Environmental statements; notice of intent: Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. et al.,
[Federal Register: November 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 225)]
[Notices]
[Page 65694-65696]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23no99-45]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP-99-392-000, CP00-17-000 and CP00-19-000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation, South Carolina Public Service Authority; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Southcoast Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
November 17, 1999.
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 SouthCoast Expansion Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) in Choctaw, Marengo, Coosa, Coweta, and Chilton Counties, Alabama and Walton, Gwinnett, and Henry Counties, Georgia.\1\ These facilities would consist of about 44.3 miles of various diameter pipeline and 31,500 horsepower (hp) of compression. In addition, Santee Cooper, a power generating company, would construct about 5 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline to its planned power generating plant in Anderson County, South Carolina. 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\ Tranco's application was filedwith 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. There, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law. A fact sheet addressing a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain, is attached to this notice as appendix 1.\2\
\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Transco wants to expand the capacity of its facilities in Alabama and Georgia to transport an additional 204,099 million British thermal units per day of natural gas to twelve shippers including one electric generating plant. Transco seeks authority to construct and operate:
‹bullet› 11.31 miles of 42-inch-diameter loop and a pig launcher and receiver in Choctaw County, Alabama;
‹bullet› 13.94 miles of 48-inch-diameter loop and to relocate an existing pig receiver in Marengo County, Alabama;
‹bullet› 19.01 miles of 24-inch-diameter loop (North Georgia Loop) and a pig launcher and receiver in Walton and Gwinnett Counties, Georgia;
‹bullet› A new 15,000 horsepower (hp) gas turbine-powered compressor unit at Compressor Station 105 in Coosa County, Alabama;
‹bullet› A new 16,500 hp electric motor driven compressor unit and gas coolers at Compressor Station 115 in Coweta County, Alabama;
‹bullet› A rewheeled Compressor Unit 16 at Compressor Station 120 in Henry County, Georgia; and
‹bullet› New suction piping at Compressor Station 100 in Chilton County, Alabama, to allow sufficient gas flow to Compressor Unit 10.
In addition, South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper), a power generating company plans to construct about 2.1 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline to its planned power generating plant called the John S. Rainey Generating Station in Anderson County, South Carolina including associated water pipelines and intake/discharge facilities near the plant. It would also construct about two approximately 30 mile-long 230 kilowatt electric transmission lines from the power plant to an existing Greenwood County, South Carolina switching station near Hodges, South Carolina.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 2. If you are interested in obtaining maps of a specific portion of the project, write to the Office of External Affairs and include the form in appendix 4.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 577.7 acres of land. Following construction, about 107.5 acres would be maintained as new permanent right-of-way and aboveground facility sites. The remaining 470.2 acres of land would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.
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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 to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. We call this ``scooping''. The main goal of the scooping process is to focus the analysis 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.
The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these general headings:
‹bullet› Geology and soils ‹bullet› Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands ‹bullet› Vegetation and wildlife ‹bullet› Endangered and threatened species ‹bullet› Public safety ‹bullet› Land use ‹bullet› Cultural resources ‹bullet› Air quality and noise ‹bullet› Hazardous waste
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 scooping 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 beginning on page 5.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental information provided by Transco. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
‹bullet› 69 perennial streams would be crossed in Alabama and Georgia.
‹bullet› Two waterbodies over 100 feet wide would be crossed in Alabama, the Tombigbee River and Tuckabum Creek. The Tombigbee River would be directionally drilled and Tuckabum Creek would be crossed by the open-cut method.
‹bullet› Three federally listed endangered or threatened species may occur in the project area. Several state listed endangered or threatened species may be affected.
‹bullet› About 33.2 acres of wetlands would be disturbed during construction and about 9.8 acres of wetlands would be maintained as permanent right-of-way.
‹bullet› About 252.9 acres of forest land would be cleared.
‹bullet› Cultural resources sites may potentially be impacted by the project.
‹bullet› Fourteen residences would be located within 50 feet of the construction work area on the 24-inch-diameter North Georgia Loop.
Also, we have made a preliminary decision to not address the impacts of nonjurisdictional Santee Cooper electric power plant, the related water pipeline facilities, and the electric transmission lines. Environmental review of these nonjurisdictional facilities is being conducted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. We will briefly describe their location and status in the EA.
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/routes), 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:
‹bullet› Send two copies of your letter to: David P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
‹bullet› Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.2;
‹bullet› Reference Docket No. CP99-392-000; and
‹bullet› Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before December 17, 1999.
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 4). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scooping 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 3). Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
The date for filing timely motions to intervene in this proceeding has passed. Therefore, parties now seeking to file late interventions must show good cause, as required by section 385.214(b)(3), why this time limitation should be waived Environmental issues have been viewed as good cause for late intervention. You do not need intervenor status to have your environmental comments considered.
Additional information about the proposed project is available from Mr. Paul McKee of the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-1088 or on the FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us) 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 rulemaking. 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
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helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474. David P. Boergers, Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-30483Filed11-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
