[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 240 (Monday, December 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65689-65690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32625]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP97-755-000]


Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed E-Line Stitch Project and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

December 9, 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 25 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop and abandonment of 
eleven 1,600 horsepower (HP) compressor units proposed in the E-Line 
Stitch 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\ Northern Natural Gas 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

    Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) proposes to replace the 
capacity of the 11 compressor units to be abandoned by installing the 
two segments of loop. There would be no increase in the capacity of 
Northern's system as a result of this proposal. Northern seeks 
authority to construct and operate:
    <bullet>  About 11 miles of 36-inch-diameter loop between the 
Mullinville and Macksville Compressor Stations in Edwards and Pawnee 
Counties, Kansas;
    <bullet>  About 14 miles of 36-inch-diameter loop between the 
Macksville and Bushton Compressor Stations in Barton and Rice Counties, 
Kansas; and
    <bullet>  Abandonment of eleven 1,600 HP compressor units at the 
Bushton Compressor Station in Rice County, Kansas.
    No nonjurisdictional facilities would be constructed as a result of 
this proposal.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\
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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 347.6 
acres of land, including a 100-foot-wide construction right-of-way, 
additional temporary work spaces, and a staging area. Following 
construction, only about 1.5 acres would become new permanent right-of-
way where the loops deviate from the existing rights-of-way to cross 
two streams. All of the right-of-way would be restored and allowed to 
revert to its 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. 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>  Land use.
    <bullet>  Cultural resources.
    <bullet>  Air quality and noise.
    <bullet>  Endangered and threatened species.
    <bullet>  Public safety.
    <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 several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Northern. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
    <bullet>  Crossing of 5 perennial waterbodies.
    <bullet>  Impact on cultivated croplands.

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 follow the instructions below to ensure 
that your comments are received 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, PR-11.2;
    <bullet>  Reference Docket No. CP97-755-000; and
    <bullet>  Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before January 8, 1998.
    If you are interested in obtaining procedural information please 
write to the Secretary of the Commission.

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).

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    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 Sec. 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. 97-32625 Filed 12-12-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M