Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 157 / Wednesday, August 13, 2008 / Notices 47149 

1The May 16, 2008 NOI for the projects as 

originally proposed is included in this 

supplemental NOI as an attachment. It may also be 

accessed via the FERC’s eLibrary. Instructions about 

using eLibrary are included in this document on 

page 7. 

2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the 

environmental staff of the FERC’s Office of Energy 

Projects. 

3The appendices referenced in this notice are not 

being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all 

appendices, other than Appendix 1 (maps), are 

available on the Commission’s Web site at the 

‘‘eLibrary’’ link or from the Commission’s Public 

Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, 

Continued 

385.210, .211, .214. In determining the 

appropriate action to take, the 

Commission will consider all protests 

and other comments filed, but only 

those who file a motion to intervene in 

accordance with the Commission’s 

Rules may become a party to the 

proceeding. Any comments, protests, or 

motions to intervene must be received 

on or before the specified comment date 

for the particular application. 

All filings must (1) Bear in all capital 

letters the title ‘‘PROTEST,’’ ‘‘MOTION 

TO INTERVENE,’’ ‘‘COMMENTS,’’

‘‘REPLY COMMENTS,’’

‘‘RECOMMENDATIONS,’’

‘‘PRELIMINARY TERMS AND 

CONDITIONS,’’ or ‘‘PRELIMINARY 

FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS’’; (2) set 

forth in the heading the name of the 

applicant and the project number of the 

application to which the filing 

responds; (3) furnish the name, address, 

and telephone number of the person 

protesting or intervening; and (4) 

otherwise comply with the requirements 

of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. 

Agencies may obtain copies of the 

application directly from the applicant. 

A copy of any protest or motion to 

intervene must be served upon each 

representative of the applicant specified 

in the particular application. 

o. Procedural Schedule: The 

application will be processed according 

to the following Hydro Licensing 

Schedule. Revisions to the schedule 

may be made as appropriate. 

Milestone Target date 

Filing of recommendations, 

preliminary terms and 

conditions, and fishway 

prescriptions.

October 2008. 

Commission issues Draft 

EIS.

January 2009. 

Comments on Draft EIS .... March 2009. 

Modified Terms and Conditions.May 2009. 

Commission Issues Final 

EIS.

August 2009. 

p. Final amendments to the 

application must be filed with the 

Commission no later than 30 days from 

the issuance date of this notice. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E8–18733 Filed 8–12–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. PF08–13–000] 

Southern Natural Gas Company; 

Supplemental Notice of Intent To 

Prepare An Environmental 

Assessment for the South System 

Expansion III Project and Request for 

Comments On Environmental Issues 

August 7, 2008. 

The staff of the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (FERC or 

Commission) issued on May 16, 2008, a 

Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Assessment (NOI) 1 for 

the related natural gas pipeline projects 

proposed by Southern Natural Gas 

Company (SNG) for the South System 

Expansion III Project (SSEIII Project), 

Docket No. PF08–13–000; and by 

Southeast Supply Header, LLC (SESH) 

for the Joint Pipeline Expansion Phase 

II Project (JPE Phase II Project), Docket 

No. PF08–16–000. In documents filed 

July 31, 2008, SNG informed that it has 

modified the SSEIII Project by adding 

additional pipeline facilities in four 

areas, by changing the proposed facility 

constructed in one area, and by 

modifying the timeframe for 

construction of one facility, as described 

below. These modifications were made 

as a result of the changes in the 

transportation service requirements of 

SNG’s customer, Georgia Power 

Company (Georgia Power). This 

supplemental NOI is being issued to 

notify the public about the modification 

to the SSEII Project and to request 

comments about the proposed modified 

facilities only. Please note that the 

scoping period for this supplemental 

NOI will close on September 8, 2008. 

The staff of the FERC will prepare an 

environmental assessment (EA) that will 

address the environmental impacts of 

the SSEIII Project proposed by SNG and 

the JPE Phase II Project proposed by 

SESH; together they are referred to as 

‘‘the projects’’. The Commission will 

use the EA in its decision-making 

process to determine whether or not to 

authorize the project. This notice 

explains the scoping process we 2 will 

use to gather environmental input from 

the public and interested agencies on 

the projects. Your input will help the 

Commission determine the issues that 

need to be evaluated in the EA. 

Details on how to submit written 

comments are provided in the Public 

Participation section of this notice. 

If you are a landowner receiving this 

supplemental NOI, you may be 

contacted by a pipeline company 

representative about the acquisition of 

an easement to construct, operate, and 

maintain the proposed project facilities. 

The pipeline company would seek to 

negotiate a mutually acceptable 

agreement for its project. However, if 

the projects are 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. 

