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Southeast Supply Header, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Southeast Supply Header Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
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 44685-44687]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07au06-62]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Docket No. PF06-28-000
Southeast Supply Header, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Southeast Supply Header
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Meetings
July 28, 2006.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
will identify and address the environmental impacts that could result
from the construction and operation of the Southeast Supply Header
Project proposed by Southeast Supply Header, LLC (SESH) a partnership
between Duke Energy Gas Transmission and CenterPoint Gas Transmission.
In order to assist staff with the identification of environmental
issues and to comply with the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), a thirty day scoping period
has been opened to receive comments on the proposed project. Please note
that the scoping period for this project will close on August 28, 2006.
Additionally, as part of the scoping process, we will also hold
three public meetings, as described below, to receive comments on the
proposed project.
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Date and time Location
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Monday--August 21, 2006, 7 p.m. to Multipurpose Building in Gallman,
9 p.m. (CST). West Gallman Road, Gallman,
Mississippi, Telephone: (601) 953-
9007.
Tuesday--August 22, 2006, 7 p.m. Hattiesburg Lake Terrace, Convention
to 9 p.m. (CST). Center, One Convention Center
Plaza, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
39042, Telephone: (800) 638-6877.
Thursday--August 24, 2006, 7 p.m. Lucedale Rocky Creek Inn, 120 Woods
to 9 p.m. (CST). Ridge Road, Lucedale, Mississippi
39452, Telephone: (601) 947-6900.
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This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state,
and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested
parties; and local libraries and newspapers; all of which are
encouraged to submit comments on the proposed project. Details on how
to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section of
this notice.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a SESH representative about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed project facilities. The
pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the FERC, that
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with
state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). This fact
sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use
of eminent domain and how to participate in the FERC's proceedings.
Summary of the Proposed Project
SESH proposes to construct, own and operate a new 36-inch-diameter
natural gas pipeline and associated facilities that would be capable of
receiving and transporting about 1.0 billion cubic feet of natural gas
per day in Richland and Madison Parishes, Louisiana; Warren, Claiborne,
Hinds, Copiah, Simpson, Lawrence, Jefferson Davis, Covington, Jones,
Forrest, Perry, Greene, George, and Jackson Counties, Mississippi; and
Mobile County, Alabama.
The general location of the proposed pipeline is shown in the
figure included as Appendix 1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register.
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Specifically, SESH proposes to construct and operate the following
facilities:
? Approximately 270 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline beginning in
Richland Parish, Louisiana and ending in Mobile County, Alabama;
? Three natural gas compressor stations: Delhi Compressor
Station in Richland Parish (30,000 hp), Louisiana; Gwenville Compressor
Station in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi (15,000 hp) and the
Lucedale Compressor Station in George County, Mississippi (15,000 hp);
? Three booster compressor stations at the Texas Eastern
Transmission LP (TETLP) meter and regulation (M&R) Station, at the
Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corporation (Transco) M&R Station, and at
the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Tennessee Gas) M&R Station in
Copiah, Jefferson Davis and Forrest Counties, Mississippi;
? Twelve natural gas pipeline interconnects and M&R Stations; and
? Three pig launching and receiving facilities and several
mainline valves.
SESH proposes to have the project constructed and operational by
June 2008.
Land Requirements for Construction
As proposed, the typical construction right-of-way for the project
pipeline would be 100 feet wide. Following construction, SESH has
proposed to retain a 50-foot-wide permanent right-of-way for operation
of the project.
[[Page 44686]]
Additional, temporary extra workspaces beyond the typical construction
right-of-way limits may also be required at certain feature crossings
(e.g., roads, railroads, wetlands, or waterbodies), in areas with steep
side slopes, or in association with special construction techniques. In
residential areas, wetlands, and other sensitive areas, the
construction right-of-way width would be reduced as necessary to
protect homeowners and environmental resources.
Based on preliminary information, construction and operation of the
proposed project facilities would affect about 3,789 acres of land.
Following construction, about 1,616 acres would be maintained as
permanent right-of-way, and about 120 acres of land would be maintained
as new aboveground facility sites. The remaining 2,053 acres of
temporary workspace (including all temporary construction rights-of-
way, extra workspaces, and pipe storage and contractor yards) would be
restored and allowed to revert to its former use.
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from the approval of an interstate natural gas pipeline. The
FERC will use the EIS to consider the environmental impact that could
result if the CEGT project is authorized under section 7 of the Natural
Gas Act.
