[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 245 (Monday, December 22, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66859-66860]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33268]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP97-769-000]


Colorado Interstate Gas Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Campo Lateral Project and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

December 16, 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 
the facilities, about 115 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline, proposed 
in the Campo Lateral 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\ Colorado Interstate 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

    Colorado Interstate Gas Company (CIG) wants to transport Raton 
Basin Area gas directly from its existing Picketwire Lateral through 
its Campo Regulator Station through the proposed new Camp Lateral to 
existing delivery points (south of the Campo Meter Station) for 
increased service to three interstate pipelines (Transwestern Pipeline 
Company, Northern Natural Gas Company, and El Paso Natural Gas 
Company). The proposed Campo Lateral would bypass upstream bottlenecks 
on CIG's system and increase the capacity of the Picketwire Lateral 
from 43 MMcf per day to about 110.5 MMcf per day. CIG seeks authority 
to:
    <bullet> Construct and operate 115.53 miles of 16-inch-diameter 
pipeline (to be known as the Campo LateralSec.  in Las Animas and Baca 
Counties, Colorado;
    <bullet> Increase the MAOP of the Picketwire Lateral from 1233 psia 
to 1308 psig.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\2\ If you are interested in obtaining detailed maps of a specific 
portion of the project, or 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 require the 
disturbance of about 1,475 acres of land. Following construction, about 
700 acres would be maintained as new permanent right-of-way. A total of 
about 0.05 acre will be maintained for five (20 feet by 20 feet each) 
permanent aboveground block valve sites. Except for the five permanent 
block valve sites, all land 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

[[Page 66860]]

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> Endangered and threatened species.
    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> Nine federally listed endangered or threatened species may 
occur in the proposed project area.
    <bullet> The Granada Branch or the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe 
Trail would be crossed.
    <bullet> About 14 miles of the Comanche National Grass Lands would 
be crossed.
    <bullet> Five perennial, streams would be crossed: Frijole, San 
Francisco, Salt, Trinchera, and Chacuaco Creeks.

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 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, PR-11.2)
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP97-769-000; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before January 15, 1998.

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 intervenors 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 or 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. 97-33268 Filed 12-19-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M