[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20005-20006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10580]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP97-238-000]
Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C.; Portland Natural Gas
Transmission System; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement for the Proposed PNGTS/Maritimes Phase I Joint
Facilities Project
April 18, 1997.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
on certain of the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Maritimes
& Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C. and Portland Natural Gas Transmission
System (the applicants) in the above-referenced docket, collectively
referred to as the PNGTS/Maritimes Phase I Joint Facilities Project
(Phase I Joint Facilities).
The DEIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would have
limited environmental impact.
The DEIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the following facilities:
About 66.1 miles of 30-inch-diameter mainline between
Dracut, Massachusetts and Wells, Maine;
About 0.8 mile of 20-inch-diameter pipeline (Haverhill
Lateral);
About 1.1 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline (Newington
Lateral); and
Four meter stations, one tap, and other associated
aboveground facilities.
Comment Procedure
Written Comments
Any person wishing to comment on the DEIS may do so. Please
carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments are
received in time and properly recorded:
Reference Docket No. CP97-238-000;
Send two copies of your comments to: Office of the
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street,
N.E., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Mail your comments so that they will be received on or
before June 9, 1997;
Public Meeting Schedule
Three public meetings to receive comments on the DEIS will be held
at the following times and locations:
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Date Time Location
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May 20, 1997.................... 7:00 p.m......... Great Hall, 41
Pleasant Street,
Methuen,
Massachusetts.
May 21, 1997.................... 7:00 p.m......... Memorial School
Gymnasium, 31 West
Main Street,
Newton, New
Hampshire.
May 22, 1997.................... 7:00 p.m......... Wells High School
Gymnasium, Sanford
Road, Wells,
Maine.
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Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and
present oral comments on the environmental impacts described in the
DEIS. Anyone who would like to speak at the public meetings may get on
the speakers list by signing up at the public meetings. Priority will
be given to persons representing groups. Transcripts will be made of
the meetings.
After these comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are
investigated, and modifications are made to the DEIS, a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will be published and
distributed. The FEIS will contain the staff's responses to timely
comments received on the DEIS.
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). Any person may file a motion to intervene
on the basis of the Commission's staff's DEIS (18 CFR 380.10). You do
not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
The DEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is
available for public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Public Reference and Files Maintenance
[[Page 20006]]
Branch, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
A limited number of copies are available at this location.
Copies of the DEIS have been mailed to Federal, state, and local
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers,
and parties to this proceeding.
Additional information about the proposed project is available from
Paul McKee in the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-
1088.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-10580 Filed 4-23-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
