Document ID: FERC-2018-1479-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Assessments; Availability, etc.: El Paso Natural Gas Co.; South Mainline Expansion Project
Posted Date: 2018-11-20T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 58560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25285]

[[Page 58560]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP18-332-000]

El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed South Mainline Expansion 
Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the South 
Mainline Expansion Project, proposed by El Paso Natural Gas Company (El 
Paso) in the above-referenced docket. El Paso requests authorization to 
construct two new natural gas compressor stations on its existing South 
Mainline pipeline system in Luna County, New Mexico and Cochise County, 
Arizona and a 17-mile, 30-inch-diameter loop line in El Paso and 
Hudspeth Counties, Texas.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the South Mainline 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 proposed South Mainline Expansion Project includes the 
following facilities:
     A new 13,220 horsepower compressor station in Luna County, 
New Mexico (``Red Mountain Compressor Station'');
     a new 13,220 horsepower compressor station in Cochise 
County, Arizona (``Dragoon Compressor Station'');
     approximately 17-miles of 30-inch-outside diameter loop 
line extension of existing Line 1110 between milepost (MP) 174.5 and MP 
191.5 in Hudspeth and El Paso counties, Texas.
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to 
federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; 
elected officials; Native American tribes; potentially affected 
landowners and other interested individuals and groups; and newspapers 
and libraries in the project area. The EA is only available in 
electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC's 
website (www.ferc.gov), on the Environmental Documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). In addition, the EA may be 
accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the 
eLibrary link (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp), click on 
General Search, and enter the docket number in the ``Docket Number'' 
field, excluding the last three digits (i.e. CP18-332). Be sure you 
have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact 
FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll free at (866) 
208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments 
should focus on EA's disclosure and discussion of 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 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 14, 
2018.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic 
filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 or [email protected]. Please carefully follow these 
instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature on the Commission's website (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 on the Commission's website (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. Be sure to reference the project docket number 
(CP18-332-000) with your submission: 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). Motions to intervene are more 
fully described at http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or 
judicial review of the Commission's decision. The Commission may grant 
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.
    Additional information about the project is 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. The eLibrary link 
also provides access to the texts of all 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: November 14, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-25285 Filed 11-19-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P