[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 155 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19692]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 12, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP94-161-000]
Avoca Natural Gas Storage; Notice of Availability of the
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Avoca Gas Storage Field
Project
August 5, 1994.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the
natural gas storage field facilities proposed by Avoca Natural Gas
Storage (Avoca) in the above-referenced docket.
The EA 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 not
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality
of the human environment.
The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the proposed Avoca Gas Storage Field
Project. The project involves construction of five solution-minded
caverns in a rock salt formation about 4,000 feet below the surface. Up
to 3 million gallons per day of fresh water would be used to dissolve
the salt, and an equivalent volume of brine would be produced and
disposed of by injecting it into deep geologic formations about 10,000
feet below the surface. The proposed facilities include:
Storage Cavern Facilities
ten solution-mining/storage cavern wells (2 per cavern);
1.82 miles of 12-inch-diameter water injection pipeline;
1.82 miles of 12-inch-diameter brine disposal pipeline;
1.82 miles of 2-inch-diameter diesel injection pipeline;
and
1.82 miles of 20-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline.
Leach Plant Facilities
a pump building;
three 400-horsepower fresh water injection pumps;
six 600-horsepower brine disposal pumps;
a brine settling pond;
storage tanks within concrete containment areas; and
1.5-miles of electric power service line.
Water Source Facilities
three large-capacity fresh water source wells;
eleven aquifer monitoring wells; and
1.48 miles of 12-inch-diameter water pipeline.
Brine Disposal Facilities
six brine disposal wells; and
5.23 miles of 12-inch-diameter brine disposal pipeline.
Gas Injection/Withdrawal Facilities
0.22 mile of 24-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline;
a 25,000-horsepower compressor station;
gas dehydration facilities; and
a meter station.
The purpose of the proposed project would be to offer a stand-alone
service for storing natural gas which would enhance the availability of
clean-burning natural gas for industrial and utility customers in the
Northeastern United States.
Avoca would interconnect the storage field with Tennessee Gas
Pipeline Company's pipeline system. Potential storage customers could
then use this system as the transporter for gas into and out of the
Avoca Gas Storage Field.
The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is
available for public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Division of Public Information, 941 North Capitol Street
NE., Room 3104, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, state and local
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers,
and parties to this proceeding.
A limited number of copies of the EA are available from: Mr. Steve
Grape, Environmental Project Manager, Environmental Review and
Compliance Branch II, Office of Pipeline Regulation, Room 7312, 825
North Capitol Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1046.
Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Written comments
must reference Docket No. CP94-161-000 and be addressed to: Office of
the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Comments should be filed as soon as possible, but must be received
no later than September 6, 1994, to ensure consideration prior to a
Commission decision on this proposal. A copy of any comments should
also be sent to Mr. Steve Grape, Environmental Project Manager.
Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to
make the commenter 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
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214).
The date for filing timely motions to intervene in this proceeding
has passed. Therefore, parties now seeking to file late interventions
must show good cause, as required by section 385.214(b)(3), why this
time limitation should be waived. Environmental issues have been viewed
as good cause for late intervention. You do not need intervenor status
to have your comments considered.
Additional information about this project is available from Mr.
Steve Grape, Environmental review and Compliance Branch II, Office of
Pipeline Regulation, at (202) 208-1046.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-19692 Filed 8-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
