[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 236 (Thursday, December 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76634-76636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31127]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-12-000]


El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line No. 2039 Pipeline 
Relocation Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

December 1, 2000.
    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 Line No. 2039 Relocation 
Project involving construction and operation of

[[Page 76635]]

facilities by El Paso Natural Gas Company (El Paso) in Maricopa County, 
Arizona.\1\ These facilities would consist of about 6.88 miles of 16-
inch-diameter pipeline and one meter station. 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\ El Paso'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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    If you are landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted by 
a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an easement 
to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The 
pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that 
approval conveys with it the right to eminent domain. Therefore, if 
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline 
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with 
state law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the 
project notice El Paso provided to landowners. This fact sheet 
addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use of 
eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. 
It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet website 
(www.ferc.fed.us).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    El Paso wants to relocate a portion of the Line No. 2039 Pipeline 
located on the southwest side of Phoenix, Arizona, in order to avoid 
residential and industrial encroachment on the existing pipeline and 
meet DOT class requirements in the future. In addition, El Paso wants 
to increase the diameter of the pipe to satisfy increased gas demand 
expected from the expanded West Phoenix Power Plant at the north end of 
this pipeline.
    El Paso seeks authority to abandon 6.88 miles of the existing 16-
inch-diameter Line No. 2039 Pipeline and relocate it up to 2700 feet to 
the east on new right-of-way (ROW). The Line No. 2039 Pipeline would be 
abandoned in place, including those sections under roads, for about 2.9 
miles, and would be abandoned by removal for about 4.0 miles. Four tap 
and valve assemblies with appurtenant facilities located on the 
existing Line No. 2039 Pipeline would be abandoned either in place or 
by removal. The existing Southern Avenue Meter Station would be 
abandoned by removal and relocated onto the new Line No. 2039 Pipeline 
in the northwest quadrant of Southern Avenue and 43rd Avenue Pig 
launching and receiving facilities would be installed at the Laveen 
Meter Station on Elliot Road and at the West Phoenix Meter Station 
north of Buckeye Road. The Salt River would be crossed using the open-
trenching method. A block valve would be installed on each side of the 
Salt River. A 3,800-foot-long section of the new Line No. 2039 Pipeline 
from milepost 7.18 to 7.90 was installed in June 2000 under El Paso's 
blanket authority and would be tied into the proposed Line No. 2039 
Pipeline.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1, 
figures 1 and 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Replacement of the proposed facilities would require the use of 105 
acres of land, primarily agricultural, with some residential land. This 
includes 73 acres of previously undisturbed ROW for the new pipeline, 
road, rail, and canal crossings, the new Southern Avenue Meter Station 
and associated staging area, and pigging facilities. Previously 
disturbed ROW in the amount of 32 acres would be required for 
abandoning sections of pipeline by removal.

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 
\2\ 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.
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    \2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    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> Endangered and threatened species
<bullet> Public safety
<bullet> Land Use
<bullet> Cultural resources
<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 make 
our recommendations to the Commission.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section below.

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 El Paso. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
    <bullet> A 1750-foot-long, open trench crossing of the Salt River 
would use a 30- to 75-foot-wide trench to bury the pipeline 25 feet 
below the river bed.
    <bullet> Construction would be within 50 feet of four residences on 
Elliot Road and 43rd Avenue.
    <bullet> Construction would disturb habitat potentially suitable 
for the federally listed endangered Yuma clapper rail located in the 
Salt River floodplain.
    <bullet> The project area crosses several sites that may eligible 
to the National Register of Historic Places, including historic and 
prehistoric irrigation systems. The historic Farmers Canal system would 
be crossed in the vicinity of Buckeye Road. El Paso proposes to avoid 
adversely effecting the currently used historic Roosevelt Canal by 
boring beneath it.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific

[[Page 76636]]

comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA/EIS and considered by the 
Commission. You should focus on the potential environmental effects of 
the proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative 
[locations/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 an original and two copies of your letter to: David 
P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    <bullet> Label one copy of the comments for the attention of (Gas 
2).
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP00-012-000.
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before January 2, 2001.
    Comments may also be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu 
of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the 
Commission's web site at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm under 
the link to the User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will 
need to create an account which can be created by clicking on ``Login 
to File'' and then ``New User Account.''

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of 
case-related Commission documents and filings by the other intervenors. 
Likewise, each intervenor must provide 14 copies of its filings to the 
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. 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). Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be 
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they 
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be 
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor 
status to have your environmental comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-0004 or on the 
FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us) using the ``RIMS'' link to information 
in this docket number. Click on the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket #'' 
from the RIMS Menu, and follow the instructions. For assistance with 
access to RIMS, the RIMS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2222.
    Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides 
access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such 
as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website, 
click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and 
follow the instructions. For assistance with access to CIPS, the CIPS 
helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-31127 Filed 12-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M