[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 29 (Monday, February 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9839-9841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3435]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-45-000]


Colorado Interstate Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Valley Line Expansion 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meetings and Route Inspection

February 6, 2001.
    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 Valley Line Expansion Project, 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Colorado 
Interstate Gas Company (CIG) along the eastern slope of the Rocky 
Mountain Front Range in Colorado.\1\ These facilities would consist of 
about 119 miles of 20- and 24-inch-diameter pipeline in two sections 
and 4,450 horsepower (hp) of compression to be added at the recently-
proposed Fort Lupton Compressor Station.\2\ This EA will be used by the 
Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the 
project is in the public convenience and necessity.
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    \1\ CIG's application was filed with the Commission under 
Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act and Subpart A of Part 157 of the 
Commission's regulations.
    \2\ CIG's Front Range Expansion proposal, filed with the 
Commission in Docket No. CP01-1-000 on October 2, 2000, included 
construction of the new 6,675-hp Fort Lupton Compressor Station.
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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. 
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement. However, if the project is 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.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the 
project notice CIG provided to landowners. 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 
available for viewing on the FERC Internet website, http://www.ferc.fed.us.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    CIG wants to expand the capacity of its existing natural gas 
transmissions system along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountain 
Front Range in Colorado. The primary purpose of the expansion is to 
meet additional natural gas fuel requirements for electric power 
generation. Secondarily, this proposal would provide a limited amount 
of additional capacity to local natural gas distribution systems for 
meeting increased demand along the portion of CIG's Valley Line between 
its Watkins Compressor Station and El Paso County south of Colorado 
Springs. The expansion would enable CIG to transport an additional 
278.8 million cubic feet of natural gas per day (MMcf/d) on the portion 
of its system between the Cheyenne Hub in northern Weld County and its 
Watkins Compressor Station, and an additional 344.4 MMcf/d on the 
portion of the Valley Line which the new pipeline would parallel.
    To support the expansion, CIG seeks authority to construct and 
operate:
    <bullet> About 35.1 miles of 24-inch-diameter looping pipeline 
between CIG's existing Ault Meter Station and the Fort Lupton 
Compressor Station, all in Weld County, Colorado;
    <bullet> Two new natural gas-fired reciprocating engine-driven 
compressors, totaling 4,450 horsepower at CIG's proposed Fort Lupton 
Compressor Station in Weld County, Colorado;
    <bullet> About 84 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline which would 
generally parallel CIG's existing Valley Line between it's Watkins 
Compressor Station in southern Adams County east of Denver and a 
location adjacent to the existing Nixon Power Plant in El Paso County 
south of Colorado Springs; and
    <bullet> Appurtenant and ancillary facilities, including cathodic 
protection systems (rectifier/groundbed facilities and aboveground test 
stations); pig

[[Page 9840]]

launchers and/or receivers; \3\ mainline block valve assemblies; and a 
side tap and valve assembly. Additionally, equipment related to the new 
compressors at the Fort Lupton Compressor Station would include a gas 
cooler; jacket water coolers; inlet, exhaust and vent silencers; a 
compressor building; miscellaneous pipe valves and fittings; and 
station yard lighting.\4\
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    \3\ A pipeline ``pig'' is a device used to internally clean or 
inspect the pipeline. A pig launcher/receiver is a surface facility 
where pigs are inserted or retrieved from the pipeline.
    \4\ CIG proposes to install these appurtenant and ancillary 
facilities under section 2.55(a) of the Commission's regulations.
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    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\5\
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    \5\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's website at the ``RIMS'' link or from the Commission's 
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, 
NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. For instructions 
on connecting to RIMS refer to the last page of this notice. Copies 
of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in 
the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction would disturb about 1,303 acres of land, consisting of 
that associated with pipeline construction (1,125 acres), material/
equipment staging areas (37 acres), extra work areas (80 acres), and 
rail sidings/pipe storage yards (61 acres). Following construction, 
about 722 acres would be maintained as new pipeline right-of-way. The 
remaining acreage would be restored and allowed to revert to its former 
use. Disturbance would also occur within the 11-acre Fort Lupton 
Compressor Station during installation of the two new compressors. 
However, this area is already dedicated to natural gas facilities, and 
no expansion of the station is proposed.

