[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 200 (Thursday, October 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59604-59605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E3-00065]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP03-342-000]
Discovery Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent to Prepare An
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Market Expansion Project and
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
October 8, 2003.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Market Expansion Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
Discovery Gas Transmission, LLC (Discovery) in LaFourche and Terrebone
Parishes, Louisiana.\1\ These facilities would consist of construction
of about 2.6 miles of various diameter pipeline, an interconnection
facility, related metering and pressure regulation facilities and the
purchase of approximately 32 miles of existing pipeline from DPH, Inc
and Discovery Producer Services, LLC (DPS). This EA will be used by the
Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the
project is in the public convenience and necessity.
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\1\ Discovery's application was filed with the Commission under
Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's
regulations.
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If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities.
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with
state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the
project notice Discovery provided to landowners. 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.
It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://
www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
Discovery proposes to construct, install operate and maintain
pipelines and meter stations at four different sites in Lafourche and
Terrebone Parish, Louisiana. Discovery states that it proposes to
acquire approximately 31.5 miles of existing pipeline (line 40E) from
DPH, Inc., of which 22.8 miles will be used to provide the necessary
interconnections, acquire approximately 0.4 miles of existing pipeline
from DPS, and abandon approximately 8.8 miles of 20-inch pipeline.
Discovery would install the following facilities:
[sbull] 735 feet of 20-inch diameter pipeline from the existing 40E
pipeline to the existing Tennessee platform located in Old Lady Lake in
Terrebone Parish Louisiana. The interconnect construction would require
exposing and lifting 1000 feet of the existing 40E pipeline.
[sbull] Installation of a new 40-foot by 40-foot meter platform at
the 40E pipeline near Point Au Chien, in Terrebone Parish Louisiana.
[sbull] Installation of approximately 2.1 miles of 20-inch diameter
pipeline running from the 40E pipeline to a new 40-foot by 40-foot
platform near Isle de Jean Charles to connect with the existing
Columbia Gulf Pipeline.
[sbull] Installation of 1840 feet of new 20-inch pipeline near
Larose, in Lafourche Parish Louisiana.
[sbull] Construction of a new meter station near Thibodaux, in
LaFourche Parish Louisiana along with 150 feet of interconnection
pipeline to deliver to the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation's
system.
[sbull] Discovery also proposes to abandon approximately 8.8 miles
of currently decommissioned 20-inch diameter 40E pipeline from the
current Old Lady Lake Platform south to the Lake Barre platform in the
Caillou Island Field. A 20-inch diameter weld cap could be installed
after the introduction of a nitrogen gas blanket in the line.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\2\ If you are interested in obtaining detailed maps of a specific
portion of the project, send in your request using the form in appendix
3.
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\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other
than appendix 1 (maps), are available on the Commission's website at
the ``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference and
Files Maintenance Branch, 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. Copies of the
appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 20.8
acres of land. Following construction, about 11.2 acres would be
maintained as new aboveground facility sites. The remaining 9.6 acres
of land would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
\3\ to
[[Page 59605]]
discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. This
process is referred to as ``scoping''. The main goal of the scoping
process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important
environmental issues. By this Notice of Intent, the Commission requests
public comments on the scope of the issues it will address in the EA.
All comments received are considered during the preparation of the EA.
State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
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\3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general
headings:
[sbull] geology and soils
[sbull] land use
[sbull] water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
[sbull] cultural resources
[sbull] vegetation and wildlife
[sbull] air quality and noise
[sbull] endangered and threatened species
[sbull] hazardous waste
[sbull] public safety
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make
our recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission.
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative
locations/routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be.
Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments
are received in time and properly recorded:
[sbull] Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
[sbull] Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 3.
[sbull] Reference Docket No. CP03-342-000.
[sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before November 10, 2003.
Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. As a result, we will include
all comments that we receive within a reasonable time frame in our
environmental analysis of this project. However, the Commission
strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments or interventions
or protests to this proceeding. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under
the ``e-Filing'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can
file comments you will need to create a free account which can be
created on-line.
We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving
it, please return the Information Request (appendix 4). If you do not
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an
``intervenor''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process.
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors.
Likewise, each intervenor must provide 14 copies of its filings to the
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If
you want to become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene
according to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214) (see appendix 2).\4\ Only intervenors have
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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\4\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing
comments electronically.
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Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your environmental comments considered.
Environmental Mailing List
This notice is being sent to individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the
proposed project. It is also being sent to all identified potential
right-of-way grantors. By this notice we are also asking governmental
agencies, especially those in appendix 3, to express their interest in
becoming cooperating agencies for the preparation of the EA.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the
FERC Internet Web site (http://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. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The eLibrary link on the FERC Internet
website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you too 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E3-00065 Filed 10-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P