[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 135 (Friday, July 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36724-36725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17713]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-564-000]
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line K Relocation Project
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
July 8, 1996.
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 construction and operation of
the facility proposed in the Line K Relocation Project.\1\ This EA will
be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine
whether an environmental impact statement is necessary and whether to
approve the project.
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\1\ National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation's application was filed
with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part
157 of the Commission's regulations.
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Summary of the Proposed Project
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (National Fuel) wants to
construct about 877 feet of 20-inch-diameter pipeline to replace about
454 feet of Line K in Erie County, New York. Of this 454-foot-long
segment of Line K, about 147 feet would be removed and 307 feet would
be abandoned in place. National Fuel states that due to encroachment of
residential development this segment of deteriorating Line K can not be
replace in the same location.
The specific location of the project facility 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 and Files Maintenance Branch, 888
First 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
Construction of the proposed facility would require about 0.99 acre
of land. Following construction, about 0.60 acre would be maintained as
permanent right-of-way. The remaining 0.33 acre would be restored and
allowed to revert to its former use.
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 the ``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 considered during the preparation of the EA. State and local
government representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents
of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
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
public 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 facility and
the environmental information provided by National Fuel. This
preliminary list of issues may be
[[Page 36725]]
changed based on your comments and our analysis:
Three residences are located within 50 feet of the
construction right-of-way.
The entire project lies within a residential area.
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, 888 First St., N.E., Washington, D.C.
20426;
Reference Docket No. CP96-564-000;
Send a copy of your letter to: Mrs. Medha Kochhar, EA
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St.,
N.E., PR-11.2, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, D.C. on or before August 12, 1996.
If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one
from Mrs. Medha Kochhar 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) (see
appendix 2).
You do not need intervenor status to have your scoping comments
considered.
Additional information about the proposed project is available from
Mrs. Medha Kochbar, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-2270.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-17713 Filed 7-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M