[Federal Register: October 17, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 200)]
[Notices]
[Page 61044-61046]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17oc06-93]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP06-428-000]
Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company, LP; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Tuscola East
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of
Scoping Meeting
October 11, 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 Panhandle Eastern Pipeline
Company, LP's (Panhandle) planned Tuscola East Project located in
Douglas County, Illinois and Parke, Marion, Boone, and Hamilton
Counties, Indiana.\1\ This notice announces the opening of the scoping
process we will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on November 13, 2006.
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\1\ Panhandle'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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Comments may be submitted in written form or presented verbally at
the public meeting detailed below. Further details on how to submit
written comments are provided in the public participation section of
this notice. In lieu of sending written comments, you are invited to
attend the public scoping meeting that is scheduled as follows:
Tuscola East Project
Tuesday--October 24, 2006, 7 p.m. (EST), VFW in Noblesville, 654 S
9th Street, Noblesville IN 46060. (317) 770-3954.
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 Panhandle provided to landowners. 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.
It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov
).
Summary of the Proposed Project
Due to the age of Panhandle's existing line and the Department of
Transportation's Integrity Management Plan regulations, Panhandle
reduced the operating pressure on one line by 20 percent in 2004.
Additional measures to mitigate risk for High Consequence Areas must be
implemented by end of 2011. Panhandle's project purpose is to restore
long-haul transportation capacity from Tuscola heading east to Michigan
by replacing the existing diameter pipeline with larger diameter
pipeline. In general, these facilities would consist of replacing about
31.3 miles of pipeline consisting of three segments and abandoning in
place or by removal the existing 29.4 miles of pipelines that
correspond with the new replacement lines. Specifically, the project
includes:
Tuscola 100-Line (Douglas County, IL)--Replacing 6.7 miles
of existing 100-Line 20-inch diameter pipeline with 36-inch diameter
pipeline, designating the new pipeline as the 500-Line, and installing
a new pig launcher/receiver;
Tuscola 200-Line (Douglas County, IL)--Replacing 1.9 miles
of the existing 200-Line 36-inch diameter pipeline with 20-inch
diameter pipeline (the 1.9 miles of 36-inch pipeline replaced would be
used for the new 500-Line);
Montezuma 100-Line (Parke County, IN)--Replacing 6.6 miles
of the existing 100-Line 20-inch diameter pipeline with 36-inch
diameter pipeline, designating the new pipeline as the 500-Line, and
installing a new pig launcher/receiver; and
Zionsville 200-Line (Marion, Boone, and Hamilton Counties,
IN)--Replacing 18.0 miles of the existing 200-Line 24-inch diameter
pipeline with 30-inch diameter pipeline, designating the new
[[Page 61045]]
pipeline as the 500-Line, and installing a new pig launcher/receiver.
The majority of all segments to be replaced would be abandoned by
removal, and at stream, wetland, pipeline crossovers, and uncased road
crossing the pipeline would be abandoned in place. Also 16 taps would
be disconnected from the 100 and 200-Lines and reconnection to the
nearest adjacent lines would be required in order to continue providing
service. The general locations of the project facilities are 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 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
Panhandle proposes to use a 125-foot wide right-of-way, which would
overlap its existing permanent right-of-way. However, a temporary
construction right-of-way may be required. Panhandle would first
install the new 500-Line along each segment, and then remove the 100-
and 200-Lines from their respective rights-of-way. The new 500-Line
would be installed within the existing rights-of-way of each segment
with a 25-foot offset from the existing mainlines. Construction of the
proposed facilities would require about 546.6 acres of land. Following
construction, about 204.8 acres would be maintained as permanent
easement or aboveground facility sites as part of Panhandle's existing
permanent rights-of-way. No additional permanent rights-of-way would be
required because the proposed project would be operated within existing
Panhandle rights-of-way. The remaining 341.8 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:
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\3\ ''We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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Geology and soils.
Land use.
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
Cultural resources.
Vegetation and wildlife.
Air quality and noise.
Endangered and threatened species.
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 Panhandle. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Project-related impact on:
Threatened and Endangered Species;
Noise impacts from construction activities and operations
Pipeline Safety and reliability; and
Residences or structures within 50 feet of the
construction work space.
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/or 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. CP06-428-000.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before November 13, 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 a free account which can be created on-line.
We may mail the EA for 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
[[Page 61046]]
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 email 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. E6-17199 Filed 10-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P