[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 237 (Monday, December 11, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63516-63517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-30061]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
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 decision-making process to determine 
whether an environmental impact statement is necessary and whether to 
approve the project.

    \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.
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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-inch-diameter 
pipeline loops, totalling 13.51 miles in length, and appurtenant 
facilities.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\2\

    \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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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 179.3 
acres of land, including 81.9 acres of temporary right-of-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:
    <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 
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.
    <bullet> A total of 155 acres of agricultural land, virtually all 
of it is prime farmland soils, would be affected.
    <bullet> 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:
    <bullet> Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426;
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP96-32-000;
    <bullet> 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
    <bullet> 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''. 

[[Page 63517]]
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of 
case-related 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