NEPA also requires us to discover and address concerns the public
may have about proposals to be considered by the Commission. This
process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of the scoping
process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on the important
environmental issues. With this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff
is requesting public comments on the scope of the issues to be
addressed in the EIS. All comments received will be considered during
preparation of the EIS.
In the EIS we 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;
? Wetlands and vegetation;
? Fish and wildlife;
? Threatened and endangered species;
? Land use, recreation, and visual resources;
? Air quality and noise;
? Cultural resources;
? Socioeconomics;
? Reliability and safety; and
? Cumulative impacts.
In the EIS, 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 affected resources.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to Federal, State, and local
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected landowners;
commentors; other interested parties; local libraries and newspapers;
and the FERC's official service list for this proceeding. A 45-day
comment period will be allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will
consider all comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS. We will consider all comments on
the final EIS before we make our recommendations to the Commission. To
ensure that your comments are considered, please follow the
instructions in the Public Participation section of this notice.
Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has
already initiated its NEPA review under the Commission's Pre-filing
Process. The purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage the
early involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and
resolve issues before an application is filed with the FERC.
With this notice, we are asking Federal, State, and local
governmental agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with
respect to environmental issues, especially those identified in
Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming cooperating agencies
for the preparation of the EIS. These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating
status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided in
Appendix 2.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already
identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a
preliminary review of the project site and the facility information
provided by CEGT. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based
on your comments and our analysis.
? Potential effects on prime farmland and erodable soils.
? Potential impacts to perennial and intermittent
waterbodies, including waterbodies with Federal and/or State
designations/protections.
? Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands
and development of appropriate mitigation.
? Potential impacts to fish and wildlife habitat, including
potential impacts to federally and state-listed threatened and
endangered species.
? Potential visual effects of the aboveground facilities on
surrounding areas.
? Potential impacts and potential benefits of construction
workforce on local housing, infrastructure, public services, and economy.
? Potential impacts to local air and noise quality
associated with construction and operation.
? Public safety and potential hazards associated with the
transport of natural gas.
? Alternative alignments for the pipeline route and
alternative sites for the compressor stations.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the proposed project. By becoming a
commentor, your concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by
the Commission. Your comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including alternative
facility sites and pipeline routes), and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. To ensure that your comments are timely and properly
recorded, please carefully follow these instructions:
? Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
? Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 2, DG2E.
? Reference Docket No. PF06-28-000 on the original and both copies.
? Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before August 28, 2006.
Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. As a result, we will include
all comments that we receive within a reasonable timeframe in our
environmental analysis of this project. The Commission strongly
encourages electronic filing of any
[[Page 44687]]
comments in response to this Notice of Intent. For information on
electronically filing comments, please see the instructions on the
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov.
The public scoping meetings are designed to provide another
opportunity to offer comments on the proposed project. Interested
groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meetings and to
present comments on the environmental issues they believe should be
addressed in the EIS. A transcript of each meeting will be generated so
that your comments will be accurately recorded.
Once SESH formally files its application with the Commission, you
may want to become an official party to the proceeding known as an
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and
are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts
if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site.
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time.
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily
for project purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the
Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities.
If you received this notice, you are on the environmental mailing
list for this project. If you do not want to send comments at this
time, but still want to remain on our mailing list, please return the
Information Request (Appendix 3). If you do not return the Information
Request, you will be removed from the Commission's environmental
mailing list.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC (3372).
Additional information can also be found on the Internet at
http://www.ferc.gov. The ``eLibrary link'' on the FERC Web site provides
access to documents submitted to and issued by the Commission, such as
comments, orders, notices and rulemakings. Once on the FERC Web site,
click on the ``eLibrary link,'' select ``General Search'' and in the
``Docket Number'' field enter the project docket number excluding the
last three digits (PF06-28). When researching information be sure to
select an appropriate date range. In addition, the FERC now offers a
free e-mail service called eSubscription that 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. To register for
this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx
along with other related information.
For assistance with the FERC Web site or with eSubscription, please
contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at 1-866-208-3676, or TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
Finally, SESH has established an Internet Web site for this project at
http://www.duke-energy.com/companies/degt/projects/sesh/. 
The Web
site includes a description of the project, a map of the proposed pipeline
route, and answers to frequently asked questions. You can also request
additional information or provide comments directly to SESH at 1-888-
312-7374.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-12720 Filed 8-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P