This supplemental NOI is being sent 

to affected landowners; federal, state, 

and local government agencies; elected 

officials; environmental and public 

interest groups; Native American tribes; 

other interested parties; and local 

libraries and newspapers where the 

modified facilities are proposed. We 

encourage government representatives 

to notify their constituents of this 

planned project and encourage them to 

comment on their areas of concern. 

A fact sheet prepared by the FERC 

entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas 

Facility on My Land? What Do I Need 

To Know?’’ is available for viewing on 

the FERC Internet Web site (http:// 

www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses 

a number of typically asked questions, 

including the use of eminent domain 

and how to participate in the FERC’s 

proceedings. 

Summary of the Proposed Project 

The original SSEIII Project and the 

JPE Phase II Project descriptions are in 

the May 16, 2008 NOI and will not be 

repeated in this Supplemental NOI. 

Only the modified facilities proposed by 

SNG are described herein. 

SNG proposes to construct, own, 

operate, and maintain certain natural 

gas transportation facilities within the 

states of Georgia, Alabama, and 

Mississippi for the SSEIII Project. The 

general locations of the proposed 

pipeline and compression facilities are 

shown in the figure included as 

Appendix 1,3 and the modified and 


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47150 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 157 / Wednesday, August 13, 2008 / Notices 

DC 20426, or call (202) 502–8371. For instructions 

on connecting to eLibrary refer to the Public 

Participation section of this notice. Copies of the 

appendices were sent to all those receiving this 

notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps of the 

proposed facilities should be made directly to SNG 

or SESH. 

4The originally proposed length of the Gwinville 

Loop was 9.5 miles. 

5The originally proposed length of the Enterprise 

Loop was 2.8 miles. 

6The originally proposed length of the Gallion 

Loop was 6.5 miles. 

7Refer to the May 16, 2008 NOI for information 

about construction and operation of proposed 

aboveground facilities. SNG’s facilities modified in 

its July 31, 2008 filing do not include any changes 

to proposed aboveground facilities. 

8The original project would have required about 

867.5 acres for construction and about 45.4 acres 

operation as permanent right-of-way. 

additional facilities for which this 

supplemental NOI is being issued, are 

identified in the red boxes. The purpose 

of the projects is to provide natural gas 

transportation service to Georgia 

Power’s existing Plant McDonough. 

Georgia Power is converting the Plant 

McDonough electric generation from 

coal-fueled to natural gas-fueled. The 

SSEIII Project would increase pipeline 

capacity on SNG’s existing system to 

serve Georgia Power, and SESH’s 

proposed JPE Phase II Project would 

provide the required additional 

upstream transportation capacity. 

SSEIII Project 

SNG proposes to construct the SSEIII 

Project in three phases. In addition to 

the listed facilities, SNG would install a 

cathodic protection system to mitigate 

pipeline corrosion, an AC mitigation 

system where the pipeline would be 

near high voltage power lines, ten pig 

launchers or receivers, and four 

mainline valves. 

Phase I would be constructed entirely 

within the state of Georgia. SNG has 

proposed no changes to the Phase I 

facilities or to the timing of construction 

of the Phase I facilities. Refer to the May 

16, 2008 NOI for their description. 

Phase II facilities would be 

constructed within the state of 

Mississippi and Alabama. SNG has not 

proposed changes to the timing of 

construction of the Phase II facilities. 

However, it has proposed additional 

pipeline construction which is 

described below. Refer to the May 16, 

2008 NOI for the description of the 

original facilities. 

• The South Main Third Loop Line 

(Gwinville Loop): An additional 4.75 

miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop 

constructed adjacent to SNG’s existing 

South Main System in Jefferson Davis 

and Simpson Counties, Mississippi, 

bringing the total length of the 

Gwinville Loop to about 14.3 miles 

(MPs 0.0 to 14.3).4 The Gwinville Loop 

would extend eastward from SNG’s 

existing Gwinville Compressor Station 

(MP 0.0) towards the existing Bay 

Springs Compressor Station. 

• The South Main Third Loop Line 

(Enterprise Loop): an additional 4.9 

miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop 

constructed adjacent to SNG’s existing 

30-, 24-, and 18-inch-diameter pipelines 

in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, and 

Choctaw and Sumter Counties, 

Alabama, bringing the total length of the 

Enterprise Loop to about 7.7 miles (MPs 

89.6 to 97.5).5 The Enterprise Loop 

would be constructed between SNG’s 

existing Enterprise and York 

Compressor Stations. The Enterprise 

Loop was originally proposed as a Phase 

III facility, but SNG now proposes to 

construct it during Phase II due to the 

modified requirements of Georgia 

Power. 

