[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1401-1403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00156]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP15-22-000 CP15-24-000]


Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed St. Charles Transportation 
and Keys Energy Projects and Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of two related projects--the St. 
Charles Transportation and Keys Energy Projects--both involving 
construction and operation of facilities proposed by Dominion Cove 
Point LNG, LP (DCP) in Fairfax County, Virginia and Charles County, 
Maryland. The Commission will use this EA in its decision-making 
process to determine whether the projects are in the public convenience 
and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the projects. Your input will help the Commission staff 
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. Please note that 
the scoping period will close on February 4, 2015.
    You may submit comments in written form. Further details on how to 
submit written comments are in the Public Participation section of this 
notice. If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before 
the opening of these dockets on December 3, 2014, you will need to file 
those comments in Docket No. CP15-22-000 for the St. Charles 
Transportation Project, and CP15-24-000 for the Keys Energy Project, to 
ensure they are considered as part of this proceeding.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company 
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to

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construct, access, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The 
company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. 
However, if the Commission approves the project, 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 where compensation would be 
determined in accordance with state law.
    DCP provided potentially affected landowners and residents within 
0.5 mile radius around the proposed compression upgrades a fact sheet 
prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On 
My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' This fact sheet addresses a number 
of typically-asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and 
how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is also 
available for viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    DCP proposes to construct, install, own, operate, and maintain 
certain facilities located in Fairfax County, Virginia and Charles 
County, Maryland which comprise the St. Charles Transportation Project 
and the Keys Energy Project. These projects would involve the 
installation of new facilities and modification of existing facilities.
    The St. Charles Transportation Project would consist of the 
following facilities:
    <bullet> Pleasant Valley Compressor Station (Fairfax County, 
Virginia)
    [cir] Install one new 7,000-horsepower (hp) electric compressor at 
the existing compressor station;
    [cir] extend the existing compressor building;
    [cir] replace the existing filter-separator with one new filter-
separator;
    [cir] add one new gas cooler; and
    [cir] install miscellaneous piping and measurement upgrades, meter 
runs, piping, fitting and valves.
    <bullet> Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) Maryland Interconnect 
(Charles County, Maryland)
    [cir] Install two new 16-inch taps (one on TL-522 and one on TL-
532) for customer delivery.
    The St. Charles Transportation Project would allow delivery of an 
additional 132,000 dekatherms per day (Dt/d) of natural gas to CPV 
Maryland, LLC (CPV Maryland). According to DCP, additional compression 
at the Pleasant Valley Compressor Station is required to deliver gas to 
CPV Maryland. The two new 16-inch taps would be required for customer 
delivery.
    The Keys Energy Project would consist of the following facilities:
    <bullet> Pleasant Valley Compressor Station (Fairfax County, 
Virginia)
    [cir] Install one new 6,000-hp electric compressor and one new gas 
cooler at the existing compressor station; and
    [cir] add necessary interconnecting pipe work to and from supply/
discharge headers.
    <bullet> Keys Energy Interconnect (Charles County, Maryland)
    [cir] Install two new 16-inch taps (one on TL-522 and one on TL-
532) for customer delivery;
    [cir] construct a metering and regulating (M&R) station that would 
feed gas from the new taps to the Keys Energy, LLC (Keys Energy) 
lateral line1; and
    [cir] construct a dekatherm building that would house electronic 
flow control equipment.
    The Keys Energy Project would provide an additional approximately 
107,000 Dt/d of natural gas to a new generating station to be 
constructed by Keys Energy (Keys Energy Center, Prince George's County, 
Maryland). According to DCP, the Pleasant Valley Compressor Station 
would provide additional compression that is required to deliver gas to 
the Keys Energy Center. The two new 16-inch taps would be required for 
customer delivery.
    The general locations of the project facilities are shown in 
appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to all those 
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov 
using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call 
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to 
the last page of this notice.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities for the St. Charles 
Transportation Project would disturb about 22.6 acres of land for the 
aboveground facilities. Following construction, DCP would maintain 
about 1.5 acres for permanent operation of the project's facilities; 
the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses.
    Construction of the proposed facilities for the Keys Energy Project 
would disturb about 28.5 acres of land for the aboveground facilities. 
Following construction, DCP would maintain about 2.1 acres for 
permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage 
would be restored and revert to former uses. The proposed facility 
modifications for both the St. Charles Transportation and Keys Energy 
Projects would occur within an agricultural field; existing compressor 
station property; or within existing, maintained DCP rights-of-way.

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 
\2\ to discover and address concerns the public may have about 
proposals. 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. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We will 
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    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:
    <bullet> Geology and soils;
    <bullet> land use;
    <bullet> water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
    <bullet> cultural resources;
    <bullet> vegetation and wildlife, including migratory birds;
    <bullet> air quality and noise;
    <bullet> endangered and threatened species; and
    <bullet> public safety.
    We will also evaluate reasonable 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.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on 
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish 
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We 
will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations 
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and 
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the 
Public Participation section below.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of 
this project to formally cooperate with us in the

[[Page 1403]]

preparation of the EA.\3\ Agencies that would like to request 
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this 
notice. Currently, no agencies have expressed an intention to 
participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA to 
satisfy its NEPA responsibilities related to this project.
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    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation 
with the applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), and to 
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested 
Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on 
historic properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of 
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project 
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum 
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include 
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor 
stations, and access roads). Our EA for these projects will document 
our findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the 
status of consultations under section 106.
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    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic 
Places.
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Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the projects. 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 your comments so 
that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before 
February 4, 2015.
    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 numbers (CP15-22-000 and/or CP15-24-000) 
with your submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 
or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#204546494c494e4760464552430e474f56"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c1a4a7a8ada8afa681a7a4b3a2efa6aeb7">[email protected]</span></a>.
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to 
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for interested persons to 
submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically using the eFiling 
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to 
Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a 
variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. 
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on 
``eRegister.'' You must select the type of filing you are making. If 
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select 
``Comment on a Filing''; or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 
20426.

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other 
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also 
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's 
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property 
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within 
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits 
comments on the projects. We will update the environmental mailing list 
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related 
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
proposed projects.
    If we publish and distribute the EA, copies will be sent to the 
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would 
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD 
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please 
return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the 
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the 
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard 
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. 
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a 
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in 
the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web 
site.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the projects is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC Web site at www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Click on the 
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number, 
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., 000). 
Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, 
please contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#43052631200c2d2f2a2d26103633332c313703252631206d242c35"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c781a2b5a488a9abaea9a294b2b7b7a8b5b387a1a2b5a4e9a0a8b1">[email protected]</span></a> or 
toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. The 
eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of formal documents 
issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription which 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. Go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

    Dated: January 5, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-00156 Filed 1-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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