E8-397. Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Iroquois 08/09 Expansion Project

January 4, 2008.

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the natural gas facilities proposed by Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P. (Iroquois) in the above-referenced docket. The Iroquois 08/09 Expansion Project would expand Iroquois' existing system to deliver up to 200,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas transportation service to KeySpan Gas East Corporation at South Commack, Long Island.

The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The 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 EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of Iroquois' proposed 08/09 Expansion Project. Iroquois proposes to construct its project in three phases which would consist of: looping ^[1] its existing pipeline system at three locations in New York and Connecticut by November 1, 2008 (Phase 1); constructing a new compressor station in Milford, Connecticut with 20,620 horsepower of compression by January 1, 2009 (Phase 2); and adding a 10,310 horsepower compressor unit to Iroquois' Brookfield Compressor Station in Brookfield, Connecticut by November 1, 2009 (Phase 3).^[2]

The Phase 1 pipeline looping would include construction of 5.8 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Boonville, New York; 1.0 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Wright, New York; and 1.6 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Newtown, Connecticut. The new pipeline segments would be located adjacent to Iroquois' existing pipeline at these locations.

The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, [phone].

Copies of the EA have been mailed to federal, state, and local agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, and parties to this proceeding.

Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is important that we receive your comments before the date specified below. 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 comments to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
• Reference Docket No. CP07-457-000;
• Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the Gas Branch 1, PJ-11.1; and
• Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before February 4, 2008.

Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments or interventions or protests to this proceeding. 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 on-line.

Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to make the commentor a party to the proceeding. 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).^[3] Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.

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 comments considered.

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, 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 [e-mail] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, contact [phone]. 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  A loop is a segment of pipeline that is usually installed to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.

2.  The Brookfield Compressor Station was approved by the Commission on December 21, 2006, as part of Iroquois' Market Access Project in Docket No. CP02-31-002. Construction of the Brookfield Compressor Station commenced in the October 2007 and operation of the station is scheduled to commence in the fall of 2008.

3.  Interventions may also be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing comments electronically.