[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 158 (Thursday, August 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46695-46696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17782]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP21-57-000]
Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Availability of the
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline
Amendment Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the
Mountain Valley Pipeline Amendment Project (Amendment Project),
proposed by Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (Mountain Valley) in the
above-referenced docket. Mountain Valley requests authorization to
change the crossing method of specific waterbodies and wetlands from
open-cut dry crossings (as authorized by its October 13, 2017
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity [Certificate]) to
trenchless methods (conventional bore, guided conventional bore, or
Direct Pipe[supreg] \1\). In addition, Mountain Valley requests
authorization for two minor route adjustments to avoid wetlands and
waterbodies and authorization to conduct nighttime construction at
eight trenchless crossings.
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\1\ Direct Pipe[supreg] is a construction method developed by
Herrenknecht AG that combines microtunneling and horizontal
direction drill (HDD).
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The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the Amendment 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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is a federal cooperating
agency who assisted us in preparing this EA because they have
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to impacts to
waters of the U.S. The COE may adopt the EA per 40 CFR 1501.8 if, after
an independent review of the document, it concludes that their
requirements and/or regulatory responsibilities have been satisfied.
However, the COE would present its own conclusions and recommendations
in its respective and applicable records of decision or determinations.
Otherwise, it may elect to conduct its own supplemental environmental
analyses.
The proposed Amendment Project includes the following:
120 trenchless crossings (117 conventional bores, 2 guided
conventional bores, and 1 Direct Pipe[supreg]) of 47 wetlands and 136
streams in Wetzel, Lewis, Webster, Nicholas, Greenbrier, Summers, and
Monroe counties, West Virginia and Giles, Montgomery, Roanoke,
Franklin, and Pittsylvania, counties, Virginia;
avoidance of one wetland via a shift in the permanent
operational right-of-way at MP 0.70;
avoidance of one waterbody due to a route adjustment at MP
230.8; and
24-hour construction activities at the previously
authorized Gauley River and Roanoke River, two guided conventional bore
crossings, the Direct Pipe[supreg] crossing, and three conventional
bore locations.
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 natural
gas environmental documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents). In addition, the EA
may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click
on the eLibrary link (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search),
select ``General Search'' and enter the docket number in the ``Docket
Number'' field, (i.e., CP21-57). 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.
The EA is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's
independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to
consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding.
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 important that we receive your comments in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 13, 2021.
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
FERC Online. 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 FERC Online. 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 Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP21-
57-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service
must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status,
but you
[[Page 46696]]
do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Only
intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the
Commission's decision. At this point in this proceeding, the timeframe
for filing timely intervention requests has expired. Any person seeking
to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene
out-of-time pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the Commission's
Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and (d)) and
show good cause why the time limitation should be waived. Motions to
intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/ferc-online/how-guides.
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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to
register for eSubscription.
Dated: August 13, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-17782 Filed 8-18-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P