[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11064-11065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03790]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP19-14-000]


Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC.; Notice of Availability of the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Southgate Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission), with the participation of the cooperating agencies listed 
below, has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for 
the Southgate Project (Project) proposed by Mountain Valley Pipeline, 
LLC. (Mountain Valley) in the above-referenced docket. Mountain Valley 
requests authorization to construct and operate about 75.1 miles of 
natural gas transmission pipeline, one new compressor station, and 
accompanying facilities that would provide about 375 million cubic feet 
per day of available capacity for transport from the City of Chatham, 
in Pittsylvania County, Virginia to a delivery point with Dominion 
Energy North Carolina (DENC), formerly PSNC,\1\ near the City of Graham 
in Alamance County, North Carolina.
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    \1\ Following a January 2, 2019 merger, Dominion Energy, Inc. 
acquired PSNC and changed the company name to Dominion Energy North 
Carolina.
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    The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Southgate Project in accordance with 
the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As 
described in the final EIS, the FERC staff concludes that approval of 
the Project would result in some adverse environmental impacts; 
however, these impacts would be reduced to less-than-significant levels 
because of the impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures 
proposed by Mountain Valley and those recommended by staff in the EIS.

[[Page 11065]]

    The United States Army Corps of Engineers (COE) and the U.S. 
Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) participated 
as cooperating agencies in preparation of this EIS. Cooperating 
agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to 
resources potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the 
NEPA analysis. The cooperating agencies provided input into the 
analyses, conclusions, and recommendations presented in the EIS. 
Following issuance of the final EIS, the cooperating agencies will 
issue subsequent decisions, determinations, permits, or authorizations 
for the Project in accordance with each individual agency's regulatory 
requirements.
    The COE would use this EIS in their regulatory process, and to 
satisfy compliance with NEPA and other related federal environmental 
laws (e.g., the National Historic Preservation Act).
    The EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following project facilities:
     About 75.1 miles of new 24-inch and 16-inch diameter 
natural gas pipeline located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and 
Rockingham and Alamance Counties, North Carolina;
     one new 28,915 horsepower compressor station (Lambert 
Compressor Station) in Pittsylvania County, Virginia;
     four interconnects or tie-ins with facilities operated by 
Mountain Valley, East Tennessee Gas, and DENC; and
     ancillary facilities including pig launchers and 
receivers, mainline block valves (MLV), and cathodic protection beds.
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the 
final EIS to federal, state, and local government representatives and 
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; 
Indian Tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested 
individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the area of the 
Project. The final EIS is available in hard copy at libraries in the 
area of the Project and 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 final EIS 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., CP19-14). 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.

Questions?

    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 that 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: February 14, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-03790 Filed 2-25-20; 8:45 am]
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