[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37366-37367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14923]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-114-000]


Trunkline Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environment 
Assessment for the Proposed Line 100-1 Abandonment Project and Request 
for Comments on Environmental Issues

 June 8, 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 Trunkline Gas Company's 
(Trunkline) proposal to abandon 720 miles of 26-inch-diameter pipeline 
(Line 100-1) by transfer to its affiliate CMS Trunkline Pipeline 
Holdings, Inc. (TPH). 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.
    TPH has entered into an agreement with Centennial Pipeline [a joint 
venture between Texas Eastern Products Pipeline Company, L.P. (TEPPCO) 
and Marathon Ashland Petroleum, L.L.C. (Marathon)] to convert and 
jointly operate the pipeline to transport refined petroleum products 
from Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast area to the Midwest. Line 100-1 extends 
from Douglas County, Illinois through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, 
and Mississippi, and terminates in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana.
    If you are a landowner on Trunkline's route and receive this 
notice, you may be contacted by a pipeline company representative about 
the work that may be necessary on your property to disconnect the 26-
inch-diameter pipeline from the remainder of Trunkline's system. 
Trunkline states that the existing easements permit this transfer of 
ownership and change in use.
    This notice is being sent to landowners of property crossed by 
Trunkline's Line 100-1; landowners likely to be affected by Centennial 
Pipeline's planned facilities; Federal, state, and local agencies; 
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Indian 
tribes that might attach religious and cultural significance to 
historic properties in the area of potential effects; and local 
libraries and newspapers. 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.
    Additionally, with this notice we are asking those Federal, state, 
local and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise 
with respect to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EA. These agencies may choose to participate once 
they have evaluated the proposal relative to their agencies' 
responsibilities. Agencies who would like to request cooperating agency 
status should follow the instructions for filing comments described 
below.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Minor ground disturbing activities would be necessary at 113 sites 
along Trunkline's Line 100-1 to disconnect it from the other two 
pipelines on this portion of its system. The majority of the work would 
be conducted at existing compressor station and meter station sites or 
within Trunkline's existing right-of-away. A total of approximately 99 
acres would be disturbed by these activities.
    Once the pipeline has been disconnected from Trunkline's system, 
Centennial Pipeline plans to build:
    <bullet> A new crossing of the Ouachita River in Caldwell Parish, 
Louisiana to replace the existing Line 100-1.
    <bullet> Three new pumping stations at currently unidentified 
locations adjacent to the converted line;
    <bullet> A 17-tank, 2-million-barrel petroleum storage facility 
near Creal Springs, Illinois; an interconnection between the Centennial 
Pipeline and

[[Page 37367]]

Marathon's facilities near Effingham, Illinois; and
    <bullet> About 75 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline between 
TEPPCO's existing products terminal near Beaumont, Texas and the 
terminus of Line 100-1 in Longville, Louisiana.
    The general location of Trunkline's existing facilities and the 
location of the planned Centennial Pipeline facilities are shown on the 
maps attached as appendices 1 and 2, respectively.\1\
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    \1\ 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, 
Room 2A, 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 
\2\ to solicit 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.
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    \2\ ``Us'', ``we'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending 
on the comments received during 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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already 
identified a number of issues that we think deserve attention based on 
a preliminary review of the proposed activities and the environmental 
information provided by Trunkline. These issues are listed below. This 
is a preliminary list of issues and may be changed based on your 
comments and our analysis.
    <bullet>  Impact on wetland hydrology.
    <bullet>  Potential impact on Federal- and State-listed threatened 
or endangered species and U.S. Forest Service-listed sensitive species.
    <bullet>  Impact on public lands and special use areas including 
the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana and the Shawnee National 
Forest in Illinois.
    We have made a preliminary decision to not provide a detailed 
analysis of the environmental impacts of the facilities to be built by 
Centennial Pipeline. However, the EA will describe their location, 
status, any known environmental impacts, and a list of the responsible 
agencies. We are specifically seeking comment on this decision.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by sending a letter addressing 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, alternatives to the 
proposal (including alternative 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:
    <bullet>  Send two copies of your letter to: David P. Boergers, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    <bullet>  Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas 1, PJ-11.1;
    <bullet>  Reference Docket No. CP00-114-000;
    <bullet>  Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before July 12, 2000.
    All commenters will be retained on our mailing list. If you do not 
want to send comments at this time but still want to stay on the 
mailing list, you must return the attached Information Request 
(appendix 4). If you do not send comments or 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 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 cop of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If 
you want to become a 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 3). 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 a clear and direct interest in the 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. 00-14923 Filed 6-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M