[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 149 (Friday, August 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51810-51811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16631]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP23-200-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Northern Natural Gas 
Company; Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an Environmental 
Assessment for the Pelto Area Abandonment Project

    On April 20, 2023, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC 
(Transco) and Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) filed an 
application in Docket No. CP23-200-000 requesting an Authorization 
pursuant to section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act to abandon certain 
natural gas pipeline facilities. The facilities proposed for 
abandonment have not been utilized since at least 2020 and Transco and 
Northern do not anticipate that any additional flow through these 
facilities will occur in the future. The proposed project is known as 
the Pelto Area Abandonment Project (Project).
    On May 3, 2023, 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 document for the Project.
    This notice identifies Commission staff's intention to prepare an 
environmental assessment (EA) for the Project and the planned schedule 
for the completion of the environmental review.\1\
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    \1\ 40 CFR 1501.10 (2020).
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Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of EA December 1, 2023
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline \2\ February 29, 2024
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    \2\ The Commission's deadline applies to the decisions of other 
federal agencies, and state agencies acting under federally 
delegated authority, that are responsible for federal 
authorizations, permits, and other approvals necessary for proposed 
projects under the Natural Gas Act. Per 18 CFR 157.22(a), the 
Commission's deadline for other agency's decisions applies unless a 
schedule is otherwise established by federal law.

    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 and Northern seek to abandon six pipeline segments with 
different ownership interests that total about 32.1 miles. Project 
pipelines in federal waters are within a Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management (BOEM) identified Significant Sediment Resource Area and 
BOEM requires that Transco and Northern remove those pipelines as part 
of the proposed abandonment. Similarly, the Louisiana Office of State 
Lands requires removal of abandoned pipelines within state waters. 
Transco and Northern propose to abandon by removal a total of 26.5 
miles of pipeline in federal waters and abandon by removal a total of 
5.6 miles of pipeline within Louisiana state waters. Transco and 
Northern also propose to abandon the pipeline in-place at active 
foreign pipeline crossings for a total of approximately 0.20 to 0.41 
mile. Additionally, Transco proposes to abandon risers in place from 
the PL-10 and PL-11 Platforms, abandon risers by removal from the SS-70 
Platform, and remove metering and associated equipment from the PL-10, 
PL-11, and SS-91 Platforms in federal waters.

Background

    On June 14, 2023, the Commission issued a Notice of Scoping Period 
Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Pelto Area 
Abandonment Project (Notice of Scoping). The Notice of Scoping was sent 
to federal and state government agencies and other interested parties. 
In response to the Notice of Scoping, the Commission received comments 
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Choctaw Nation of 
Oklahoma. The primary issues raised by the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency are air quality, noise, and environmental justice. 
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma stated that the Project lies outside of 
its area of historic interest. All substantive comments will be 
addressed in the EA.

Additional Information

    In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to 
keep track of formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, the 
Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. This service 
provides automatic notification of filings made to subscribed dockets, 
document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.
    The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].
    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, select 
``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date 
range and ``Docket Number'' (i.e., CP23-200-000), 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

[[Page 51811]]

website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by 
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.

    Dated: July 28, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-16631 Filed 8-3-23; 8:45 am]
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