5824 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 26 / Friday, February 7, 1997 / Notices

1Columbia 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.

2The 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 appendixes were sent to all

those receiving this notice in the mail.

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,

Washington, DC 20426.

Public meetings to receive comments

on the Supplement will be held in early

March of 1997. We will provide the

locations and times for these meetings

in a future notice.

After these comments are reviewed,

any significant issues are investigated,

and modifications are made to the DEIS,

a Final Environmental Impact Statement

(FEIS) will be published and

distributed. The FEIS will contain the

staff’s responses to timely comments

received on the DEIS and the

Supplement.

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 Procedure (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

The Supplement has been placed in

the public files of the FERC and is

available for public inspection at:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

Public Reference and Files

Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street,

NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202)

208–1371.

and

Town Manager’s Office, Town Hall,

Wells, ME 04090, (207) 646,5113.

Copies of the Supplement have been

mailed to Federal, state, and local

agencies; public interest groups; public

libraries; newspapers; interested

individuals; and parties to this

proceeding. For a limited number of

copies of the Supplement, contact the

Public Reference and Files Maintenance

Branch identified above.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–3034 Filed 2–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP97–176–000]

Columbia Gas Transmission

Corporation; Notice of Intent To

Prepare an Environmental Assessment

for the Proposed Terra Alta Storage

Field Project and Request for

Comments on Environmental Issues

February 3, 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 about

2.6 miles of various diameter pipeline to

replace about 2.9 miles of pipeline

which would be abandoned as proposed

in the Terra Alta Storage Field 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.

Summary of the Proposed Project

Columbia Gas Transmission

Corporation (Columbia) wants to

upgrade and modernize facilities at its

Terra Alta Storage Field in Preston

County, West Virginia. Columbia seeks

authority to construct and operate

approximately:

(1) 1.4 miles of 8-inch-diameter

storage pipeline and appurtenances

(replacing and abandoning about 1.4

miles of 8-, 10-, 12-, 16-, and 20-inchdiameter pipeline and appurtenances on

Line X–76–F–1);

(2) 105 feet of 4-inch-diameter storage

pipeline and appurtenances (replacing

and abandoning about 1,143 feet of 4-

inch-diameter pipeline on Storage Well

Line X–76–W–7375);

(3) 0.4 mile of 16-inch-diameter

storage pipeline and appurtenances

(replacing and abandoning about 0.4

mile of 8-, 10-, and 12-inch-diameter

storage pipeline on Line X–76–F–2);

(4) 0.4 mile of 8-inch-diameter storage

pipeline and appurtenances (replacing

by abandonment about 0.4 mile of 6-,

and 12-inch-diameter storage pipeline

on Line-X–76–F–4);

(5) 0.2 mile of 10-inch-diameter

storage pipeline and appurtenances

(replacing by abandonment about 0.2

mile of 8-, 10- and 12-inch-diameter

storage pipeline on Line X–76–F–6);

(6) 26 feet of 10-inch-diameter storage

pipeline and appurtenances (replacing

by abandonment about 26 feet of 8-inchdiameter storage pipeline on Storage

Well Line X–76–W–7394); and

(7) 0.1 mile of 6-inch-diameter storage

pipeline and appurtenances (replacing

by abandonment about 0.1 mile of 4-

inch-diameter storage pipeline on Line

X–76–W–7380).

Columbia would also abandon about

0.2 mile of 6-inch-diameter pipeline

referred to as Storage Well Line X–76–

W–7379.

In addition, under Section 2.55 of the

Commission’s regulations, Columbia

plans to remove drips; replace mainline

tees and methanol lines; and install

launching and receiving valves. These

actions would provide more efficient

operation and maintenance of the

storage field as well as restore

deteriorated facilities and will also be

examined in the EA.

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.

Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the proposed facilities

would require about 40.5 acres of land.

No new right-of-way would be required.

Temporary work areas and abandoned

right-of-way would be restored and

allowed to revert to their former use.

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. 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:

• geology and soils
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 26 / Friday, February 7, 1997 / Notices 5825

• water resources, fisheries, and

wetlands

• vegetation and wildlife

• endangered and threatened species

• public safety

• land use

• cultural resources

• air quality and noise

• 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, 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

Columbia. This preliminary list of

issues may be changed based on your

comments and our analysis.

• The project follows the course of

Saltlick Creek, a high quality

warmwater fishery, and crosses it

numerous times.

• A total of 13 wetlands (.92 acre)

would be affected by the project.

