[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 202 (Monday, October 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54451-54452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27661]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP97-724-000]


NorAm Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 1998 Line F Replacement 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 14, 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 
facilities proposed in the 1998 Line F Replacement 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\ NorAm Gas Transmission Company'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

    NorAm Gas Transmission Company (NGT) wants to replace an existing 
mainline pipeline, abandon gas storage and supply pipelines, and make 
mainline enhancements to its pipeline system in Louisiana. NGT states 
that these actions would improve the safety, reliability, and 
efficiency of its pipeline system. Specifically, NGT seeks 
authorization for the following activities in Louisiana:
    <bullet> Abandon about 60 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline on 
Line F in Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, and Lincoln Parishes and 
replace it with about 61 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline in ten 
segments ranging from 200 feet to 32.8 miles in length. Some portions 
of the pipeline to be abandoned would be removed, other portions would 
be left in place.
    <bullet> Abandon in place Line 1-F (0.8 mile of 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline) and Line FT-5 (0.9 mile of 10-inch-diameter pipeline) located 
in Lincoln Parish.
    <bullet> Reclassify about 8.2 miles of Line F as a low pressure gas 
supply line and operate it as part of Line F-1-F in Caddo Parish.
    <bullet> Abandon 63 delivery taps installed on the old Line F to 
deliver gas to rural customers served by Arkansas Louisiana Gas 
Company, and relocate 36 other delivery taps to the new Line F.
    <bullet> Install pipeline maintenance facilities at the Buckley 
Compressor Station in Caddo Parish, the Red Chute Compressor Station in 
Bossier Parish, and the Ruston Storage Compressor Station in Lincoln 
Parish.
    NGT proposes to begin construction of its facilities in June 1998. 
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\2\ If you are interested in obtaining detailed maps of a specific 
portion of the project, or 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, N.E., Washington, D.C. 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

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 855 
acres of land. Following construction, about 249 acres would be 
maintained as new permanent right-of-way. The remaining acreage would 
be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.
    NGT intends to use a up to a 85-foot-wide construction right-of-way 
for the installation of the replacement pipeline. Where the replacement 
pipeline would be parallel to the existing line, 15 to 30 feet of the 
construction right-of-way would be within NGT's existing right-of-way. 
Consequently, about 45 feet of new clearing would be required in most 
areas. All but the eastermost 1.8 miles of the replacement pipeline 
would be built adjacent to NGT's existing pipeline. In this area, 75 
feet of new right-of-way would be cleared for construction.
    After the replacement pipeline is in service, NGT would remove the 
majority of the old pipeline. Abandonment activities would take place 
entirely within NGT's existing 40-foot-wide right-of-way. Following 
construction, NGT would maintain a 40-foot-wide permanent right-of-way.
    Additional temporary work space would be required adjacent to the 
planned construction right-of-way at road and stream crossings. These 
areas would vary in size between 4,000 and 168,000 square feet.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental

[[Page 54452]]

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:

<bullet> geology and soils
<bullet> water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
<bullet> vegetation and wildlife
<bullet> endangered and threatened species
<bullet> land use
<bullet> cultural resources
<bullet> air quality and noise
<bullet> 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 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 several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by NGT.
    This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your 
comments and our analysis.
    <bullet> The proposed replacement pipeline would cross 68 
waterbodies, 13 of which are greater than 100 feet wide.
    <bullet> The project would disturb about 17 acres of wetland during 
construction, including 8 acres of forested wetland.
    <bullet> Eleven residences would be within 50 feet of the edge of 
the construction right-of-way.
    <bullet> The pipeline would cross Bayou Dorcheat, a Louisiana 
Natural and Scenic Waterway, using a directional drilling technique.

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 (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: Lois Cashell, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, 
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-11.1;
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP97-724-000; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, D.C. on or before November 17, 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 filings 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 scoping comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Paul McKee in the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-
1088.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-27661 Filed 10-17-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M