Document ID: FERC-2009-1386-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Wyoming Interstate Company, Ltd.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Diamond Mountain Compressor Station Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Site Visit
Posted Date: 2009-09-15T04:00Z

[Federal Register: September 15, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 177)]
[Notices]               
[Page 47240-47242]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15se09-69]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP09-449-000]

 
Wyoming Interstate Company, Ltd.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Diamond Mountain Compressor 
Station Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and 
Notice of Site Visit

September 4, 2009.
    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 Diamond Mountain Compressor 
Station Project involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Wyoming Interstate Company, Ltd. (WIC) in Uintah County, Utah. 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.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the project. Your input will help the Commission staff 
determine what issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that 
the scoping period will close on October 5, 2009.
    On September 9, 2009, the Office of Energy Projects staff will 
conduct a site visit of WIC's Diamond Mountain Compressor Station 
Project in Uintah County, Utah. This site visit is being conducted to 
evaluate the proposed compressor station site and possible 
alternatives. A ground inspection will be conducted by automobile and 
on foot.
    All interested parties are welcome, although those attending must 
provide their own transportation. Those interested in accompanying 
staff on this site visit should meet promptly at 8 a.m. (MDT) in the 
Best Western Dinosaur Inn lobby located at: 251 East Main Street, 
Vernal, Utah 84078.
    For additional information, please contact the Commission's Office 
of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for the project, which includes affected landowners; 
Federal, State, and local government representatives and agencies; 
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native 
American Tribes; parties to this proceeding; and local libraries and 
newspapers. State and

[[Page 47241]]

local government representatives are asked to 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, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. 
The 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?'' 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 Commission's 
proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    WIC proposes to construct and operate the new Diamond Mountain 
Compressor Station in Uintah County, Utah. The compressor station would 
contain two site-rated 9,262-horsepower Solar Taurus 70 compressor 
units. The proposed facilities would provide an additional 180,000 
dekatherms per day of capacity on WIC's Kanda Lateral natural gas 
pipeline. The proposed station site is shown on figure 1 of appendix 
1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
published in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to 
all those receiving this notice by mail and are available at http://
www.ferc.gov at 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

    The proposed compressor station would be on approximately 15.3 
acres of Federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) 
Vernal Field Office. Of the 15.3 acres, 8.2 acres of land would be 
permanently maintained for operation of the compressor station and an 
access road to enter the facility.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act 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. All comments received will be 
considered 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:
     Geology and soils;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Threatened and endangered species;
     Land use, recreational, and visual resources;
     Air quality and noise; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project 
site and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the 
various resource areas.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA 
may be published and mailed to those on our mailing list (see 
discussion of how to remain on our mailing list on page 5). 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 
discussion.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or 
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally 
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may 
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to 
their responsibilities. 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. The 
Vernal Field Office of the BLM has already indicated that it would like 
to cooperate with us in preparing the EA.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified issues that we think deserve attention 
based on our preliminary review of the project site. This preliminary 
list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis.
     Potential impact on Federally and State-listed species.
     Potential impact to noise quality associated with 
construction and operation of the compressor station.

The proposed compressor station site lies within 2 miles of 3 sage 
grouse leks. Federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (FWS), have expressed concern with this location and requested 
that the Commission review alternative sites that may have less of an 
impact on the environment. Private landowners who would be affected by 
any of the alternative sites have been included on our mailing list. 
Alternative sites are presented in figure 2 of appendix 1.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the Diamond Mountain Compressor Station 
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 your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before October 5, 2009.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your comments to the Commission. 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 at http://www.ferc.gov under the 
``Documents and Filings'' link. 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 under the ``Documents and Filings'' link. 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

[[Page 47242]]

``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 with the Commission via mail by 
sending an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly D. Bose, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    In all instances, please reference the project docket number (CP09-
449-000) with your submission. Label one copy of the comments for the 
attention of Gas Branch 1, PJ-11.1.

Environmental Mailing List

    An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, 
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially 
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who own 
homes within a certain distance (as defined in the Commission's 
regulations) of the proposed and alternative compressor station sites.
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Environmental Mailing 
List form (appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, 
you will be taken off the mailing list.

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 a Commission proceeding by 
filing a request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor 
are included in the User's Guide under the ``eFiling'' link on the 
Commission's Web site.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the 
Internet at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Click on 
the eLibrary link, then on ``General Search'' and enter the docket 
number, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP09-449), 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 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 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-22085 Filed 9-14-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P