Document ID: FERC-2018-1302-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Assessments; Availability, etc.: Northern Natural Gas Co.; Northern Lights 2019 Expansion Project and the Rochester Project
Posted Date: 2018-10-15T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51937-51938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22383]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP18-534-000]

Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Schedule for 
Environmental Review of the Northern Lights 2019 Expansion and 
Rochester Projects

    On July 27, 2018, Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) filed an 
application in Docket No. CP18-534-000 requesting a Certificate of 
Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to Section 7(c) of the 
Natural Gas Act to construct and operate certain natural gas pipeline 
facilities. The proposal has two major components, known as the 
Northern Lights 2019 Expansion Project and the Rochester Project, which 
together would provide approximately 138,504 dekatherms per day of 
upstream firm natural gas transportation service to serve increased 
markets for industrial, commercial, and residential uses.
    On August 10, 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission or FERC) issued its Notice of Application for the Project. 
Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal 
authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and 
to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization 
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the projects. This instant notice 
identifies the FERC staff's planned schedule for the completion of the 
EA for the projects.

Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of EA November 21, 2018
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline February 19, 2019

    If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice will be 
provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the 
Project's progress.

Project Description

    The projects consist of new pipeline and compression facilities, 
all in the state of Minnesota. The Rochester Project component includes 
12.6 miles

[[Page 51938]]

of new 16-inch-diameter pipeline in Olmsted County (Rochester 
Greenfield Lateral); increase of maximum allowable operating pressure 
on an 8-mile-long segment of 16-inch-diameter pipeline in Freeborn and 
Mower Counties; a new town border station in Olmsted County, including 
a pig receiver; relocation of a regulator from Freeborn to Mower 
County; and appurtenant facilities, including two valves and a pig 
launcher at milepost (MP) 0.0 of the Rochester Greenfield Lateral.
    The Northern Lights Expansion Project component includes 10.0 miles 
of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline in Hennepin and Wright Counties; 4.3 
miles of new 8-inch-diameter pipeline loop extension in Morrison 
County; 1.6 miles of new 6-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Le Sueur 
County; 3.1 miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipeline extension in Carver 
County; a new 11,153-horsepower (hp) compressor station in Carver 
County; an additional 15,900 hp of compression at the existing 
Faribault Compressor Station in Rice County; an additional 15,900 hp of 
compression at the existing Owatonna Compressor Station in Steele 
County; and appurtenant facilities, including valves, pig launchers, 
and pig receivers in Hennepin, Wright, Morrison, Le Sueur, and Carver 
Counties.

Background

    On February 6, 2018, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Northern Lights 
2019 Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues 
(NOI). The NOI addressed both the Northern Lights 2019 Expansion and 
the Rochester Project components, and was issued during the pre-filing 
review of the projects in Docket No. PF18-1-000 and was sent to 
affected landowners; federal, state, and local government agencies; 
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native 
American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and 
newspapers.
    In response to the NOI, the Commission received comments from the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural 
Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota State Historic 
Preservation Office; one Native American tribe; ten landowners; and one 
public interest group. The primary issues raised by the commentors were 
karst terrain, groundwater, surface waterbodies, special status 
species, property values, local economy, land use, and air quality and 
noise impacts from construction and operation of pipeline facilities. 
All substantive comments will be addressed in the EA.
    The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is a cooperating agency in 
the preparation of the EA.

Additional Information

    In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to 
keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, 
the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. 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.
    Additional information about the projects are available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-FERC or on the 
FERC website (www.ferc.gov). Using the ``eLibrary'' link, select 
``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date 
range and ``Docket Number'' excluding the last three digits (i.e., 
CP18-534), and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to 
eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-
8659, or at [email protected]. The eLibrary link on the FERC 
website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by 
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.

    Dated: October 9, 2018
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-22383 Filed 10-12-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P