Williams Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Southwest Missouri Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP96-776-000]

Williams Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Southwest Missouri Expansion

Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 15, 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 construction and operation of

the facilities proposed in the Southwest Missouri 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\ Williams Natural Gas Company'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

Williams Natural Gas Company (WNG) wants to expand the capacity of

its facilities in Kansas and Missouri to transport an additional 20,316

dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of natural gas to five customers. WNG seeks

authority to construct and operate:

A 3.2-mile-long extension of the Springfield Loop Line HS

in Christian County, Missouri (looping its 16-inch-diameter Line HQ);

and

A 9.5-mile-long extension of the Southern Trunk Loop Line

FR in Montgomery and Labette Counties, Kansas (looping its 20-inch-

diameter Line F).

The general location of the project facilities is 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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Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 154

acres of land. Following construction, land would be restored and about

38 acres would be maintained as new permanent right-of-way along with

about 63 acres of existing permanent right-of-way that was used during

construction. The remaining 53 acres of land would revert to its former

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 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.

Public safety.

Land use.

Cultural resources.

Air quality and noise.

Hazardous waste.

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

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based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the

environmental information provided by WNG. This preliminary list of

issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.

Two perennial and 13 intermittent streams would be

crossed.

At least one perennial stream, the Verdigris River, would

be crossed by directional drilling.

Two wetlands would be crossed by the project.

Three domestic water wells would be located within 200

feet of the construction right-of-way.

One residence would be located within 50 feet of the

construction right-of-way.

Additional temporary workspace may be needed at stream,

road, and utility crossings and for equipment/materials storage.

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), 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, DC

20426.

Reference Docket No. CP96-776-000;

Send a copy of your letter to: Ms. Jennifer Goggin, EA

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

N.E., PR-11.2, Washington, DC 20426; and

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, DC on or before November 14, 1996.

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

from Ms. Goggin 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

Ms. Jennifer Goggin, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-2226.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-26865 Filed 10-18-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M