Central New York Oil and Gas Company, L.L.C; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Stagecoach Phase II Expansion Project
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: August 7, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 151)]
[Notices]
[Page 44681-44682]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07au06-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP06-64-000]
Central New York Oil and Gas Company, L.L.C; Notice of
Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed
Stagecoach Phase II Expansion Project
July 28, 2006.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Central New York Oil and
Gas Company, L.L.C. (CNYOG) in the above-referenced dockets.
The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality
of the human environment.
The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of CNYOG's proposed underground gas storage
facilities and associated pipeline
[[Page 44682]]
facilities. The proposed project is associated with CNYOG's existing
Stagecoach Storage Project which has been in operation since 2002 and
has a working storage capacity of 13.25 billion cubic feet (Bcf). The
Stagecoach Phase II Expansion Project would convert four existing
natural gas production fields that are nearly depleted into storage
reservoirs in Bradford County, Pennsylvania and Tioga County, New York.
The facilities required by the project would include: An additional
12,000-horsepower electric-drive centrifugal compressor unit; eight
storage injection/withdrawal wells; approximately 6.7 miles of 6-inch-
and 20-inch-diameter gathering pipeline and associated rights-of-way;
eight wellhead meter stations and other appurtenant facilities,
including isolation valves, separators, measurement and communication
equipment; about 4.4 miles of access roads not contained within pipeline
or well easements; and a 9.3-mile-long, 20-inch-diameter lateral (North
Lateral) from the existing compressor station to the proposed Millennium
Pipeline located north of the town of Owego, New York.\1\
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\1\ The Millennium Pipeline Project was approved by the
Commission on September 19, 2002 in Docket Nos. CP98-150-000.
Construction of the Millennium Pipeline has not commenced to date,
and Millennium Piepline L.P. is currently seeking Commission
approval for design and route changes to its project in Docket Nos.
CP98-150-006 and CP98-150-007.
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The purpose of the project is to support increased demand for
natural gas service in the northeast United States. The connection and
integration of the additional reservoirs would essentially double the
working storage capacity of the Stagecoach Facility from 13.25 Bcf to
about 26.25 Bcf. The increase in storage capacity is expected to extend
the facility's capability to handle withdrawals at a maximum rate of
500,000 million cubic feet (Mcf)/day from the existing level of 12
consecutive days to 20 consecutive days.
The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited
number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public
inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference
Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, State and local
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers,
and parties to this proceeding.
Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is
important that we receive your comments before the date specified
below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your
comments are received in time and properly recorded:
? Send an original and two copies of your comments to:
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
? Reference Docket No. CP06-64-000;
? Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the
Gas Branch 1, PJ-11.1; and
? Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before August 28, 2006.
Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic
filing of any comments or interventions or protests to this proceeding.
See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's
Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' link and the
link to the User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will need to
create an account which can be created on-line.
Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).\2\ Only intervenors have the right to seek
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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\2\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing
comments electronically.
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Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your comments considered.
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the
FERC Internet Web site (http://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. Be
sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or
toll free at 1-866-208-3676, 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 now 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-12712 Filed 8-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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