2017-20197. Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Pomelo Connector Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed South Texas Expansion Project and Pomelo Connector Pipeline Project

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed South Texas Expansion Project (STEP), proposed by Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) and the Pomelo Connector Pipeline Project (Pomelo Project), proposed by Pomelo Connector, LLC (Pomelo) in the above referenced dockets. Collectively, the STEP and Pomelo Project, are referred to as the Projects. The Pomelo Project would provide up to 400,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of firm transportation service from an interconnection with Texas Eastern at the proposed Pomelo Petronila Compressor Station in Nueces County, Texas, to the Nueces Header pipeline system. STEP would provide approximately 400,000 Dth/d of firm natural gas transportation service to an interconnection with the Nueces Header.

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

The proposed Pomelo Project would consists of construction and operation of approximately 14 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline, a new 5,000 horsepower (hp) compressor station, approximately 0.2 mile of new 30-inch-diameter pipeline, and associated aboveground facilities in Nueces County, Texas. Pomelo would engage in certain construction, operation, maintenance, and abandonment activities under blanket construction certificate authorization, and abandon all of the capacity of the Pomelo Connector Pipeline by lease to Texas Eastern. The proposed STEP consists of construction and operation of a new 8,400 hp gas turbine unit in Nueces County, Texas; piping modifications at its existing Angleton Station property in Brazoria County, Texas; a new 8,400 hp gas turbine unit at its existing Blessing Compressor Station in Matagorda County, Texas; clean burn emission work and piping modifications at its existing Mont Belvieu Compressor Station in Chambers County, Texas; and piping modifications at its existing Vidor Compressor Station in Orange County, Texas.

The FERC staff mailed copies 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 Projects areas. In addition, the EA is available for public viewing on the FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies of the EA are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, [phone].

Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments should focus on the 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 October 18, 2017.

For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the project docket number (CP17-26-000 and CP15-499) with your submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist you at [phone] or [e-mail].

(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. 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 Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. 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 following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.

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 Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).^[1] Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. The Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.

Additional information about the project is available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on General Search, and enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP17-26 and CP15-499). 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 formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

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 www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp.

Dated: September 18, 2017.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  See the previous discussion on the methods for filing comments.