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Dominion Transmission Incorporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Utica 7 Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

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[Federal Register: January 30, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 20)]
[Notices]
[Page 5544-5546]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30ja08-57]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP08-45-000]

Dominion Transmission Incorporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Utica 7 Project and
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

January 24, 2008.
    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 Dominion Transmission
Incorporation (DTI) Project involving the addition of a compressor unit
at its existing Utica Compressor Stations, located at New Hartford,
Herkimer County, New York. The EA will be used by the Commission in its
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the
public convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Your input will help determine which issues
need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period
will close on February 25, 2008. Details on how to submit comments are
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state,
and local government agencies; elected officials; Native American
tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers.
State and local government representatives are asked to notify their
constituents of this proposed project and to encourage them to comment
on their areas of concern.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' addresses a number
of 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 Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    DTI proposes to install an additional compressor unit at its
existing Utica Compressor Station to provide new firm transportation
service for a new customer while maintaining reliability in meeting all
existing service entitlement on the northeastern portion of DTI's
transmission system. The project would be located in New Harford,
Herkimer County, New York. Modification of the Utica Compressor Station
will include the installation of:
    • One natural gas-fired, reciprocating internal combustion
engine with a nominal 2,250 HP rating.
    All project activities would be contained within the property
boundary for DTI's Utica Compressor Station. Approximately five acres
of this facility would be utilized for project activities.
    The general location of the proposed facilities is shown in
Appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices 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 ``Additional Information''
section of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps
of the proposed facilities should be made directly to El Paso.

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[[Page 5545]]

The EA Process

    We \2\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the Commission to take
into account the environmental impact that could result if it
authorizes El Paso's proposal. 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.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    With this notice, we are 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. These agencies may choose to participate once they have
evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities. Additional
agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should
follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the Public
Participation section of this notice.
    NEPA also requires the FERC 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, we are requesting public comments on the scope of the
issues to address in the EA. All comments received are considered
during the preparation of the EA.
    The EA 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.
    • Land use.
    • Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
    • Cultural resources.
    • Vegetation and wildlife.
    • Air quality and noise.
    • Endangered and threatened species.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project
or portions of the project, where necessary, 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.

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 compressor
station sites, 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:
Kimberley D. Bose, 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, PJ-11.2;
    • Reference Docket No. CP08-45-000; and
    • Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before February 25, 2008.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments. See 18
Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on
the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the
``eFiling'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Prepare your
submission in the same manner as you would if filing on paper and save
it to a file on your hard drive. Before you can file comments you will
need to create an account by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then
``New User Account.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing
you are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.''
    We may mail the EA for public comment. If you are interested in
receiving it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 2). 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 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, then 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

[[Page 5546]]

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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-1622 Filed 1-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

 
 

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