Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 87 / Friday, May 3, 1996 / Notices 19925

Land Requirements for Construction

The project would require about 900

acres of land. The proposed gas

pipelines would be partly built adjacent

to existing pipeline or electric

transmission line rights-of-way (ROW).

The construction ROW would typically

be 100 feet wide consisting of a 50-footwide permanent ROW and a 50-footwide temporary ROW. The construction

ROW would serve as a multiple use

ROW comprising gas pipelines, brine

pipelines, freshwater pipelines, and fuel

gas pipelines were applicable.

Following construction, the disturbed

area would be restored and the 50 feet

of temporary ROW would be allowed to

revert to its former land 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 taken into account during

the preparation of the EA.

We intend to use but not duplicate

work of other agencies to the greatest

extent possible. The water intake at the

Cowanesque Reservoir is under review

by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

Baltimore, Maryland District Office. The

leaching process and subsurface brine

disposal are under joint jurisdiction of

the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency and the Pennsylvania

Department of Environmental Protection

(PADEP). Land disposal permitting is

also required by the PADEP. 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

• vegatation and wildlife

• endangered and threatened species

• Noise impacts

• land use

• cultural resources

• hazardous waste

• public safety

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 several

issues that we think deserve attention

based on a preliminary review of the

proposed facilities and the

environmental information provided by

NE Hub.

• 46 streams would be crossed and some

of them are coldwater fisheries that support

trout.

• 58 wetlands would be crossed totalling

about 30.8 acres.

• Federal and state-listed threatened or

endangered species may be affected.

• The project may impact cultural

resources.

• Potential land disposal of 2,200 cubic

yards of solid material (brine filter cake) may

occur from the brine leaching process used

to develop two caverns. The brine filter cake

may be mixed into the top 2 feet of soil and

spread over 9.4 acres.

• Noise impacts would occur to nearby

residences from the operation of the

compressor station, water and brine pumping

equipment, well drilling, and the rail car

loading station.

• A pipeline and evaporation plant may be

constructed that would be associated with

the potential salt business at an

undetermined location near the project area.

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 with 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 property

recorded:

• Address your letter to: Lois Cashell,

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory

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

Washington, D.C. 20426;

• Reference Docket No. CP96–53–

000;

• Send a copy of your letter to: Mr.

John Wisniewski, EA Project Manager,

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;

888 First St., N.E., PR–11.2,

Washington, D.C. 20426; and

• Mail your comments so that they

will be received in Washington, D.C. on

or before May 28, 1996.

If you wish to receive a copy of the EA,

you should request one from Mr.

Wisniewski 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’’.

Among other things, intervenors have

the right to receive copies of caserelated 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. 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.

John Wisniewski, EA Project Manager,

at (202) 208–1073.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–11065 Filed 5–2–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP96–57–000]

Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice

of Availability of the Environmental

Assessment for the Proposed 1996

Zone EF Expansion Project

April 29, 1996.

The staff of the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (FERC or

Commission) has prepared an
19926 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 87 / Friday, May 3, 1996 / Notices

environmental assessment (EA) on the

natural gas pipeline facilities proposed

by Northern Natural Gas Company

(Northern) in the above-referenced

docket.

The EA was prepared to satisfy the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act. The staff

concludes that approval of the proposed

project, with appropriate mitigating

measures, would not constitute a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment.

Northern wants to expand the

capacity of its facilities in Minnesota

and Wisconsin to transport an

additional 46, 400 million British

thermal units per day of natural gas to

six local distribution companies.

Northern seeks authority to:

• Abandon the 10,600-horsepower

(hp) Owatonna Compressor Station in

Steele County, Minnesota and construct

and operate a new 10,600-hp Fairbault

Compressor Station in Rice County,

Minnesota;

• Extend its 30-inch-diameter C-line

Extension by about 2.24 miles in

Washington County, Minnesota;

• Increase the capacity of its Elk River

system by extending the existing 20-

inch-diameter Elk River Loop in two

areas for a total of about 3.30 miles in

Anoka County, Minnesota;

• Construct about 14.52 miles of 6-

inch-diameter tie-over connecting the

Paynesville and the Watkins

branchlines in Stearns County,

Minnesota;

• Install: (a) about 3.07 miles of 4-

inch-diameter St. Michael Loop in

Wright County, Minnesota; (b) about

5.01 miles of 8-inch-diameter Princeton

Loop in Mille Lacs and Sherburne

counties, Minnesota; and (c) about 1.96

miles of 4-inch-diameter Monticello

Loop in Wright County, Minnesota;

• Modify three meter stations in

Anoka County, Minnesota and two

meter stations in Wright County,

Minnesota; and

• Modify a meter station in St. Croix

County, Wisconsin and a meter station

in Buffalo County, Wisconsin.

