63516 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 237 / Monday, December 11, 1995 / Notices

1 Viking Gas Transmission Company’s application

was filed with the Commission under Section 7 of

the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the

Commission’s regulations.

2The 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.

response. This restriction does not limit

the Government’s right to use or

disclose data obtained without

restriction from any source including

the respondent.

Submission

Each submittal should consist of six

copies, one original and five

photocopies. The original copy of the

Expression of Interest shall contain all

documents that bear original signatures.

DOE is under no obligation to pay for

any costs associated with the

preparation or submission of

Expressions of Interest in response to

this notice. DOE reserves the right to

respond or not respond to any portion,

all, or none of the Expressions of

Interest submitted in response to this

notice.

Issued in Washington, D.C., on November

21, 1995.

Terry R. Lash,

Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science

and Technology.

[FR Doc. 95–30086 Filed 12–8–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP96–32–000]

Viking Gas Transmission Company;

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Assessment for the

Proposed VGT Expansion Project and

Request for Comments on

Environmental Issues

December 5, 1995.

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 the

facilities proposed in the VGT

Expansion Project.1 This EA will be

used by the Commission in its decisionmaking process to determine whether an

environmental impact statement is

necessary and whether to approve the

project.

Summary of the Proposed Project

Viking Gas Transmission Company

(VGT) wants to expand the capacity of

its facilities in Kittson and Norman

Counties, Minnesota, to transport an

additional 19,420 decatherms per day of

natural gas. VGT requests authorization

to construct and operate two 24-inchdiameter pipeline loops, totalling 13.51

miles in length, and appurtenant

facilities.

The general location of the project

facilities is shown in appendix 1.2

Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the proposed facilities

would require about 179.3 acres of land,

including 81.9 acres of temporary rightof-way. Following construction, all of

the land would be restored and allowed

to revert to its former use. No new

permanent right-of-way is required for

the project.

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:

• geology and soils

• water resources, fisheries, and

wetlands

• vegetation and wildlife

• endangered and threatened species

• public safety

• land use

• cultural resources

• air quality and noise

• 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 issues that

we think deserve attention based on a

preliminary review of the proposed

facilities and the environmental

information provided by VGT.

• A total of 155 acres of agricultural

land, virtually all of it is prime farmland

soils, would be affected.

• One perennial stream (the North

Branch, Two Rivers) would be crossed.

Keep in mind that this is a

preliminary list. The list of issues may

be added to, subtracted from, or

changed based on your comments and

our analysis.

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:

• Address your letter to: Lois Cashell,

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First St., N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426;

• Reference Docket No. CP96–32–

000;

• Send a copy of your letter to: Mr.

Jeff Shenot, EA Project Manager, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First St., N.E., Room 7L–05,

Washington, D.C. 20426; and

• Mail your comments so that they

will be received in Washington, D.C. on

or before January 10, 1996.

If you wish to receive a copy of the EA,

you should request one from Mr. Shenot

at the above address.

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’’.
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 237 / Monday, December 11, 1995 / Notices 63517

Among other things, intervenors have

the right to receive copies of caserelated Commission documents and

filings by other intervenors. Likewise,

each intevenor must provide copies of

its filings to all other parties. 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).

The date for filing of 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 scoping

comments considered.

Additional information about the

proposed project is available from Mr.

Jeff Shenot, EA Project Manager, at (202)

219–0295.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–30061 Filed 12–8–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP96–91–000]

Stingray Pipeline Company; Notice of

Request Under Blanket Authorization

December 5, 1995.

Take notice that on December 1, 1995,

Stingray Pipeline Company (Stingray),

701 East 22nd Street, Lombard, Illinois

60148, filed in Docket No. CP96–91–000

a request pursuant to Sections 157.205

and 157.208(b) of the Commission’s

Regulations under the Natural Gas Act

(18 CFR 157.205, 157.208) for

authorization to own and operate, by

means of construction and acquisition,

various facilities located offshore

Louisiana, in order to give Stingray

access to additional gas supplies and to

expand operational flexibility, under

Stingray’s blanket certificate issued in

Docket No. CP91–1505–000 pursuant to

Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, all as

more fully set forth in the request that

is on file with the Commission and open

to public inspection.

