36128 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 110 / Wednesday, June 7, 2000 / Notices

1Horizon and Natural’s application were filed

with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural

Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission’s

regulations.

inspection in the Public Reference

Room. This filing may be viewed on the

web at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/

rims.htm (call 202–208–2222 for

assistance).

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–14233 Filed 6–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP00–129–000; Docket No.

CP00–132–000]

Horizon Pipeline Company, L.L.C. and

Natural Gas Pipeline Company of

America; Notice of Intent To Prepare

an Environmental Assessment for the

Proposed Horizon Project and Request

for Comments on Environmental

Issues

June 1, 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 Horizon Project involving

construction and operation of facilities

by Horizon Pipeline Company, L.L.C.

(Horizon) and Natural Gas Pipeline

Company of America (Natural) in Cook,

DuPage, Kane, McHenry, and Will

counties, Illinois.1 These facilities

would consist of approximately 71

miles of various diameter pipeline, a

new compressor station, modification to

an existing compressor station, meter

stations, taps, and values. 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.

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 the applicants 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 website (www.ferc.fed.us).

Summary of the Proposed Project

[Docket No. CP00–129–000]

Horizon does not currently own any

pipeline facilities and is not engaged in

any natural gas transportation

operations. Upon approval of the subject

applications, Horizon would become a

new interstate pipeline company subject

to Commission jurisdiction under the

Natural Gas Act. Horizon proposes to

provide 380 thousand dekatherms per

day (Mdth/d) of gas transportation

service to customers in northern Illinois.

The Horizon Project would consist of 71

miles of pipeline from near Joliet,

Illinois to near McHenry, Illinois.

Approximately 29 miles would be new

construction with the remaining 42

miles consisting of leased capacity along

an existing Natural pipeline.

Specifically, Horizon proposes to

acquire, construct, and operate:

• 29 miles of new 36-inch-diameter

pipeline in DuPage, Cook, Kane, and

McHenry Counties, Illinois;

• Miscellaneous meter stations, taps,

and values along the new 36-inchdiameter pipeline;

• 380 MDth/d of leased capacity

along 42 miles of existing Natural

pipeline in Will and DuPage Counties,

Illinois; and

• 8,900 horsepower new compressor

station adjacent to Natural’s Compressor

Station 113 in Will County, Illinois.

[Docket No. CP00–132–000]

Natural proposes to abandon 42 miles

of leased capacity on its existing system

to Horizon. The leased capacity would

run from Natural’s Gulf Cost mainline

interconnect with Alliance Pipeline L.P.

to an interconnect with the proposed

Horizon pipeline. The capacity lease

would require Natural to construct new

facilities and to rearrange existing

facilities. Specifically, Natural proposes

to:

• Abandon by lease 380 MDth/d of

capacity to Horizon;

• Increase the total horsepower of its

existing Compressor Station 113 by

3,690 horsepower;

• Modify the Streamwood Meter

Station; and

• Construct taps at the interconnects

with the new Horizon pipeline in

DuPage and McHenry Counties, Illinois.

The locations of all proposed facilities

are shown in appendix 1.

Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the proposed facilities

would require about 424 acres of land.

Following construction, approximately

139 acres would be maintained as new

pipeline right-of-way and about 7 acres

would be maintained as new

aboveground facility sites. The

remaining 278 acres of land would be

restored and allowed to prevent to the

former use.

The EA Process

The National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) requires that 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

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

government 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:

• Geology and soils;

• Water resources, fisheries, and

wetlands;

• Vegetation and wildlife;

• Endangered and threatened species;

• Land use;

• Cultural Resources;

• Air quality and noise; and

• 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

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 110 / Wednesday, June 7, 2000 / Notices 36129

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 or

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

Horizon. This preliminary list of issues

may be changed based on your

comments and our analysis.

• The project would be cross 10

perennial streams, 24 acres of wetlands,

and 22 acres of forest.

• Federally listed endangered or

threatened species, such as the prairie

bush clover and the eastern prairie

fringed orchid, may occur in the

proposed project area.

• The project would cross public

lands and other designated areas, such

as the Pratts Wayne Woods County

Forest Preserve, the Stickney Run

Conservation Area, and the Bates Fen

Nature Preserve, in DuPage and

McHenry Counties.

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 routes, and measure 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 two copies of your letter to:

David P. Boergers, 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 1.

• Reference Docket Nos. CP00–129–

000 & CP00–132–000.

• Mail your comments so that they

will be received in Washington, DC on

or before June 30, 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.

Affected landowners and parties with

environmental concerns may be granted

intervenor status upon showing good

cause by stating that they have 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.

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.

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–14229 Filed 6–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. EG00–149–000]

Midwest Electric Power, Inc.; Notice of

Amendment to Application for

Commission Determination of Exempt

Wholesale Generator Status

June 1, 2000.

Take notice that on May 26, 2000,

Midwest Electric power, Inc. (MEP),

2100 Portland Road, P.O. Box 165,

Joppa, IL 62953, filed with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission on

amendment to its application for

determination of exempt wholesale

generator status pursuant to Part 365 of

the Commission’s regulations.

Any person desiring to be heard

concerning the application for exempt

wholesale generator status should file a

motion to intervene or comments with

the Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,

Washington, DC 20426, in accordance

with Rules 211 and 214 of the

Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and

385.214). The Commission will limit its

consideration of comments to those that

concern the adequacy of accuracy of the

application. All such motions and

comments should be filed on or before

June 21, 2000, and must be served on

the applicant. Any person wishing to

become a party must file a motion to

intervene. Copies of this filing are on

file with the Commission and are

available for public inspection or on the

Internet at http://www.ferc.fed.us/

online/rims.htm (please call (202) 208–

2222 for assistance).

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–14226 Filed 6–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. RP99–176–020]

Natural Gas Pipeline Company of

America; Notice of Proposed Change

in FERC Gas Tariff

June 1, 2000.

Take notice that on May 26, 2000,

Natural Gas Pipeline Company of

America (Natural) tendered for filing

First Revised Sheet No. 26J to be a part

of its FERC Gas Tariff, Sixth Revised