2024-10344. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Planned Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, and Notice of Public Scoping Session

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The Commission will use this environmental document in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity.

This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies regarding the project. As part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process, the Commission takes into account concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental impacts that could result from its action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. This gathering of public input is referred to as “scoping.” The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the environmental document on the important environmental issues. Additional information about the Commission's NEPA process is described below in the NEPA Process and Environmental Document section of this notice.

By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of issues to address in the environmental document. To ensure that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please submit your comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 6, 2024. Comments may be submitted in written or oral form. Further details on how to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.

Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the environmental document. Commission staff will consider all written and oral comments during the preparation of the environmental document.

If you submitted comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on February 1, 2024, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. PF24-2-000 to ensure they are considered.

This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental mailing list for this project. State and local government representatives should notify their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.

If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable easement agreement. You are not required to enter into an agreement. However, if the Commission approves the project, the Natural Gas Act conveys the right of eminent domain to the company. Therefore, if you and the company do not reach an easement agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation proceedings in court. In such instances, compensation would be determined by a judge in accordance with state law. The Commission does not subsequently grant, exercise, or oversee the exercise of that eminent domain authority. The courts have exclusive authority to handle eminent domain cases; the Commission has no jurisdiction over these matters.

A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled “An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?” addresses typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. This fact sheet along with other landowner topics of interest are available for viewing on the FERC website ( www.ferc.gov) under the Natural Gas, Landowner Topics link.

Public Participation

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

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

(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature, which is located 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 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 can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (PF24-2-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

(4) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the virtual public scoping session its staff will conduct by telephone, scheduled as follows:

Date and Time

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

Call in number: 888-810-4938

Participant passcode: 2443865

Note that the scoping session will start at 6:00 p.m. and will end once all participants wishing to comment have had the opportunity to do so, or at 8:00 p.m., whichever comes first. Individual oral comments will be taken one at a time with a court reporter present on the line.

There will be a brief introduction by Commission staff when the session opens, so please attempt to call in at the beginning of the session. All participants will be able to hear the comments provided by other participants; however, all lines will remain closed during the comments of others and then opened one at a time for providing comments. Once you call in, the operator will provide directions on how to indicate you would like to provide a comment. A time limit of 3 minutes may be implemented for each commentor.

Your oral comments will be recorded by the court reporter and become part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts of all comments received during the scoping session will be publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system (see the last page of this notice for instructions on using eLibrary).

FERC staff intend to conduct additional in-person public scoping sessions in the Project area. Once scheduled, scoping meeting dates, times, and locations will be provided in a separate notice at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting(s).

Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription, which makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances and submittals regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe. These instant email notifications are the fastest way to receive notification and provide a link to the document files which can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at [phone] or [e-mail].

Summary of the Planned Project

Transco plans to construct, modify, and operate natural gas pipeline facilities along its existing pipeline system in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The Southeast Supply Enhancement Project would provide 1,586,900 Dekatherms per day of new firm transportation capacity to the mid-Atlantic and southeast United States. According to Transco, its project would remove pipeline capacity constraints and meet growing natural gas-fired power generation, commercial, residential, and industrial demand in the region. The Southeast Supply Enhancement Project would consist of the facilities listed below.

• Construction of approximately 30.6 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Rockingham County, North Carolina, designated as the Eden Loop.^[1]

• Construction of approximately 24.0 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline in Guilford, Forsyth, and Davidson Counties, North Carolina, designated as the Salem Loop.
• Addition of compressor units at the following existing Transco compressor stations (CS):

○ CS 165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia (two compressor units);

○ CS 155 in Davidson County, North Carolina (three compressor units); and

○ CS 150 in Iredell County, North Carolina (one compressor unit).

• Replacement of three existing compressor units with larger compressor units at Transco's existing CS 145 in Cleveland County, North Carolina.
• Piping modifications at the following existing Transco compressor stations:

○ CS 135 in Anderson County, South Carolina;

○ CS 125 in Walton County, Georgia;

○ CS 120 in Henry County, Georgia; and

○ CS 105 in Coosa County, Alabama.

• Regulator installation on the Eden Loop near mileposts 1382.5 and 1382.7 in Rockingham County, North Carolina and at CS 120 in Henry County, Georgia.

The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.

Land Requirements for Construction

Based on preliminary estimates, construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 961 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. Following construction, Transco would maintain about 392 acres for permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored. Most of the planned pipeline route parallels Transco's existing pipeline rights-of-way.

NEPA Process and the Environmental Document

Any environmental document issued by Commission staff will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the planned project under the relevant general resource areas:

• geology and soils;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• threatened and endangered species;
• cultural resources;
• land use;
• environmental justice;
• air quality and noise;
• reliability and safety; and
• climate change.

Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the planned project or portions of the project and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Your comments will help Commission staff identify and focus on the issues that might have an effect on the human environment and potentially eliminate others from further study and discussion in the environmental document.

Although no formal application has been filed, Commission staff have already initiated a NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before the Commission receives an application. As part of the pre-filing review, Commission staff will contact federal and state agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the environmental document.

If a formal application is filed, Commission staff will then determine whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the EIS will present Commission staff's independent analysis of the environmental issues. If Commission staff prepares an EA, a Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an Environmental Assessment will be issued. The EA may be issued for an allotted public comment period. The Commission would consider timely comments on the EA before making its determination on the proposed project. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule will be issued once an application is filed, which will open an additional public comment period. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS that will be issued for public comment. Commission staff will consider all timely comments received during the comment period on the draft EIS, and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any EA or draft and final EIS will be available in electronic format in the public record through eLibrary ^[2] and the Commission's natural gas environmental documents web page ( https://www.ferc.gov/​industries-data/​natural-gas/​environment/​environmental-documents). If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email notification when the environmental document is issued.

With this notice, the Commission is asking agencies with jurisdiction by law and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document.^[3] Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the Public Participation section of this notice.

Consultation Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act

In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Commission is using this notice to initiate consultation with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s), and to solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on historic properties.^[4] The environmental document for this project will document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of consultations under section 106.

Environmental Mailing List

The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits comments on the project and includes a mailing address with their comments. Commission staff will update the environmental mailing list as the analysis proceeds to ensure that Commission notices related to this environmental review are sent to all individuals, organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the planned project.

If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please complete one of the following steps:

(1) Send an email to [e-mail] stating your request. You must include the docket number PF24-2-000 in your request. If you are requesting a change to your address, please be sure to include your name and the correct address. If you are requesting to delete your address from the mailing list, please include your name and address as it appeared on this notice. This email address is unable to accept comments.

OR

(2) Return the attached “Mailing List Update Form” (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

Once Transco files its application with the Commission, you may want to become an “intervenor” which is an official party to the Commission's proceeding. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision and be heard by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a request 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 https://www.ferc.gov/​how-intervene. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a formal application for the project, after which the Commission will issue a public notice that establishes an intervention deadline.

Additional Information

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. Click on the eLibrary link, click on “General Search” and enter the docket number in the “Docket Number” field. 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 eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

Public sessions or site visits will be posted on the Commission's calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/​news-events/​events along with other related information.

Debbie-Anne A. Reese,

Acting Secretary.

Footnotes

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

2.  For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.

3.  The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency responsibilities are at 40 CFR 1501.8.

4.  The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations are at 36 CFR part 800. Those regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.