consider your comments prior to making its decision on 
this project, it is

[[Page 69741]]

important that we receive your comments in Washington, DC, on or before 
5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 13, 2020.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic 
filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 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 website (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 also file your comments electronically using the 
eFiling feature on the Commission's website (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.'' You must select the type of filing you are making. If 
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select 
``Comment on a Filing''; 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 
(CP19-500-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    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 385.214). Motions to intervene are more 
fully described at http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or 
judicial review of the Commission's decision. The Commission may grant 
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.
    Additional information about the project is 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. The eLibrary link 
also provides access to the texts of all 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.

    Dated: December 13, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-27416 Filed 12-18-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P