Docket No. CP03-302-000, et al.  - # -

                   

                                  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
                            FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

              Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline Company          Docket Nos. CP03-302-000
                                                                        CP03-303-000
                                                                        CP03-304-000
                                                                          PF03-1-000
              Colorado Interstate Gas Company                Docket No. CP03-301-000

                                NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF THE
                            DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
                      FOR THE PROPOSED CHEYENNE PLAINS PIPELINE PROJECT

                                      (October 3, 2003)

                   The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC
              or Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact
              statement (DEIS) on the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed
              by Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline Company (CPG) and Colorado
              Interstate Gas Company (CIG) in the above-referenced dockets.
              The proposed project, referred to as the Cheyenne Plains Pipeline
              Project, is located in various counties in Colorado and Kansas.

                   The DEIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the
              National Environmental Policy Act.  The staff concludes that if
              the project is constructed as modified and with the appropriate
              mitigation measures as recommended, it would have limited adverse
              environmental impact.  

                   The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS) is
              participating as a cooperating agency in the preparation of this
              DEIS as they (the FS) will be issuing their own Record of
              Decision on whether or not to issue a special use authorization
              for the portion of the pipeline that crosses the Pawnee National
              Grassland (PNG).  The Forest Service's Record of Decision is
              appealable under 36 CFR 215, Notice, Comment and Appeal
              Procedures for National Forest System Projects and Activities.
              In agreement with  36 CFR 215.13, only individuals and
              organizations who submit substantive written or oral comments
              during the 45-day comment period for the DEIS for the proposed
              Cheyenne Plains Pipeline Project (and specifically addresses the
              portion on the PNG) may appeal the Regional Forester's decision
              as documented in the Record of Decision.

                   The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is also a
              cooperating agency in the preparation of the DEIS because the
              project has the potential to affect endangered species, migratory
              birds, wildlife, and habitat.


                   The DEIS addresses the potential environmental effects of
              the construction and operation of the following facilities: 

                      *  a total of 379.8 miles of 30-inch-diameter mainline,
                         with 189.0 miles in Colorado (Weld, Morgan,
                         Washington, Yuma, and Kit Carson Counties) and 190.8
                         miles in Kansas (Sherman, Wallace, Logan, Scott, Lane,
                         Finney, Hodgeman, Ford, and Kiowa Counties);

                      *  0.2 mile of 20-inch-diameter lateral[1] (Sand Dune
                         Lateral) in Kiowa County, Kansas;

                      *  4.2 miles of 30-inch-diameter lateral (South
                         Rattlesnake Creek Lateral) in Kiowa County, Kansas;

                      *  3.0 miles of 8-inch-diameter lateral (Cossell Lake
                         Lateral) in Kiowa County, Kansas;

                      *  one 2,443-horsepower (hp) jumper compressor installed
                         within CIG's existing compressor station located at
                         the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, Colorado;

                      *  three 10,310-hp turbine compressors installed in a new
                         CPG compressor station located at the Cheyenne Hub; 

                      *  a new gas treatment plant at the Cheyenne Hub
                         consisting of separate amine and glycol processing
                         trains;

                      *  nine new interconnects[2] with existing pipeline
                         systems.  These interconnects would include metering
                         facilities and would consist of toolbar receipt points,
                         one each with CIG and Wyoming Interstate Company at
                         the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, Colorado, and seven
                         delivery points, one with Kinder Morgan Interstate
                         Pipeline Company in Scott County, Kansas, one with
                         Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America in Ford
                         County, Kansas, and one each with Southern Star
                         Central Gas Pipeline, LLC, ANR Pipeline Company,
                         Northern Natural Gas Company, Panhandle Eastern Pipe
                         Line Company, and Kansas Gas Service Company in Kiowa
                         County, Kansas;

                      *  32 mainline valves (MLVs), consisting of 1 at the
                         Cheyenne Hub, 4 at interconnects in Kiowa County,
                         Kansas, and 27 located independently along the
                         mainline and laterals; and

                      *  toolbar pig[3] launchers, toolbar pig receivers, and five pig
                         launcher and receivers, each collocated with new MLV
                         sites.

              Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

                   Any person wishing to comment on the DEIS may do so.  Please
              carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are
              properly recorded: 

                      *  Send an original and toolbar copies of your comments to:

                              Magalie R. Salas, Secretary
                              Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
                              888 First St., N.E., Room 1A
                              Washington, DC  20426; 
                   
                      *  Label one copy of your comments for the attention of
                         Gas Branch 1, DG2E;

                      *  Reference Docket No. CP03-302-000 on the original and
                         both copies; and

                      *  Mail your comments so that they will be received in
                         Washington, DC on or before November 24, 2003.

                   Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in
              mail deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service.  Therefore, the
              Commission encourages electronic filing of comments.  See Title
              18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and
              the instructions on the Commission's Internet website 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 "Sign-up" under "New User."  You will be
              asked to select the type of filing you are making.  This filing
              is considered a "Comment on Filing."

                   In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, the
              FERC invites you to attend the public meetings the staff will
              conduct in the project area to receive comments on the draft EIS.
              All meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m., and are scheduled as
              follows:

               Date                         Location
               Tuesday, November 18, 2003   Quality Inn
                                            14378 US Highway 34
                                            Fort Morgan, Colorado
                                            (970) 867-8208
               Wednesday, November 19, 2003 Old Town Museum
                                            420 S. 14th Street
                                            Burlington, Colorado
                                            (719) 346-7382
               Thursday, November 20, 2003  Scott City Fairgrounds
                                            Fair Ground Road
                                            Scott City, Kansas
                                            (620) 872-2626


                   Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend
              and present oral comments on the DEIS.  Transcripts of the
              meetings will be prepared.

                   After comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are
              investigated, and modifications are made to the DEIS, a final EIS
              will be published and distributed by the staff.  The final EIS
              will contain the staff's responses to timely comments received on
              the DEIS.

                   Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not
              serve to make the commentor a party to the proceeding.  Any
              person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a
              motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's
              Rules of Practice and Procedures (Title 18 CFR Part 385.214).

                   Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this draft
              EIS.  You must file your request to intervene as specified
              above.[4]  You do not need intervenor status to have your
              comments considered.

                   The DEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and
              is available for public inspection at:

                            Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
                                    Public Reference Room
                               888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A
                                    Washington, DC  20426
                                       (202) 502-8371

                   A limited number of copies of the DEIS are available from
              the Public Reference Room identified above.  In addition, copies
              of the DEIS have been mailed to Federal, state, and local
              agencies; elected officials; Native American tribes; newspapers;
              public libraries; intervenors to the FERC's proceeding;
              individuals who provided scoping comments; and individuals who
              requested the DEIS. 

                   Additional information about the project is available from
              the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208 FERC
              (3372) or on the FERC Internet website (http://www.ferc.gov).
              Using the "eLibrary" (formerly FERRIS) link, select "General
              Search" from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date range and
              "Docket Number" (i.e., CP03-302-000), and follow the
              instructions.  You may also search using the phrase "Cheyenne
              Plains" in the "Text Search" field.  For assistance with access
              to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY
              (202) 502-8659, or at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov.  

                   In addition, the Commission now offers a free 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. 

                   Information concerning the involvement of the FS is
              available from John Oppenlander at (970) 346-5005.  Information
              concerning the involvement of the FWS is available from Dan
              Mulhern at (785) 539-3474 (ext. 109). 







                                      Magalie R. Salas
                                          Secretary



              Footnotes

              [1]        A  lateral  is  typically  a smaller diameter pipeline
              that takes gas from the main system to  deliver it to a customer,
              local  distribution  system,  or another interstate  transmission
              system.


              [2]        An interconnect is a  connection  to  another pipeline
              system  that  is  used  to deliver or receive gas.  Metering  and
              regulating  facilities  would   typically  be  included  at  each
              interconnect.


              [3]        A pig is an internal tool  that  can  be used to clean
              and dry a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.


              [4]  Interventions  may  also  be  filed electronically  via  the
              Internet in lieu of paper.  See the previous discussion on filing
              comments electronically.