Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP96-720-000]

Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America; Notice of Intent To

Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Request for

Comments on Environmental Issues

October 1, 1996.

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 abandonment and construction

of the facilities proposed in the Louisiana Line 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.

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\1\ Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America'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

Natural GAs Pipeline Company of America (NGPL) proposes to abandon

the 3,800 horsepower (hp) compressor unit at Station No. 139 on its

Permian Basin Line in Lea County, New Mexico and relocate it to Station

No. 346 on its Louisiana Line in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The

compressor unit has not been used since 1993 and is no longer needed at

Station No. 139. The compressor unit would be upgraded to a 4,500 hp

rating and equipped with low emissions control technology. The

additional horsepower would increase the capacity of the Louisiana Line

by 63 MMcfd. NGPL No. 139. The general location of the project

facilities 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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NGPL also proposes to perform certain activities that it believes

to be non-jurisdictional. These activities include the re-wheeling of

three existing compressors at Station No. 346, Cameron Parish,

Louisiana, to allow them to operate under the proposed operating

conditions, and certain modifications to station piping at Station No.

342, Cameron Parish, Louisiana, in order to reduce pressure losses

through the station when gas is being compressed for movement to the

east.

Land Requirements for Construction

Only minor construction activities would be necessary to remove the

compressor unit at Station No. 139 and install it at Station No. 346.

All disturbance would occur within the existing compressor station

sites. Station No. 346 is located on a 15 acre site. Approximately 2

acres of this site would be disturbed during the construction and

installation of the compressor unit and associated structures. No

additional roads would be required and the existing storage yards and

parking facilities would be able to support contractor vehicles and

storage areas as needed.

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 whether 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

[[Page 52445]]

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.

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 one issue that we think deserves

attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and

the environmental information provided by NGPL. Keep in mind that his

is a preliminary list:

Noise impact on the nearest residence located 1,320 feet

to the north of Station No. 346.

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 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 St., N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426;

Reference Docket No. CP96-720-000;

Send a copy of your letter to: Ms. Mary Hertling, EA

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

N.E., PR-11.1, Washington, D.C. 20426; and

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, D.C. on or before November 7, 1996.

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

from Ms. Hertling 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 limitations 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

Ms. Mary Hertling, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0874.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-25573 Filed 10-4-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M