[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8958-8960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03188]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF14-3-000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Intent to
Prepare an Environmental Assessment For the Planned Rock Springs
Expansion 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 Rock Springs Expansion Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company, LLC (Transco) in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland. 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. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on March 10, 2014.
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 planned
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 planned 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.
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
Transco is proposing to construct facilities to provide 192,000
dekatherms per day of incremental firm transportation capacity from
Transco's Market Pool Station 210 in Mercer County, New Jersey to Old
Dominion Electric Cooperative's (ODEC) proposed expansion, referred to
as the Wildcat Point Generating Facility (Wildcat Plant) in Cecil
County, Maryland. Construction of the Project is scheduled to begin on
August 1, 2015 to meet the proposed in-service date of August 2016.
The Rock Springs Expansion Project would consist of the following
facilities:
Approximately 10.6 miles of new 20-inch diameter pipeline
lateral from Transco's existing Mainlines ``A'' and ``B'' near milepost
(MP) 1682.8 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to the proposed Wildcat
Plant in Cecil County, Maryland;
Piping and valve modifications to the existing Transco
Compressor Station 200 in Chester County, Pennsylvania;
A pig launcher and valve facility at the start of the
pipeline lateral, including two tie-ins; \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline,
conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A back-pressure control regulator valve to increase
operational pressure flexibility; located either (1) near the existing
30-inch Mainline ``A'' block valve at MP 1691.1 or (2) near MP 1682.8,
both in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; and
A 4,000 horsepower electric motor driven compressor
station, designated as Compressor Station 196, with metering facilities
at the terminus of the pipeline lateral. A pig receiver to be installed
at the terminus of the pipeline lateral within the compressor station.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb approximately
220.9 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline
lateral. Following construction, Transco would maintain approximately
55.3 acres for permanent operation of the Project's facilities; the
remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. Transco
is continuing to evaluate the construction and operation land
requirements for the launcher and valve facility at the start of the
pipeline lateral, as well as the back-pressure control regulator valve,
therefore the aforementioned acreages are preliminary estimations.
Approximately 34 percent of the proposed pipeline route is situated
adjacent to existing utility or road rights-of-way.
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
[[Page 8959]]
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
the FERC receives an application. 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 we have the opportunity to consider and
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the
Public Participation section beginning on page 6.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues
related to 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 Maryland Department of Natural Resources has
expressed its intention to participate as a cooperating agency in the
preparation of the EA to satisfy its NEPA responsibilities related to
this project.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s), 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 SHPO(s) 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and
the environmental information provided by Transco. This preliminary
list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis.
Transco has identified 19 waterbodies during preliminary
field surveys that are crossed within the proposed Project area. Five
of the waterbody crossings are characterized as intermediate crossings
and the remaining are characterized as minor waterbody crossings with
crossing widths less than 10 feet. The intermediate waterbody crossings
vary in crossing widths ranging from 10 to 49 feet. The intermediate
waterbody crossings include: Fishing Creek (21.0 feet wide); Peters
Creek (46.5 feet wide); Puddle Duck Creek (14.9 feet wide); Conowingo
Creek (49.2 feet wide); and Unnamed Tributary of Conowingo Creek (10
feet wide).
Transco has identified four palustrine emergent wetlands
during preliminary field surveys that are crossed within the proposed
Project area totaling approximately 0.4 acre of temporary impact.
Preliminary field surveys, along with review of available
sources and informal consultation with federal and state agencies have
established that three federally-listed species (bog turtle [Clemmys
muhlenbergii], small whorled pogonia [Isotria medeoloides], and Indiana
bat [Myotis sodalis]), one species proposed to be federally-listed as
endangered (northern long-eared bat [Myotis septentrionalis]), and 36
state-listed or protected species could potentially occur within the
proposed Project area.
Two residences along the pipeline route near MP 8.6 may be
impacted by construction activities as they are located within 50 feet
of the proposed workspace.
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 the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before March
10, 2014.
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 (PF14-3-000) 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
[[Page 8960]]
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, 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 we publish and distribute the EA, 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 2).
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 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 the Commission
receives a formal application for the project.
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., PF14-
3-000). 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: February 7, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-03188 Filed 2-13-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P