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 
\6\ 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.
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    \6\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    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
<bullet> vegetation and wildlife
<bullet> threatened and endangered species
<bullet> land use
<bullet> air quality and noise
<bullet> cultural resources
<bullet> 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 make 
our recommendations to the Commission.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section beginning on page 5.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified the following issue that we think 
deserves attention, based on a preliminary review of the proposed 
facilities and the environmental information provided by CIG. This 
preliminary issue list may be changed based on your comments and our 
analysis.

    <bullet> Routing of the pipeline through developed areas in west 
Greeley, Colorado.
    <bullet> Limiting impact on woody riparian and forested areas.
    <bullet> Six federally listed threatened or endangered species may 
occur in the project area, as well as four other species that are 
either proposed or candidates for federal listing.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (especially alternative routes 
in areas of environmental resource conflict), and measures to avoid or 
lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more 
useful they will be. Please carefully follow these instructions to 
ensure that your comments are received in time and properly recorded:

    <bullet> Send an original and two copies of your letter to: David 
P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    <bullet> Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 1, 
PJ-11.1.
    <bullet> Reference Docket No. CP01-45-000.
    <bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 8, 2001.
    Comments may also be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu 
of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the 
Commission's web site at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm under 
the link to the User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will 
need to create an account which can be created by clicking on ``Login 
to File'' and then ``New User Account.''
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request 
(appendix 3). If you do not return the Information Request (appendix 
3), your name will be taken off the mailing list.
    In addition to asking for written comments, we invite you to attend 
any of the public scoping meetings that we will conduct in the project 
area. The purpose of the scoping meetings is to provide state and local 
agencies, interested groups, landowners, and the general public with an 
opportunity to learn more about the project and another chance to 
present us with environmental issues or concerns they believe should be 
addressed in the EA. CIG representatives will be present at the 
meetings to describe the proposed project, both in general and for the 
specific area where each meeting is held, and to answer project-related 
questions.

[[Page 9841]]

    The locations and times for these meetings are listed below. 
Priority will be given to commenters who represent groups, and a 
transcript of each meeing will be made so that your comments will be 
accurately recorded.

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             Date and time                           Location
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Tuesday,...............................  Pikes Peak Community College,
February 27, 2001......................   Rampart Campus--Room W101,
                                          11195 Highway 83, Colorado
                                          Springs, Colorado.
Wednesday, February 28, 2001...........  Pioneer Elementary School
                                          Cafeteria, 10881 Riva Ridge
                                          Drive, Parker, Colorado.
Thursday, March 1, 2001................  Aims Community College,
                                          Corporate Education Center--
                                          Room 129A, 5590 11th Street,
                                          Greeley, Colorado.
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Route Inspection

    On February 27-March 2, 2001, we will also be conducting an 
inspection of the proposed routes and locations of facilities 
associated with CIG's proposal. This inspection may include both aerial 
and ground components. Anyone interested in participating in the 
inspection activities may contact the FERC's Office of External Affairs 
(identified at the end of this notice) for more details and must 
provide their own transportation.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
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 14 copies of its filings to the 
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. 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). Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be 
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they 
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be 
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor 
status to have your environmental comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-1088 or on the 
FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us) using the ``RIMS'' link to information 
in this docket number. Click on the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket #'' 
from the RIMS Menu, and follow the instructions. For assistance with 
access to RIMS, the RIMS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2222.
    Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides 
access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such 
as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website, 
click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and 
follow the instructions. For assistance with access to CIPS, the CIPS 
helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary
[FR Doc. 01-3435 Filed 2-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M