[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 204 (Monday, October 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26237]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 24, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP94-763-000]
Northern Natural Gas Co.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Peoples/L.S. Power-Cottage
Grove Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
October 18, 1994.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss environmental impacts of the construction and operation of
facilities proposed in the Peoples/L.S. Power-Cottage Grove
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 or not to approve the project.
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\1\Northern Natural Gas Company's application was filed with the
Commission pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157
of the Commission's regulations.
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Summary of the Proposed Project
Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern Natural) wants Commission
authorization to:
(1) Construct and operate about 1.42 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline
to loop its existing 24-inch-diameter pipeline (MNM 86501) in
Washington County, Minnesota;
(2) Construct a new L.S. Power-Cottage Grove Town Border Station (TBS)
in Washington County, Minnesota; and
(3) Install and operate an electric-motor driven 1,250-horsepower (hp)
compressor at the existing Farmington Compressor Station in Dakota
County, Minnesota.
The proposed facilities will be used to provide about 29,120
million cubic feet per day of natural gas to Peoples Natural Gas
Company and L.S. Power-Cottage Grove Limited Partnership's planned L.S.
Power-Cottage Grove Cogeneration Plant in Washington County, Minnesota.
The general location of these facilities is shown in appendix
1.2
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\2\The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, Room 3104, 941 North Capitol
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.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Northern Natural proposes to use a 75-foot-wide construction right-
of-way (ROW) for the loop. Through residential areas, Northern Natural
would use a 50-foot-wide construction ROW to minimize disturbance to
residences.
Ten temporary work areas outside the construction right-of-way
would be required at road and railway crossings, a retention pond, and
at the beginning and end of the pipeline loop. Each of these extra work
areas would occupy an additional 0.03- to 0.34-acre of land. Northern
would also use a 0.62-acre pipe storage area near the beginning of the
loop.
The proposed L.S. Power-Cottage Grove TBS would require about 0.26
acre of land. The compressor addition at the existing Farmington
Compressor Station would not require additional land.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from a major Federal action whenever it considers the issuance
of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. Our EA will give
the Commission the information it needs to do that. If the EA concludes
that the projects would result in significant environmental impacts, we
will prepare an environmental impact statement. Otherwise we will
prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact.
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, and to separate these from issues that are
insignificant and do not require detailed study.
The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the proposed projects under these general
subject headings:
geology and soils
air quality and noise
endangered and threatened species
vegetation and wildlife
land use
water resources, fisheries and wetlands
cultural resources
pipeline safety
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the projects, or
portions of the projects, 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
these proceedings. 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 Northern Natural. Keep in
mind that this is a preliminary list; the list of issues will be added
to, subtracted from, or changed based on your comments and our own
analysis. Issues are:
Construction of the pipeline would take place on or
adjacent to about 70 residential properties.
The pipeline would possibly cross potential habitat for
the loggerhead shrike, a state-listed threatened species.
The pipeline may cross or be near historic structures and
archeological sites.
The addition of a compressor could affect noise levels in
the vicinity of the compressor station.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by sending a letter with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. We are particularly interested
in alternatives to the proposals (including alternative routes), 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, 825 North Capitol St., N.E., Washington,
D.C. 20426;
Reference Docket No. CP94-763-000;
Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Hugh Thomas, Project
Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol St.,
N.E., Room 7312, Washington, D.C. 20426; and;
Mail your comments so they will be received in Washington
D.C. on or before November 21, 1994.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceedings or 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) which is attached as appendix
2.
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 scoping comments considered.
Additional information about the proposed project is available from
Mr. Hugh Thomas, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0980.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-26237 Filed 10-21-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
