[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33403-33406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13117]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF13-5-000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Leidy Southeast
Expansion Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and
Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
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 Leidy Southeast Expansion
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. The Commission will
use this EA 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 on the project.
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Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they
need to evaluate in the EA. The Commission staff will also use the
scoping process to help determine whether preparation of an
environmental impact statement is more appropriate for this project
based upon the potential significance of the anticipated levels of
impact. Please note that the scoping period will close on June 24,
2013. This is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to
the Environmental Review Process flow chart in appendix 1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of 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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You may submit comments in written form or verbally. Further
details on how to submit written comments are in the Public
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the
public scoping meeting(s) scheduled as follows:
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Date and time Location
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June 12, 2013, 7:00 PM............... The Woodlands Inn, 1073 Highway
315, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702.
June 13, 2013, 7:00 PM............... Hillsborough Township Middle
School, 260 Triangle Road,
Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844.
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The scoping meetings will commence at the times listed above;
however, representatives from Transco will be present one hour before
each meeting to describe their proposal, present maps, and answer
questions.
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 proposed
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 proposed facilities. The company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if
the Commission approves the project, 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 where compensation would be determined in accordance with
state law.
Transco provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I
Need To Know?''. 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 also available for viewing on
the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Planned Project
Transco plans to build approximately 30.1 miles of 42-inch-diameter
natural gas pipeline in four loop \2\ segments, consisting of 6.4 miles
in Mercer and Somerset Counties, New Jersey (Skillman Loop), 6.9 miles
in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties, New Jersey (Pleasant Run Loop),
11.5 miles in Monroe and Luzerne Counties, Pennsylvania (Franklin
Loop), and 5.3 miles in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Dorrance Loop).
The new pipeline loops would primarily be installed adjacent to
Transco's existing rights-of-way.
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\2\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel
(and is connected) to an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
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The project would also include installing an approximate total of
84,500 horsepower of compression and making other modifications at
existing compressor stations in Mercer County, New Jersey and Luzerne,
Columbia, and Lycoming Counties, Pennsylvania, and modifying various
existing valve sites and meter stations along Transco's mainline system
in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. As designed, the project
would enable Transco to provide an additional 525,000 dekatherms per
day of natural gas transportation capacity from receipt points on
Transco's Leidy Line in Pennsylvania to delivery points on Transco's
mainline system as far south as Choctaw County, Alabama. A map
depicting the general location of the project facilities is included in
appendix 2.
Transco plans to begin construction of the project in late 2014 and
place the facilities in service by December 2015.
Land Requirements for Construction and Operation
Transco is still in the planning phase for the project, and
workspace requirements have not been finalized at this time. As
currently planned, construction would disturb approximately 485 acres
of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline loops.
Following construction, about 95 acres outside of Transco's existing
easement would be maintained for permanent operation of the project
facilities. The remaining acreage would be restored and allowed to
revert to former uses. As planned, the new pipeline loops would
primarily be installed adjacent to Transco's existing pipeline system.
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 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, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We will
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
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\3\ ``Us,'' ``we,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the planned project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
Vegetation, wildlife, and endangered and threatened
species;
Socioeconomics;
Cultural resources;
Land use and cumulative impacts;
Air quality and noise; and
Public safety.
We will also evaluate reasonable 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.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated our 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 an
application is filed with the FERC. As part of our pre-filing review,
we have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss
their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
In addition, representatives from FERC participated in the public
[[Page 33405]]
open houses sponsored by Transco in the project area in April 2013 to
explain the environmental review process to interested stakeholders.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. We will
consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations to
the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the
Public Participation section beginning on page 5.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the
EA.\4\ 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. Currently, the U.S.
Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration has expressed its intention to participate as a
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA.
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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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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Perservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), 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.\5\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project
is further developed. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a
minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples
include construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards,
compressor stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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\5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800.
Historic properties are defined in those regulations as any
prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or
object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National
Register for Historic Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities, the
environmental information provided by Transco, and comments received by
the public. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on
your comments and our analysis:
Residential impacts, including the potential for decreased
property values;
Impacts on forest and unique habitats;
Impacts on conservation lands;
Impacts on water resources;
The purpose and need for the project;
Consideration of alternatives, including renewable energy
sources; and
Public safety.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. 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 timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before June 24,
2013.
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the
project docket number (PF13-5-000) with your submission. The Commission
encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert eFiling staff
available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or [email protected].
1. You can file your comments electronically by using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at 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 by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at 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'';
3. You can attend and provide either oral or written comments at a
public scoping meeting. A transcript of each meeting will be made so
that your comments will be accurately recorded and included in the
public record; or
4. 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, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, 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
planned project.
When the EA is published for distribution, copies will be sent to
the environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you
would prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD
version, or would like to remove your name from the mailing list,
please return the attached Information Request (appendix 3).
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. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, 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. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are
included in the User's Guide under the ``e-Filing'' link on the
Commission's Web site. Please note that
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the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status at this
time. You must wait until a formal application for the project is filed
with the Commission.
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., PF13-
5). 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
text 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.
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.
Finally, Transco has established a Web site for this project at
http://leidysoutheast.wordpress.com/. The Web site includes a project
overview, environmental information, and information for affected
stakeholders.
Dated: May 24, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-13117 Filed 6-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P