Phase III facilities would be 

constructed in the States of Mississippi, 

Alabama, and Georgia. SNG has not 

proposed changes to facilities in the 

State of Georgia or to the timing of 

construction of the Phase III facilities. 

However, it has proposed additional or 

modified Phase III facilities in the States 

of Mississippi and Alabama which are 

described below. Refer to the May 16, 

2008 NOI for the description of the 

original facilities. 

• The South Main Third Loop Line 

(Bay Springs Loop): A new 2.4-milelong, 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop 

between the existing Bay Springs and 

Enterprise Compressor Stations 

constructed adjacent to SNG’s existing 

30-, 24-, and 18-inch-diameter pipelines 

in Clarke County, Mississippi (MPs 64.8 

to 67.2). 

• The South Main Fourth Loop Line 

(Gallion Loop): An additional 3.25 miles 

of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop 

constructed adjacent to SNG’s existing 

30-, 24-, and dual 18-inch-diameter 

pipelines in Hale and Perry Counties, 

Alabama, bringing the total length of the 

Gallion Loop to about 9.75 miles (MPs 

149.9 to 159.7).6 The Gallion Loop 

would be constructed between SNG’s 

existing Gallion and Selma Compressor 

Stations. 

• The South Main Replacement 

(Elmore Replacement): Rather than 

constructing a pipeline loop along this 

segment of the SSEIII Project, SNG now 

proposes to replace 11.7 miles of 16- 

inch-diameter pipeline with 42-inchdiameter pipeline in Elmore County, 

Alabama (MPs 221.6 to 233.3). The 

Elmore Replacement would be 

constructed between SNG’s existing 

Elmore and Auburn Compressor 

Stations and would be adjacent to SNG’s 

existing 30-, 24-, and 18-inch-diameter 

pipelines. 

Land Requirements for Construction 

SSEIII Project 

The typical construction right-of-way 

width for the SSEIII Project pipelines 

would vary between 90 and 100 feet. 

The majority of this construction rightof-way, however, would overlap the 

existing permanent rights-of-way of the 

adjacent pipelines. Therefore, between 

zero and 55 feet of additional temporary 

right-of-way width would be required 

for construction. The typical 

construction right-of-way width through 

wetlands would be reduced to 75 feet. 

Following construction, SNG would 

retain between zero and 25 feet of 

additional permanent right-of-way for 

operation.7

Additional temporary extra 

workspaces beyond the typical 

construction right-of-way limits would 

be required at certain feature crossings 

(e.g., roads, railroads, wetlands, or 

waterbodies, utilities), in areas with 

steep side slopes, in association with 

special construction techniques, for 

topsoil segregation, and for pipe, 

equipment, and contractor yards. SNG 

would access its project construction 

areas primarily along the existing 

pipeline right-of-way and existing roads; 

however, other access roads may be 

required during construction. 

Based on preliminary information, 

construction of all of SNG’s proposed 

project facilities would require about 

984.0 acres including a proposed meter 

station. Operation of the SSEIII Project 

would require about 57.1 acres as 

permanent right-of-way that would be 

restored as open or industrial land 

where aboveground facilities would be 

operated. The remaining 926.9 acres of 

temporary workspaces would be 

restored and would return to previous 

land use. These totals do not include the 

temporary land requirements for access 

roads or contractor, pipe, or equipment 

yards.8

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 

when it considers whether or not an 

interstate natural gas pipeline should be 

approved. The FERC will use the EA to 

consider the environmental impact that 

could result if the Projects are 


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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 157 / Wednesday, August 13, 2008 / Notices 47151 

authorized under section 7 of the 

Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires us 

to discover and address concerns the 

public may have about proposals to be 

considered by the Commission. This 

process is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The 

main goal of the scoping process is to 

focus the analysis in the EA on the 

important environmental issues. With 

this Notice of Intent, the Commission 

staff is requesting public comments on 

the scope of the issues to be addressed 

in the EA. All comments received will 

be considered during preparation of the 

EA. 

In the EA we 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; 

• land use; 

• water resources, fisheries, and 

wetlands; 

• cultural resources; 

• vegetation and wildlife; 

• threatened and endangered species; 

• air quality and noise; 

• hazardous waste; and 

• public safety. 

In the EA, we will also evaluate 

possible alternatives to the proposed 

projects or portions of the projects, and 

make recommendations on how to 

lessen or avoid impacts on affected 

resources. 

