[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 76 (Friday, April 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23554-23555]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09260]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP13-73-000]
Sierrita Gas Pipeline LLC; Supplemental Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Sierrita Pipeline
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
As previously noticed on August 1, 2012, and supplemented herein,
the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
will discuss the environmental impact of the Sierrita Pipeline Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
Sierrita Gas Pipeline LLC (Sierrita) in Pima County, Arizona (the
project was previously known as the Sasabe Lateral Project). The
Commission will use this EIS in its decision-making process to
determine whether the Project is in the public convenience and
necessity. The Commission staff began its review of the Project on May
2, 2012, during the pre-filing process under Docket No. PF12-11-000.
The initial scoping period closed on October 27, 2012.
This notice announces the opening of a supplemental scoping period
that the Commission will use to gather input from the public and
interested agencies due to a change in the proposed Project route.
Specifically, this notice is requesting comments as they relate to
Sierrita's proposed route modification filed on March 25, 2013, and
detailed below. Your input will help the Commission staff determine
what issues relevant to the route modification need evaluation in the
EIS. All previous comments submitted during the pre-filing process and
initial scoping period do not need to be resubmitted. Further details
on how to submit written comments are in the Public Participation
section of this notice. Please note that this supplemental scoping
period will close on May 13, 2013.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for the Project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of the proposed
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
Summary of the Project (as Supplemented)
The Project would consist of the installation of about 60 miles of
36-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline and construction of two meter
stations and various other appurtenant facilities in Pima County,
Arizona. The pipeline would link El Paso Natural Gas Company's \1\
existing South Mainline System near Tucson to an interconnect with the
Sasabe-Guaymas Pipeline at the U.S.-Mexico border near the town of
Sasabe, Arizona.
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\1\ El Paso Natural Gas Company is an affiliate of Sierrita.
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Sierrita's route modification shifts an approximate 10 mile segment
of the originally proposed pipeline route eastward to a new location
closer to State Highway 286. It would leave the original proposed route
at milepost 25.7 and rejoin at milepost 36.3. The route modification
would be approximately 12 miles long and would add approximately 1.5
miles of length to the overall project. The general location of the
Project facilities and route modification are shown in Appendix 1.\2\
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\2\ 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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Updated environmental information concerning the route
modification, including field surveys, is pending and Sierrita will
file this information with the FERC when completed.
The EIS 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 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 EIS on the
important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests
public comments on the scope of the issues related to the route
modification to address in the EIS. We will consider all filed comments
during the preparation of the EIS.
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\3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the Project under these general
headings:
Geology and soils;
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
Vegetation, wildlife, and endangered and threatened
species;
Land use and cumulative impacts;
Socioeconomics;
Cultural resources;
Air quality and noise; and
Public safety.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the Project or
portions of the Project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we have
the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section below.
Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (both the Arizona
Ecological Services Office and the Buenos Aires National Wildlife
Refuge), the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the U.S. Customs and
Border Protection are participating as cooperating agencies in the
preparation of the EIS to satisfy their
[[Page 23555]]
NEPA responsibilities related to this Project or provide technical
expertise.\4\
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\4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the route modification of the Project. Your
comments should focus on the potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impacts associated with the route modification. The more specific your
comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your comments
are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so that the
Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before May 13, 2013.
This is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to the
Environmental Review Process flow chart in Appendix 2.
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 (CP13-73) with your submission. The Commission
encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert staff available
to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or [email protected].
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature located on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the
link to Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for interested
persons to submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically using the eFiling
feature located on the Commission's Web site (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 must select the type of filing you are making. If
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select
``Comment on a Filing''; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426.
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, whose property was
affected by the corresponding segment of the original route, and anyone
who submits comments on the Project. We 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 proposed Project.
Copies of the completed draft EIS will be sent to the environmental
mailing list for public review and comment.
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 Web site (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., CP13-
73). 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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Dated: April 12, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-09260 Filed 4-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P