NE Hub Partners, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed NE Hub Tioga Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP96-53-000]

NE Hub Partners, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Assessment for the Proposed NE Hub Tioga Storage Project

and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

April 29, 1996.

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 NE Hub Tioga Storage Project.\1\ This EA

will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to

determine whether an environmental impact statement is required and

whether or not to approve the project.

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\1\ NE Hub Partners, L.P.'s application was filed with the

Commission under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.

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Summary of the Proposed Project

On November 7, 1995, NE Hub Partners, L.P. (NE Hub) filed an

application requesting, among other things, authority to construct and

operate a high deliverability natural gas salt cavern storage facility.

In conjunction with the storage facilities, NE Hub said that it, along

with other partners, intended to develop a nonjurisdictional commercial

salt business and possibly other nonjurisdictional business ventures at

the site (i.e. compressed air storage for electric generation and

petroleum storage). The project involves the construction of two gas

storage caverns with a capacity of up to 3 billion standard cubic feet

per cavern. Leaching of the storage caverns in the existing underground

salt formation would require the withdrawal of 2,400 gallons of fresh

water per minute from the Cowanesque Reservoir over about 28 months.

After the water is pumped from a developing cavern, a portion of the

brine water would be injected into an underground formation through

brine disposal wells and the remainder would be shipped out by railroad

cars to an evaporation plant. When completed, NE Hub indicated that the

storage caverns would be connected to pipelines owned by CNG

Transmission Corporation (CNG), Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company

(Tennessee), and North Penn Gas Pipeline Company (North Penn).

In its application and subsequent responses to staff data requests,

NE Hub has said that it intended to begin construction of certain

bringing facilities, including cavern leaching wells, brine disposal

wells, and piping, in June 1996, prior to Commission action on its

certificate application. NE Hub asserts that Commission jurisdiction

should not attach until the cavern leaching process commences. Any

facilities needed to start that process (ie., freshwater intake and

pump station; freshwater pipeline; a brining facility consisting of

pumps, storage tanks, injection pumps, booster pumps, separators,

centrifuges and support facilities; brine pipeline; cavern leaching

wells; brine disposal wells; and possibly a rail loading facility) will

be built prior to Commission certification.

We intend to review the environmental impacts of the following of

NE Hub's activities which involve construction and operation:

Two cavern leaching/storage wells used to leach two caverns

(first cavern available for the 1997-1998 winter heating season and

the second cavern available for the 1999-2000 winter heating

season);

Four segments of 26-inch-diameter transmission pipeline

totalling 12.2 miles;

7.1 miles of 4-inch-diameter fuel gas lines;

Approximately 2.5 miles of 24-inch-diameter gas storage

pipeline;

Three meter stations;

Six compressors (18,750 horsepower total) for two storage

caverns;

Three gas heaters;

A methanol injection system;

Two gas withdrawal separators;

One dehydrator;

Other related gas facilities;

A freshwater intake pumping station at Cowanesque

Reservoir;

2.2 miles of 12-inch-diameter freshwater pipeline to

transport water to the brining operation;

Three brine disposal wells;

Freshwater injection pumps;

Freshwater and brine holding tanks;

A leaching plant;

Brine pumps;

19.2 miles of 12-inch-diameter water injection/brine

disposal pipeline;

Five storage tanks for process fluids;

A rail car loading system to ship either the brine or

crystallized salt; and potentially,

An unspecified diameter/length pipeline and an evaporate

plant to dispose of the brine and other facilities to the extent

needed for brine disposal.

NE Hud's interconnections with CNG, Tennessee, and North Penn would

require the construction of a hot tap, meter, pressure regulator,

valves, and other related facilities at each delivery site.

The general location of the project facilities and specific

locations for the know facilities on new sites are 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 and Files Maintenance Branch, 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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[[Page 19925]]

Land Requirements for Construction

The project would require about 900 acres of land. The proposed gas

pipelines would be partly built adjacent to existing pipeline or

electric transmission line rights-of-way (ROW). The construction ROW

would typically be 100 feet wide consisting of a 50-foot-wide permanent

ROW and a 50-foot-wide temporary ROW. The construction ROW would serve

as a multiple use ROW comprising gas pipelines, brine pipelines,

freshwater pipelines, and fuel gas pipelines were applicable. Following

construction, the disturbed area would be restored and the 50 feet of

temporary ROW would be allowed to revert to its former land use.

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 taken into account during the preparation of the EA.

We intend to use but not duplicate work of other agencies to the

greatest extent possible. The water intake at the Cowanesque Reservoir

is under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore,

Maryland District Office. The leaching process and subsurface brine

disposal are under joint jurisdiction of the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental

Protection (PADEP). Land disposal permitting is also required by the

PADEP. 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

vegatation and wildlife

endangered and threatened species

Noise impacts

land use

cultural resources

hazardous waste

public 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 based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and

the environmental information provided by NE Hub.

46 streams would be crossed and some of them are

coldwater fisheries that support trout.

58 wetlands would be crossed totalling about 30.8

acres.

Federal and state-listed threatened or endangered

species may be affected.

The project may impact cultural resources.

Potential land disposal of 2,200 cubic yards of solid

material (brine filter cake) may occur from the brine leaching

process used to develop two caverns. The brine filter cake may be

mixed into the top 2 feet of soil and spread over 9.4 acres.

Noise impacts would occur to nearby residences from the

operation of the compressor station, water and brine pumping

equipment, well drilling, and the rail car loading station.

A pipeline and evaporation plant may be constructed

that would be associated with the potential salt business at an

undetermined location near the project area.

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

based on your comments and our analysis.

Public Participation

You can make a difference by sending a letter with 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), 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 property recorded:

Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426;

Reference Docket No. CP96-53-000;

Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. John Wisniewski, EA

Project Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; 888 First St.,

N.E., PR-11.2, Washington, D.C. 20426; and

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, D.C. on or before May 28, 1996.

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

Mr. Wisniewski 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) (see

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. John Wisniewski, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-1073.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-11065 Filed 5-2-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M