Subject: Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare [Federal Register: January 22, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 14)] [Notices] [Page 2874-2875] >From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr22ja02-65] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP02-9-000] Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line 280 Replacement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues January 15, 2002. 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 Line 280 Replacement Project involving construction, operation, and abandonment of facilities by Dominion Transmission, Inc. (DTI) in Pennsylvania.\1\ This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ DTI's application was filed with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's regulations. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 proposed 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, 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?'' was attached to the project notice DTI provided to landowners. 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. It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet website (www.ferc.gov). Summary of the Proposed Project DTI proposes to abandon in place approximately 71 miles of its existing LN-280 pipeline and 5 miles of its existing LN-4 pipeline in Cameron, Clinton, Elk, Potter, and Tioga Counties, Pennslyvania. In order to replace the capacity lost by the pipeline abandonment, DTI also proposes to install two additional compressor units, each rated for 1,775 horsepower, at its existing Ardell Compressor Station in Elk County, Pennsylvania. Abandonment of LN-280 and LN-4 would require no additional land, since the pipelines would be left in place. DTI would retain ownership of the existing right-of-way. Construction of the proposed facilities at the existing Ardell Compressor Station would require about 11.5 acres of land. Of this 11.5 acres, approximately 1.9 acres would be required for the station expansion and for new right-of-way. The remaining 9.6 acres would occur on the existing station or existing right-of-way. 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 \2\ to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. We call this ``scoping''. The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis [[Page 2875]] in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this Notice of Intent, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of the issues it will address in the EA. All comments received are 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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; land use; air quality and noise; endangered and threatened species; cultural resources; vegetation and wildlife; public safety. We will not discuss impacts to water resources, fisheries, and wetlands since they are not present in the project area, or would not be affected by the proposed facilities. We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project, 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 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, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative locations), 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: Linwood A. Watson, Jr., Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 1. Reference Docket No. CP02-9-000. Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before February 14, 2002. Comments may also be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will need to create an account which can be created by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' Due to current events, we cannot guarantee that we will receive mail on a timely basis from the U.S. Postal Service, and we do not know how long this situation will continue. However, we continue to receive filings from private mail delivery services, including messenger services, in a reliable manner. The Commission encourages electronic filing of any comments or interventions or protests to this proceeding. We will include all comments that we receive within a reasonable time frame in our environmental analysis of this project. 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. Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors. Likewise, each intervenor must provide 14 copies of its filings to the Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. 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) (see appendix 1).\3\ Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing comments electronically. The appendices referenced in this notice are not being printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the Commission's website at the ``RIMS'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. For instructions on connecting to RIMS refer to the last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 about the proposed project is available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-1088 or on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) using the ``RIMS'' link to information in this docket number. Click on the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the RIMS Menu, and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to RIMS, the RIMS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2222. Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website, click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to CIPS, the CIPS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474. Linwood A. Watson, Jr., Acting Secretary. [FR Doc. 02-1461 Filed 1-18-02; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P