Document ID: FERC-2009-0922-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Assessments; Intent: Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.
Posted Date: 2009-06-24T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30065-30067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14785]

[[Page 30065]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF09-1-000]

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company; Supplemental Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned 300 Line Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

June 17, 2009.
    As previously noticed on February 4, 2009, and supplemented herein, 
the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) is preparing an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts that could result from the 
construction and operation of the 300 Line Project. The project is 
planned by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (TGP) to expand the natural 
gas transportation capacity of its existing 300 Line pipeline in 
northern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey. The EA will be used 
by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether 
the project is in the public convenience and necessity.
    This Supplemental Notice of Intent (NOI) announces the opening of a 
limited scoping period the Commission will use to gather input from the 
public and interested agencies on a new alternative which will be 
included in the EA, identified as the Eastern Alternative Loop. This 
alternative consists of about 2.2 miles at the eastern end of the 
planned Loop 325 in Passaic County, New Jersey and would replace 2.0 
miles at the western end of Loop 325. Use of the alternative would 
avoid crossing the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge (WRNWR) in 
Sussex County, New Jersey, if it is found to be feasible in meeting the 
project objectives. Your input will help determine what issues need to 
be evaluated in the EA regarding use of the Eastern Alternative Loop. 
Please note that this limited scoping period will close on July 17, 
2009.
    This notice is being sent to landowners who would be affected by 
the Eastern Alternative Loop (including those that would no longer be 
affected by the 300 Line Project if this alternative is ultimately 
approved by the Commission); Federal, State, and local government 
representatives and agencies; environmental and public interest groups; 
Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries 
and newspapers. We encourage government representatives to notify their 
constituents of the Eastern Alternative Loop and encourage them to 
comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. 
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement. However, if the 300 Line 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, the 
pipeline company 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?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). 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.

Summary of the Planned Project

    TGP plans to request authorization to construct, own, and operate 
the facilities necessary to increase natural gas delivery capacity to 
the northeast region of the United States by approximately 300,000 
dekatherms per day. In addition to increasing natural gas delivery 
capacity to the region, TGP would also upgrade certain existing 
compressor units to improve overall system reliability.
    The 300 Line Project would consist of the following facilities:
     Installation of approximately 128.4 miles of new 30-inch-
diameter pipeline and associated appurtenant aboveground facilities in 
seven separate looping \1\ segments in Potter, Tioga, Bradford, 
Susquehanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties, Pennsylvania; and Sussex and 
Passaic Counties, New Jersey;
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    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipeline that is usually installed 
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. 
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
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     construction of new compressor stations in Venango and 
McKean Counties, Pennsylvania;
     modifications to seven existing compressor stations in 
Potter, Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna, and Pike Counties, Pennsylvania, 
and Sussex County, New Jersey, and to an existing meter station in 
Bergen County, New Jersey; and
     installation of associated appurtenant aboveground 
facilities including mainline valves and pig \2\ launchers and 
receivers.
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    \2\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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Eastern Alternative Loop

    This supplemental NOI concerns only TGP's planned Loop 325 in 
Sussex and Passaic Counties, New Jersey. Planned Loop 325 would begin 
at milepost (MP) 0.0 in Sussex County, and terminate at MP 17.3 in 
Passaic County. As planned, Loop 325 would cross the WRNWR from 
approximate MPs 1.0 to 1.8.
    The Eastern Alternative Loop would begin approximately 2.0 miles to 
the east of MP 0.0 and end approximately 2.2 miles to the east of MP 
17.3. Thus, the alternative would avoid impacts from MPs 0.0 to 2.0 of 
Loop 325, including the WRNWR, but would impact areas that would not be 
affected by TGP's Loop 325 configuration. The route would remain as 
initially planned for the approximately 15.3-mile-long segment between 
the eastern and western portions of the loop whether the Commission 
would approve either the planned Loop 325 or the Eastern Alternative 
Loop.
    Maps depicting Loop 325 and Eastern Alternative Loop are included 
in appendix 1.\3\
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register but were sent to all those receiving 
this notice in the mail. Copies of all appendices are available at 
http://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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Land Requirements

    We have requested that TGP provide additional information regarding 
the Eastern Alternative Loop. However, because the length of Loop 325 
is similar for TGP's planned configuration and the Eastern Alternative 
Loop, land requirements for either configuration are expected to be 
similar. In general, Loop 325 would be located within and directly 
adjacent to the existing 300 Line right-of-way and at a typical offset 
of 25 feet from the existing pipeline to the extent practicable. The 
area temporarily disturbed during construction but not required for 
operation would generally be allowed to revert to pre-construction 
condition and uses. The area required for operation of Loop 325 would 
vary depending on the width of TGP's existing right-of-way, but would 
generally be maintained in an herbaceous state. Permanent structures 
such as buildings would not be allowed within the new, permanent right-
of-way.

