2020-22035. Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.; Notice of Availability of The Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Enhancement by Compression Project

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Enhancement by Compression Project (Project), proposed by Iroquois Gas Transmission, L.P. (Iroquois) in the above-referenced docket. Iroquois requests authorization to construct and operate natural gas transmission facilities in New York and Connecticut. The Project is designed to provide a total of 125,000 Dekatherms per day ^[1] of incremental firm transportation service to two existing customers of Iroquois, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. and KeySpan Gas East Corporation doing business as National Grid.

The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 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 proposed Project includes the following facilities:

• Athens Compressor Station—installation of one new 12,000 horsepower (hp) turbine (Unit A2) in a new building with associated cooling, filter separators, and other appurtenant facilities, within the existing fenced boundary (Greene County, New York).
• Dover Compressor Station—installation of one new 12,000 hp turbine (Unit A2) in a new building with associated cooling, filter separators, appurtenant facilities, and expansion of the existing fenceline within the property boundary (Dutchess County, New York).
• Brookfield Compressor Station—construction of a control/office building, and addition of two new 12,000 hp turbines (Unit B1 and Unit B2) in a new building with associated cooling, filter separators, and other appurtenant facilities. Additionally, Iroquois would install incremental cooling at Plant 2-A to allow natural gas to be cooled, prior to being compressed at the proposed downstream compressors (Units B1 and B2). Iroquois would also replace turbine stacks on the existing compressor units (Unit-A1 and Unit-A2) and add other noise reduction measures (e.g., louvers, seals) to minimize existing noise at the site. Modifications at this site would require expansion of the existing fenceline within the property boundary (Fairfield County, Connecticut).
• Milford Compressor Station—addition of gas cooling to existing compressor units and associated piping, within the existing fenced boundary (New Haven County, Connecticut).

The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the Project area. The EA is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the natural gas environmental documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/​industries-data/​natural-gas/​environment/​environmental-documents). In addition, the EA may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/​eLibrary/​search), select General Search and enter the docket number in the Docket Number field, excluding the last three digits (i.e. CP20-48). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [e-mail] or toll free at [phone], or for TTY, contact [phone].

The EA is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding. Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments should focus on the EA's disclosure and discussion of potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that the Commission has the opportunity to consider your comments prior to making its decision on this Project, it is important that we receive your comments in Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 30, 2020.

For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at [phone] or [e-mail]. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.

(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;

(2) You can also file your comments electronically using the eFiling feature on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on eRegister. You must select the type of filing you are making. If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select “Comment on a Filing”; or

(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the Project docket number (CP20-48-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

Filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission's decision. At this point in this proceeding, the timeframe for filing timely intervention requests has expired. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene out-of-time pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and (d)) and show good cause why the time limitation should be waived. Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​ferc-online/​how-guides.

Additional information about the Project is available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

In addition, the Commission 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 https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

Dated: September 30, 2020.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  1 dekatherm is approximately 1,000 cubic feet.