[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 150 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41815-41816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20851]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-637-000]


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

July 30, 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 construct about 6.9 miles of 20-
inch-diameter pipeline to replace an equivalent length of 12-inch-
diameter pipeline on its Line VM-108 in Sussex County, Virginia.\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\ 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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    Columbia states that the proposed replacement is primarily due to 
the age and condition of the old pipeline. Also, the proposed 
replacement would allow Columbia to transport the additional storage 
service volume to Virginia Natural Gas, Inc. in Norfolk, Virginia.
    If you are a 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 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, 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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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Columbia seeks authorization for the following:
    (1) Construct approximately 6.9 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline 
to replace an equivalent length of 12-inch-diameter pipeline on Line 
VM-108 in Sussex County, Virginia;
    (2) Increase the deliverability of its existing Glady Storage Field 
by 14,100 Mcfd in Randolph and Pocohantas Counties, West Virginia by 
reworking two wells; and
    (3) Reacquire from Transco Energy Marketing Company certain 
pipeline capacity on its Solo Pipeline between Emporia, Virginia and 
Petersburg, Virginia, and on Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 
Corporation's pipeline from Boswells Tavern, Virginia, to Emporia, 
Virginia.
    The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 109 
acres of land. Following construction, about 58 acres would be 
maintained as new permanent right-of-way. The remaining 51 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 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.

[[Page 41816]]

    <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 page 4 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> The project would cross two perennial streams classified 
as warm water fisheries which contain wild trout.
    <bullet> Four federally listed endangered or threatened species may 
occur in the proposed project area.
    <bullet> Prehistoric and historic archeological sites and landscape 
with historic structures may be affected.

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. CP98-637-000; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before August 31, 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. 98-20851 Filed 8-4-98; 8:45 am]
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