Document ID: FERC-2010-1743-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Assessments; Availability, etc.: Empire Pipeline, Inc., Tioga County Extension Project
Posted Date: 2010-11-29T05:00Z

[Federal Register: November 29, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 228)]
[Notices]               
[Page 73070-73071]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29no10-68]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP10-493-000]

 
Empire Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Tioga County Extension 
Project

November 19, 2010.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Tioga 
County Extension Project proposed by Empire Pipeline, Inc. (Empire) in 
the above-referenced docket. Empire requests authorization to construct 
and replace pipeline facilities to provide an additional 350,000 
dekatherms per day of natural gas capacity from new producer 
interconnections in Pennsylvania to new interconnections on its 
pipeline system and on Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company's system in New 
York.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Tioga County Extension Project in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed 
project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a 
major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human 
environment.
    The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New 
York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers participated as cooperating agencies in the 
preparation of the EA. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or 
special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the 
proposal and generally participate in the NEPA analysis.
    The proposed Tioga County Extension Project includes the following 
facilities:
     Construction of approximately 14.9 miles of new 24-inch-
diameter pipeline in Tioga County, Pennsylvania and Steuben County, New 
York;
     Replacement of approximately 1.4 miles of existing 24-
inch-diameter pipeline in Ontario County, New York;
     Construction of a new interconnect with Tennessee Gas 
Pipeline Company in Ontario County, New York; and
     Construction of miscellaneous pipeline modifications and 
appurtenant facilities at the existing Oakfield Compressor Station in 
Genessee County, New York.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for public viewing on the FERC's Web site at http://
www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies of the 
EA are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, 
NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426. (202) 502-8371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, State, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; 
potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and 
groups; newspapers and libraries in the project area; and parties to 
this proceeding.

[[Page 73071]]

    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. 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 properly recorded and considered prior to 
a Commission decision on the proposal, it is important that the FERC 
receives your comments in Washington, DC, on or before December 20, 
2010.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
project docket number (CP10-493-000) with your submission. 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 eComment 
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://
www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. An eComment is an 
easy method for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments 
on a project;
    (2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling 
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://
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 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.
    Although your comments will be considered by the Commission, simply 
filing comments will not serve to make the commenter a party to the 
proceeding. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must 
file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's 
Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).\1\ Only intervenors 
have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \1\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
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    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 comments considered.
    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 (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., CP10-493). 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-29837 Filed 11-26-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P