2024-14389. MountainWest Overthrust Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Westbound Compression Expansion Project

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Westbound Compression Expansion Project, proposed by MountainWest Overthrust Pipeline, LLC (Overthrust) in the above-referenced docket. Overthrust requests authorization to provide an additional 325,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of year-round firm transportation service on Overthrust's mainline (ML) at existing Point of Rocks and Rock Springs Compressor Stations, as well as related facility upgrades and modifications in Sweetwater, Uinta, and Lincoln Counties, Wyoming.

The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Westbound Compression Expansion 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 U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the NEPA analysis. The BLM will adopt and use the EA to along with other supporting documentation to consider the issuance of amended Mineral Leasing Act right-of-way grants for the portion of the proposed project on Federal lands.

The proposed Westbound Compression Expansion Project includes the following facilities and activities, all in Wyoming:

• addition of one gas-fired turbine driven compressor unit with 15,900 nominal horsepower (hp) at the existing Point of Rocks Compressor Station in Sweetwater County;
• addition of one gas-fired turbine driven compressor unit with 15,900 nominal hp at the existing Rock Springs Compressor Station in Sweetwater County;
• an approximate 1,400-foot-long, 24-inch-diameter pipe interconnect (JTL-148) extending from a new tap on Overthrust's mainline 122 at its existing North Rendezvous Tap facility to a new meter station being constructed by Kern River Gas Transmission at an existing site in Lincoln County;
• upgrades to the existing Rockies Express Pipeline Wamsutter Meter Station to accommodate additional gas volumes in Sweetwater County;
• upgrades at three existing facilities—Roberson Compressor Station (new pig launcher and receiver ^[1] in Lincoln County), Cabin 31 Interconnect Pipeline Facility (new pig launcher in Sweetwater County), and Opal Interconnect Pipeline Facility (new pig launcher in Lincoln County), to support in-line inspections along the Overthrust mainline; and

• modifications to Overthrust's existing Granger Interconnect Facility to accommodate new flow conditions in Sweetwater County.

The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the EA 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 natural gas environmental documents page ( https://www.ferc.gov/​industries-data/​natural-gas/​environment/​environmental-documents). In addition, the EA may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link ( https://elibrary.ferc.gov/​eLibrary/​search), select “General Search” and enter the docket number in the “Docket Number” field, excluding the last three digits ( i.e. CP24-13). 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 EA is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding. Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments should focus on the 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 July 24, 2024.

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 FERC Online. 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 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 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 Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP24-13-000) 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.

Filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission's decision. At this point in this proceeding, the timeframe for filing timely intervention requests has expired. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene out-of-time pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and (d)) and show good cause why the time limitation should be waived. Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/​how-intervene.

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.

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].

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 https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

Dated: June 24, 2024.

Debbie-Anne A. Reese,

Acting Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  A “pig” is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.