[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 68286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-34109]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP97-168-000 and CP97-169-000]


Alliance Pipeline L.P.; Notice of Availability of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Alliance Pipeline 
Project

December 23, 1997.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared this draft environmental impact statement 
(EIS) on natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Alliance Pipeline 
L.P. (Alliance) in the above-referenced dockets.
    The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of 
the proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures as 
recommended, would have limited adverse environmental impact. The draft 
EIS evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including system 
alternatives, and requests comments on them.
    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities in North Dakota, 
Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois:
    <bullet> Approximately 890 miles of 36-inch-diameter mainline 
pipeline;
    <bullet> Seven compressor stations totaling 320,000 horsepower;
    <bullet> Five meter stations;
    <bullet> A total of 0.9 mile of 36-inch-diameter lateral pipeline 
connecting the proposed meter stations to the mainline pipeline;
    <bullet> A measurement and pressure control station;
    <bullet> Forty-eight block valves installed along the pipeline and 
at each compressor station; and
    <bullet> Three internal tool or ``pig'' launchers and four pig 
receivers.
    In addition, the draft EIS addresses the potential environmental 
impact associated with construction and operation of a natural gas 
liquids extraction plant planned by Aux Sable Liquid Products L.P. in 
connection with Alliance's pipeline.
    The purpose of Alliance's proposed facilities is to transport up to 
1.3 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas produced in western 
Canada to interconnections with existing pipeline systems in the 
Chicago area. The planned Aux Sable Plant would extract the natural gas 
liquids that may be present in Alliance's pipeline.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. Please 
carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments are 
received in time and properly recorded:
    <bullet> Send two copies of your comments to: Lois Cashell, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
    <bullet> Reference Docket Nos. CP97-168-000 and CP97-169-000; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before February 16, 1998.
    In addition to written comments we will hold several public 
meetings in the project area to receive comments on the draft EIS. We 
will announce in a future notice, the locations and times of those 
public meetings.
    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and 
present oral comments on the environmental impact described in the 
draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings will be prepared.
    After these comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the draft EIS, a final EIS 
will be published and distributed by the staff. The final EIS will 
contain the staff's responses to timely comments received on the draft 
EIS.
    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).
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this draft EIS. 
You must file your request to intervene as specified above. You do not 
need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
    The draft EIS 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, N.E., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
    A limited number of copies are available from Public Reference and 
Files Maintenance Branch identified above. In addition, the draft EIS 
has been mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies; public interest 
groups; individuals who requested a copy of the draft EIS; libraries; 
newspapers; and parties to this proceeding.
    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. 97-34109 Filed 12-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M