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Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Texas Eastern Incremental Market Expansion II 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: June 2, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 106)]
[Notices]
[Page 32073-32075]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02jn06-62]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP06-115-000]
Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Texas Eastern Incremental Market
Expansion II Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
May 26, 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 Texas Eastern Incremental
Market Expansion (TIME) II Project involving construction, replacement,
and operation of facilities by Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas
Eastern) in Pickaway and Monroe Counties, Ohio and Somerset, Bedford,
Franklin, Bucks, Fayette, and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. The TIME II
Project would provide additional natural gas pipeline capacity to the
New Jersey market area, alleviating the constraints currently
experienced as a result of increasing market demand. The TIME II
Project would provide up to 150,000 dekatherms per day (dth/d) of
transportation capacity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping period that will
be used to gather environmental input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Please note that the scoping period will close
on June 30, 2006.
This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners;
Federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes, other
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers. State and local
government representatives are asked to notify their constituents of
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
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?'' 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 Commission's
proceedings.
Summary of the Proposed Project \1\
In 2007, Texas Eastern proposes to:
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\1\ Texas Eastern'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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? Remove about 6.4 miles of its existing 24-inch-diameter
Line 1 pipeline and replace it, within the same trench, with a 36-inch-
diameter pipeline in Somerset and Bedford Counties, Pennsylvania
(Uniontown Discharge);
? Remove about 4.9 miles of its existing 24-inch-diameter
Line 1 pipeline and replace it, within the same trench, with a 36-inch-
diameter pipeline in Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Bedford Discharge);
? Remove about 10.3 miles of its existing 20-inch-diameter
Line 2 pipeline and replace it, within the same
[[Page 32074]]
trench, with a 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
(Eagle Discharge);
? Construct the new Heidlersburg Compressor Station, which
would include a 16,000 horsepower (hp) electric motor/centrifugal
compressor and related facilities near Heidlersburg in Adams County,
Pennsylvania; and
? Remove, relocate, or install appurtenant facilities.
In 2008, Texas Eastern proposes to:
? Remove about 6.3 miles of its existing 24-inch-diameter
Line 1 pipeline and replace it, within the same trench, with a 36-inch-
diameter pipeline in Pickaway County, Ohio (Five Points Discharge);
? Construct about 4.0 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline
loop \2\ in Monroe County, Ohio (Berne Discharge);
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\2\ A loop is a segment of pipeline that is installed adjacent
to an existing pipeline and connected to it on both ends. The loop
allows more gas to be moved through the pipeline system.
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? Install a 16,000 hp electric motor/centrifugal compressor
unit at its existing Uniontown Compressor Station in Fayette County,
Pennsylvania; and
? Install appurtenant facilities.
The general location of Texas Eastern's proposed facilities is
shown on the map attached as Appendix 1.\3\
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\3\ 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 Web site
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 of Texas Eastern's proposed pipeline facilities would
require about 571.6 acres of land, including construction rights-of-way
for the loop and replacements, additional temporary workspaces, access
roads, staging areas, and pipeyards/wareyards. Following construction,
about 319.9 acres would be maintained as permanent rights-of-way. The
remaining 251.7 acres would be restored and allowed to revert to its
former use.
Construction at the existing Uniontown Compressor Station would
require disturbance of about 0.5 acre within the existing compressor
station site and would not require the clearing of additional land.
Construction of the Heidlersburg Compressor Station would require
about 6.3 acres of land. Following construction, about 6.2 acres would
be maintained as a new aboveground facility site.
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
\4\ 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. By this notice, we are also asking Federal, state, and local
agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation
of the EA. Agencies that would like to request cooperating status
should follow the instructions for filing comments below.
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\4\ ''We'', ``us'', and ``our'', refer to the environmental
staff of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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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.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
In the EA, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the project. We will also evaluate
possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the
project.
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities,
environmental information provided by Texas Eastern, and comments
gathered from concerned citizens at Texas Eastern's open houses. This
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and
our analysis.
? Potential noise levels due to the operation of the
compressor stations;
? Safety concerns;
? Eight federally-listed threatened and endangered species
may potentially occur in the project areas;
? 56 perennial waterbodies would be crossed; and
? About 6.2 acres of agricultural land would be converted to
industrial use for the Heidlersburg Compressor Station.
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
and 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 1.
? Reference Docket No. CP06-115-000.
? Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before June 30, 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 online.
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
[[Page 32075]]
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.
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. E6-8595 Filed 6-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P