[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