[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 14 (Monday, January 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1568-1569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-657]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP96-126-000]
Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Line 1740
Replacement 1996 Project and Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues
January 16, 1996.
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 construction and operation of
the facilities proposed in the Line 1740 Replacement 1996 Project.\1\
This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process
to determine whether an environmental impact statement is necessary and
whether to approve the project.
\1\ Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation's application was
filed with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and
Part 157 of the Commission's regulations.
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Summary of the Proposed Project
Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation (Columbia) wants to construct
and operate about 11.7 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline and
appurtenant facilities to replace an equivalent length of 16-inch-
diameter pipeline on Line 1740 in Gilmer County, West Virginia.
The specific location of the project facilities is shown in
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 NE., Washington, D.C. 20426, or call (202) 208-1371.
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 173
acres of land, including 102 acres of temporary right-of-way and extra
work areas. Following construction, all of the land would be restored
and allowed to revert to its former use. No new permanent right-of-way
is required for the project.
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 ``scoping''. The main goal of the scoping process is the
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:
Geology and soils
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
[[Page 1569]]
Vegetation and wildlife
Hazardous waste
Land use
Cultural resources
Endangered and threatened species
Public safety
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
recommend that the Commission approve or not approve the project.
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 Columbia. Keep in mind that
this is a preliminary list:
Two residences and one business are located within 50 feet
of the construction right-of-way.
The pipeline would be near historic structures and
archaeological sites.
The list of issues may be added to, subtracted from, or changed
based on your comments and our analysis.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by sending a letter addressing your
specific comments or concerns about the project. You should focus on
the potential environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to
the proposal, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The
more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. Please
follow the instructions below to ensure that your comments are received
and properly recorded:
Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, D.C.
20426;
Reference Docket No. CP96-126-000;
Send a copy of your letter to: Mrs. Medha Kochhar, EA
Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE., PR-11.2, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, D.C. on or before February 20, 1996.
If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one
from Mrs. Kochhar at the above address.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding or become an
``intervenor''. 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 copies of its
filings to all other parties. 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 2).
You do not need intervenor status to have your scoping comments
considered.
Additional information about the proposed project is available from
Mrs. Medha Kochhar, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-2270.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-657 Filed 1-19-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
