Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 1997 / Notices 65689

1Northern 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.

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 appendices were sent to all

those receiving this notice in the mail.

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.

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:

• About 11 miles of 36-inchdiameter loop between the Mullinville

and Macksville Compressor Stations in

Edwards and Pawnee Counties, Kansas;

• About 14 miles of 36-inchdiameter loop between the Macksville

and Bushton Compressor Stations in

Barton and Rice Counties, Kansas; and

• 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

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-ofway 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:

• Geology and soils.

• Water resources, fisheries, and

wetlands.

• Vegetation and wildlife.

• Land use.

• Cultural resources.

• Air quality and noise.

• Endangered and threatened

species.

• Public safety.

• 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.

• Crossing of 5 perennial

waterbodies.

• 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:

• Send two copies of your letter to:

Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, 888 First St.,

N.E., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;

• Label one copy of the comments

for the attention of the Environmental

Review and Compliance Branch, PR–

11.2;

• Reference Docket No. CP97–755–

000; and

• 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 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).
65690 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 1997 / Notices

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 § 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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

Notice; Sunshine Act Meeting

December 10, 1997.

The following notice of meeting is

published pursuant to Section 3(A) of

the government in the Sunshine Act

(Pub. L. No. 94–409), 5 U.S.C. 552B:

Agency Holding Meeting: Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission.

Date and Time: December 17, 1997,

10 a.m.

Place: Room 2C, 888 First Street NE.,

Washington, DC 20426.

Status: Open.

Matters To Be Considered: Agenda.

* Note—Items listed on the agenda may be

deleted without further notice.

Contact Person for more information:

Lois D. Cashell, Secretary, Telephone

(202) 208–0400. For a recording listing

items stricken from or added to the

meeting, call (202) 208–1627.

This is a list of matters to be

considered by the Commission. It does

not include a listing of all papers

relevant to the items on the Agenda;

however, all public documents may be

examined in the Reference and

Information Center.

Consent Agenda—Hydro

687th Meeting—December 17, 1997

Regular Meeting: 10 a.m.

CAH–1.

DOCKET# P–11547, 001, SUMMIT

HYDROPOWER, INC.

OTHER#S P–11501, 001, PUTNAM

HYDROPOWER, INC.

CAH–2.

DOCKET# P–2459, 044, WEST PENN

POWER COMPANY

OTHER#S P–2459, O55, WEST PENN

POWER COMPANY

CAH–3.

DOCKET# P–2114, 060, PUBLIC UTILITY

DISTRICT NO. 2 OF GRANT COUNTY,

WASHINGTON

CAH–4.

DOCKET# P–2145, 030, PUBLIC UTILITY

DISTRICT NO. 1 OF CHELAN COUNTY,

WASHINGTON

CAH–5.

DOCKET# P–1651, 013, SWIFT CREEK

POWER COMPANY, INC.

CAH–6.

DOCKET# P–2494, 002, PUGET SOUND

ENERGY, INC.

Consent Agenda—Electric

CAE–1.

DOCKET# ER–98–380, 000, HORIZON

ENERGY COMPANY

CAE–2.

DOCKET# ER–98–486, 000, PUGET

SOUND ENERGY, INC.

CAE–3.

DOCKET# EC96–19, 006, PACIFIC GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY, SAN DIEGO GAS

& ELECTRIC COMPANY AND

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

COMPANY

OTHER# EC96–19, 008, PACIFIC GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY, SAN DIEGO GAS

& ELECTRIC COMPANY AND

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

COMPANY

EC96–19, 011, PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC

COMPANY, SAN DIEGO GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SOUTHERN

CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY

ER96–1663, 007, PACIFIC GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY, SAN DIEGO GAS

& ELECTRIC COMPANY AND

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

COMPANY

ER96–1663, 009, PACIFIC GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY, SAN DIEGO GAS

& ELECTRIC COMPANY AND

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

COMPANY

ER96–1663, 011, PACIFIC GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY, SAN DIEGO GAS

& ELECTRIC COMPANY AND

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

COMPANY

ER96–1663, 012, PACIFIC GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY, SAN DIEGO GAS

& ELECTRIC COMPANY AND

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

COMPANY

CAE–4.

DOCKET# ER98–511, 000, OKLAHOMA

GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY

CAE–5.

DOCKET# ER98–411, 000, WOLVERINE

POWER SUPPLY COOPERATIVE, INC.

OTHER#S ER98–413, 000, WOLVERINE

POWER SUPPLY COOPERATIVE, INC.

ER98–493, 000, WOLVERINE POWER

SUPPLY COOPERATIVE, INC.

ER98–494, 000, WOLVERINE POWER

SUPPLY COOPERATIVE, INC.

ER98–539, 000, WOLVERINE POWER

SUPPLY COOPERATIVE, INC.

OA98–4, 000, WOLVERINE POWER

SUPPLY COOPERATIVE, INC.

CAE–6.

OMITTED

CAE–7.

DOCKET# ER98–445, 000, NORTHERN/

AES ENERGY LLC

CAE–8.

DOCKET# ER98–459, 000, BANGOR

ENERGY RESALE, INC.

CAE–9.

DOCKET# ER98–522, 000, BOSTON

EDISON COMPANY

CAE–10.

OMITTED

CAE–11.

DOCKET# ER98–449, 000, COM/ENERGY

MARKETING, INC.

CAE–12.

DOCKET# ER98–463, 000, BANGOR

HYDRO-ELECTRIC COMPANY

CAE–13.

DOCKET# ER98–466, 000, NEW ENGLAND

POWER COMPANY

CAE–14.

DOCKET# ER98–500, 000, GPU

ADVANCED RESOURCES, INC.

CAE–15.

DOCKET# ER98–523, 000, CINERGY

SERVICES, INC.

CAE–16.

DOCKET# ER98–211, 000, CALIFORNIA

INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR

CORPORATION

OTHER#S ER98–210, 000, CALIFORNIA

POWER EXCHANGE CORPORATION

ER98–462, 000, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

EDISON COMPANY

ER98–556, 000, PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC

COMPANY

ER98–557, 000, PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC

COMPANY

CAE–17.

DOCKET# EC96–19, 007, PACIFIC GAS

AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, SAN

DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY

AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

COMPANY

OTHER# ER96–1663, 008, PACIFIC GAS

AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, SAN

DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY

AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

COMPANY

ER98–441, 000, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

EDISON COMPANY

ER98–495, 000, PACIFIC GAS AND

ELECTRIC COMPANY

ER98–496, 000, SAN DIEGO GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY

CAE–18.

DOCKET# ER98–12, 000, SIERRA PACIFIC

POWER COMPANY

CAE–19.

DOCKET# ER98–270, 000,

CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY

OF NEW YORK, INC.

CAE–20.

DOCKET# ER98–393, 000, WASHINGTON

WATER POWER COMPANY

CAE–21.

DOCKET# ER97–2800, 000, MONTAUP

ELECTRIC COMPANY

OTHER# ER97–2338, 000, MONTAUP

ELECTRIC COMPANY

ER97–3127, 000, MONTAUP ELECTRIC

COMPANY

CAE–22.

DOCKET# ER97–2358, 000, PACIFIC GAS

AND ELECTRIC COMPANY

OTHER# ER97–2355, 000, SOUTHERN

CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY

ER97–2364, 000, SAN DIEGO GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY

ER97–4235, 000, SAN DIEGO GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY

ER98–497, 000, SAN DIEGO GAS &

ELECTRIC COMPANY

CAE–23.