[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 177 (Friday, September 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48083-48084]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24181]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP97-656-000]


Texas Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed North Louisiana Expansion 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

September 8, 1997.
    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 
an additional 4,600 horsepower (hp) of compression at the existing 
Haughton Compression Station, proposed in the North Louisiana Expansion 
Project.\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\ Texas Gas Transmission Corporation's application 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

    Texas Gas Transmission Corporation (Texas Gas) proposes to expand 
the capacity of its facilities in Louisiana to transport an additional 
105,000 million British thermal units per day of firm natural gas 
service to a new customer. Texas Gas seeks authority to construct and 
operate a 4,600 hp Dresser-Rand reciprocating compressor unit and 
associated equipment at its existing Haughton Compressor Station in 
Bossier Parish, Louisiana.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\ 
If you are interested in obtaining procedural information, please write 
to the Secretary of the Commission.
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the 
Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. 
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this 
notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Texas Gas owns the 28.54 acre Haughton Compressor Station site. 
Construction and operation of the proposed project would require a 
total of 10.5 acres, all of which would be within the existing site.

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

[[Page 48084]]

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> Water resources, fisheries and wetlands
    <bullet> Vegetation and wildlife
    <bullet> Endangered and threatened species
    <bullet> Public safety
    <bullet> Land use
    <bullet> Curtural resources
    <bullet> Air quality and noise
    <bullet> Hazardous waste
    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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified one issue that we think deserves 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Texas Gas. Additional issues 
may be included based on your comments and our analysis.
    <bullet> Noise levels at the nearest noise-sensitive areas would 
exceed a day-night sound level of 55 dBA (decibels of the A-weighted 
scale) with the construction of the additional compressor unit.
    Also, we have made a preliminary decision to not address the 
impacts of the nonjurisdictional facilities. We will briefly describe 
their location and status in the EA.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by sending a letter addressing your 
specific comments or concerns about the project. 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: Lois Cashell, 
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-11.2;
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP97-656-000; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before October 6, 1997.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding or become an 
``intervenor.'' Among other things, intervenors have the right to 
receive copies of case-related Commission documents and filing by other 
intervenors. Likewise, each intervenor must provide copies of its 
filings to all other parties. 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).
    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.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-24181 Filed 9-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M