Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 111 / Thursday, June 8, 2000 / Notices 36433

1Southern’s application was filed with the

Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act

and Part 157 of the Commission’s regulations.

2The appendices referenced in this notice are not

being printed in the Federal Register. Copies are

available on the Commission website at the ‘‘RIMS’’

link or from the Commission’s Public Reference and

Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, NE,

Room 2A, Washington, DC 20425, 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.

35. International Transmission

Company

[Docket No. ER00–2622–000]

Take notice that on May 26, 2000,

International Transmission Company

tendered for filing its open access

transmission tariff, Original Volume 1,

pursuant to Section 205 of the Federal

Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 824d (1994).

Comment date: June 16, 2000, in

accordance with Standard Paragraph E

at the end of this notice.

E. Any person desiring to be heard or

to protest such filing should file a

motion to intervene or protest with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, in accordance with Rules 211

and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211

and 385.214). All such motions or

protests should be filed on or before the

comment date. Protests will be

considered by the Commission in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken, but will not serve to make

protestants parties to the proceeding.

Any person wishing to become a party

must file a motion to intervene. Copies

of these filings are on file with the

Commission and are available for public

inspection. This filing may also be

viewed on the Internet at http://

www.ferc.fed.us/ online/rims.htm (call

202–208–2222 for assistance).

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–14387 Filed 6–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP00–231–000]

Southern Natural Gas Company;

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Assessment for the

Proposed Wren Compressor Station

Project and Request for Comments on

Environmental Issues

June 2, 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 Wren Compressor Station Project

involving the installation and operation

of compressor facilities by Southern

Natural Gas Company (Southern) in

Jefferson County, Georgia.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.

If you are a landowner receiving this

notice, you may be contacted by a

pipeline company representative about

the company’s intent to install certain

compressor unit facilities at an adjacent

or nearby commercial property owned

by Southern.

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 Southern 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

Southern wants to add one

compressor unit at its existing Wrens

Compressor Station (C.S.). The Wrens

C.S. is located at about milepost 459.87

on Southern’s South Main Line System

in Jefferson County, Georgia. The

compressor unit installation is part of a

provision of the Stipulation and

Agreement filed by Southern in Docket

Nos. RP990496–000 and RP99–496–001

(Settlement). Specifically, the

Settlement provides that Southern file

an application for authorization to

install a 3,500 horsepower (hp)

compressor unit at its existing Wrens

Compressor Station.

Currently, there is a total of 2,120 hp

at the Wrens C.S. With the addition of

the compressor unit proposed in this

application, the compressor station

would have a total of 5,620 hp.

Southern also proposes to install certain

facilities to implement noise mitigation

measures. Southern proposes to install

the additional facilities beginning in

April 2001, with an in-service date of

October 1, 2001.

The general location of Southern’s

Wrens C.S. and a layout/plot plan of the

facility are shown in appendix 1.2

Land Requirements for Construction

The area to be impacted by the

installation is less than 0.5 acres in size.

The additional compressor unit and

other appurtenances would be installed

using standard construction methods for

compressor installations. The

previously cleared and graded area

would be excavated for footing, utility

and piping stubs, and concrete footings.

Flooring would be poured, and the

walls erected. The building would be

wired for electricity, and would be

completed with the installation of the

compressor unit.

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

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.

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 two issues

that we think deserve attention based on

a preliminary review of the proposed

facilities and the environmental

information provided by Southern. This

preliminary list of issues may be

36434 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 111 / Thursday, June 8, 2000 / Notices

1Southern’s application was filed with the

Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act

and Part 157 of the Commission’s regulations.

2A loop is a segment of pipeline that is usually

installed adjacent to an existing pipeline and

connected to it at both ends. The loop allows more

gas to be moved through the system.

changed based on your comments and

our analysis.

• Impacts on local air environment as

a result of the operation of the new

compressor upgrades.

• Impacts on four noise-sensitive

areas (NSAs) located between 600 and

740 feet from the proposed compressor

building.

Public Participation

You can make a different 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/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 two copies of your letter to:

David P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First St., N.E., Room 1A, Washington,

DC 20426.

• Label one copy of the comments for

the attention of Gas 1.

• Reference Docket No. CP00–231–

000.

• Mail your comments so that they

will be received in Washington, DC on

or before July 3, 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 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.

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’’ 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 of 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. 00–14399 Filed 6–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP00–233–000]

Southern Natural Gas Company;

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Assessment for the

Proposed South System Expansion

Project and Request for Comments on

Environmental Issues

June 2, 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 South System Expansion Project

involving construction and operation of

facilities by Southern Natural Gas

Company (Southern) in several counties

in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.1

These facilities would consist of about

73 miles of various diameter pipeline

and 24,220 horsepower (hp) of

compression. 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 Southern 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

Southern wants to expand the

capacity of its facilities in Alabama,

Mississippi, and Georgia to transport an

additional 335,800 thousand cubic feet

per day of natural gas to Southern

Company Services, Inc. (SCS), South

Carolina Pipeline Corporation (SCPC),

and the City of LaGrange, Georgia.

Southern proposes to construct the

project in two phases, with in-service

dates proposed for June 1, 2002 (Phase

I) and June 1, 2003 (Phase II),

respectively. Southern seeks authority

to construct and operate:

Phase I Facilities (2002)

• 5.67 miles of 30-inch-diameter

pipeline loop 2 on its South Main 3rd

Loop Line System from milepost (MP)

67.230 to MP 72.889 in Clark County,

Mississippi (Loop 1);

• 5.0 miles of 30-inch-diameter

pipeline loop on its South Main Lop 3rd

Loop Line System from MP 102.845 to

MP 107.849 in Sumter County, Alabama

(Loop 2);

• 7.82 miles of 30-inch-diameter

pipeline loop on its South Main 3rd

Loop Line System from MP 172.553 to

MP 175.630 in Perry County, Alabama

and from MP 175.630 to MP 180.357 in

Dallas County, Alabama (Loop 3);

• 7.97 miles of 30-inch-diameter

pipeline loop on its South Main 3rd

Loop Line System from MP 185.157 to