[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8010-8011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4246]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP97-193-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp.; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Maiden Lateral Looping 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

February 14, 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 17.77 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline loop and upgrades to an 
existing meter station, proposed in the Maiden Lateral Looping 
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\ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation'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

    Transacontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) wants to 
expand the capacity of its facilities in North Carolina to transport an 
additional 38,000 dekatherms of natural gas per day to Piedmont Natural 
Gas Company (Piedmont). Transaco seeks authority to construct and 
operate:
    <bullet> About 17.77 miles of 16-diameter pipeline loop on 
Transco's existing 10-inch-diameter Maiden Lateral in Lincoln and 
Catawba Counties, North Carolina; and
    <bullet> The expansion of Transco's existing Lowesville Meter 
Station, which is located at the interconnection of Transco's mainline 
and the Maiden Lateral.
    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.
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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, DC 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, including the meter 
station modification, would require about 152.2 acres of land. Transco 
proposes to use a construction right-of-way width of about 65 feet (5 
feet southerly and 60 feet northerly of its existing 10-inch-diameter 
Maiden Lateral). This 20-foot offset would allow Transco to construct 
the majority of its new pipeline loop within its existing 50-foot-wide 
right-of-way. Since Transco would use its existing right-of-way during 
construction activities, only 1.19 acres of new permanent right-of-way 
would be required. Temporary work areas 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. 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> Land use.
    <bullet> Cultural resources.
    <bullet> Vegetation and wildlife.
    <bullet> Endangered and threatened species.
    <bullet> Public safety.
    <bullet> Air quality and noise.
    <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 
recommend that the Commission approve or not approve the project.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified two issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Transco. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
    <bullet> About 48 private water supply wells and springs are within 
150 feet of the construction right-of-way; and
    <bullet> About 28 residences are within 50 feet of the edge of the 
proposed construction right-of-way; 17 of which would be within or at 
25 feet of the construction right-of-way.

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:
    <bullet> Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., Room 1A, Washington, 
DC 20426;
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP97-193-000;
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 10, 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 case-related Commission documents and filings by 
other intervenors. Likewise, each intervenor must provide copies of

[[Page 8011]]

its filings to all other parties. If you want to become 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 scoping comments 
considered.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-4246 Filed 2-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M