Stingray proposes to: (1) Acquire, own

and operate dual 8-inch meter facilities

and approximately 0.13 mile of 20-inch

lateral that will be constructed by

Midcon Exploration Company and Flex

Trend Development Company (the

Producers) on the construction platform

being constructed by the Producers in

Garden Banks Block 72, offshore

Louisiana; (2) construct, own and

operate 15.49 miles of 20-inch lateral

from the Garden Banks 72 production

platform to Stingray’s existing facilities

in Vermilion Block 362, offshore

Louisiana; (3) construct, own and

operate a 20-inch subsea tap valve on

the proposed 20-inch lateral in

Vermilion Block 408 for future

interconnects; and (4) construct, own

and operate a 12-inch subsea tap valve

on the proposed 20-inch lateral in

Vermilion Block 385 for a future

interconnect.

It is stated that construction of the 20-

inch lateral and related facilities will

allow Stingray to receive and transport

up to 75 Mmcf of natural gas per day

produced by the Producers at Garden

Banks 72. It is asserted that the taps

proposed in (3) and (4) above would

allow Stingray additional opportunities

for operational flexibility in acquiring

volumes of gas that may become

available in the future from other

production sources in the Vermilion

and Garden Banks areas. It is estimated

that the cost of acquisition and

construction would be approximately

$8.927 million.

Any person or the Commission’s staff

may, within 45 days after issuance of

the instant notice by the Commission,

file pursuant to Rule 214 of the

Commission’s Procedural Rules (18 CFR

385.214) a motion to intervene or notice

of intervention and pursuant to Section

157.205 of the Regulations under the

Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205) a

protest to the request. If no protest is

filed within the time allowed therefor,

the proposed activity shall be deemed to

be authorized effective the day after the

time allowed for filing a protest. If a

protest is filed and not withdrawn

within 30 days after the time allowed

for filing a protest, the instant request

shall be treated as an application for

authorization pursuant to Section 7 of

the Natural Gas Act.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–30013 Filed 12–8–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. ES96–10–001]

UtiliCorp United Inc.; Notice of

Amended Application

December 5, 1995.

Take notice that on December 1, 1995,

UtiliCorp United Inc. (UtiliCorp) filed

an amendment to its November 3, 1995,

application in Docket No. ES96–10–000,

under § 204 of the Federal Power Act. In

the original filing, UtiliCorp seeks

authorization to issue and sell up to and

including $7.3 million of Pollution

Control Bonds (PCBs) which would be

secured by a letter of credit. In its

amendment, UtiliCorp indicates that the

original application inadvertently failed

to specify a request for an authorization

that would cover the full amount of the

letter credit used to support the

payment of principal and interest of the

PCBs issuance, when due. In the

amendment, UtiliCorp requests an

authorization to enter into a letter of

credit in the amount of $7,502,300 to be

issued in support of the payment of the

principal of and interest on the PCBs.

Any person desiring to be heard of to

protest said filing should file a motion

to intervene or protest with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, in accordance with Rules 211

and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211

and 385.214). All such motions or

protests should be filed on or before

December 13, 1995. Protests will be

considered by the Commission in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken, but will not serve to make

protestants parties to the proceeding.

Any person wishing to become a party

must file a motion to intervene. Copies

of this filing are on file with the

Commission and are available for public

inspection.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–30012 Filed 12–8–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5341–3]

CERCLA Enforcement Against Lenders

and Government Entities That Acquire

Property Involuntarily

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency.

ACTION: Announcement and publication

of policy.

SUMMARY: This policy memorandum sets

forth the Environmental Protection

Agency (‘‘EPA’’) and the Department of

Justice’s (‘‘DOJ’’) policy regarding the

government’s enforcement of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation and Liability

Act (‘‘CERCLA’’) against lenders and

against government entities that acquire

property involuntarily. As an

enforcement policy, EPA and DOJ

intend to apply as guidance the

provisions of the ‘‘Lender Liability

Rule’’ promulgated in 1992, thereby

endorsing the interpretations and

rationales announced in the Rule. See