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National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Intent To Pr
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National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Intent To Pr
[Federal Register: July 12, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 135)] [Notices]
[Page 36724-36725]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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.
\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.
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\
\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.
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:
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:
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:
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