[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14896-14897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7847]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket Nos. CP96-213-000, -001, and -004, and CP96-559-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. and Texas Eastern Transmission 
Corp.; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the 
Proposed Market Expansion Project

March 24, 1997.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Columbia Gas Transmission 
Corporation (Columbia) and Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation 
(Texas Eastern) in the above-referenced dockets.
    The EA 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, would not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the proposed natural gas transmission 
pipelines, compression, storage field pipeline and well head 
facilities, and points of delivery and measurement facilities in Ohio, 
West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The activities and 
facilities proposed by Columbia include:
    <bullet> construct 50 miles of new, loop, and replacement pipeline 
and uprate the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of about 282 
miles of pipeline;
    <bullet> construct, relocate, and/or uprate about 32,209 horsepower 
(hp) of compression at 12 existing compressor stations, construct 
20,975 total hp at two new compressor stations, and abandon about 8,280 
hp of compression at five existing compressor stations;
    <bullet> increase the performance capability of 13 existing storage 
fields, including construction of 36 new wells, construction of about 
23 miles of 4- to 24-inch-diameter storage field pipeline, abandonment 
of about 7 miles of 2- to 10-inch-diameter storage field pipeline, and 
``well enhancement'' work at about 277 existing storage wells; and
    <bullet> upgrade or replace facilities at 12 existing meter 
stations and construct 2 new meter stations.
    The activities and facilities proposed by Texas Eastern include:
    <bullet> replace about 26 miles of idled 20- and 24-inch-diameter 
pipeline in three sections;
    <bullet> upgrade two existing compressor stations by a total of 
6,000 hp and

[[Page 14897]]

construct 13,400 hp of compression at one existing compressor station; 
and
    <bullet> upgrade an existing interconnection with Columbia.
    The purpose of the facilities proposed by Columbia would be to 
provide 506,795 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of additional firm 
transportation and storage service to 23 customers. In order to provide 
the proposed firm entitlements to its customers, Columbia proposes to 
lease 141,500 Dth/d of firm capacity from Texas Eastern. The facilities 
proposed by Texas Eastern are needed to provide this delivery capacity 
on a daily basis to Columbia.
    The EA 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., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, state and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Written comments 
must reference Docket Nos. CP96-213-000, -001, and -004 and CP96-559-
000 and be addressed to: Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.
    Comments should be filed as soon as possible, but must be received 
no later than April 23, 1997, to ensure consideration prior to a 
Commission decision on this proposal.
    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 
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).
    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.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-7847 Filed 3-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M