[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27320-27322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12598]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP18-186-000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC Southeastern Trail
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Sessions
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 Southeastern Trail Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by Transcontinental
Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) across Virginia, South Carolina,
Georgia, and Louisiana. 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. 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.
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they
need to evaluate in the EA. 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 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time on July 2, 2018.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on April 11, 2018, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP18-186-000 to ensure they are considered as
part of this proceeding.
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 website (www.ferc.gov).
Public Participation
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258
or [email protected]. Please carefully follow these
instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief,
text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature on the Commission's website (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.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project,
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number
(CP18-186-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the
Commission invites you to attend one of the public scoping sessions its
staff will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows:
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Date and time Location
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Monday, June 18, 2018, 4:30-8:00 p.m... Brentsville High School, 12109
Aden Rd., Nokesville, VA
20181, (703) 594-2161.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018, 4:30-8:00 p.m.. Scottsville Public Library, 330
Bird Street, Scottsville, VA
24590-0759, (434) 286-3541.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018, 4:30-8:00 p.m Old Dominion Education Center,
19783 U.S. Hwy. 29 South,
Chatham, VA 24531, (434) 432-
8026.
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The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify
the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be
considered in the EA to be prepared for this Project. Individual verbal
comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter.
This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of verbal
comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted.
[[Page 27321]]
Each scoping session is scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT.
You may arrive at any time after 4:30 p.m. There will not be a formal
presentation by Commission staff when the session opens. If you wish to
speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your
arrival. Comments will be taken until 8:00 p.m. However, if no
additional numbers have been handed out and all individuals who wish to
provide comments have had an opportunity to do so, staff may conclude
the session at 7:30 p.m. Please see appendix 1 for additional
information on the session format and conduct.\1\
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\1\ 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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Your scoping comments will be recorded by the court reporter (with
FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the public
record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on
FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary).
If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal
comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 minutes may be
implemented for each commentor.
It is important to note that verbal comments hold the same weight
as written or electronically submitted comments. Although there will
not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available
throughout the comment session to answer your questions about the
environmental review process. Representatives from Transco will also be
present to answer project-specific questions.
Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; please
refer to the review process flow chart in appendix 2.\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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Summary of the Proposed Project
Transco proposes to construct and operate about 7.7 miles of new
natural gas pipeline (Manassas Loop) located along the existing Transco
Mainline, expand three existing compressor stations in Virginia
(Stations 185, 175, and 165), and modify 21 existing facilities in
South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana as part of the Southeastern
Trail Project. According to Transco, its project would provide 296.4
million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day (MMcf/d) of
additional firm transportation capacity from the Pleasant Valley
Interconnect facility in Fairfax County, Virginia to the existing
Station 65 pooling point in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, to serve the
following customers: Public Service Company of North Carolina
Incorporated (60 MMcf/d), South Carolina Electric and Gas (215 MMcf/d),
Virginia Natural Gas (14.6 MMcf/d), and the cities of Buford (3.8 MMcf/
d) and LaGrange (3 MMcf/d) in Georgia.
The specific facilities proposed as part of the Southeastern Trail
Project are as follows:
Construction of approximately 7.7 miles of new 42-inch-
diameter pipeline loop \3\ (referred to as the Manassas Loop) in
Fauquier and Prince William Counties, Virginia. The Manassas Loop would
be collocated along the Transco Mainline from milepost 1568.13 to
1575.85 between Station 180 and Station 185.
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\3\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to
an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
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Expansion of existing compressor stations in Virginia
[cir] Uprating the existing electric-driven compression unit driver
from 25,000 to 30,000 horsepower (HP) and re-gearing the associated
variable speed drive at Station 185 in Prince William County.
[cir] Addition of one new 22,490 HP turbine-driven compression unit
and station cooling, and uprating of the existing electric driven
compression unit driver from 33,000- to 41,250-HP and rewheeling the
associated centrifugal compressor at Station 175 in Fluvanna County.
[cir] Addition of two new 22,490 HP turbine-driven compression
units, station cooling, and miscellaneous piping modifications; the
abandonment and removal of ten reciprocating compressor units totaling
20,000 HP; and demolition of an existing compressor building at Station
165 in Pittsylvania County.
Mainline Facility Modifications in South Carolina,
Georgia, and Louisiana
[cir] Flow reversal modifications to existing Station 65 in St.
Helena Parish, Louisiana and existing Station 140 in Spartanburg
County, South Carolina.
[cir] Flow reversal modifications and installation of deodorization
at existing Station 130 in Madison County, Georgia and existing Station
115 in Coweta County, Georgia.
[cir] Installation of deodorization at existing Stations 116, 120,
and 125 in Carroll, Henry, and Walton Counties, Georgia and Station 135
in Anderson County, South Carolina.
[cir] Installation of deodorization at 13 existing mainline valve
facilities in South Carolina and Georgia along the Transco Mainline.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
3.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb about 185
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline, the
majority of which is associated with the Manassas Loop (76.4 acres) in
Fauquier and Prince William Counties, Virginia, and the Station 165
expansion (72.8 acres) in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. About 96
percent of the proposed Manassas Loop pipeline route would be co-
located at a 25-foot offset from the existing Transco Mainline C
pipeline, expanding the existing permanent right-of-way by 25 feet. In
addition, one new permanent access road would be constructed and
maintained to provide access to the new mainline valve for the Manassas
Loop at Station 180. In total, Transco would maintain about 34.2 acres
for permanent operation of the project's facilities, including 24.0
acres for the Manassas Loop and 10.0 acres for the Station 165
expansion. The remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former
uses.
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 proposed project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
[[Page 27322]]
Land use;
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
Cultural resources;
Vegetation and wildlife;
Air quality and noise;
Endangered and threatened species;
Public safety; and
Cumulative impacts
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.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. We will
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, beginning on page 2.
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, Part 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 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.\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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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
proposed project.
Copies of the EA 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).
Notice of Onsite Review
On June 18-20, 2018, the Office of Energy Projects staff will be in
Fauquier, Prince William, Fluvanna, and Pittsylvania Counties, Virginia
to gather data related to the environmental analysis of the
Southeastern Trail Project. Staff will review environmental resources
on the proposed Manassas Loop and visit Stations 175 and 165 to review
the extent of proposed ground-disturbing activities. This will assist
staff in completing its comparative evaluation of environmental impacts
of the proposed project. Viewing of these facilities is anticipated to
be from existing Transco right-of-way and at existing Transco stations.
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 website 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., CP18-
186). 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/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
Finally, public sessions 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: June 1, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-12598 Filed 6-11-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P