[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 40 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12773-12775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4815]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-69-000]


Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Petal Pipeline Project, and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

February 22, 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 Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C.'s 
(Petal) proposed Phase II Pipeline Project in Forrest, Jones, Jasper, 
and Clarke Counties, Mississippi.\1\ The project would involve the 
construction and operation of about 59 miles of 36-inch-diameter 
pipeline, a new 9,000-horsepower (hp) compressor station, and 
appurtenance facilities. 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\ Petal's application under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas 
Act and Part 157 of the Commission's regulations was filed on 
January 23, 2001.
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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a Petal 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?'' should have been 
attached to the project notice Petal provided to

[[Page 12774]]

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 (www.ferc.fed.us).
    This Notice of Intent (NOI) is being sent to landowners along 
Petal's proposed route; Federal, state, and local government agencies; 
national elected officials; regional environmental and public interest 
groups; Indian tribes that might attach religious and cultural 
significance to historic properties in the area of potential effects; 
local libraries and newspapers; and the Commission's list of parties to 
the proceeding. Government representatives are encouraged to notify 
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to 
comment on their areas of concern. Additionally, with this NOI we are 
asking Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction 
and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues to 
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may 
choose to participate once they have evaluated Petal's proposal 
relative to their agencies' responsibilities. Agencies who would like 
to request cooperating status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments described below.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Petal's proposed action would consist of the construction and 
operation of:

<bullet> About 58.7 miles of 36-inch-diameter bi-directional pipeline 
(Petal 100 Line), from Petal's existing storage header and Tennessee 
Gas Pipeline Company (Tennessee) Meter Station in Forrest County, 
Mississippi, north through Jones and Jasper Counties to a site near 
Southern Natural Gas Company's (SNG) existing Enterprise Compressor 
Station in Clarke County, Mississippi. Petal's proposed 100 Line would 
be adjacent to Tennessee's existing 500 Line for about 56.2 miles, and 
then adjacent to existing SNG and Destin Pipeline Company (Destin) 
pipelines for the remaining 2.5 miles;
<bullet> A new 9,000 hp compressor station consisting of two gas driven 
compressor units, near Heidelberg in Jasper County, Mississippi;
<bullet> About 0.3 mile of 36-inch-diameter bi-directional pipeline 
(Transco Lateral), extending from the proposed Heidelberg Compressor 
Station to an interconnection with existing facilities of 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) in Jasper County, 
Mississippi;
<bullet> Three new meter stations at the proposed interconnections with 
Transco, SNG, and Destin;
<bullet> A bi-directional pig launcher/receiver trap at the proposed 
Destin Meter Station in Clarke County, Mississippi; and
<bullet> Six mainline block valves along the proposed Petal 100 Line.

    The proposed facilities would allow Petal to make deliveries of up 
to 700,000 decatherms per day (Dth/d), and take receipts of up to 
350,000 Dth/d. The facilities would be used for transportation services 
to and from Petal's existing natural gas storage facilities in Forrest 
County, Mississippi.
    The general location of Petal's proposed facilities is shown on the 
map attached as appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ 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, 
Room 2A, 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 of Petal's proposed facilities would affect a total of 
about 965 acres of land. Following construction, about 222 acres would 
be retained as permanent right-of-way. The remaining 743 acres of 
temporary work space would be restored and allowed to revert to its 
former use.
    The nominal construction right-of-way for both Petal's proposed 100 
Line and the Transco Lateral would be 100 feet wide, with 30 feet 
retained as permanent right-of-way for Petal's 100 Line and 25 feet of 
new permanent easement for the Transco Lateral. About 98 percent of the 
route of the pipelines would overlap existing easements. For about 1.26 
miles Petal's 100 Line would deviate away from existing rights-of-way 
for certain road or railroad crossings, to avoid existing utility 
facilities, and to avoid impacts on sensitive environmental areas, such 
as a pond or creek. The use of 66 access roads during construction 
would temporarily affect about 50 acres. Also, Petal would temporarily 
use 11 pipe storage and contractor yards, covering a total of about 175 
acres, during construction.
    The proposed aboveground facilities would consist of a new 
compressor station, three new meter stations, and six mainline block 
valves. The proposed Heidelberg compressor station would cover about 8 
acres, of which only 6 acres would be used for operation. The proposed 
Transco Meter Station would occupy 0.1 acre within the new Heidelberg 
Compressor Station. Although Petal would acquire a 9-acre tract for the 
SNG and Destin Meter Stations, near SNG's existing Enterprise 
Compressor Station, the construction and operation of these two new 
adjacent meter stations would affect a total of about 1 acre. The six 
mainline valves would disturb a total of about 2 acres within the 
pipeline construction right-of-way, and would permanently occupy about 
0.2 acre combined within the pipeline's permanent operation easement.

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 
\3\ 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 NOI, 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.
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    \3\ ``Us,'' ``we,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    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, elected 
officials, affected landowners, regional public interest groups, Indian 
tribes, local newspapers and 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.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
construction and operation of the proposed project. 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 Petal. This preliminary list of issues may be 
changed based on your comments and our analysis.

[[Page 12775]]

<bullet>  Geology and Soils
    --Crossing about 20 miles of prime farm land.
    --Crossing about 15 miles of erosion prone soils.
<bullet> Water Resources and Wetlands
    --Crossing 103 perennial and 113 intermittent streams, and 2 ponds.
    --Crossing 276 wetlands, including 81 acres of forested wetlands.
<bullet> Vegetation and Wildlife
    --Crossing about 34.3 miles of upland forest.
    --Potential impacts on federally listed threatened gopher tortoise.
<bullet> Cultural Resources
    --Potential impacts on 30 cultural resources.
    --Portion of the project would be adjacent to the Mississippi Band 
of Choctaw Indians Reservation.
<bullet> Land use
    --Crossing about 8.5 miles of agricultural land, including one 
pecan plantation;
    --Crossing two Conservation Reserve Program parcels, and one 
private hunting ranch.
<bullet> Air and Noise Quality
    --Impacts on local quality and noise environment as a result of the 
new compressor station.

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 (including alternative locations 
or routes), 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 
St., NE., Room 1A Washington, DC 20426;
<bullet> Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the Gas/
Hydro Group, PJ-11.3;
<bullet> Reference Docket No. CP01-69-000; and
<bullet> Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 30, 2001.

    Comments and protests may 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.
    [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, you will be 
removed from the environmental mailing list.]

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) 208-0004 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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-4815 Filed 2-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M