2024-21476. Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Northern Natural Gas Company Northern Lights 2025 Expansion Project

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Department of Energy

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

1. [Docket No. CP24-60-000]

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Northern Lights 2025 Expansion Project (Project), proposed by Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) in the above-referenced docket. Northern requests authorization to construct and operate about 8.6 miles of pipeline extensions, and associated ancillary and auxiliary equipment in Freeborn, Houston, and Washington Counties, Minnesota and Monroe County, Wisconsin. Northern's stated purpose for this Project is to provide up to 46,064 dekatherms per day of firm, winter natural gas transportation capacity to Northern's Market Area.^[1]

The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed Project would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.

The proposed Project includes the following facilities:

• 3.0-mile-long extension of the 36-inch-diameter Lake Mills to Albert Lea E Line;
• 2.43-mile-long extension of the 30-inch-diameter Elk River 3rd Branch Line;
• a non-contiguous 1.91-mile-long extension of the 30-inch-diameter Farmington to Hugo C-Line;
• 1.28-mile-long extension of the 8-inch-diameter Tomah Branch Line Loop;
• one pig new launcher,^[2] valves, and piping inside the existing Hugo Compressor Station;

• minor piping modifications within the existing La Crescent Compressor Station;
• relocation of one pig receiver facility along the Tomah Branch Line loop;
• removal of three existing tie-in valve settings along the Lake Mills to Albert Lea E-line, Elk River 3rd Branch line, and Tomah Branch Line loop;
• three new valve settings and associated valves and piping along the Lake Mills to Albert Lea E-line, Elk River 3rd Branch line, and Tomah Branch Line loop;
• and other appurtenant facilities; and
• abandonment and removal of 275 feet of its existing 30-inch diameter Elk River 3rd Branch Line.

The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability 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; local libraries; churches; and newspapers 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., CP24-60). 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 October 15, 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 (CP24-60-000) 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. ( print page 77123)

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: September 13, 2024.

Debbie-Anne A. Reese,

Acting Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  Northern's Market Area is north of the inlet to Northern's Clifton Compressor Station in Clay County, Kansas. The Market Area includes pipeline configured in a grid system, with gas flowing from Northern's transmission facilities and third-party interstate pipelines.

2.  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.