Document ID: FERC-2010-0933-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Assessments; Availability, etc.: Central New York Oil and Gas Co., LLC; Proposed North-South Project
Posted Date: 2010-07-06T04:00Z

[Federal Register: July 6, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 128)]
[Notices]               
[Page 38805-38807]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06jy10-65]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP10-194-000]

 
Central New York Oil and Gas Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed North-South 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meeting and Onsite Environmental Reviews

June 24, 2010.
    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 North-South Project, involving 
construction and operation of facilities by Central New York Oil and 
Gas Company, LLC (CNYOG) in Bradford County, Pennsylvania and Tioga 
County, New York. 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

[[Page 38806]]

evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period will close on 
July 26, 2010.
    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to 
sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the 
public scoping meeting scheduled as follows:

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                       FERC Public Scoping Meeting
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                           North-South Project
                        July 15, 2010, at 7 p.m.
         Treadway Inn and Conference Center 1100 State Route 17C
                          Owego, New York 13827
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    The Commission staff will also conduct two environmental site 
reviews of the proposed compressor station locations in Bradford 
County, Pennsylvania and Tioga County, New York. All interested parties 
planning to attend must provide their own transportation. Those 
attending should meet at the following locations:

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           FERC Environmental Site Reviews North-South Project
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          Compressor Station NS2--Bradford County, Pennsylvania
                        July 14, 2010, at 2 p.m.
             Tennessee Gas Pipeline's Station 319 (driveway)
                   Turkey Path Road (State Route 1004)
                      Wyalusing, Pennsylvania 18853
             Compressor Station NS1--Tioga County, New York
                        July 15, 2010, at 8 a.m.
               Treadway Inn and Conference Center (Lobby)
                          1100 State Route 17C
                          Owego, New York 13827
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    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for the proposed project. State and local government 
representatives are asked to notify their constituents of this 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 where compensation would be 
determined 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 CNYOG 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 
also available for viewing on the FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    CNYOG proposes to construct and operate one new compressor station 
in both Tioga County, New York (NS1) and Bradford County, Pennsylvania 
(NS2). The North-South Project is associated with CNYOG's existing 
Stagecoach Storage Project and would increase the firm throughput 
capacity of CNYOG's North Lateral to 560 million cubic feet per day 
(MMcf/d) and South Lateral to 728 MMcf/d. According to CNYOG, its 
project would provide service between receipt and delivery points at 
the existing interconnects as well as from intermediate receipt points 
along both laterals.
    The North-South Project would consist of the following facilities:
     One electric-driven 13,400-horsepower (hp) centrifugal 
compressor at the NS1 compressor station;
     One electric-driven 15,300-hp Solar C45 centrifugal 
compressor at the NS2 compressor station;
     Expansion of metering facilities at the interconnects 
between CNYOG's North and South Laterals and Millennium Pipeline 
Company's pipeline and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company's (TGP) Line 300 
pipeline, respectively,
     Two 30-inch natural gas pipelines about 900 feet long from 
NS2 to the interconnect with TGP.
     An electric substation at the NS1 compressor station; and
     An 1,800-foot-long nonjurisdictional powerline at the NS2 
compressor station.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to 
all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 
http://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 would temporarily disturb 
about 54.3 acres of land for the proposed compressor stations and 
powerline. Following construction, 5 acres would be maintained for 
permanent operation of the NS1 compressor station in Tioga County, and 
5 acres would be maintained for permanent operation of the NS2 
compressor station in Bradford County. About 2 acres would be 
maintained for access roads, about 1 acre would be utilized for 
pipeline right-of-way, and about 7 acres would be utilized for the 
powerline right-of-way. The remaining land would be restored and 
allowed to revert to former uses.

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. 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;
     Land use;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Air quality and noise;
     Endangered and threatened species; and
     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.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
The EA will be placed in the public record and, depending on the 
comments received during the scoping process, may be published and 
distributed to the

[[Page 38807]]

public. A comment period will be allotted if the EA is published for 
review. 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 below.
    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.

Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
implementing regulations, we are using this notice to solicit the views 
of the public on the project's potential effects on historic 
properties.\3\ We will document our findings on the impacts on cultural 
resources and summarize the status of consultations under section 106 
of the National Historic Preservation Act in our EA.
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    \3\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, part 800. Historic 
properties are defined in those regulations as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register for Historic 
Places.
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Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the 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 July 26, 
2010.
    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 (CP10-194-000) with your 
submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and 
has expert eFiling 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 link 
called ``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 that is listed 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 to your submission. 
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on the links 
called ``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 a paper copy of your comments at 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 project. 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 project.
    If the EA is published for distribution, 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 
included in the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the 
Commission's website.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC Web site at http://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., CP10-194). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. 
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov 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 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. 2010-16279 Filed 7-2-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P