Although no formal application has 

been filed, the FERC staff has already 

initiated its NEPA review under its 

NEPA Pre-filing Process. The purpose of 

the Pre-filing Process is to encourage the 

early involvement of interested 

stakeholders and to identify and resolve 

issues before an application is filed with 

the FERC. 

Public Participation 

You can make a difference by 

providing us with your specific 

comments or concerns about SSEIII 

Project. Your comments should focus on 

the potential environmental effects, 

reasonable alternatives, and measures to 

avoid or lessen environmental impacts. 

The more specific your comments, the 

more useful they will be. To ensure that 

your comments are timely and properly 

recorded, please send in your comments 

so that they will be received in 

Washington, DC on or before September 

8, 2008. 

For your convenience, there are three 

methods which you can use to submit 

your comments to the Commission. In 

all instances please reference the project 

docket number, PF08–13–000, with 

your submission. The Commission 

encourages electronic filing of 

comments and has dedicated eFiling 

expert staff available to assist you at 

202–502–8258 or efiling@ferc.gov. 

(1) You may file your comments 

electronically by using the Quick 

Comment feature, which is located on 

the Commission’s internet Web site at 

http://www.ferc.gov under the link to 

Documents and Filings. A Quick 

Comment is an easy method for 

interested persons to submit text-only 

comments on a project; 

(2) You may file your comments 

electronically by using the eFiling 

feature, which is located on the 

Commission’s internet Web site at 

http://www.ferc.gov under the link to 

Documents and Filings. eFiling involves 

preparing your submission in the same 

manner as you would if filing on paper, 

and then saving the file on your 

computer’s hard drive. You will attach 

that file as your submission. New 

eFiling users must first create an 

account by clicking on ‘‘Sign up’’ or 

‘‘eRegister.’’ You will be asked to select 

the type of filing you are making. A 

comment on a particular project is 

considered a ‘‘Comment on a Filing;’’ or 

(3) You may file your comments via 

mail to the Commission by sending an 

original and two copies of your letter to: 

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 

First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 

20426. 

Label one copy of the comments for 

the attention of Gas Branch 2, PJ11.2. 

We might mail the EA for comment. 

If you are interested in receiving it, 

please return the Information Request 

(Appendix 2). If you do not return the 

Information Request, you will be taken 

off the mailing list. 

Additional Information 

Additional information about the 

project is available from the 

Commission’s Office of External Affairs, 

at 1–866–208–FERC (3372) or on the 

FERC Internet Web site (http:// 

www.ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary link.’’

Click on the eLibrary link, select 

‘‘General Search’’ and enter the project 

docket number excluding the last three 

digits (i.e., PF06–1) in the ‘‘Docket 

Number’’ field. Be sure you have 

selected an appropriate date range. For 

assistance, please contact FERC Online 

Support at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll 

free at 1–866–208–3676, or TTY, contact 

(202) 502–8659. The eLibrary link on 

the FERC Internet Web site also 

provides access to the texts of formal 

documents issued by the Commission, 

such as orders, notices, and rule 

makings. 

In addition, the FERC now offers a 

free service called eSubscription that 

allows you to keep track of all formal 

issuances and submittals in specific 

dockets. This can reduce the amount of 

time you spend researching proceedings 

by automatically providing you with 

notification of these filings, document 

summaries, and direct links to the 

documents. To register for this service, 

go to http://www.ferc.gov/ 

esubscribenow.htm. 

SNG has established an Internet Web 

site for the SSEIII Project at http:// 

www.elpaso.com/sse3/default.shtm. The 

Web site includes a description of the 

project, a map of the proposed pipeline 

route, and contact information. You may 

also use SNG’s toll-free telephone 

number, 1–800–622–4481 to ask 

questions about the SSEIII Project. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E8–18727 Filed 8–12–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. EL08–52–001] 

California Independent System 

Operator Corporation; Notice of Filing 

August 7, 2008. 

Take notice that on August 1, 2008, 

California Independent System Operator 

Corporation submitted for filing in 

compliance with the Commission’s July 

2, 2008 Order, a revised form of ‘‘TAC 

Rate’’ spreadsheet. 

Any person desiring to intervene or to 

protest this filing must file in 

accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of 

the Commission’s Rules of Practice and 

Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214). 

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 notice of 

intervention or motion to intervene, as 

appropriate. Such notices, motions, or 

protests must be filed on or before the 

comment date. Anyone filing a motion 

to intervene or protest must serve a copy 

of that document on the Applicant and 

all the parties in this proceeding. 

The Commission encourages 

electronic submission of protests and 

interventions in lieu of paper using the 

‘‘eFiling’’ link at http://www.ferc.gov. 

Persons unable to file electronically 

should submit an original and 14 copies 

of the protest or intervention to the 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 


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