Northern Natural Gas Co.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Peoples/L.S. Power-Cottage Grove Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP94-763-000]

Northern Natural Gas Co.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Peoples/L.S. Power-Cottage

Grove Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 18, 1994.

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the

Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will

discuss environmental impacts of the construction and operation of

facilities proposed in the Peoples/L.S. Power-Cottage Grove

Project.1 This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-

making process to determine whether an environmental impact statement

is necessary and whether or not to approve the project.

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\1\Northern Natural Gas Company's application was filed with the

Commission pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157

of the Commission's regulations.

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Summary of the Proposed Project

Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern Natural) wants Commission

authorization to:

(1) Construct and operate about 1.42 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline

to loop its existing 24-inch-diameter pipeline (MNM 86501) in

Washington County, Minnesota;

(2) Construct a new L.S. Power-Cottage Grove Town Border Station (TBS)

in Washington County, Minnesota; and

(3) Install and operate an electric-motor driven 1,250-horsepower (hp)

compressor at the existing Farmington Compressor Station in Dakota

County, Minnesota.

The proposed facilities will be used to provide about 29,120

million cubic feet per day of natural gas to Peoples Natural Gas

Company and L.S. Power-Cottage Grove Limited Partnership's planned L.S.

Power-Cottage Grove Cogeneration Plant in Washington County, Minnesota.

The general location of these facilities is shown in appendix

1.2

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\2\The appendices referenced in this notice are not being

printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the

Commission's Public Reference Room, Room 3104, 941 North Capitol

Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426 or call (202) 208-1371. Copies

of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in

the mail.

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Land Requirements for Construction

Northern Natural proposes to use a 75-foot-wide construction right-

of-way (ROW) for the loop. Through residential areas, Northern Natural

would use a 50-foot-wide construction ROW to minimize disturbance to

residences.

Ten temporary work areas outside the construction right-of-way

would be required at road and railway crossings, a retention pond, and

at the beginning and end of the pipeline loop. Each of these extra work

areas would occupy an additional 0.03- to 0.34-acre of land. Northern

would also use a 0.62-acre pipe storage area near the beginning of the

loop.

The proposed L.S. Power-Cottage Grove TBS would require about 0.26

acre of land. The compressor addition at the existing Farmington

Compressor Station would not require additional land.

The EA Process

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the

Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could

result from a major Federal action whenever it considers the issuance

of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. Our EA will give

the Commission the information it needs to do that. If the EA concludes

that the projects would result in significant environmental impacts, we

will prepare an environmental impact statement. Otherwise we will

prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact.

NEPA also requires us to discover and address concerns the public

may have about proposals. We call this ``scoping''. The main goal of

the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important

environmental issues, and to separate these from issues that are

insignificant and do not require detailed study.

The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the

construction and operation of the proposed projects under these general

subject headings:

geology and soils

air quality and noise

endangered and threatened species

vegetation and wildlife

land use

water resources, fisheries and wetlands

cultural resources

pipeline safety

We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the projects, or

portions of the projects, and make recommendations on how to lessen or

avoid impacts on the various resource areas.

Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending

on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be

published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public

interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,

newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for

these proceedings. A comment period will be allotted for review if the

EA is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we

recommend that the Commission approve or not approve the project.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

We have already identified several issues that we think deserve

attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and

the environmental information provided by Northern Natural. Keep in

mind that this is a preliminary list; the list of issues will be added

to, subtracted from, or changed based on your comments and our own

analysis. Issues are:

Construction of the pipeline would take place on or

adjacent to about 70 residential properties.

The pipeline would possibly cross potential habitat for

the loggerhead shrike, a state-listed threatened species.

The pipeline may cross or be near historic structures and

archeological sites.

The addition of a compressor could affect noise levels in

the vicinity of the compressor station.

Public Participation

You can make a difference by sending a letter with your specific

comments or concerns about the project. We are particularly interested

in alternatives to the proposals (including alternative routes), and

measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific

your comments, the more useful they will be. Please follow the

instructions below to ensure that your comments are received and

properly recorded:

Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol St., N.E., Washington,

D.C. 20426;

Reference Docket No. CP94-763-000;

Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Hugh Thomas, Project

Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol St.,

N.E., Room 7312, Washington, D.C. 20426; and;

Mail your comments so they will be received in Washington

D.C. on or before November 21, 1994.

Becoming an Intervenor

In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want

to become an official party to the proceedings or an ``intervenor''.

Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of

case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors.

Likewise, each intervenor must provide copies of its filings to all

other parties. If you want to become an intervenor you must file a

Motion to Intervene according to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of

Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214) which is attached as appendix

2.

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 scoping comments considered.

Additional information about the proposed project is available from

Mr. Hugh Thomas, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0980.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 94-26237 Filed 10-21-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P