[[Page 30066]]

The EA 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 
\4\ 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 supplemental NOI, the Commission requests 
public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA 
regarding the Eastern Alternative Loop. All comments received will be 
considered during the preparation of the EA. State and local government 
representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents of this 
proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
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    \4\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    In the EA, we will compare impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of Loop 325 under these general 
headings:
     Geology and soils;
     land use;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     air quality and noise;
     endangered and threatened species; and
     public safety.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project 
or portions of the project, including the Eastern Alternative Loop. Our 
analysis will also include recommendations on how to lessen or avoid 
impacts on the various resource areas. Although no formal application 
has 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 an application is filed with the 
FERC. As part of our Pre-filing Process review, we have contacted 
Federal and State agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping 
process and the preparation of the EA. The FERC is the lead Federal 
agency in the preparation of the EA, and the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management have agreed to 
participate as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EA to 
satisfy their respective NEPA responsibilities. Representatives from 
the FERC also participated in public open houses sponsored by TGP in 
the project area in December 2008 and January 2009, to explain the 
environmental review process to interested stakeholders. The initial 
NOI for this project was issued by the FERC on February 4, 2009. In 
addition, we conducted three public scoping meetings in the project 
area to hear public concerns and comments on the planned project. One 
of these scoping meetings was held near Loop 325 in Vernon, New Jersey, 
on February 24, 2009.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
The EA will be published and mailed to the entities on our mailing list 
(see discussion on how to remain on our list under Environmental 
Mailing List below). A 30-day comment period will be allotted for 
review of the EA. We will consider all comments on the EA before we 
make our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure your comments are 
considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public 
Participation section below.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of Loop 325 and the Eastern 
Alternative Loop. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based 
on your comments and our analysis:
     Impacts on the WRNWR, which would be crossed by the 
planned Loop 325 but avoided by the Eastern Alternative Loop;
     impacts on lands under jurisdiction of the New Jersey 
Highlands Act;
     potential impacts on nearby residences;
     aesthetic impacts, including the loss of trees in forested 
areas; and
     potential impacts on threatened or endangered species 
including the Indiana bat and the bog turtle.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the Eastern Alternative Loop. 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 
in your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or 
before July 17, 2009.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your written comments to the Commission. In all instances, please 
reference the project docket number PF09-1-000 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 Quick 
Comment feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at 
http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. A Quick 
Comment is an easy method for interested persons to submit 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. eFiling involves 
preparing your submission in the same manner as you would if filing on 
paper, and then saving the file on your computer's hard drive. You will 
attach that file as your submission. 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. A comment on a 
particular project is considered a ``Comment on a Filing''; or
    (3) You may file your comments via mail to the Commission by 
sending 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.

    In all instances, please reference the project docket number PF09-
1-000 with your submission. Label one copy of the comments for the 
attention of Gas Branch 1, PJ-11.1.

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 first 2.0 miles of the planned Loop 325 and the last 
2.2 miles of the Eastern Alternative Loop. This includes all landowners 
who are potential right-of-way grantors or whose property may be used 
temporarily for project purposes.
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request 
(Appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be 
taken off the mailing list.

[[Page 30067]]

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once TGP formally files its application with the Commission, you 
may want to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to the 
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 a Commission proceeding by filing a request to 
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the 
User's Guide under the ``eFiling'' link on the Commission's Web site. 
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time; 
you must wait until the formal application is filed with the 
Commission.

Availability of Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-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. Be 
sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, 
please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or 
toll free at 1-866-208-3676, 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 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.
    Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's 
calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx 
along with other related information.
    Finally, to request additional information on the project or to 
provide comments directly to the project sponsor, you can contact TGP 
directly by calling toll free at 1-866-683-5587. Also, TGP has 
established a Web site at http://www.elpaso.com/tgp300lineproject/. The 
Web site includes a description of the project, an overview map of the 
planned facilities, and links to related documents. TGP will update the 
Web site as the environmental review of its project proceeds.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-14785 Filed 6-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P