Document ID: FERC-2008-0265-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment: Caledonia Energy Partners, L.L.C.
Posted Date: 2008-02-22T05:00Z

[Federal Register: February 22, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 36)]
[Notices]               
[Page 9788-9789]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22fe08-52]                         

[[Page 9788]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP08-52-000]

 
Caledonia Energy Partners, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Caledonia Expansion Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

February 14, 2008.
    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 Caledonia Expansion Project 
involving construction and operation of natural gas storage, pipeline, 
and compression facilities by Caledonia Energy Partners, L.L.C. 
(Caledonia) in Lowndes and Monroe Counties, Mississippi. 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 notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the project. Your input will help determine which issues 
need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period 
will close on March 17, 2008. Details on how to submit comments are 
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government agencies; elected officials; Native American 
tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. 
State and local government representatives are asked to notify their 
constituents of this proposed project and to encourage them to comment 
on their areas of concern.
    Affected landowners includes all landowners who are potential 
easement 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 are a landowner 
receiving this notice, you may be contacted by a Caledonia 
representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct, 
operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. Caledonia 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, Caledonia 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), using the 
``For Citizens'' link.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Caledonia proposes to expand its existing natural gas storage 
facility in Lowndes and Monroe Counties, Mississippi, by developing a 
depleted production reservoir (the ``County Line Field'') into a 
natural gas storage field. The County Line Field is located two miles 
northeast of Caledonia's existing facilities and has an aerial extent 
of approximately 300 acres. Since 1985, the County Line Field has 
produced nearly 2.7 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas from four 
wells. Currently, all wells in the County Line Field are plugged and 
abandoned and the field is substantially depleted. The field is capable 
of storing approximately 1.9 Bcf of working gas at the maximum 
allowable operating pressure.
    Caledonia would construct one new injection/withdrawal well, 
associated wellhead piping and meter facilities, and 2.04 miles of 8-
inch-diameter pipeline to interconnect the County Line Field with its 
existing facilities. In addition, Caledonia would install approximately 
10,000 horsepower of additional compression and ancillary equipment in 
a new compressor building within its existing compressor station. The 
additional compressors would allow Caledonia to increase the operating 
pressure in both its existing and the proposed storage fields from 
2,110 pounds per square inch absolute (psia) to 2,518 psia, thereby 
increasing the storage capacity. In total, the proposed project would 
increase the maximum working gas storage capacity of Caledonia's 
facility from 11.7 Bcf to approximately 16.9 Bcf. The maximum daily 
withdrawal capability would increase from 330 million cubic feet per 
day (MMcf/d) to 477 MMcf/d.
    The general location of the proposed facilities is shown in 
Appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices are 
available on the Commission's website 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 Caledonia 
Energy Partners, L.L.C. by calling Jim Goetz at (972) 691-3332.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    The proposed construction would impact a total of 14.35 acres of 
agricultural and forested lands, of which 9.87 acres would be 
maintained permanently for facility operations. Pipeline construction 
would require a 75-foot-wide right-of-way, of which 50 feet would be 
maintained as permanent easement. Caledonia would utilize its 
compressor station for pipe storage. Access would be provided via 
existing public roads and the temporary construction right-of-way.

The EA Process

    We \2\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the Commission to take 
into account the environmental impact that could result if it 
authorizes Caledonia's proposal. By this notice, we are also asking 
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.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    NEPA also requires the FERC 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 to address in the EA. All comments received will be considered 
during the preparation of the EA.
    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:
     Geology and soils
     Water resources
     Land use and visual quality
     Cultural resources
     Vegetation and wildlife (including threatened and 
endangered species)
     Air quality and noise
     Reliability and safety
     Cumulative impact
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
project or

[[Page 9789]]

portions of the project, where necessary, and make recommendations on 
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending 
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be 
published and mailed to federal, state, and local agencies, public 
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners, 
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for 
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA 
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make 
our recommendations to the Commission.
    To ensure your comments are received and considered, please 
carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section 
below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the proposal 
and alternatives to the proposal and measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful 
they will be. 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 St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 3, PJ-11.3;
     Reference Docket No. CP08-52-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 17, 2008.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of 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 
``Documents and Filing'' link and the link to ``eFiling.'' Prepare your 
submission in the same manner as you would if filing on paper and save 
it to a file on your hard drive. You will be asked to select the type 
of filing you are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on 
Filing.''
    As described above, we may publish and distribute the EA for 
comment. If you are interested in receiving the EA for review and/or 
comment, please return the Mailing List Retention Form (Appendix 2). If 
you do not return the Mailing List Retention Form, you will be taken 
off the mailing list.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's 
decision, and also receive copies of case-related Commission documents 
and filings by other intervenors.
    If you want to become an intervenor, you must file a motion to 
intervene according to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice 
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214). Motions to Intervene should be 
electronically submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at 
http://www.ferc.gov. Persons without Internet access should send an 
original and 14 copies of their motion to the Secretary of the 
Commission at the address indicated previously. Persons filing Motions 
to Intervene on or before the comment deadline indicated above must 
send a copy of the motion to the Applicant. All filings, including late 
interventions, submitted after the comment deadline must be served on 
the Applicant and all other intervenors identified on the Commission's 
service list for this proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-
mail addresses may be served electronically; others must be served a 
hard copy of the filing.
    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 environmental comments considered.

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 Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the ``eLibrary'' 
link. Click on the eLibrary link, then on ``General Search'' and enter 
the docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number 
field (i.e., CP08-52). 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.
    Finally, 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-3283 Filed 2-21-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P