[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2942-2943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1178]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-55-000]


Distrigas of Massachusetts Corporation; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Distrigas LNG 
Plant Modifications Project and Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

January 12, 2000.
    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 construction and operation of 
the facilities proposed at Distrigas of Massachusetts Corporation's 
(DOMAC) liquefied natural gas terminal (LNG Plant) in Everett, 
Massachusetts.\1\ This EA will be used by the Commission in its 
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the 
public convenience and necessity.
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    \1\ DOMAC's application in Docket No. CP00-55-000 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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Summary of the Proposed Project

    The proposed project would allow DOMAC to establish a mutually 
beneficial thermal energy exchange arrangement between its LNG Plant 
and the Island End Cogeneration Project (Power Project), a 
nonjurisdictional electric generating Facilities Siting Board (Siting 
Board) on October 8, 1998. DOMAC proposes to supply 66,000 MMBtu per 
day of regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the Power Plant 
Project and to modify its existing vaporization facilities to use low-
grade waste heat from the Power Project. Specifically, DOMAC requests 
Commission authorization to:
    <bullet> Install a closed-loop hot and cold water thermal energy 
transfer system consisting of piping, a warm water storage tank, water-
to-water heat exchangers, and five water pumps;
    <bullet> Replace existing low, medium, and high pressure vaporizers 
with equivalent capacity shell-and-tube hot water heat exchangers 
compatible with the thermal energy transfer system;
    <bullet> Perform minor LNG Plant modifications necessary to meter 
and connect the Power Project's fuel supply line to the LNG Plant; and
    <bullet> Install a new utility water supply system to serve both 
the LNG Plant and the Power Project.
    The general location of DOMAC's proposed project facilities is 
shown on the map attached as appendix 1.\2\ Construction of the 
proposed facilities would occur completely on land owned by DOMAC or on 
the adjacent Power Project site.
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's website at the ``RIMS'' link or from the Commission's 
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, 
NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. For instructions 
on connecting to RIMS 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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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. 
We call this ``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 requests public

[[Page 2943]]

comments on the scope of the issues it will address in the EA. All 
comments received are considered during the preparation of the EA. 
State and local governments representatives are encouraged to notify 
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to 
comment on their areas of concern.
    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:
    <bullet> Geology and soils
    <bullet> Vegetation and wildlife
    <bullet> Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
    <bullet> Endangered and threatened species
    <bullet> Public safety
    <bullet> Cultural resources
    <bullet> Land use
    <bullet> Air quality and noise
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed 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 beginning on page 4.

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 DOMAC. This preliminary list 
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
    <bullet> Noise quality may be affected by the addition of the new 
warm water circulating pumps.
    <bullet> Soils (possibly contaminated) may be affected by minor 
ground disturbance from foundation construction. The proposed project 
area is part of a site that has been identified as a ``noticed site'' 
pursuant to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan. The former site owner, 
Boston Gas Company, is currently conducting environmental 
investigations to determine the need for soil remediation.
    The Siting Board has reviewed environmental impacts associated with 
the Power Project and has approved construction of this facility. 
Therefore, the EA will not address impacts from this nonjurisdictional 
facility. We will briefly describe their location and status in the EA.

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, 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:
    <bullet> Send two copies of your letter to: David P. Boergers, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE, 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    <bullet> Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1.
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP00-55-000.
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before February 11, 2000.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of 
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors. 
Likewise, each intervenor must provide 14 copies of its filings to the 
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If 
you want 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) (see appendix 2). Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    The date for filing timely motions to intervene in this proceeding 
has passed. Therefore, parties now seeking to file late interventions 
must show good cause, as required by section 385.214(b)(3), why this 
time limitation should be waived. Environmental issues have been viewed 
as good cause for late intervention.
    You do not need intervenor status to have your environmental 
comments considered. Additional information about the proposed project 
is available from Mr. Paul McKee of the Commission's Office of External 
Affairs at (202) 208-1088 or on the FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us) 
using the ``RIMS'' link to information in this docket number. Click on 
the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the RIMS Menu, and follow 
the instructions. For assistance with access to RIMS, the RIMS helpline 
can be reached at (202) 208-2222.
    Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides 
access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such 
as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website, 
click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and 
follow the instructions. For assistance with access to CIPS, the CIPS 
helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-1178 Filed 1-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M