[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 93 (Monday, May 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41427-41430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10344]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF24-2-000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Scoping
Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Planned
Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, and Notice of Public Scoping
Session
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss
the environmental impacts of the Southeast Supply Enhancement
[[Page 41428]]
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. 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. This
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 June 6, 2024. Comments may be
submitted in written or oral 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 written and oral 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 February 1, 2024, you will need to file
those comments in Docket No. PF24-2-000 to ensure they are considered.
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 easement 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 to the company. Therefore, if you and the company do not reach
an easement agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation
proceedings in court. In such instances, compensation would be
determined by a judge 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?'' addresses typically
asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission's proceedings. This fact sheet along with
other landowner topics of interest are available for viewing on the
FERC website (www.ferc.gov) under the Natural Gas, Landowner Topics
link.
Public Participation
There are four 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 staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 or [email protected].
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to FERC Online. 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, which is located 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 (PF24-2-
000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must
be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
(4) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you
to attend the virtual public scoping session its staff will conduct by
telephone, scheduled as follows:
Date and Time
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
Call in number: 888-810-4938
Participant passcode: 2443865
Note that the scoping session will start at 6:00 p.m. and will end
once all participants wishing to comment have had the opportunity to do
so, or at 8:00 p.m., whichever comes first. Individual oral comments
will be taken one at a time with a court reporter present on the line.
There will be a brief introduction by Commission staff when the
session opens, so please attempt to call in at the beginning of the
session. All participants will be able to hear the comments provided by
other participants; however, all lines will remain closed during the
comments of others and then opened one at a time for providing
comments. Once you call in, the operator will provide directions on how
to indicate you would like to provide a comment. A time limit of 3
minutes may be implemented for each commentor.
Your oral comments will be recorded by the court reporter and
become part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts of
all comments received during the scoping session will be publicly
available on FERC's eLibrary system (see the last page of this notice
for instructions on using eLibrary).
FERC staff intend to conduct additional in-person public scoping
sessions in the Project area. Once scheduled, scoping meeting dates,
times, and locations will be provided in a separate notice at least two
weeks prior to the date of the meeting(s).
Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription, which
[[Page 41429]]
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.
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].
Summary of the Planned Project
Transco plans to construct, modify, and operate natural gas
pipeline facilities along its existing pipeline system in Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The Southeast
Supply Enhancement Project would provide 1,586,900 Dekatherms per day
of new firm transportation capacity to the mid-Atlantic and southeast
United States. According to Transco, its project would remove pipeline
capacity constraints and meet growing natural gas-fired power
generation, commercial, residential, and industrial demand in the
region. The Southeast Supply Enhancement Project would consist of the
facilities listed below.
Construction of approximately 30.6 miles of 42-inch-
diameter pipeline in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Rockingham
County, North Carolina, designated as the Eden Loop.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to
an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Construction of approximately 24.0 miles of 42-inch-
diameter pipeline in Guilford, Forsyth, and Davidson Counties, North
Carolina, designated as the Salem Loop.
Addition of compressor units at the following existing
Transco compressor stations (CS):
[cir] CS 165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia (two compressor
units);
[cir] CS 155 in Davidson County, North Carolina (three compressor
units); and
[cir] CS 150 in Iredell County, North Carolina (one compressor
unit).
Replacement of three existing compressor units with larger
compressor units at Transco's existing CS 145 in Cleveland County,
North Carolina.
Piping modifications at the following existing Transco
compressor stations:
[cir] CS 135 in Anderson County, South Carolina;
[cir] CS 125 in Walton County, Georgia;
[cir] CS 120 in Henry County, Georgia; and
[cir] CS 105 in Coosa County, Alabama.
Regulator installation on the Eden Loop near mileposts
1382.5 and 1382.7 in Rockingham County, North Carolina and at CS 120 in
Henry County, Georgia.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.
Land Requirements for Construction
Based on preliminary estimates, construction of the planned
facilities would disturb about 961 acres of land for the aboveground
facilities and the pipeline. Following construction, Transco would
maintain about 392 acres for permanent operation of the project's
facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored. Most of the
planned pipeline route parallels Transco's existing pipeline rights-of-
way.
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;
water resources and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
threatened and endangered species;
cultural resources;
land use;
environmental justice;
air quality and noise;
reliability and safety; and
climate change.
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, Commission staff
have already initiated a 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 Commission receives an application. As part of the
pre-filing review, Commission staff 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
Commission staff's 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With this notice, the Commission is asking agencies with
jurisdiction by law and/or special expertise with respect to the
environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at 40 CFR 1501.8.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 41430]]
Consultation 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 summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations
are at 36 CFR 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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; 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
comments. Commission staff will update the environmental mailing list
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that Commission notices related to
this environmental review are sent 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 PF24-2-000 in your request.
If you are requesting a change to your address, please be sure to
include your name and the correct 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 Transco 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/how-intervene. 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
in the ``Docket Number'' field. 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 all formal documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
Public sessions 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.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-10344 Filed 5-10-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P