Document ID: FERC-2015-1458-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Assessments; Availability, etc.: Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co., LLC; Connecticut Expansion Project
Posted Date: 2015-10-29T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 209 (Thursday, October 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66524-66525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27573]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP14-529-000]

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C.; Notice of Availability of 
the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Connecticut Expansion 
Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the 
Connecticut Expansion Project, proposed by Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company, L.L.C. (Tennessee) in the above-referenced docket. Tennessee 
requests authorization to construct and operate certain natural gas 
pipeline and aboveground facilities along its existing pipeline system 
in various counties in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut to 
provide an additional 72.1 million cubic feet per day of firm 
transportation service to three new shippers: Connecticut Natural Gas 
Corporation, Southern Connecticut Gas Company, and Yankee Gas Services 
Company.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Connecticut Expansion 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 Agriculture and Markets 
participated as a cooperating agency 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 
participate in the NEPA analysis.
    The proposed Connecticut Expansion Project includes the following 
facilities:
     About 1.4 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline loop in Albany County, New York;
     about 3.8 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline loop in Berkshire County, Massachusetts;
     about 8.3 miles of new 24-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline loop in Hampden County, Massachusetts and Hartford County, 
Connecticut;
     modifications at the existing Agawam Compressor Station 
(Compressor Station 261) in Hampden County, Massachusetts;
     appurtenant facilities, including a mainline valve, 
cathodic protection, and pig launchers and receivers; and
     relocation of two existing pig receiver facilities.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the EA 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. In addition, the EA is available for public viewing on 
the FERC's Web site (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.
    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 the Commission has the opportunity to consider your 
comments prior to making its decision on this project, it is important 
that we receive your comments in Washington, DC on or before November 
23, 2015.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
project docket number (CP14-529-000) 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 on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to 
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief, 
text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can also file your comments electronically using the 
eFiling feature

[[Page 66525]]

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.
    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. The Commission 
grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns 
intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a 
clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can 
adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not 
give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to 
have your comments considered.
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    \1\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing 
comments.
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    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., CP14-
529). 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.

    Dated: October 23, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-27573 Filed 10-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P