[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 9, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13286-13288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04964]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF22-2-000]


Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, LLC ; Notice of Scoping Period 
Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Planned Cumberland 
Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss 
the environmental impacts of the Cumberland Project involving 
construction and operation of facilities by Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company, LLC (TGP) in Dickson, Houston, and Steward counties, 
Tennessee. The Commission will use this environmental document in its 
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the 
public convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies regarding the project. As part of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) review process, the Commission takes into account 
concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental 
impacts that could result from its action whenever it considers the 
issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. The 
gathering of public input is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal 
of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the environmental 
document on the important environmental issues. Additional information 
about the Commission's NEPA process is described below in the NEPA 
Process and Environmental Document section of this notice.
    By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the 
scope of issues to address in the environmental document. To ensure 
that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please submit your 
comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or 
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 4, 2022. Comments may be 
submitted in written form. Further details on how to submit comments 
are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
    Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects, 
reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental 
impacts. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what 
issues they need to evaluate in the environmental document. Commission 
staff will consider all comments during the preparation of the 
environmental document.
    If you submitted comments on this project to the Commission before 
the opening of this docket on November 5, 2021, you will need to file 
those comments in Docket No. PF22-2-000 to ensure they are considered 
as part of this proceeding.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company 
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company 
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. You are not 
required to enter into an agreement. However, if the Commission 
approves the project, the Natural Gas Act conveys the right of eminent 
domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an 
agreement between you and the company, the pipeline company could 
initiate condemnation proceedings in court where compensation would be 
determined in accordance with state law. The Commission does not 
subsequently grant, exercise, or oversee the exercise of that eminent 
domain authority. The courts have exclusive authority to handle eminent 
domain cases; the Commission has no jurisdiction over these matters.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses a 
number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent 
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.

Public Participation

    There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the 
Commission. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your 
comments are properly recorded. The Commission encourages electronic 
filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist you at 
(866) 208-3676 or [email protected].
    (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 (left side of screen). Using eComment is an easy method for 
submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically by 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 
will be asked to select the type of filing you are making; a comment on 
a particular project is considered a ``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 (PF22-2-
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,

[[Page 13287]]

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 
Rockville, MD 20858.
    Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription, which makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances 
and submittals regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe. 
These instant email notifications are the fastest way to receive 
notification and provide a link to the document files which can reduce 
the amount of time you spend researching proceedings. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.

Summary of the Planned Project

    TGP plans to construct and operate approximately 32 miles of new 
30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (Cumberland Pipeline) from its 
existing Lines 100-3 and 100-4 to the Tennessee Valley Authority's 
(TVA) Cumberland Fossil Plant. TVA is evaluating options to replace 
capacity following the proposed retirement of its existing coal-fired 
Cumberland Fossil Plant. The Cumberland Pipeline would be in Dickson, 
Houston, and Steward counties, Tennessee; and it would provide about 
245,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas per day to TVA.
    The Cumberland Project would consist of the following facilities:
     Approximately 32 miles of new 30-inch-diameter natural gas 
lateral pipeline, as described above.
     New Pressure Regulation Station comprised of bi-
directional back pressure regulation facilities (including a new 
Mainline valve [MLV] on each of TGP's Lines 100-3 and 100-4 at the 
origin of the newly planned Cumberland Pipeline in Dickson County, 
Tennessee.
     New Cumberland Meter Station at the terminus of the 
planned Cumberland Pipeline within TVA's newly proposed power plant in 
Steward County, Tennessee.
     New in-line inspection traps at each end of the planned 
Cumberland Pipeline.
     New MLV located at an intermediate location along the 
planned Cumberland Pipeline.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 
www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the 
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE, Washington, 
DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to 
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 494 
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. 
Following construction, TGP would maintain about 192 acres for 
permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage 
would be restored and revert to former uses. About 85 percent of the 
planned pipeline route parallels an existing TVA overhead electric 
transmission line right-of-way.

The NEPA Process and the Environmental Document

    Any environmental document issued by Commission staff will discuss 
impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation 
of the planned project under the relevant general resource areas:

 Geology and soils;
 land use;
 water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
 cultural resources;
 vegetation and wildlife;
 air quality and noise;
 endangered and threatened species;
 socioeconomics;
 environmental justice, and
 reliability and safety.

    Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the 
planned project or portions of the project and make recommendations on 
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Your 
comments will help Commission staff identify and focus on the issues 
that might have an effect on the human environment and potentially 
eliminate others from further study and discussion in the environmental 
document.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before 
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, 
will contact federal and state agencies to discuss their involvement in 
the scoping process and the preparation of the environmental document.
    If a formal application is filed, Commission staff will then 
determine whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the EIS will present 
our independent analysis of the environmental issues. If Commission 
staff prepares an EA, a Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an 
Environmental Assessment will be issued. The EA may be issued for an 
allotted public comment period. The Commission would consider timely 
comments on the EA before making its determination on the proposed 
project. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule will be issued once an application is 
filed, which will open an additional public comment period. Staff will 
then prepare a draft EIS that will be issued for public comment. 
Commission staff will consider all timely comments received during the 
comment period on the draft EIS, and revise the document, as necessary, 
before issuing a final EIS. Any EA or draft and final EIS will be 
available in electronic format in the public record through eLibrary 
\2\ and the Commission's natural gas environmental documents web page 
https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents) If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email 
notification when the environmental document is issued.
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    \2\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the 
last page of this notice.
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    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the environmental document.\3\ Agencies that would like 
to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for 
filing comments provided under the Public Participation section of this 
notice
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    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 1501.8.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, the Commission is using this notice to initiate 
consultation with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s), 
and to solicit their views and those of other government agencies, 
interested Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential 
effects on historic properties.\4\ The environmental document for this 
project will document our findings on the impacts on historic 
properties and

[[Page 13288]]

summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations 
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic 
Places.
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Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; local 
community groups, schools, churches, and businesses; other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also includes 
all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's regulations) 
who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used 
temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within certain 
distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits comments on 
the project (and includes a mailing address with their comment). 
Commission staff will update the environmental mailing list as the 
analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related to 
this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
planned project.
    If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would 
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please complete one of 
the following steps:
    (1) Send an email to [email protected] stating your 
request. You must include the docket number PF22-2-000 in your request. 
If you are requesting a change to your address, please be sure to 
include your name and updated address. If you are requesting to delete 
your address from the mailing list, please include your name and 
address as it appeared on this notice. This email address is unable to 
accept comments. OR
    (2) Return the attached ``Mailing List Update Form'' (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once TGP files its application with the Commission, you may want to 
become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to the 
Commission's proceeding. Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision and be heard by the courts if 
they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor 
formally participates in the proceeding by filing a request 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 https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to.asp. Please 
note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status 
at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a formal 
application for the project, after which the Commission will issue a 
public notice that establishes an intervention deadline.

Additional Information

    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. Click on the 
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number, 
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF22-
2). 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 eLibrary link also provides access to the 
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, 
notices, and rulemakings.
    Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's 
calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events along with 
other related information.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-04964 Filed 3-8-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P