[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68065-68066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23731]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP20-507-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review of the VR-22 to Shore Abandonment Project

    On August 6, 2020, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC 
(Transco) filed an application in Docket No. CP20-507-000 requesting 
authorization pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act to 
abandon certain natural gas pipeline facilities. The proposed project 
is known as the VR-22 to Shore Abandonment Project (Project) and 
consists of abandoning approximately 12.6 miles of 24-inch-diameter 
pipeline in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, and in offshore waters of 
Louisiana State and Federal offshore waters.
    On August 17, 2020, 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 Project. This instant notice 
identifies the FERC staff's planned schedule for the completion of the 
EA for the Project.

Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of EA February 18, 2021
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline May 19, 2021

    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

    Transco proposes to abandon approximately 12.6 miles of 24-inch-
diameter natural gas transmission pipeline in Vermilion Parish, 
Louisiana, and in offshore waters of Louisiana State and Federal 
offshore waters. Of the 12.6 miles, Transco proposes to abandon 
approximately 9.9 miles in place, and abandon about 2.7 miles of 
pipeline by removal. Additionally, Transco would remove equipment 
associated with meter station 2278 and meter station 4640, located on 
the Vermilion Block 39 Platform and the VR-22 B Platform offshore, 
respectively. According to Transco, the facilities proposed for 
abandonment have not been utilized since 2019 and it does not 
anticipate that any additional gas flow through these facilities will 
occur in the future.

Background

    On August 26, 2020, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed VR-22 to Shore 
Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues 
(NOI). The NOI 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. We received no comments on the NOI.

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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.
    Additional information about the Project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs

[[Page 68066]]

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., CP20-507), 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 21, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-23731 Filed 10-26-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P