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Notice of Fourth Interstate Natural Gas Facility-Planning Seminar

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: April 2, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 63)]
[Notices]
[Page 17547-17550]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02ap01-52]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Fourth Interstate Natural Gas Facility-Planning Seminar

March 27, 2001.
    The Office of Energy Projects will hold the fourth in a series of
public meetings around the country for the purposes of exploring and
enhancing strategies for constructive public participation in the
earliest stages of natural gas facility planning. This seminar will be
held in Seattle, Washington on Thursday, April 26, 2001. We are
inviting interstate natural gas companies; Federal, state and local
agencies; landowners and non-governmental organizations with an
interest in developing new ways of doing business to join us in this
effort. We will discuss:

[[Page 17548]]

     The pre-filing facility planning process;
     The potential benefits of pipeline facilities;
     Any other ways of improving the environmental review
process for interstate natural gas pipeline projects.
    The staff of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects will give a
briefing on the results of our first three seminars in Albany, New
York, Chicago, Illinois, and Tampa, Florida. We'll discuss problems
that were identified and potential solutions that were offered in the
seminars.
    Join us as we continue to explore new strategies being employed by
the natural gas industry, agencies, and citizens to learn about each
others' concerns and to engage the public and agencies in participatory
project design. Interactive discussions will be held with panelists
from various Federal and state agencies, representatives from natural
gas companies, and private landowners or citizen representatives who
have had relevant experiences. There will be substantial opportunity
for the sharing of experiences and knowledge during both the panel
discussions and in the interactive ``brainstorming'' session. So, bring
your ideas with you and prepare to share them.
    The objectives of the seminar are:
     Exchange ideas with other stakeholders and explore the
best avenues for involving people and agencies, pre-filing, toward
fostering settlements through creative issue resolution.
     Explore steps taken to identify the parties directly
involved with and affected by natural gas facility siting and/or
permitting, so they can work together and resolve issues.
     Build upon the discussions from the first three seminars.
     To encourage the submission of filings with no or few
contested issues in order to reduce the Commission's processing time.
     Discuss the potential benefits of an interstate natural
gas pipeline project.
     Explore other ideas for improving the FERC's environmental
review process.
    We are building on what was learned at our prior meetings and
continuing to work toward developing a toolbox of the best available
techniques for increasing public involvement and developing solutions
to issues during the pre-filing planning process. This will help to
plan projects with less opposition that can achieve faster action from
the Commission with less controversy and fewer conditions.
    The meeting in Seattle, Washington will be held at the Washington
Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101. The
meeting is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and finish at 2:30 p.m. A
preliminary agenda (attachment 1) and directions to the Washington
Athletic Club (attachment 2) are enclosed. Also, see attachment 3
regarding the selection of locations of future meetings.
    If you plan to attend, please e-mail our team at:
gasoutreach@ferc.fed.us by April 20, 2001. Or, you can respond via
facsimile to Pennie Lewis-Partee at 202-208-0353. Please include in the
response the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all attendees
from your organization. We will send an acknowledgment of your request.
    To help us enhance our panel discussions, please consider issues
and/or questions you would like to have addressed at the meetings and
e-mail them to us. If you have any questions, you may contact any of
the staff listed below:

Richard Hoffmann 202/208-0066
Lauren O'Donnell 202/208-0325
Jeff Shenot 202/219-2178
Howard Wheeler 202/208-2299

J. Mark Robinson,
Director, Division of Environmental & Engineering Review, Office of
Energy Projects.

Attachment 1

Agenda

4th Interstate Natural Gas Facility Planning Seminar, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington Athletic Club, Seattle,
Washington

April 26, 2001

9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

9:00 a.m.--Introductions
    Welcome: Mark Robinson, Director, Division of Environmental &
Engineering Review, Office of Energy Projects, FERC
    Rich Hoffman, Office of Energy Projects (OEP), FERC
9:15--The Pipeline Planning/Approval Process--Lauren O'Donnell, OEP,
What's the role of FERC
9:30--Summary of Contents from the Albany, Chicago, and Tampa
Meetings--Rich Hoffman
9:45--Panel 1. Perspectives on Project Announcement, Route Planning,
and How to Work Together--Howard Wheeler, OEP, Moderator
    (Discussion of factors re: announcement of the project, planning of
the route, types of surveys needed; extent of disturbance, and who to
tell. What are the needs of the various stakeholders?)
    John Cassidy, Pacific Gas and Electric
    Citizen/NGO Representative
    Gary Sprague, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
    (10-minute discussion by each panelist with interactive
Brainstorming/Q&A session with panelists and audience for remainder of
Panel)
11:00--Break
11:15--Panel 2. What are the Benefits (real and potential) of a natural
gas project and right-of-way?--Lauren O'Donnell, Moderator
    (Discussion of the various types of benefits of a pipeline project
to the company, the individual, local area, region and/or state. How to
identify them, how to advertise them.)
    Agency Representative
    Representative of Northwest Pipeline Corporation
    Joanne Longwoods, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
    (10-minute discussion by each panelist with interactive
Brainstorming/Q&A session with panelists and audience for remainder of
Panel)
12:30--Lunch
1:00--Brainstorming Session * * * OEP Staff will lead an all-
participants discussion of issues regarding other potential ways of
improving and speeding up the environmental review of interstate
natural gas pipeline projects.
    --Explore Environmental Impact Statement timelines;
    --Explore starting the NEPA process pre-filing; and
    --Discuss the role of state and local agencies.
2:15--Summary of the day
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Attachment 3

Future Meetings?

    Between now and September of 2001, we will conduct additional
seminars at locations around the country. Locations for the meetings
will be selected based on the history of past, present and especially
future pipeline projects where interstate natural gas markets are
developing or expanding.
    Yes, for those who have been following our progress, we've gone
west for our fourth meeting. But, we will hold a meeting in the
northeast!
    Areas we are considering for meetings include:

Boston, Massachusetts/Portland, Maine area--May/June, 2001?
Reno, Nevada or Salt Lake City, Utah--July/August, 2001?

    If you care to voice your opinion about these or other areas,
please follow the instructions for contacting us in the notice.

[FR Doc. 01-7889 Filed 3-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M

 
 

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