Avoca Natural Gas Storage; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the Avoca Gas Storage Field Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Field Visit

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP94-161-003]

Avoca Natural Gas Storage; Notice of Intent To Prepare a

Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the Avoca Gas Storage Field

Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of

Field Visit

October 27, 1995.

On October 11, 1995, Avoca Natural Gas Storage (Avoca) filed a

request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or

Commission) to modify its certificated facilities in Steuben County,

New York. The FERC staff will prepare a supplemental environmental

assessment (EA) on Avoca's proposed modifications, and will consider

all relevant comments received in response to this notice.\1\ This

supplemental EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making

process to determine whether an environmental impact statement is

necessary and whether to approve the proposed project modifications.

\1\ On August 5, 1994, the FERC issued the ``Avoca Gas Storage

Field Project EA'' for public comment. On September 20, 1994, the

FERC issued an Order approving the project in Docket No. CP94-161-

000.

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Summary of Proposed Project Modifications

Avoca proposes to make the following modifications to the Avoca Gas

Storage Field Project:

Modify the planned fresh water supply to include a direct

intake from the Cohocton River of up to 3 million gallons per day

between June 1 and October 31.

Replace the five certificated natural gas-fired compressor

engines with electric motors.

Contruct six gas storage caverns instead of five. Total

certificated gas storage volume would remain the same.

Install a triple header interconnecting pipe rather than

the single header currently authorized.

The location of the facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\

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

printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the

Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888

First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 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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Additional Background Information and Environmental Overview

Freshwater Supply Alternative--Avoca proposes to modify its

freshwater supply source to include a direct surface water intake from

the Cohocton River as an alternative to groundwater withdrawals between

June and October. Surface water withdrawals would cease when discharge

at the stream gage, to be installed at the State Route 415 bridge in

the town of Avoca, drops to 14 cubic feet per second (cfs). Avoca

argues that a direct river withdrawal is environmentally desirable

because it would provide additional protection to fish habitat.

Avoca is currently authorized to withdraw up to 3 million gallons

per day of groundwater from wells located on the Slayton farm, about 1

mile north-northeast of the gas storage area. In accordance with the

FERC certificate, all withdrawals from these wells must cease when the

Cohocton River discharge drops to 18.65 cfs, as recorded at the Avoca

gage. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) and the New York

State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) imposed higher

thresholds for phased reductions of groundwater withdrawal.

Direct withdrawal from the Cohocton River requires construction of

an intake structure in the river and approximately 1,800 feet of

additional water pipeline.

The NYDEC has already approved the direct river withdrawal concept

and a 14 cfs threshold for ceasing surface water withdrawals, but has

not yet approved the design of the intake structure or a protocol

identifying when and how withdrawals would be made and monitored. The

SRBC will not consider the matter before its November 15, 1995 meeting.

Avoca states that the intake qualifies for Nationwide Permit

authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE); although

that still must be verified through a formal request for determination

to be submitted to the COE by Avoca.

Compressor Modifications--Avoca is currently authorized to

construct a 25,000-horsepower (hp) compressor station to facilitate

natural gas injections into the storage caverns. The station was to

consist of five 5,000-hp natural gas-fired gas compressor engines.

Avoca now proposes to use electric motors to drive the compressor

units. Avoca states that the switch to electric motors would eliminate

180 tons per year of criteria pollutant air emissions that would occur

using natural gas-fired engines. The electric transmission line to the

site is the same as previously proposed.

Six Cavern Layout--Construction of the five certificated storage

caverns was to be phased-in over 3 years: 2 caverns in 1997, 2 caverns

in 1998, and 1 cavern in 1999. Each cavern would have a storage

capacity of one billion cubic feet (Bcf).

Avoca states that to meet its storage service obligations, the

cavern construction phasing must be altered. It now proposes to

construct six smaller caverns rather than the authorized five. The

total storage volume would not exceed the authorized 5 Bcf. A 6-cavern

arrangement would require 12 storage wells instead of 10. The

associated structures, two additional 2,500 square foot (ft \2\) well

pads, two additional mud pits, about 2,000 feet of additional pipeline,

and a new 1,000 foot access road, would be constructed. The new cavern

wells would be located about 1,200 feet northeast of cavern well No.

10.

Triple Header Interconnection--Avoca proposes to modify the design

of the gas metering and receipt station to allow for the potential

interconnection with two additional gas pipelines in addition to the

authorized interconnection with Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company

(Tennessee). The new design would consist of three separate metering

skids; one for each of the interconnecting pipelines. All three

metering skids would be located on the site originally designated for

the Tennessee metering station. However, the footprint of the new

interconnection would be 5,000 ft \2\ larger than originally designed.

Avoca argues that installing the three interconnections at the same

time would reduce potential environmental impact associated with

redisturbing the same area in the future.

Directional Drilling--On August 11, 1995, the Director of the

FERC's Office of Pipeline Regulation authorized Avoca to drill an

experimental directional well from a location near its brine disposal

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well (BDW-1, or Mitchell 1). The intent was to determine if the six

authorized brine disposal wells could be constructed using directional

drilling technology from a single location near the gas storage area.

Drilling continues as of this date. If successful, directional drilling

would substantially reduce the environmental impact of the project by

eliminating the need to drill six brine disposal wells at the

previously approved locations and approximately 5 miles of brine

pipeline. The Director of OPR must still give his final approval for

constructing directionally drilled brine disposal wells.

The EA Process

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the

Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could

result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, or as in this case, an

amendment to an existing certificate. 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. By this

Notice of Intent, the Commission requests public comments on the scope

of the issues it will address in the supplemental EA. All comments

received are considered during the preparation of the supplemental EA.

State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify

their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to

comment on their areas of concern.

The supplemental EA will discuss only those impacts associated with

the proposed modifications to the project, and how these impacts differ

from those associated with the currently authorized project.

At this time it appears that the most substantive environmental

issue is the protection of the Cohocton River fishery resource.

Specific issues we will address include:

Whether the direct surface water withdrawal would be

environmentally less disruptive than groundwater use;

reduced air and noise emissions from conversion to

electric motor-driven compressors; and

other changes and impacts due to construction of:

> 1,800 feet of additional pipeline and a river intake structure;

> 6 caverns instead of 5 caverns; and

> a larger (tripleheader) meter station.

We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed

project modifications, 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 supplemental

EA. Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the

supplemental 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 this proceeding. A comment period will be

allotted for review if the supplemental EA is published. We will

consider all comments on the supplemental EA before we recommend that

the Commission approve or not approve the project modifications.

Site Visit

The FERC staff will conduct a site visit on November 8, 1995, to

inspect the locations of the newly proposed facilities. Anyone who

desires to accompany the FERC staff on this site visit is welcome to

participate. Any interested parties must provide their own

transportation. Call Lonnie Lister, Project Manager, at (202) 208-2191

for details on when and where to meet.

Public Participation

You can make a difference by sending a letter addressing your

specific comments or concerns about the project. You should focus on

the potential environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to

the proposal 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, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426;

Reference Docket No. CP94-161-003;

Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Lonnie Lister, EA

Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North

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

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, D.C. on or before November 27, 1995.

If you wish to receive a copy of the supplemental EA, you should

request one from Mr. Lister at the above address.

Becoming an Intervenor

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

to become an official party to the proceeding or become 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). You do

not need intervenor status to have your scoping comments considered.

Additional information about the proposed project is available from

Mr. Lonnie Lister, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-2191.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95-27175 Filed 11-1-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M