• A number of residences are in the

vicinity and two residences are within

50 feet of the proposed construction

area.

• Construction of related pig

launching and receiving facilities may

have visual impacts.

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 follow the

instructions below to ensure that your

comments are received and properly

recorded:

• Address your letter to: Lois Cashell,

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First St., N.E.,

Washington, DC 204265:

• Reference Docket No. CP97–176–

000;

• Mail your comments so that they

will be received in Washington, DC on

or before March 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 caserelated 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).

You do not need intervenor status to

have your comments considered.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–3036 Filed 2–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[ER–FRL–5477–2]

Environmental Impact Statements;

Notice of Availability

Responsible Agency: Office of Federal

Activities, General Information (202)

564–7167 OR (202) 564–7153.

Weekly receipt of Environmental

Impact Statements Filed January 27,

1997 Through January 31, 1997

Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9.

EIS No. 970035, Draft EIS, USN, GU,

AK, AS, HI, Marianas Islands Military

Training, Implementation, Marianas

Training Plan, Guam, Commonwealth

of the Northern Mariana Islands, Asia,

Hawaii and Alaska, Due: March 24,

1997, Contact: Fred Minato (808) 471–

9338.

EIS No. 970036, Draft EIS, FHW, CA,

Carquinez Bridge Project, Replace/

Retrofit the westbound I–80 between

Cummings Skyway and CA–29, US

Coast Guard and COE Section 10 and

404 Permits, Contra Costa and Solano

Counties, CA, Due: March 28, 1997,

Contact: John R. Schultz (916) 498–

5041.

EIS No. 970037, Final EIS, USN, CA, Las

Pulgas and San Mateo Basin, Cease

and Desist Order, Sewage Effluent

Compliance Project, NPDES Permit,

Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton,

San Diego County, CA, Due: March

10, 1997, Contact: David Walls (703)

696–2138.

EIS No. 970038, Final EIS, AFS, WA,

Crown Jewel Mine and Mill Project,

Construction and Operation, Gold and

Silver Mining and Milling Project,

Plan of Operations Approval, SpecialUse-Permits and COE Section 404

Permit, Chesaw, Okanogan County,

WA, Due: March 10, 1997, Contact:

Phil Christy (509) 486–5137.

EIS No. 970039, Final EIS, FHW, PA, US

222 Relocation/Reconstruction

Project, Construction of the Warren

Street Extension, Funding, Berks

County, PA, Due: March 10, 1997,

Contact: Manuel A. Marks (717) 782–

3461.

EIS No. 970040, Draft EIS, FHW, PA,

Tunkhannock Transportation

Improvement Project, Improvement

along US–6 (S.R.0006 Section E12)

through the Borough of Tunkhannock

and Tunkhannock Township, Possible

COE Section 404 Permit, Wyoming

County, PA, Due: March 24, 1997,

Contact: Manuel Marks (717) 782–

3461.

EIS No. 970041, Draft EIS, AFS, FL,

Florida National Forests, Revised

Land and Resource Management Plan,

Implementation, Apalachicola,

Choctowhatchee, Ocala and Osceola

National Forests, Several Counties,

FL, Due: May 10, 1997, Contact: Karl

P. Siderits (904) 942–9300.

EIS No. 970042, Draft EIS, UAF, TX,

Programmatic EIS—Kelly Air Force

Base (AFB), Disposal and Reuse,

Implementation, San Antonio County,

TX, Due: March 26, 1997, Contact:

Ted Shieck (210) 536–3807.

EIS No. 970043, Draft EIS, COE, IL,

Savanna Army Depot Activity

(SVADA), Disposal and Reuse for

BRAC–95, Implementation, Jo Daviess

and Carroll County, IL, Due: March

24, 1997, Contact: Rob Dow (703)

693–9217.

EIS No. 970044, Final EIS, AFS, CA,

Dinkey Allotment Livestock Grazing

Strategies, Implementation, Sierra

National Forest, Fresno County, CA,

Due: March 10, 1997, Contact: Terry

Elliott (202) 297–0706.

Amended Notices

EIS No. 960576, Final EIS, AFS, WA,

Huckleberry Land Exchange

Consolidate Ownership and Enhance

Future Conservation and

Management, Federal Land and Non

Federal Land, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie

National Forest, Skagit, Snohomish,

King, Pierce, Kittitas and Lewis

Counties, WA, Due: March 21, 1997,

Contact: Doug Schrenk (206) 888–