E9-24123. Blue Sky Gas Storage, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Blue Sky Gas Storage Project

September 30, 2009.

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the natural gas facilities proposed by Blue Sky Gas Storage, LLC (Blue Sky) in the above-referenced docket. Blue Sky's proposal (the Blue Sky Gas Storage Project) involves the conversion of a depleted natural gas reservoir to a natural gas storage facility in Logan County, Colorado. The purpose of the project is to provide approximately 4.4 billion cubic feet of gas storage capacity to interstate shippers of natural gas in the region.

The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the proposed Blue Sky Gas Storage Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. 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 Blue Sky Gas Storage Project includes the following proposed facilities:

• 5.3 miles of 16-inch-diameter header pipeline extending north from the storage facility to interconnect with Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC, and Trailblazer Pipeline, LLC's interstate pipeline systems;
• 9.8 miles of 16-inch-diameter header pipeline extending southwest to interconnect with Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission, LLC's interstate pipeline system;
• 10 new natural gas storage wells;
• One metering station at each of the two proposed interconnections; and
• One 2,370 horsepower compressor station.

The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426. [phone].

Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, State, and local agencies; interested groups and individuals; newspapers and libraries in the project area; and parties to this proceeding.

Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is important that we receive your comments as specified below.

Your comments should focus on the 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 your comments are timely and properly recorded, please send in your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC, on or before October 30, 2009.

For your convenience, there are three methods in which you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please reference the project docket number CP09-428-000 with your submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has dedicated eFiling expert staff available to assist you at 202-502-8258 or [e-mail].

(1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick Comment feature, which is located on the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. A Quick Comment is an easy method for interested persons to submit text-only comments on a project;

(2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature, which is located on the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. eFiling involves preparing your submission in the same manner as you would if filing on paper, and then saving the file on your computer's hard drive. You will attach that file as your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “Sign up” or “eRegister.” You will be asked to select the type of filing you are making. A comment on a particular project is considered a “Comment on a Filing;” or

(3) You may file your comments via mail to the Commission by sending an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.

If you choose the option to mail your comments, label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 1, PJ-11.1.

Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).^[1] Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decisions.

Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.

Additional information about the project is available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC or on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, then on “General Search” and enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field (i.e., CP09-428). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [e-mail] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, contact [phone]. The eLibrary link on the FERC Internet Web site also provides access to the texts of 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 notifications of these filings, document summaries and direct links to the documents. Go to http://www.ferc.gov/​esubscribenow.htm.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  Interventions may also be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion of filing comments electronically.