Avoca Natural Gas Storage; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Avoca Gas Storage Field Project

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