2019-02344. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Southeastern Trail Project

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Southeastern Trail Project, proposed by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in the above-referenced docket. Transco requests authorization to construct and operate about 7.7 miles of new natural gas pipeline located along the existing Transco Mainline, expand three existing compressor stations in Virginia, and modify 21 existing facilities in South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana.

The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Southeastern Trail 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 specific facilities proposed as part of the Southeastern Trail Project are as follows:

☐ Manassas Loop in Fauquier and Prince William Counties, Virginia: Construction of approximately 7.7 miles of new 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop,^[1] co-located along the Transco Mainline from milepost 1568.13 to 1575.85;

☐ Compressor Station 185 in Prince William County, Virginia: Uprating the existing electric-driven compression unit driver from 25,000 to 30,000 horsepower (HP);

☐ Compressor Station 175 in Fluvanna County, Virginia: Installing one new 22,490 HP turbine-driven compression unit, uprating the existing electric-driven compression unit driver from 33,000 to 41,250 HP;

☐ Compressor Station 165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia: Installing two new 22,490 HP turbine-driven compression units and abandoning 10 compressor units (totaling 20,000 HP) and related equipment;

☐ flow reversal modifications and/or deodorization modifications at:

○ Compressor Station 65 in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana;

○ Compressor Station 115 in Coweta County, Georgia;

○ Compressor Station 116 in Carroll County, Georgia;

○ Compressor Station 120 in Henry County, Georgia;

○ Compressor Station 125 in Walton County, Georgia;

○ Compressor Station 130 in Madison County, Georgia;

○ Compressor Station 135 in Anderson County, South Carolina;

○ Compressor Station 140 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina; and

○ installation of deodorization facilities at 13 existing mainline valve facilities in South Carolina and Georgia along the Transco Mainline.

The Commission mailed a copy of this 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 Environmental Documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/​industries/​gas/​enviro/​eis.asp). In addition, the EA may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​elibrary.asp), click on General Search, and enter the docket number in the “Docket Number” field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP18-186). 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].

Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments should focus on 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 March 11, 2019.

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 Documents and Filings. 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 Documents and Filings. 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 following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP18-186-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.

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). Motions to intervene are more fully described at http://www.ferc.gov/​resources/​guides/​how-to/​intervene.asp. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission's decision. The Commission may grant affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but 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 (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 www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp.

Dated: February 8, 2019.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to an existing pipeline to increase capacity.