[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 212 (Monday, November 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59353-59354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28974]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP97-626-000]


Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation, Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 1998 Lebanon 
Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 28, 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 17,070 horsepower (hp) of compression, proposed in the 
1998 Lebanon 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 Eastern 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 Eastern Transmission Corporation (Texas Eastern) proposed to 
expand the capacity of its facilities in Indiana and Ohio to transport 
an additional 302,290 dekatherms per day of natural gas for Spectrum 
Interstate Pipeline Corporation. Texas Eastern seeks authority to 
construct and operate:
    <bullet> One reciprocating gas engine rated at 3,400 hp and one 
reciprocating gas engine rated at 5,500 hp at the existing Gas City 
Compressor Station in Grant Country, Indiana;
    <bullet> An expansion to the compressor building and associated 
ancillary facilities and piping at the existing Gas City Compressor 
Station;
    <bullet> One 8,170 hp gas turbine-driven centrifugal compressor at 
its existing Glen Karn meter station site in Darke County, Ohio;
    <bullet> Compressor station buildings and associated ancillary 
facilities and piping at the existing Glen Karn meter station site;
    <bullet> A modification at the existing Lebanon Meter Station by 
adding two 12-inch orifice meters and the associated instrumentation in 
Warren County, Ohio; and
    <bullet> A modification at the existing Glen Karn Meter Station by 
adding one additional 12-inch turbine meter and the associated 
instrumentation.
    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, 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 be within the 
boundaries of existing station properties.

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 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> Land use.
    <bullet> Cultural resources.
    <bullet> Vegetation and wildlife.
    <bullet> Endangered and threatened species.
    <bullet> Public safety.
    <bullet> Air quality and noise.
    <bullet> Hazardous waste.
    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 one issue that we think deserves 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Texas Eastern. Addition 
issues may be included based on your comments and our analysis.
    <bullet> Potential impacts to noise-sensitive areas that are near 
the Gas City Compressor Station and Glen Karn Meter Station.

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

[[Page 59354]]

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., N.E., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
    <bullet> Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch II, PR-11.2;
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP97-626-000; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before November 28, 1997.

Becoming an Intervenor

    Besides 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 comments considered.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-28974 Filed 10-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M