Federal Register, Volume 79 Issue 173 (Monday, September 8, 2014)

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53184-53186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21206]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF14-13-000]

Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Planned Ohio Valley Connector 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 Ohio Valley Connector Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
Equitrans, L.P. (EQT) in Wetzel, Marshall, and Marion Counties, West
Virginia, and Monroe County, Ohio. 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 September 29, 2014.
You may submit comments in written form. Further details on how to
submit written comments are 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 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 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 Proposed Project

EQT proposes to provide approximately 900,000 dekatherms per day of
new firm transportation capacity from natural gas produced in the
central Appalachian Basin into the systems of Rockies Express Pipeline,
LLC (REX) and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (TETCO). Construction of
the Project is planned to begin in August 2015 in order to meet the
proposed in-service date of May 2016. The Ohio Valley Connector Project
would include the following facilities:

34 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline along with pig \1\
receiving/launching facilities in Wetzel and Marshall Counties, West
Virginia and Monroe County, Ohio that would deliver gas to the proposed
Plasma Compressor Station (the H-310 segment);
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\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.
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1.5 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline, with a pigging
facility, in Monroe County, Ohio from the proposed Plasma Compressor
Station to the existing REX System (the H-311 segment);
14 miles of 24-inch-diameter loop \2\ along with pig
receiving/launching facilities in Marion and Wetzel Counties, West
Virginia from EQT's existing system to the proposed Corona Compressor
Station (the H-313 segment);
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\2\ A loop is a segment of pipeline constructed parallel to an
existing pipeline that ties into the existing system to increase
capacity.
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0.6 mile of 16-inch-diameter discharge pipeline, and pigging
facility, in Wetzel County, West Virginia that would serve as a
discharge line from the proposed Corona Compressor Station (the H-306
segment);
Construction of two new compressor stations:
[ssquf] Plasma Compressor Station--installation of two gas-driven
centrifugal compressors in Monroe County, Ohio with a combined 21,000
horsepower (hp) of compression; and
[ssquf] Corona Compressor Station--installation of one gas-driven
15,000-hp centrifugal compressor in Wetzel County, West Virginia;
Installation of two new interconnects:
[ssquf] REX Interconnect--A 100-foot by 200-foot fenced area that
would contain two 8-foot by 12-foot enclosures to house measurement and
gas sampling equipment and other associated aboveground facilities; and
[ssquf] TETCO Interconnect--Two 8-foot by 12-foot enclosures that
would house measurement and gas sampling equipment, along with other
associated aboveground facilities and a short interconnect, all of
which would be placed within the fenceline of the planned Plasma
Compressor Station; and
relocation of existing pigging facilities at EQT's Pickenpaw
Meter Station to the eastern terminus of the H-306 pipeline segment
within the proposed Corona Compressor Station and installation of new
pipeline and valves at the Pickenpaw Meter Station.

Maps depicting the general location of the Project facilities are
included in Appendix 1.\3\
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\3\ 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

The planned pipeline construction for the H-310 and H-311 segments
(approximately 71 percent of the pipeline length) would impact
approximately 456 acres of land temporarily and 213 acres permanently.
EQT is still in the planning phase for the Project and construction
workspace requirements for the H-306 and H-313 segments have not been
finalized;

[[Page 53185]]

however, operation of these two segments would permanently impact
approximately 87 acres. Impacts associated with the use of additional
temporary workspaces, laydown/contractor yards, and access roads would
temporarily impact a minimum of 229 acres. The Plasma and Corona
Compressor Stations would have a permanent footprint of 5.5 and 3.1
acres, respectively; the workspaces associated with these locations are
still being determined.

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
\4\ 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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\4\ ``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;
Water resources;
Wetlands and vegetation;
Fish and wildlife;
Threatened and endangered species;
Land use, recreation, and visual resources;
Air quality and noise;
Cultural resources;
Socioeconomics;
Reliability and safety; and
Cumulative environmental impacts.
We will also evaluate reasonable 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 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 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.\5\ 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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\5\ 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 applicable State Historic Preservation Office (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.\6\ We will define the Project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs 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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\6\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 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 the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before
September 29, 2014.
For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please
reference the Project docket number (PF14-13-000) 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 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 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

[[Page 53186]]

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 proposed 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 EQT 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 at 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-
13). 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 now 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/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
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: August 29, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-21206 Filed 9-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P