Document ID: FERC-2008-0790-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Intent to Prepare An  Environmental Assessment: Dominion Transmission, Inc.
Posted Date: 2008-06-02T04:00Z

[Federal Register: June 2, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 106)]
[Notices]               
[Page 31454-31457]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02jn08-63]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF07-12-000]

 
Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Amended Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Storage Factory Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

May 22, 2008.
    As previously noticed on January 18, 2008, and amended herein, 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 Storage Factory Project, involving 
construction and operation of facilities by Dominion Transmission, Inc. 
(Dominion) in Tioga County, Pennsylvania and Frederick County, 
Maryland. The EA will be used by the Commission in its decisionmaking 
process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience 
and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of a third scoping period (due to 
changes in the project design) that will be used to gather 
environmental input from the public and interested agencies on the 
project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine which 
issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on June 23, 2008.
    Comments may be submitted in written or verbal form. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of sending written 
comments, you may choose to attend the public scoping meeting scheduled 
as follows:

[[Page 31455]]

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               Date and time                          Location
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Thursday, June 19, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.   Jefferson Ruritan Center,
 (EDT).                                      Lander Road at Route 340,
                                             Jefferson, Maryland,
                                             Telephone: (301) 473-8753.
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    This notice is being sent to landowners of property within 0.5 mile 
of the planned Jefferson Compressor Station site; interested 
stakeholders who attended the Open House held by Dominion on May 7, 
2008 and provided their address; interested stakeholders of the 
alternative compressor station site near Middletown; Federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We \1\ 
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
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    \1\ ``We'' ``us'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects, part of the Commission staff.
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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a Dominion representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed project facilities. The 
pipeline 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, Dominion 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?'' addresses a number 
of typically-asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and 
how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    On August 29, 2007 and January 18, 2008, we issued two separate 
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the 
Proposed Storage Factory Project, Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit (NOI). 
Since the January 18 NOI, Dominion has changed the preferred location 
for its compressor station located in Frederick County, Maryland. The 
current configuration of the planned facilities is detailed below.
    The Storage Factory Project would involve leaching two caverns in a 
Pennsylvania salt formation for the storage of natural gas. The project 
consists of constructing leaching/pumping facilities, a brine 
processing facility, water and brine pipelines, and a new compressor 
station for gas storage injection/withdrawal purposes in Tioga County, 
Pennsylvania. Alternative water sources for leaching the caverns are 
also being investigated. Dominion is also proposing piping upgrades to 
its existing Sabinsville Storage Pool in Tioga County. In addition, 
Dominion had originally proposed construction of a new 14,000-
horsepower compressor station located off Marker Road approximately 2 
miles west of Middletown in Frederick County, Maryland. However, based 
on the environmental issues which were identified during the scoping 
process, Dominion determined that the Middletown location is no longer 
preferred. Dominion is now evaluating construction of a new 15,000-
horsepower compressor station at a location about 2 miles west of 
Jefferson, Maryland and bounded by Route 180 (Jefferson Pike), U.S. 
Route 340, and Gene Hemp Road.
    Dominion anticipates filing an application with the FERC after 
September 2008 and to seek the Commission's approval in time to begin 
construction by August 2009, with a proposed in-service date for the 
first storage cavern of August 2014.
    Project location maps are included in Appendix A.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices are 
available on the Commission's Web site at the ``eLibrary'' link 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 ``Additional Information'' 
section of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps 
of the proposed facilities should be made directly to Dominion.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    The Storage Factory Project is in the preliminary planning stage. 
The precise facility design, pipeline route, rights-of-way, compressor 
station locations, and other details have not yet been finalized. 
Specific information on the location of the various project elements 
will be made available to the public when it is finalized.
    Construction of the planned project would affect a total of about 
175.6 acres during construction. Following construction, about 80.5 
acres would be allowed to revert to its previous conditions and uses. 
Disturbance associated with aboveground facilities would permanently 
impact approximately 49.5 acres of land. This includes the compressor 
station which would be located on approximately 8 acres within a 13.5 
acre site that Dominion is seeking to acquire near Jefferson in 
Frederick County, Maryland. The land is currently used for agriculture.
    Dominion plans to construct the pipelines associated with the 
Sabinsville Storage Pool in existing rights-of-way and would seek a 
construction right-of-way width varying between 100 feet and 75 feet 
for the pipelines associated with the leaching and gas storage areas in 
Pennsylvania.

 The EA Process

    For this project, the FERC staff has initiated its National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving an 
application. The purpose of the Commission's Pre-Filing Process is to 
involve interested stakeholders early in project planning and to 
identify and attempt to resolve issues before an application is filed 
with the FERC. A docket number (PF07-12-000) has been established to 
place information filed by Dominion, and related documents issued by 
the Commission, into the public record. Once a formal application is 
filed with the FERC, a new docket number will be established. The FERC 
will be the lead federal agency for the preparation of the EA which 
will satisfy the requirements of NEPA.
    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 EA on the 
important environmental issues. By this Notice of Intent, we are 
requesting public comments on the scope of the issues that should be 
addressed in the EA. We will consider all comments received during 
scoping in the preparation of the EA.
    Our independent analysis and evaluation of the issues will be 
presented in the EA. The EA will also include possible alternatives to 
the proposed project or portions of the project, and we will make 
recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various 
resource areas of concern. Depending on the comments received during 
the scoping

