[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52652-52653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21451]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP11-128-000; Docket No. CP11-133-000]
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Tennessee Gas Pipeline
Company; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Northern Access and Station 230C Projects
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for National
Fuel Gas Supply Corporation's (National Fuel) proposed Northern Access
Project and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company's (TGP) proposed Station
230C Project in the above referenced dockets. National Fuel and TGP
request authorization to construct facilities in Pennsylvania and New
York to provide an additional 320,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas
to TransCanada Corporation. Because both
[[Page 52653]]
companies would construct their respective proposed facilities to
provide these additional volumes, we analyzed them jointly in one EA.
The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of National Fuel's and TGP's proposed
projects in accordance with the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval
of the proposed projects, with appropriate mitigating measures, would
not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the
quality of the human environment.
National Fuel's project includes the following facilities:
A new East Aurora Compressor Station, totaling 4,470-
horsepower (hp), and auxiliary facilities in Erie County, New York;
Piping modifications at the existing Concord Compressor
Station in Erie County, to permit bi-directional flow;
Modifications to underground piping and valves at the
existing East Eden Metering and Regulation facility in Erie County;
Expansion of the Ellisburg Compressor Station with two new
compressor units, totaling 9,470-hp, on an adjacent lot in Potter
County, Pennsylvania; and
A new Rose Lake Meter Station and auxiliary piping/
facilities at the Ellisburg Compressor Station.
TGP's project consists of the following facility modifications at
its existing Station 230C Compressor Station in Niagara County, New
York:
New Solar Centaur natural gas-fired turbines for
compressor units A2 and A3 and restaging of centrifugal compressors for
units A2, A3, and A4 for bi-directional flow;
New station cooling equipment and discharge flow check
meters and check valves along the existing 20- and 30-inch Niagara Spur
Loop Line pipelines; and
Modification to station piping and automation systems, and
installation of yard valves to allow bi-directional flow.
The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is
available for public viewing on the FERC's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies of the
EA are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street,
NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
Copies of the EA have been mailed 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; newspapers and libraries in the project area; and parties to
this proceeding.
Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments
should focus on the 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 your comments are properly recorded and considered prior to
a Commission decision on the proposal, it is important that the FERC
receives your comments in Washington, DC on or before September 16,
2011.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the
project docket number (CP11-128-000 or CP11-133-000) with your
submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and
has dedicated eFiling expert staff available to assist you at (202)
502-8258 or [email protected].
(1) You may file your comments electronically by using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. An eComment is an
easy method for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments
on a project;
(2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. 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 may file a paper copy of your comments at the following
address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Although your comments will be considered by the Commission, simply
filing comments will not serve to make the commentor a party to the
proceeding. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must
file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's
Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).\1\ Only intervenors
have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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\1\ 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 comments considered.
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC or on the
FERC 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
(i.e., CP11-128 or CP11-133). 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.
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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Dated: August 16, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-21451 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P