[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 44470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22205]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP96-647-000]


Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited Partnership; Notice of 
Availability of an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 1998 
Expansion Project

August 15, 1997.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Great Lakes Gas 
Transmission Limited Partnership in the above-referenced docket.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the proposed natural gas transmission 
facilities including:
    a. Three 36-inch-diameter loops totaling about 71.5 miles of 
pipeline:
    <bullet> Loop 1--about 22.0 miles long, extending from the existing 
St. Vincent Compressor Station at milepost (MP) 0.7 to MP 22.7 in 
Kittson County, Minnesota;
    <bullet> Loop 2--about 26.7 miles long, extending from MP 132.5 to 
MP 159.2 in Clearwater, Beltrami, and Hubbard Counties, Minnesota; and
    <bullet> Loop 3--about 22.8 miles long, extending from MP 283.5 to 
MP 306.3 in Carlton County, Minnesota and Douglas County, Wisconsin.
    b. Install two NEMA-rated 7,400 horsepower (hp) compressor unit 
additions, one unit apiece and appurtenant facilities at the existing 
St. Vincent Compressor Station in Kittson County, Minnesota and at the 
existing Farwell Compressor Station in Clare County, Michigan;
    c. Replacement of an existing aerodynamic assembly at the Thief 
River Falls Compressor Station in Marshall County, Minnesota; and
    d. Construction of minor permanent aboveground ancillary 
facilities;
    <bullet> Three crossover assemblies at the new loop ends at MPs 
22.7, 159.2, and 306.3 in Kittson and Hubbard Counties, Minnesota, and 
Douglas County, Wisconsin, respectively;
    <bullet> Expansion of five existing mainline valve sites at MPs 0.7 
and 16.3 in Kittson County, Minnesota; MPs 150.0 and 283.5 in Beltrami 
and Carlton Counties, Minnesota, respectively; and MP 299.3 in Douglas 
County, Wisconsin; and
    <bullet> Removal of the existing end-of-loop valve and crossover 
assembly at MP 132.5 in Clearwater County, Minnesota.
    The purpose of the proposed facilities would be to provide an 
additional firm transportation service of 126,000 thousand cubic feet 
per day of gas between Emerson, Minnesota, and St. Clair, Michigan to 
serve its existing shippers and to provide increased system reliability 
and lower maintenance costs.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public 
inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference 
and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A, 
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, State and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that we receive your comments before the date specified 
below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your 
comments are received in time and properly recorded:
    <bullet> Send two copies of your comments to: Lois Cashell, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., 
Room 1A, Washington, D.C. 20426;
    <bullet> Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.2
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP96-647-000; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before September 15, 1997.
    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 (18 CFR 385.214).
    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 comments considered.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Actng Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-22205 Filed 8-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M