[[Page 31456]]

process, the EA may be published and mailed to Federal, state, and 
local agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest 
groups; other interested parties; affected landowners; Native American 
tribes; libraries and newspapers in the project area; and the 
Commission's official service list for this proceeding. A 30-day 
comment period will be allotted for review of the EA. We will consider 
all comments submitted on the EA in any Commission Order that is issued 
for the project.
    We are currently involved in discussions with other jurisdictional 
agencies to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 
Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Frederick County; and 
Susquehanna River Basin Commission.
    By this notice, we are asking these and other Federal, state, and 
local agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect 
to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EA. Agencies that would like to request cooperating 
status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided 
below.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already 
identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a 
preliminary review of the entire project site (both Maryland and 
Pennsylvania portions) and the facility information provided by 
Dominion. This preliminary list of issues and potential impacts may 
change based on your comments and our analysis.
     Impacts on perennial and intermittent streams and 
waterbodies.
     Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands 
and development of appropriate mitigation.
     Effect on federally and state-listed species.
     Impacts on existing land uses.
     Visual impacts of the aboveground facilities on 
surrounding areas.
     Impacts on local air and noise quality associated with 
construction and operation.
     Impacts on cultural resources.
     Impacts on groundwater.
     Public safety and potential hazards associated with the 
transport of natural gas and the proposed compressor facilities.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commenter, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission. 
Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects of 
the proposal, reasonable alternatives to the proposal (including 
alternative locations and routes), and measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful 
they will be. If you have already mailed comments in response to the 
initial NOI for this project, your comments will still be considered 
and you do not need to resubmit your comments. Please carefully follow 
these instructions to ensure that your comments are received in time 
and properly recorded:
     Send 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;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 1;
     Reference Docket No. PF07-12-000;
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before June 23, 2008.
    Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic 
filing of any comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Internet 
Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to ``Documents and 
Filings'' and ``eFiling.'' eFiling is a file attachment process and 
requires that you prepare your submission in the same manner as you 
would if filing on paper, and save it to a file on your hard drive. New 
eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on ``Sign up'' 
or ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you 
are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.'' In 
addition, there is a ``Quick Comment'' option available, which is an 
easy method for interested persons to submit text only comments on a 
project. The Quick-Comment User Guide can be viewed at http://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/quick-comment-guide.pdf. Quick Comment 
does not require a FERC eRegistration account; however, you will be 
asked to provide a valid e-mail address. All comments submitted under 
either eFiling or the Quick Comment option are placed in the public 
record for the specified docket. If you want to be kept on our 
environmental mailing list, you must provide an address along with your 
comment.
    The public scoping meeting (date, time, and location is listed 
above) is designed to provide state and local agencies, interested 
groups, affected landowners, and the general public with another 
opportunity to offer environmental comments on the project. Interested 
groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meeting and to 
present comments on the environmental issues they believe should be 
addressed in the EA. A transcript of the meeting will be made so that 
your comments will be accurately recorded.\3\
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    \3\ We previously held a public scoping meeting on September 18, 
2007, in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, to gather comments on 
Dominion's planned facilities in Pennsylvania and on February 6, 
2008, in Middletown, Maryland, to gather comments on siting 
Dominion's planned compressor station near Middletown.
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    All public meetings will be posted on the Commission's calendar 
located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with 
other related information.
    Once Dominion formally files its application with the Commission, 
you may want to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor.'' 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 ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site. 
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time; 
you must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.

Site Visit

    On June 19, 2008, the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) staff will 
visit the planned Jefferson Compressor Station site near Jefferson, 
Maryland. Staff will tour this area by automobile and on foot. 
Representatives of Dominion will accompany the OEP staff.
    All interested parties may attend the site visit. Those planning to 
attend must provide their own transportation. If you are interested in 
attending the site visit, please meet us at 12 p.m. EDT at the planned 
Jefferson Compressor Station Site. The directions to the location of 
the planned Jefferson Compressor Station are as follows:

From the East (Frederick, MD)

     Travel west on MD Route 340 to exit 8 (Jefferson--Lander 
Road);

[[Page 31457]]

     Turn right on Lander Road and travel 0.2 miles north to MD 
Route 180 (Jefferson Pike);
     Turn left on MD Route 180 (Jefferson Pike) and travel west 
approximately 2 miles;
     Existing Dominion Jefferson Metering & Regulation Station 
and planned project site on left.

From West (Harpers Ferry, WV)

     Travel east on MD Route 340 to exit 4 (MD Route 180--
Jefferson Pike);
     Turn left on MD Route 180 (Jefferson Pike) and travel east 
approximately 0.8 miles;
     Existing Dominion Jefferson Metering & Regulation Station 
and planned project site on right.
    For additional information, please contact the Commission's Office 
of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372).

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 in Maryland. This includes all 
landowners who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may 
be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within 
distances defined in the Commission's regulations of certain 
aboveground facilities. If you do not return the attached form 
(appendix B), you will be removed from the Commission's environmental 
mailing list. All individuals who provide written comments (if using 
quick comment, you must supply an address), attend the scoping meeting, 
or return the ``Keep on Mailing List Form'' will remain on our 
environmental mailing list for this project.
    Any individual who participated in the prior scoping periods will 
also remain on our mailing list and does not need to mail back the 
enclosed ``Keep on Mailing List Form''. This includes those who already 
have:
     Mailed comments to FERC;
     Mailed the ``Keep on the Mailing List Form''; or
     Attended the scoping meeting in Lawrenceville, 
Pennsylvania on September 18, 2007, or the scoping meeting in 
Middletown, Maryland on February 6, 2008.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208 FERC (3372) or on 
the FERC Internet Web site (http://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., PF07-12), and follow the instructions. For 
assistance with access to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at 1-
866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The 
eLibrary link on the FERC Internet Web site 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, Dominion has established an Internet Web site for this 
project at http://www.dom.com/about/gas-transmission/storage/index.jsp. 
The Web site includes a project overview, status, and answers to 
frequently-asked questions. You can also request additional information 
by calling Dominion at 1-888-882-5055.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-12140 Filed 5-30-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P