2020-16518. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Regional Energy Access Expansion Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Virtual ...

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 Regional Energy Access Expansion Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Wyoming, and York Counties, Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset, and Warren Counties, New Jersey; and Baltimore County, Maryland. The Commission will use this EA 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 about issues regarding the project. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could result from its action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires the Commission to discover concerns the public may have about proposals. This process is referred to as “scoping.” The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of issues to address in the EA. 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 August 24, 2020. 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.

You can make a difference by submitting your specific comments or concerns about the project. 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 EA. Commission staff will consider all written or oral comments during the preparation of the EA.

If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on June 18, 2020, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. PF20-3-000 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.

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

Public Participation

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.

For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 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, 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;

(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (PF20-3-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852; or

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

Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT, Call in number: 888-455-9739, Participant passcode: 4753713.

Wednesday, August 19, 2020, 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT, Call in number: 888-455-9739, Participant passcode: 4753713.

Thursday, August 20, 2020, 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT, Call in number: 888-455-9739, Participant passcode: 4753713.

The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the EA. Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter present on the line. This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of oral comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted and is in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Each scoping session is scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. You may call at any time after 6:00 p.m. at which time you will be placed on mute and hold. Calls will be answered in the order they are received. Once answered, you will have the opportunity to provide your comment directly to a court reporter with FERC staff or representative present on the line. A time limit of three minutes will be implemented for each commentor.

Transcripts of all comments received during the scoping sessions will be publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system (see the last page of this notice for instructions on using eLibrary).

It is important to note that the Commission provides equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form or provided orally at a virtual scoping session.

There will not be a formal presentation provided by Commission staff. However, information about FERC's environmental review process can be found on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) under the natural gas Landowner Topics link. In addition, Transco has created a project-specific website with additional information at https://www.williams.com/​expansion-project/​regional-energy-access/​.

Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to the review process flow chart in appendix 1.^[1]

Summary of the Planned Project

Transco plans to construct and operate approximately 35.8 miles of pipeline loop ^[2] and one new compressor station, as well as modify existing compressor stations and facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The project would provide about 760 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day to multiple delivery points along Transco's existing system in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. According to Transco, its project would provide its customers with enhanced access to Marcellus and Utica Shale natural gas supplies.

The project would consist of the following facilities:

• Installation of 22 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Regional Energy Lateral);
• installation of 13.8 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Monroe County, Pennsylvania (Effort Loop);
• installation of the new Compressor Station 201 (up to 11,500 horsepower [hp]) in Gloucester County, New Jersey);
• installation of a gas turbine or electric motor-driven compressor unit (up to 16,000 hp) at existing Compressor Station 505 in Somerset County, New Jersey;
• installation of a gas turbine compressor unit (up to an additional 31,871 hp) and modifications to three existing compressors at existing Compressor Station 515 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
• modifications at existing compressor stations, meter stations, interconnects, and ancillary facilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland; and
• installation of ancillary facilities such as mainline valves, communication facilities, and pig ^[3] launchers and receivers.

The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 814 acres ^[4] of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline loops. Following construction, Transco would maintain about 232 acres for permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. The majority of the planned pipeline loops parallel Transco's existing pipeline rights-of-way.

The EA Process

The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the planned project under these general headings:

• Geology and soils;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• threatened and endangered species;
• cultural resources;
• land use and visual impacts;
• socioeconomics;
• air quality and noise;
• public safety; and
• cumulative impacts.

Commission staff will also evaluate possible 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.

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 EA.

The EA will present Commission staff's independent analysis of the issues. The EA will be available in electronic format in the public record through eLibrary ^[5] 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 EA is issued. The EA may be issued for an allotted public comment period. Commission staff will consider all comments on the EA before making recommendations to the Commission. To ensure Commission staff have the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section, beginning on page 2.

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 EA.^[6] 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.^[7] The EA 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 the Commission issues the EA for an allotted public comment period, a Notice of Availability of the EA will be sent to the environmental mailing list and will provide instructions to access the electronic document on the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov). If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return the attached Mailing List Update Form (appendix 3).

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/​ferc-online/​ferc-online/​how-guides. 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, excluding the last three digits (i.e., PF20-3). 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 virtual scoping 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.

Dated: July 24, 2020.

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov using the link called eLibrary or from the Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, or call [phone].

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

3.  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.

4.  Transco is evaluating workspace requirements at three of the planned aboveground facilities to determine whether additional land requirements will be necessary.

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

6.  The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1501.6.

7.  The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, 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.