[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 190 (Friday, October 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53374-53375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25585]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-284-000]
Koch Gateway Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Index 1 Pipeline and Laterals
Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
September 27, 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 Index 1 Pipeline and Laterals
Abandonment Project by Koch Gateway Pipeline Company (Koch) in Kaufman,
Dallas and Tarrant Counties, Texas.\1\ The project would involve
abandonment of about 101.6 miles of various diameter pipeline and
appurtenances. 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\ Koch's application was filed with the Commission under
Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's
regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary of the Proposed Project
Koch Gateway pipeline Company (Koch) wants to abandon in place its
Index 1 Pipeline System and appurtenant facilities in Kaufman, Dallas,
and Tarrant Counties, Texas because continued operation and maintenance
of the pipeline system is neither economically feasible nor desirable
due to the age of the pipeline and U.S. Department of Transportation
class locations changes resulting from adjacent development. Koch seeks
authority to:
abandon in place about 72.4 miles of 10-, 16-, 18-, and
20-inch-diameter Index 1 pipeline in Kaufman, Dallas, and Tarrant
Counties, Texas;
abandon in place the following lateral pipelines totaling
about 29.2 miles in Dallas and Tarrant Counties, Texas:
7.3 miles of 12-inch-diameter Index 1-31 pipeline;
0.9 miles of 18-inch-diameter Index 1-32 pipeline;
5.6 miles of 20-inch-diameter Index 1-37 pipeline;
10.6 miles of 16-inch-diameter Index 4 pipeline;
4.7 miles of 20-inch-diameter Index 6 pipeline; and
0.1 miles of 4-inch-diameter Index 808 pipeline.
Replace and run pigs at 39 launching and receiving
facilities on the pipelines proposed for abandonment; and
abandon by removal appurtenant facilities consisting of 6
meter stations, 39 blow-off assemblies, 12 by-pass valves, 15 block
valves, 8 tap valves, 40 segments of pipeline of various diameters
totaling about 429 feet, about 1,690 feet of pipeline of various
diameters at four waterbody crossings, 63 farm taps, 5 industrial taps,
and certain other minor facilities.
The 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, N.E., Washington, DC, 20426, or call (202) 208-1371.
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Installation and operation of the pig launching and receiving
facilities, the cutting and capping of the pipelines proposed for
abandonment in place, and abandonment by removal of the appurtenant
facilities would require the digging of about 48 bell-holes of various
sizes, that would disturb a total of about 0.32 acre on existing Koch
right-of-way. Upon the grant of abandonment, all project related
rights-of-way would revert to the landowners.
[[Page 53375]]
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 to
focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By
this Notice of Intent, the Commission requests the public comments on
the scope of the issue sit 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:
Soils.
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
Vegetation and wildlife.
Hazardous waste.
Land use.
Endangered and threatened species.
Cultural resources.
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 make
our recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.
Currently Identified Environmental Issue
We have already identified an issue that we think deserves
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by Koch. Additional issues may
arise based on your comments and our analysis.
If the Commission grants Koch its request for abandonment
authority, the leases upon which the rights-of-way are located would
revert to the landowners. Therefore, we will also evaluate whether or
not Koch should abandon its facilities in-place or by removal.
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 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 Two copies of your letter to: David P. Boergers,
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 the
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1;
Reference Docket No. CP98-284-000; and
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before October 27, 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 3). 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 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 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 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.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-25585 Filed 9-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
