[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 208 (Friday, October 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55287-55288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27383]
[[Page 55287]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-687-000]
Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Athens Compressor
Station Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
October 21, 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 Athens Compressor Station 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.
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\1\ Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'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
Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P. (Iroquois) wants to expand
the capacity of its facilities in New York and Connecticut to transport
an additional 30 million cubic feet per day of natural gas for two
shippers. Iroquois seeks authority to construct and operate 9,500
horsepower of natural gas compression at the proposed Athens compressor
Station in Greene County, New York.
The specific location of the facility is shown on the map in
appendix 1.\2\ The compressor facilities would be located about 2,700
feet south of the Athens-Leeds Turnpike, which forms the northern
boundary of the proposed site.
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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 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.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facility would require about 25.7
acres of land. Following construction, about 15.3 acres would be
maintained as a new aboveground facility site. The remaining 10.4 acres
of land would be restored and allowed to revert to open space. The
closest residence is about 2,400 feet west of the proposed compressor
building.
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 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
Vegetation and wildlife
Endangered and threatened species
Public safety
Land use
Cultural resources
Air quality and noise
Hazardous waste
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed 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 facility and
the environmental information provided by Iroquois. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Conversion of the Athens Airport to industrial use.
Effect the proposed compressor station would have on air
quality in the vicinity.
Alternative siting feasibility.
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 (including alternative locations), 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 St., N.E., Washington, D.C.
20426;
Reference Docket No. CP96-687-000;
Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Mark Jensen, EA Project
Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., PR-
11.2, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, D.C. on or before November 22, 1996.
If you wish to receive a copy of the EA, you should request one
from Mr. Jensen 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).
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 later intervention.
You do not need intervenor status to have your scoping comments
considered.
Additional information about the proposed project is available from
Mr.
[[Page 55288]]
Mark Jensen, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0828.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-27383 Filed 10-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
