[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33401-33403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13154]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[ Docket No. PF13-10-000]
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company, LLC; Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Central
Arkansas Pipeline Enhancement Project and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
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 Central Arkansas Pipeline
Enhancement Project involving construction or abandonment of facilities
by CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company, LLC (CEGT) in Pulaski
and Faulkner Counties, Arkansas. 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.
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. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on June 28, 2013. Further details on how
to submit written comments are provided in the Public Participation
section of this notice.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives are asked to notify their constituents of this
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planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
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 planned facilities.
The 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 where compensation would be
determined 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?'' is available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). 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.
Summary of the Planned Project
CEGT is proposing the construction of approximately 28.5 miles of
12-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline and ancillary facilities in
Pulaski and Faulkner Counties, Arkansas. The proposed pipeline would be
constructed primarily on new right-of-way and would provide replacement
transmission service for a portion of two existing CEGT pipelines, one
of which would be transferred to a distribution affiliate (Line BT-14)
and the other would be abandoned in place (Line B). The two existing
pipelines to be abandoned/transferred are located in areas that have
experienced substantial residential and commercial development since
they were constructed. No new capacity is being proposed as part of
this project.
The project would consist of the following facilities:
28.5 miles of new 12-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline
(Line BT-39) extending from an interconnect north of State Highway 64
in Faulkner County to CEGT's existing Oak Grove Town Border Station in
Pulaski County;
230 feet of 4-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (Line BT-
40) lateral extending from a tap on the proposed Line BT-39 to a new
meter station along James Road;
1,400 feet of 4-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (Line
BT-41) extending from a tap on the proposed Line BT-39 to the existing
Morgan Town Border Station; and
the installation or expansion of metering facilities and
appurtenances related to the new proposed pipelines.
In addition, the project would abandon in-place 21.7 miles of
CEGT's existing 10-inch-diameter Line B pipeline; 1,024 feet of its
existing 6-inch-diameter Line BT-19; 567 feet of its existing 6-inch-
diameter Line BM-1; and 2,000 feet of its existing 4-inch-diameter Line
BM-21.
The general location of the project facilities is shown 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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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction would require a total of 349.9 acres of which
approximately 142.7 acres would be retained as new, permanent easement
associated with operation of the planned replacement pipeline,
aboveground facilities, and permanent access roads. The remaining 207.2
acres would be allowed to revert to pre-construction conditions and use
following construction.
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
\2\ 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. All comments
received will be considered during the preparation of the EA.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' 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;
land use;
water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
cultural resources;
vegetation and wildlife;
air quality and noise;
endangered and threatened species; and
public safety.
We will also evaluate possible 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.
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.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. 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
beginning on page 5.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA.\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.
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\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Sec. 1501.6.
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Consultations 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, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with the Arkansas State Historic Preservation Office, 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\ We will define the
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project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with
the State Historic Preservation Office as the project develops. 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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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, 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.
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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 28,
2013. This is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to
the Environmental Review Process Flowchart 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 (PF13-10-000) 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 may file your comments electronically by using the Quick
Comment feature, which is located at www.ferc.gov under the link called
``Documents and Filings''. A Quick Comment is an easy method for
interested persons to submit text-only comments on a project;
(2) You may file your comments electronically by using the
``eFiling'' feature that is listed under the ``Documents and Filings''
link. eFiling involves preparing your submission in the same manner as
you would if filing on paper, and then saving the file on your
computer's hard drive. You will attach that file to your submission.
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on the links
called ``Sign up'' or ``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.
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.
If 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 CEGT 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 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-
10). 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: May 29, 2013..
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-13154 Filed 6-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P