The EA has been placed in the public

files of the FERC and is available for

public inspection at: Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, Public

Reference and Files Maintenance

Branch, 888 First Street, N.E.,

Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208–1371.

Copies of the EA have been mailed to

Federal, state and local agencies, public

interest groups, interested individuals,

newspapers, and parties to this

proceeding.

A limited number of copies of the EA

are available from: Mr. Robert Kopka,

Environmental Project Manager,

Environmental Review and Compliance

Branch I, Office of Pipeline Regulation,

PR–11.1, 888 First Street, N.E.,

Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208–0282.

Any person wishing to comment on

the EA may do so. Written comments

must reference Docket No. CP96–57–

000, and be addressed to: Office of the

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First Street, N.E.,

Washington, DC 20426.

Comments should be filed as soon as

possible, but must be received no later

than May 28, 1996, to ensure

consideration prior to a Commission

decision on this proposal. A copy of any

comments should also be sent to Mr.

Robert Kopka, Environmental Project

Manager, at the above address.

Comments will be considered by the

Commission but will not serve to make

the commentor a party to the

proceeding. Any person seeking to

become a party to the proceeding must

file a motion to intervene pursuant to

Rule 214 of the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedures (18 CFR

385.214).

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. Environmental issues

have been viewed as good cause for late

intervention. You do not need

intervenor status to have your

comments considered.

Additional information about this

project is available from Mr. Robert

Kopka, Environmental Project Manager.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–11053 Filed 5–2–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

Notice of Application for Major New

License

April 29, 1996.

Take notice that the following

hydroelectric application has been filed

with the Commission and is available

for public inspection:

a. Type of Application: Major New

License.

b. Project No.: 1984–056.

c. Date filed: January 25, 1996.

d. Applicant: Wisconsin River Power

Company.

e. Name of Project: Petenwell-Castle

Rock Project.

f. Location: On the Wisconsin River in

Adams, Juneau, and Wood Counties,

Wisconsin.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power

Act 16 U.S.C. §§ 791(a)–825(r).

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Richard L.

Hilliker, President, Wisconsin River

Power Company, P.O. Box 8050,

Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495, (715) 422–

3722.

i. FERC Contact: Robert Bell (202)

219–2806.

j. Comment Date: July 1, 1996.

k. Status of Environmental Analysis:

This application is accepted for filing

but is not ready for environmental

analysis at this time—see attached

standard paragraph E1.

l. Description of Project: The

constructed project consists of the

following developments:

Petenwell Development

(1) the Petenwell Dam consists of a

series of dams and dikes 15,505 feet

long and approximately 38 feet high; (2)

an impoundment having a surface area

of 25,180 acres, with a storage capacity

of 495,000 acre-feet at normal water

surface elevation of 923.9 feet msl; (3)

an intake structure; (4) a powerhouse

having 4 generating units having a total

installed capacity of 20–MW; (5) a

transmission line; and (6) appurtenant

facilities.

Castle Rock Development

(1) the Castle Rock Dam consist of a

series of dams and dikes 19,374 feet

long and approximately 30 feet high; (2)

an impoundment having a surface area

of 14,900 acres and storage capacity of

136,000 acre-feet at normal water

surface elevation of 881.9 feet msl; (3)

an intake structure; (4) a powerhouse

having 5 generating units having a total

installed capacity of 15–MW; (5) a

transmission line; and (6) appurtenant

facilities.

No additional capacity is being

proposed for this project under this new

license.

m. Purpose of Project: Project power

would be utilized for sale to Wisconsin

River Power Company’s customers.

n. This notice also consists of the

following standard paragraphs: B1 and

E1.

o. Available Location of Application:

A copy of the application, as amended

and supplemented, is available for

inspection and reproduction at the

Commission’s Public Reference and

Files Maintenance Branch, located at

888 North Capitol Street, Washington,

D.C., 20426, or by calling (202) 208–

1371. A copy is also available for

inspection and reproduction at Mr.

Richard L. Hilliker, President,

Wisconsin River Power Company, P.O.

Box 8050, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495,

(715) 422–3722.

B1. Protests or Motions to Intervene—

Anyone may submit a protest or a