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Wyckoff Gas Storage Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Amended Wyckoff Gas Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: January 19, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 12)]
[Notices]
[Page 3086-3088]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19ja06-76]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP03-33-002]
Wyckoff Gas Storage Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Amended Wyckoff Gas Storage
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
January 10, 2006.
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 Amended Wyckoff Gas Storage
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Wyckoff
Gas Storage Company, LLC (Wyckoff) in Steuben County, New York.\1\ The
FERC Staff issued a notice of intent to prepare an EA on the original
Wyckoff Gas Storage Project on February 10, 2003. The EA was issued for
public comment on August 26, 2003. The certificate order was issued on
October 6, 2003.
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\1\ Wyckoff'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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The amended project requests authorization to: (1) Relocate certain
of the approved facilities at its certificated storage field; (2)
downsize certain of the approved facilities; (3) permit phasing of the
construction of certain of the approved facilities; and (4) confirm the
previously approved maximum reservoir pressure for the field. This EA
will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine
whether the amended project is in the public convenience and necessity.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities.
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, 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?'' was attached to the
project notice Wyckoff provided to landowners. This fact sheet
addresses a number of
[[Page 3087]]
typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how
to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is available for
viewing on the FERC Internet website (http://www.ferc.gov). 
Summary of the Proposed Project
Wyckoff's current authorization is to construct and operate a
natural gas storage facility in two nearly depleted reservoirs in
Steuben County, New York, capable of storing up to 6 billion cubic feet
of natural gas (CP03-33-000). Wyckoff is asking for authorization to:
1. Relocate the compressor station about 900 feet to the southern
end of the Wyckoff parcel.
2. Construct 1.2 miles of 6-inch-diameter lateral called the Chase
Lateral; 0.5 mile of 6-inch-diameter lateral called the Banks Lateral;
and 0.7 mile 8-inch-diameter lateral called the Banks/Cornell Lateral.
3. Install two 2,370 horsepower (hp) units for a total of 4,740 hp
and one dehydration unit, instead of two 4,735 hp compressor units and
two dehydration units. Wyckoff intends to install the remaining 4,735
hp of approved compression and the additional dehydration unit within a
few years.
4. Defer the construction of the 7.7-mile southern pipeline to
Dominion Transmission, Inc. (Dominion) Interconnect for three years.
Wyckoff would assume ownership of National Fuel Gas Supply
Corporation's (National Fuel) Line Z-67 being abandoned by National
Fuel, and would continue Line Z-67 in operation for transporting gas
between the storage field and National Fuel's system.
5. Directionally drill six new injection/withdrawal wells rather
than vertically drilling each well.
6. Reduce the diameter of the 3.6-mile northern pipeline, the 0.07
mile of pipeline interconnection with Tennessee Gas Pipe Line Company,
and the 0.15 mile of pipeline interconnection with Columbia Gas
Transmission Corporation from 20-inch-diameter to 16-inch-diameter.
7. Phase facilities: Phase I would include 3 existing wells to be
converted to injection/withdrawal wells, the six new injection/
withdrawal wells and the observation wells, the associated lateral
piping, the initial 4,740 hp of compression, the single dehydration
unit and the 3.6-mile northern 16 inch-diameter pipeline.
8. Phase II would consist of the additional 4,735 hp compression,
the additional dehydration unit, and the southern pipeline consisting
of 7.7 miles of 20-inch-diameter southern pipeline to the point of
interconnection with pipeline facilities operated by Dominion.
Wyckoff would also like confirmation that the authorized maximum
reservoir pressure of 1,790 pounds per square inch is the maximum
authorized wellhead pressure for the Wyckoff facility as stated in the
Commission's October 6, 2003 Order.
There are no nonjurisdictional facilities identified for the project.
The location of the project facilities 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 of all appendices, other
than Appendix 1 (maps), are available on the Commission's website at
the ``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference
Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)
502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to the
last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction affecting the amended facilities that include the well
laterals, injection withdrawal wells, and compressor station would
require about 21.1 acres of land. Following construction, about 13.6
acres would be maintained as new permanent right-of-way and aboveground
facility sites. The remaining 7.5 acres of land 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.
This process is referred to as ``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 staff
requests public comments on the scope of the issues to 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.
In the EA we \3\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
\3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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? Soils
? Land use
? Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
? Cultural resources
? Vegetation and wildlife
? Air quality and noise
? Endangered and threatened species
We will not discuss impacts to the following resource areas since
they are not changed from the original application or would not be
affected by the proposed facilities.
? Geology
? 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 make
our recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by Wyckoff. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
? The compressor station would be moved about 900 feet south
of the original location. Two nearby residences and one church would be
impacted by noise from the new compressor station (the same impacted by
the original project).
? About 1.7 miles of new 6-inch-diameter lateral pipeline
and about 0.6 mile of 8-inch-diameter pipeline would be constructed.
? Eight intermittent streams would be crossed by the new laterals.
? Seven wetlands would be affected by the amended lateral
pipeline changes affecting about 0.7 acre.
[[Page 3088]]
? Minor route changes have been proposed for the northern
pipeline route between about milepost (MP) 1.19 and MP 1.58 and along
the southern pipeline route.
? Endangered species may be affected by the project's modifications.
? The land use impacts would be changed by the amended facilities.
? New York Department of Agriculture and Markets has
commented that topsoil stripping and stockpiling problems in early
spring through the spring thaw would destroy the topsoil and hamper
effective sediment and runoff controls.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission.
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative
locations/routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be.
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 letter to: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
? Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 2.
? Reference Docket No. CP03-33-002.
? Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before February 9, 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 time frame in our
environmental analysis of this project. However, 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 a free account which can be
created on-line.
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
taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding, or ``intervenor.'' 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). Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the
Commission's decision. Motions to Intervene should be electronically
submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov.
Persons without Internet access should send an original and 14
copies of their motion to the Secretary of the Commission at the address
indicated previously. Persons filing Motions to Intervene on or before
the comment deadline indicated above must send a copy of the motion to
the Applicant. All filings, including late interventions, submitted
after the comment deadline must be served on the Applicant and all
other intervenors identified on the Commission's service list for this
proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-mail addresses may be
served electronically; others must be served a hard copy of the filing.
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 environmental comments considered.
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. By this
notice we are also asking governmental agencies, especially those in
Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming cooperating agencies
for the preparation of the EA.
Additional Information
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.
Finally, 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.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-495 Filed 1-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P