Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Sunbelt Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP96-16-000]

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation; Notice of Intent To

Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Sunbelt Expansion

Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

December 13, 1995.

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

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

discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and operation of

the facilities proposed in the SunBelt Expansion 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 to approve the project.

\1\ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation's application was

filed with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and

Part 157 of the Commission's regulations.

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Summary of the Proposed Project

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) wants to

expand the capacity of its facilities in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,

and South Carolina to transport an additional 145,666 thousand cubic

feet per day of natural gas to nine local distribution companies and

one electric cogeneration plant. Transco seeks authority to construct

and operate:

14.9 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop (Loop D) from

milepost (MP) 1222.66 to MP 1237. 58 in Cherokee County, South

Carolina;

15,000 horsepower (hp) of compression (gas turbine) at a

new station, to be known as Compressor Station 105 in Coosa County,

Alabama;

15,000 hp of compression (gas turbine) at a new station to

be known as Compressor Station 125 in Walton County, Georgia; and

15,000 hp of compression (gas turbine) at the existing

Compressor Station 80 in Jones and Jasper Counties, Mississippi.

Transco also seeks to uprate:

A compressor (gas turbine) from 14,100 hp to 15,000 hp at

Compressor Station 100 in Chilton County, Alabama; and

One compressor (gas turbine) from 12,600 hp to 15,000 hp

at each of three stations: Compressor Station 110 in Randolph County,

Alabama; Compressor Station 130 in Madison County, Georgia; and

Compressor Station 140 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

The general location of the project facilities and specific

locations for Loop D and the new compressor stations are 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 Room, 888 First 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

Loop D would be constructed adjacent to Transco's existing right-

of-way. Transco has proposed an 85-foot-wide construction right-of-way,

which includes 35 feet of its existing right-of-way. Consequently,

about 50 feet of new clearing would be required in most areas.

Following construction, about 25 feet of the newly cleared right-of-way

would be allowed to revert to former uses and 25 feet would be retained

as new permanent right-of-way.

Additional work space would be required adjacent to the

construction right-of-way at crossings of roads, railroads, streams,

wetlands, and other utility lines. In addition, Transco proposes to use

two off-right-of-way parcels of land for staging and pipe fabrication

and storage. Construction of Loop D would require about 171.9 acres,

including 63.3 acres of existing maintained right-of-way. Following

construction, about 45.2 acres would be maintained as new permanent

right-of-way. The remaining 126.7 acres would be allowed to revert to

former land uses.

Transco currently owns the properties that would be developed for

the two new compressor stations. Construction would require a total of

about 28.0 acres of land, of which about 16.0 acres would be fenced for

operation of the new compressor stations. All additions and

modifications at the other compressor stations would occur inside the

fencelines on existing compressor station property.

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. 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 EA. All comments received

are considered during the preparation of the 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 EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the

construction and operation of the proposed project under these general

headings:

Geology and soils.

Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.

Vegetation and wildlife.

Endangered and threatened species.

Land use.

Cultural resources.

Air quality and noise.

Safety.

We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project

or portions of the project, 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

this proceeding. 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

[[Page 65319]]

based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the

environmental information provided by Transco. Keep in mind that this

is a preliminary list:

Blasting is expected to be required at the crossings of

the Broad River and Peoples Creek and possibly at occasional locations

along the proposed pipeline route.

The proposed pipeline would cross a number of waterbodies,

including the 546-foot-wide Broad River. In addition, several wetlands

would be crossed.

Four federally listed endangered or threatened species

potentially occur in the counties in which the proposed facilities

would be constructed.

The proposed Loop D crosses the Cooperville Ironworks, a

National Register of Historic Places District (District) and one of the

sites that makes up the District.

Twelve residences are within 50 feet of the proposed

construction right-of-way.

New compression at new and existing compressor stations

would result in impacts on air and noise quality.

The list of issues may be added to, subtracted from, or changed

based on your comments and our analysis.

Also, we have made a preliminary decision to not address the

impacts of the nonjurisdictional electric cogeneration plant. We will

briefly describe its location and status in the EA. This facility is in

Cherokee County, South Carolina, and it has received most of the

relevant permits. Its construction should begin in January 1996.

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 (including alternative routes or locations), 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 and send your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary,

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426;

Reference Docket No. CP96-16-000;

Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Mark Jensen, EA Project

Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E.,

11.2, Washington, D.C. 20426; and

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, D.C. on or before January 15, 1996.

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

from Mr. Jensen at the above address.

Becoming an Intervener

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) (see

appendix 2).

The date for filing of 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. Mark Jensen, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0828.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95-30719 Filed 12-18-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M