[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 121 (Wednesday, June 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34378-34379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16708]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-546-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed RIPX Project and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

June 18, 1998.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of Columbia Gas Transmission 
Corporation's (Columbia) proposal to abandon its Derricks Creek Storage 
Field in Kanawha County, West Virginia and replace it with working gas 
capacity and deliverability at the Ripley Storage Field in Jackson 
County, West Virginia.
    The abandonment of the Derricks Creek Storage Field in Kanawha 
County, West Virginia includes 13.1 miles of pipeline. In addition, the 
project would require the construction and operation of 3.5 miles of 
various diameter storage pipeline at the Ripley Storage Field, drilling 
six new storage wells, improving the deliverability of nine existing 
wells, and increasing the capacity of the Ripley Storage Field in 
Jackson County, West Virginia. This EA on the RIPX Project \1\ 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\ Columbia Gas Transmission 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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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to abandon, 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 of 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 addressing a number of typically asked 
questions, including the use of eminent domain, is attached to this 
notice as appendix 1.\2\
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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, NE, 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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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Columbia seeks authorization for the following:
    <bullet> Abandonment in place of the Derricks Creek Storage Field 
in its entirety consisting of 13.1 miles of various diameter pipeline 
and 20 active storage wells;
    <bullet> Construction of approximately 3.5 miles of various 
diameter storage pipeline, drilling six new storage wells, and 
improving the deliverability of nine existing wells at the Ripley 
Storage Field;
    <bullet> Increase the capacity of the Ripley Storage Field by 0.8 
billion cubic feet (BCF) of gas;
    <bullet> Conversion of two observation wells to active injection/
withdrawal wells, and conversion of three very low performance wells to 
observation wells; and
    <bullet> Abandonment by sale of up to 5.4 BCF of base gas within 
the two storage fields.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 66.2 
acres of land. Following construction, about 18.8 acres would be 
maintained as permanent pipeline right-of-way and about 20.0 acres 
would be required for new well sites and aboveground facilities. The 
remaining 27.4 acres of 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 environmental issues. By 
this Notice of

[[Page 34379]]

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> 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 on pages 4 and 5 of 
this notice.

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 Columbia. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
    <bullet> A total of about 18.9 acres of forest would be disturbed.
    <bullet> The project would cross two perennial streams, eight 
intermittent streams and 4 wetlands.
    <bullet> Blasting may be required in some areas.
    <bullet> Three private water wells are located within 150 feet of 
the construction work area.
    <bullet> Wells may need to be plugged at Derricks Creek Storage 
Field.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA 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 two copies of your letter to: David P. Boergers, 
Acting 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. CP98-546-000; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before July 20, 1998.
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request 
(appendix 4). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be 
taken off the mailing list.

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 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 3). Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. You do not need 
intervenor status to have your environmental comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mr. Paul McKee of the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 
208-1088.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-16708 Filed 6-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M