Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Granite State LNG Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP95-52-000]

Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare

an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Granite State LNG Project

and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

March 16, 1995.

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or

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

discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and operation of

facilities proposed in the Granite State LNG Project. This EA will be

used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine

whether an environmental impact statement (EIS) is necessary and

whether to approve the project.\1\

\1\Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc.'s application was filed

under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the

Commission's regulations. [[Page 15136]]

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Summary of the Proposed Project

Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc. (Granite State) is seeking

approval to construct and operate an LNG facility at the western

boundary of the town of Wells, Maine and adjacent to the eastern border

of the town of North Berwick, Maine. The purpose of the project is to

maintain service to Northern Utilities, Inc. for its distribution

operations in Maine and New Hampshire upon the abandonment of the

operation of a leased natural gas pipeline extending from Canada to

Portland, Maine.

The LNG facilities would include:

A storage tank with a gas-equivalent capacity of 2 Bcf;

A truck unloading system with two unloading stations;

Two 67 MMcfd LNG vaporizers;

A vapor handling system; and

Fire protection systems.

The storage tank would be 154 feet in height and 211 feet in

diameter. The tank would be surrounded by a concrete impoundment 99

feet high and 18 inches thick. The proposed project facilities would be

designed, constructed, and maintained to comply with the Department of

Transportation Federal Safety Standards for Liquefied Natural Gas

Facilities (49 CFR Part 193). The facilities constructed at the site

would also meet the National Fire Protection Association 59A LNG

standards.

The source of LNG for the proposed facility would be Distrigas of

Massachusetts Corporation of Everett, Massachusetts. LNG would be

transported to the site by LNG tanker trucks and would access the site

by a proposed 1.4-mile access road from Route 9. It would take

approximately 32 truckloads of LNG per day over a 3-month period to

initially fill the tank. Thereafter, trucking would predominantly occur

during the summer and fall of each year. Vaporized LNG would be

transported from the site via a 12-inch lateral connecting to Granite

State's existing and adjacent 8-inch pipeline.

The location of the project 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, 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

The proposed facilities would affect 38.3 acres of a 300-acre site

in Wells, Maine. Granite State would clear 30 acres of land for the

plant facilities, all of which would be permanently committed to the

project. Construction of the proposed access road would require

clearing 8.3 acres, of which 1.7 acres would be allowed to revert back

of its original condition.

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 and whether an EIS is

necessary. 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

--Seismology and soil liquefaction.

--Erosion control.

--Right-of-way restoration.

Water Resources

--Site specific impacts on surface and groundwater.

--Effect on potable water supplies.

--Effect on wetland hydrology.

Biological Resources

--Effect of plant construction and operation on threatened, endangered,

or sensitive plant and animal species and their habitats.

Cultural Resources

--Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.

--Native American and tribal concerns.

Socioeconomics

--Impact of a peak work force of 50 employees on the surrounding area.

--Long-term effects of increased employment and taxes on the local

economy.

Land Use

--Impact on state areas of critical environmental concern.

--Effect of aboveground facilities on visual aesthetics in the region.

--Consistency with local land use plans.

--Impact on residences.

Air Quality and Noise

--Impact on regional air quality and noise-sensitive areas associated

with the operation of the proposed LNG facilities.

--Air quality and noise impacts associated with construction.

Public Safety

--Compliance with 49 CFR 193 for exclusion zones (thermal and vapor gas

dispersion), siting criteria, seismic criteria, and cryogenic criteria.

--Consequences of a major spill.

We will also evaluate possible site and technology 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.

Public Participation and Scoping Meetings

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 sites), 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., NE, Washington,

D.C. 20426;

Reference Docket No. CP95-52-000;

Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Chris Zerby, EA Project

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

NE, Room 7312, Washington, D.C. 20426; and

Mail your comments so that they are received in

Washington, D.C. on or before April 24, 1995.

Beyond asking for written comments, we invite you to attend our

public scoping meeting on May 15, 1995. We [[Page 15137]] will give the

location and time for this meeting in a future notice. Requests to hold

additional public scoping meetings will be considered.

Becoming an Intervenor

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

to become an official party to the proceeding 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) (see appendix 2).

Filing of timely motions to intervene in this proceeding should be

made on or before March 27, 1995. Once this date has passed, parties

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.

Environmental Mailing List

This notice is being sent to all potential interested parties to

solicit focused comments regarding environmental considerations related

to the proposed project. As details of the project become established,

representatives of Granite State will directly contact communities and

public agencies concerning any other matters, including acquisition of

permits and rights-of-way.

If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to

keep informed and receive copies of the EA, please return the

Information Request (see appendix 3). If you do not return the

Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

Additional information about the proposed project is available from

Mr. Chris Zerby, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0111.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95-6980 Filed 3-21-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M