[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26493]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 26, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket CP94-682-000]
Southern Natural Gas Co.; Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Southern Natural Gas Company's
Proposed Cleveland Branch Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
October 20, 1994.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss environmental impacts of the construction and operation of
facilities proposed in the Cleveland Branch Pipeline Project. This EA
will be used by the Commission in its decisionmaking process (whether
or not to approve the individual projects).\1\
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\1\Southern Natural Gas Company's application was filed with the
Commission pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and part 157
of the Commission's regulations.
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Summary of the Proposed Facilities
Southern Natural Gas Company (Southern) proposes to construct:
About 20.2 miles of 12-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline
in Catoosa and Whitfield Counties, Georgia and Hamilton and Bradley
Counties, Tennessee. This proposed pipeline, referred to as the
``Cleveland Branch Line'' would extend from milepost (MP) 101.44 on
Southern's existing 12-inch Chattanooga Branch Line in Catoosa County,
Georgia, to a proposed interconnection owned by East Tennessee Natural
Gas Company (East Tennessee) in Bradley County, Tennessee; and
One new meter station in Bradley County. The proposed
meter station would consist of two 6-inch meter runs, pressure
regulators, flow control valves, about 125 feet of miscellaneous buried
piping, and an 8-foot by 10-foot instrumentation building. This
facility would be located adjacent to East Tennessee's existing
mainline system and would require a site of about 150 feet by 150 feet
for construction and operation.
Southern indicates that the proposed pipeline facilities would
deliver a total firm transportation service of about 11,350 thousand
cubic feet (Mcf) per day to its customer group, which is comprised of
various gas distributors and municipalities served exclusively on a
firm basis by East Tennessee.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\2\
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\2\The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, Room 3104, 941 North Capitol
Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. Copies
of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in
the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Southern proposes to use a 75-foot-wide right-of-way for
construction. Following construction, a 50-foot-wide easement would be
permanently maintained; the remaining 25 feet would be restored and
revert back to prior use. About 200.4 acres would be affected by
construction.
Additional working space would be required adjacent to the planned
construction right-of-way at areas of steep side slopes, bored road
crossings, stream crossings and in most areas where topsoil would be
segregated (agricultural and residential areas). No new access roads
would be required.
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
to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals.
We call this ``scoping''. The main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By
this Notice of Intent, the Commission requests public comments on the
scope of the issues it will address in the EA. All comments received
are taken into account during the preparation of the EA.
The EA 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.
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
Vegetation and wildlife.
Endangered and threatened species.
Land use.
Cultural resources.
Hazardous waste.
Air quality and noise.
Safety.
We will also evaluate possible 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.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we
recommend that the Commission approve or not approve the project.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by Southern. Keep in mind that
this is a preliminary list. The list of issues may be added to,
subtracted from, or changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Issues are:
The proposed project would cross 37 waterbodies, three of
which are perennial. The perennial waterbodies are Little Tiger Creek,
Tiger Creek and Sugar Creek, all located in Catoosa County, Georgia.
Some of these waterbodies support valuable riparian
vegetation, which helps stabilize soil to prevent erosion and provides
pristine habitat for wildlife. Some creeks may also support fishery
resources.
About 79 acres of upland forest would be disturbed.
About 6 acres of residential land would be affected by
construction; one residence is located within 50 feet of the proposed
construction right-of-way.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by sending a letter addressing your
specific comments or concerns about the project. You should focus on
the potential environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to
the proposal (including alternative routes), and measures to avoid or
lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more
useful they will be. Please follow the instructions below to ensure
that your comments are received and properly recorded:
Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol St., N.E., Washington,
D.C. 20416;
Reference Docket No. CP94-682-000;
Send a copy of your letter to: Ms. Alisa Lykens, EA
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North
Capitol St., N.E. Room 7312, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, D.C. on or before November 23, 1994.
If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one
from Ms. Lykens at the above address.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding or become an
``intervenor''. Among other things, intervenors have the right to
receive copies of case-related Commission documents and filings by
other intervenors. Likewise, each intervenor must provide copies of its
filings to all other parties. If you want to become an intervenor you
must file a Motion to Intervene according to Rule 214 of the
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214) attached
as appendix 2.
The date for filing timely motions to intervene in this proceeding
has passed. Therefore, parties now seeking to file late interventions
must show good cause, as required by Section 385.214(b)(3), why this
time limitation should be waived. Environmental issues have been viewed
as good cause for late intervention. You do not need intervenor status
to have your scoping comments considered.
Additional information about the proposed project is available from
Ms. Alisa Lykens, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0766.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-26493 Filed 10-25-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M