[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16957-16958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8521]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-241-000]
ANR Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare in
Environmental Assessment for the Project and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
April 1, 1999.
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 Wisconsin Expansion Project
Construction and operation of facilities by ANR Pipeline Company (ANR)
in Kendall and McHenry Counties, Illinois and Waupaca and Rock
Counties, Wisconsin.\1\ These facilities would consist of about 3.11
miles of 16-inch and 42-inch-diameter pipeline, and 23,000 horsepower
(hp) of compression. This EA will be used by the Commission in its
decisionmaking process to determine whether the projects is in the
public convenience and necessity. The application and other
supplemental filings in this docket are available for viewing on the
FERC Internet website (www.ferc.fed.us). Click on the ``RIMS'' link,
select ``Docket #'' from the RIMS Menu, and follow the instructions.
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\1\ ANR'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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Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides
access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such
as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website,
click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and
follow the instructions.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of any
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities.
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreements. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, it
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with
state law. A fact sheet addressing a number of typically asked
questions, including the use of eminent domain, is attached to this
notice as appendix 1.\2\
Summary of the Proposed Project
ANR want to install certain additional loop pipeline and expand the
capacity of its facilities in Illinois and Wisconsin to increase its
transmission capacity by up to 194 million Decatherms per day of
natural gas between the ANR Joliet Hub and its Wisconsin market area.
ANR seeks authority to construct and operate:
About 3.0 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop at its
Michigan Leg South System in Kendall County, Illinois;
Two 10,000-horsepower (ph) compressor units at its
existing Woodstock Compressor Station in McHenry County, Illinois;
One 1,500-hp compressor unit at its existing Weyauwega
Compressor Station in Waupaca County, Wisconsin;
About 0.11 mile of 16-inch-diameter pipeline from the
Weyauwega Compressor Station to ANR's Marinette Junction tap site on
its existing 24-inch-diameter mainline in Waupaca County, Wisconsin;
and
One 1,500-hp compressor unit at its existing Janesville
Compressor Station in Rock County, Wisconsin and minor related
facilities.
The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\
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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 Requirement for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 57.4
acres of land. Following construction, about 42.9 acres would be
maintained as permanent right-of-way. The remaining 14.5 acres of land
would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use. All
construction at ANR's Woodstock Compressor Station in McHenry County,
Illinois and its Janesville Compressor Station in Rock County,
Wisconsin would occur within each locations' 20-acre site.
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
[[Page 16958]]
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 constitutents 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
Air quality and noise
Land use
Endangered and threatened species
Public safety
Cultural resources
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project
or portions of the projects, 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 make
our recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section on page 4 of this
notice.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on the preliminary review of the proposed facilities
and the environmental information provided by ANR. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Two federally listed endangered or threatened species may
occur in the proposed project area.
Noise levels around the compressor stations would
increase.
Effects of construction and operation of the proposed
facilities on near-by residences.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission.
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the
proposal, alternatives to the proposal, and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that
your comments are received in time and properly recorded:
Send two copies of your letter to: David P. Boergers,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E.,
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20416;
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1;
Reference Docket No. CP99-241-000; and
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before May 3, 1999.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an
``intervenor''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process.
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 14 copies of its filing to the
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. 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 3). Only intervenors have the
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
You do not need intervenor status to have your environmental
comments considered. Additional information about the proposed project
is available from Mr. Paul McKee of the Commission's Office of External
Affairs at (202) 208-1088 or on the FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us)
using the ``RIMS'' link to information in this docket number. For
assistance with access to RIMS, the RIMS helpline can be reached at
(202) 208-2222. Access to the texts of formal documents issued by the
Commission with regard to this docket, such as orders and notices, is
also available on the FERC website using the ``CIPS'' link. For
assistance with access to CIPS, the CIPS helpline can be reached at
(202) 208-2474.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-8521 Filed 4-6-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
