Document ID: FERC-2015-0459-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Nexus Gas Transmission and Texas Eastern Appalachian Lease Project; NEXUS Gas Transmission, LLC, Texas Eastern Transmission, LP
Posted Date: 2015-04-15T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20219-20222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08560]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. PF15-10-000; PF15-11-000]

NEXUS Gas Transmission, LLC, Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; 
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Planned Nexus Gas Transmission Project and Texas Eastern Appalachian 
Lease Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice 
of Public Scoping Meetings

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of the NEXUS Gas Transmission 
(NEXUS) Project and Texas Eastern Appalachian Lease (TEAL) Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by NEXUS Gas 
Transmission, LLC (NEXUS) in Ohio and Michigan and Texas Eastern 
Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) in Ohio. The projects are separate, 
but connected, interstate natural gas transmission pipeline projects. 
The environmental impacts of both projects will be considered in one 
EIS, which will be used by the Commission in its decision-making 
process to determine whether the NEXUS and TEAL 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

[[Page 20220]]

evaluate in the EIS. We \1\ ask you to focus your comments 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. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on May 22, 2015.
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    \1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    You may submit comments in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. If you sent comments on the NEXUS 
or TEAL Projects to the Commission before the opening of the dockets on 
January 9 and 26, 2015, respectively, you will need to file those 
comments under Docket No. PF15-10-000 or PF15-11-000 to ensure they are 
considered as part of this proceeding. In lieu of or in addition to 
sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend any of 
the public scoping meetings scheduled as follows:

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               Date and time                          Location
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Tuesday April 28, 2015, 6:00 p.m..........  Midview Middle School, 12865
                                             Grafton Road, Grafton, OH
                                             44044, (404) 748-5331.
Wednesday April 29, 2015, 6:00 p.m........  Wadsworth High School, 625
                                             Broad Street, Wadsworth, OH
                                             44281, (330) 335-1400, x5.
Thursday April 30, 2015, 6:00 p.m.........  Louisville High School, 1201
                                             S. Nickelplate, Louisville,
                                             OH 44641, (330) 875-1438.
Tuesday May 5, 2015, 6:00 p.m.............  Tecumseh Center for the
                                             Arts, 400 North Maumee,
                                             Tecumseh, MI 49286, (517)
                                             423-6617.
Wednesday May 6, 2015, 6:00 p.m...........  Swanton High School, 601
                                             North Main Street, Swanton,
                                             OH 43558, (419) 826-3045,
                                             x1.
Thursday May 7, 2015, 6:00 p.m............  Fremont Ross High School,
                                             1100 North Street, Fremont,
                                             OH 43420, (419) 334-5434.
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    We will begin our sign up of speakers at 5 p.m. The scoping 
meetings will begin at 6 p.m. with a presentation by Commission staff 
on our environmental review process, after which speakers will be 
called. The meeting will end once all speakers have provided their 
comments or at 10 p.m., whichever comes first. Please note that there 
may be a time limit of three minutes to present comments, and speakers 
should structure their comments accordingly. If time limits are 
implemented, they will be strictly enforced to ensure that as many 
individuals as possible are given an opportunity to comment. The 
meetings are recorded by a stenographer to ensure comments are 
accurately recorded. Transcripts will be entered into the formal record 
of the Commission proceeding. The Commission will provide equal 
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form 
or provided verbally at the scoping meeting.
    NEXUS and/or Texas Eastern representatives will be present one hour 
prior to the start of the scoping meetings to provide additional 
information about the projects and answer questions.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for the NEXUS and TEAL Projects. State and local 
government representatives should notify their constituents of this 
planned 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 
construct, operate, and maintain the planned 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.
    NEXUS and/or Texas Eastern provided landowners with 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 Planned Projects

