[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 47 (Friday, March 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13145-13146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5881]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP95-113-000]


KN Interstate Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Casper-Douglas 
Pipeline Loop and Spur Project and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

March 6, 1995.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss environmental impacts of the construction and operation of 
facilities proposed in the Casper-Douglas Pipeline Loop and Spur 
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\KN Interstate 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

    KN Interstate Gas Transmission Company (KN) presently owns and 
operates a natural gas processing plant in Casper, Wyoming (Casper 
Plant) constructed in 1965. Because of the dated technology used to 
remove heavy hydrocarbons from the gas, the Casper Plant is outmoded 
and environmentally inefficient to operate. The plant requires large 
volumes of fuel gas, and freon, as a refrigerant. Because the 
production of freon has ceased and the existing supply of freon at the 
plant is finite, KN proposes to close the Casper Plant.
    KN wants to reconfigure its main natural gas transmission system in 
order to transfer natural gas processing operations from the Casper 
Plant to another existing processing plant near Douglas, Wyoming 
(Douglas Plant). KN requests Commission authorization, in Docket No. 
CP95-113-000, to construct and operate the following facilities needed 
to transfer the processing operations:
    <bullet> 43.9 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline loop (Casper-
Douglas Pipeline Loop) in Natrona and Converse Counties, Wyoming;\2\

    \2\A loop is a segment of pipeline that is installed adjacent to 
an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. The loop 
allows more gas to be moved through the pipeline system at the 
location in which the loop is installed.
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    <bullet> 8.0 miles of new 16-inch-diameter pipeline (Douglas Spur) 
in Converse County, Wyoming; and
    <bullet> 2,000 horsepower (hp) of new compression at KN's existing 
Guernsey Compressor Station in Platte County, Wyoming.
    The general location of the project facilities and route maps are 
shown in appendix 1.\3\

    \3\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, Room 
3104, 941 North Capitol 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

    The Casper-Douglas Pipeline Loop would be installed within newly 
acquired, 100-foot-wide construction rights-of-way generally parallel 
to the right-of-way for an existing 12-inch pipeline. A 66-foot-wide 
permanent right-of-way centered on the new pipeline would be used for 
long-term maintenance activities. About 532 acres of land would be 
disturbed if all 100 feet of construction right-of-way along the 
pipeline route is used. The permanent right-of-way would consist of 
about 351 acres of land.
    The Douglas Spur would be installed within newly acquired, 100-
foot-wide construction rights-of-way. A 66-foot-wide permanent right-
of-way centered on the new pipeline would be used for long-term 
maintenance activities. Two temporary staging areas, about 250 by 300 
feet, one on each side of the river, would be required for the crossing 
of the North Platte River and associated wetlands. A total of about 100 
acres of land would be disturbed if all 100 feet of construction right-
of-way along the pipeline route is used. The permanent right-of-way 
would consist of about 64 acres of land.
    Private roads/lanes and the existing rights-of-way would be used 
for access to the pipeline during construction and removal. These roads 
may require repair and upgrading to support increased traffic.
    The additional 2,000-hp compressor unit would be installed at KN's 
existing Guernsey Compressor Station. The compressor unit would be 
placed on an existing foundation adjacent to the current compressor. No 
new land for construction will be required.

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 
[[Page 13146]] 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 a number of issues that we think deserve 
attention, based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by KN. 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. The currently 
identified issues are:
    <bullet> The construction of new pipeline could affect seven 
separate wetlands.
    <bullet> The project could cross habitat of the piping plover, 
least tern, bald eagle, whooping crane, peregrine falcon, black-footed 
ferret, pallid sturgeon (all federally listed endangered species), and 
the mountain plover (a category 2 candidate species).
    <bullet> Construction of a 2,000-hp compressor at the Guernsey 
Compressor Station may increase ambient noise levels in the vicinity of 
the compressor station.
    <bullet> About 2.5 miles of the pipeline are proposed to cross the 
Old Fort Fetterman Reservation, a historic site established in 1867.

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 (including alternative routes), 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, 825 North Capitol St., N.E., Washington, 
D.C. 20426;
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP95-113-000;
    <bullet> Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Bob Kopka, EA Project 
Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol St., 
N.E., Room 7312, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
    <bullet> Mail your comments so they will be received in Washington 
D.C. on or before April 7, 1995.
    If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one 
from Mr. Kopka 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 an ``intervenor.'' 
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 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 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. In certain cases, 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. Bob Kopka, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0282.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-5881 Filed 3-9-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M