    NEXUS and Texas Eastern plan to construct and operate about 256 
miles of interstate natural gas transmission pipeline and associated 
facilities in Ohio and Michigan. The general location of the NEXUS and 
TEAL Projects are shown in Appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the 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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    NEXUS is proposing to construct the following Project components:
     About 200 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline in Columbiana, Stark, Summit, Wayne, Medina, Loraine, Erie, 
Sandusky, Wood, Lucas, and Fulton counties, Ohio;
     about 50 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline in Lenawee, Monroe, and Washtenaw counties, Michigan;
     about 1.2 miles of new 36-inch-diameter interconnecting 
pipeline \3\ in Columbiana and Carroll counties, Ohio;
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    \3\ An interconnecting pipeline is a shorter pipeline that 
connects one natural pipeline system to another natural gas pipeline 
system or a customer.
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     about 0.2 mile of new 30-inch diameter interconnecting 
pipeline in Columbiana County, Ohio;
     installation of up to130,000 horsepower (hp) of 
compression at four new gas turbine compressor stations, one each in 
Columbiana, Medina, Sandusky, and Lucas counties, Ohio;
     a total of 4 metering and regulation stations, three in 
Columbiana County, Ohio and one in Washtenaw County, Michigan; and
     various launchers, receivers, mainline valves, and other 
appurtenant facilities at assorted locations along the planned system 
in Ohio and Michigan.
    Texas Eastern is proposing to construct the following Project 
components:
     About 4.5 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas loop 
pipeline \4\ in Monroe County, Ohio;
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    \4\ A loop pipeline is a pipeline that is constructed adjacent 
to another pipeline and is connected to it at both ends.
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     one new compressor station with 18,800 hp in Columbiana 
County, Ohio;
     additional 9,400 hp of compression and piping 
modifications at one existing compressor station (Colerain Compressor 
Station) in Belmont County, Ohio; and
     launchers, receivers, and various piping modifications at 
2 existing regulating and receiver sites in Monroe County, Ohio.
    According to the applicants, the projects would provide up to 1.5 
million dekatherms per day of natural gas to various markets in the 
U.S. Midwest and Canada. The Project would tie into existing 
infrastructure and include

[[Page 20221]]

capacity on existing pipeline systems to serve customers in Ohio and 
Michigan, as well as customers in Illinois (the Chicago area) and 
Ontario, Canada (the Dawn area). If approved, NEXUS and Texas Eastern 
propose to commence construction in the first quarter 2017 and place 
facilities in service on November 1, 2017.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 3,200 
acres of land for the pipeline and aboveground facilities. The typical 
construction right-of-way for pipeline facilities would be 100 feet 
wide, with additional workspace needed in some locations due to site-
specific conditions. Following construction, the applicants would 
maintain about 1,600 acres for permanent operation of the Project's 
facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to 
former uses. About 60 percent of the pipeline route parallels existing 
utility rights-of-way. Land affected by construction but not required 
for operation would generally be allowed to revert to former uses.

The EIS 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 
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 EIS on the important 
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EIS. We will 
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EIS.
    In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned projects under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     migratory birds and endangered and threatened species;
     land use and cumulative impacts;
     socioeconomics;
     cultural resources;
     air quality and noise; and
     public safety.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned projects 
or portions of the projects, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal applications have been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before 
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we 
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their 
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EIS.
    The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We 
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the 
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the 
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we have 
the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully 
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section beginning 
on page 7.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to these projects to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EIS.\5\ 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 their intention to 
participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS.
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    \5\ 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 Ohio and Michigan 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.\6\ We will define the Project-specific 
Area of Potential Effects in consultation with the SHPOs as the Project 
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the Area of Potential 
Effects at a minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground 
disturbance (examples include construction right-of-way, contractor/
pipe storage yards, meter stations, and access roads). Our EIS 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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    \6\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 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 for Historic 
Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and 
the environmental information provided by NEXUS and Texas Eastern. This 
preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our 
analysis:
     Impacts on residents and property values in close 
proximity to the planned pipeline and compressor station sites, 
including the exercise of eminent domain and future land use 
restrictions;
     impacts on agricultural land, particularly from 
constructing across drain-tiled land;
     impacts on surface water resources including springs, 
seeps, and wetlands;
     impacts on groundwater resources and wells;
     impacts on threatened, endangered, and candidate species 
(including the Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, and eastern 
massasauga) and other sensitive species (including the eastern 
hellbender);
     safety issues, such as construction and operation of the 
planned facilities near existing residences, schools, and businesses;
     socioeconomic issues, such as job creation; and
     alternatives, including routing to avoid or minimize 
impacts on Oak Openings, fruit farms, a Girl Scout Camp, soccer fields 
used by the Green Soccer Association, and a southern route to avoid 
residential areas in and around the City of Green, Ohio.

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 the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before the 
end of

[[Page 20222]]

the scoping period, which will close on May 22, 2015. This is not your 
only public input opportunity; please refer to the Environmental Review 
Process flow chart in Appendix 2.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
appropriate project docket number(s) (PF15-10-000 for the NEXUS Project 
or PF15-11-000 for the TEAL Project) with your submission. The 
Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert 
staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or efiling@ferc.gov.
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature located 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 located 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 
planned projects.
    Copies of the completed draft EIS 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 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once NEXUS and Texas Eastern file applications with the Commission, 
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. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for 
intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission 
receives a formal application for the Project.

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 (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., PF15-
10 or PF15-11). 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 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: April 8, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-08560 Filed 4-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P