Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed North Alabama Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP96-153-000]

Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed North Alabama Pipeline

Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of

Public Scoping Meeting

February 26, 1996.

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or

Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that

will discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and

operation of the facilities proposed in the North Alabama Pipeline

Project.\1\ This EIS will be used by the Commission in its decision-

making process to determine whether to approve the project.

\1\ Southern Natural Gas Company's application was filed with

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

of the Commission's regulations.

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We are asking a number of Federal agencies to indicate whether they

wish

[[Page 8051]]

to cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS. These agencies are

listed in appendix 1 and may choose to participate once they have

evaluated each proposal relative to their agencies'

responsibilities.\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, 888

First Street, NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC 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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Summary of the Proposed Project

Southern Natural Gas Company (Southern) wants to expand the

capacity of its facilities in Alabama to transport an additional 76,350

thousand cubic feet per day of natural gas to five local distribution

companies. Southern seeks authority to construct and operate:

About 105 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline in

Tuscaloosa, Fayette, Walker, Cullman, Morgan, and Madison Counties,

Alabama. The proposed pipeline would begin at a tie-in at Southern's

existing McConnells Compressor Station in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama,

and proceeds northeast to its termination in Madison County, Alabama;

Two new meter stations: Huntsville Meter Station and North

Alabama Gas District Meter Station, both located in Madison County,

Alabama;

About 8.5 miles of 12-inch-diameter lateral and the

Decatur Meter Station in Morgan County, Alabama;

One additional 1,600-horsepower (hp) compressor at

Southern's existing McConnells Compressor Station in Tuscaloosa County,

Alabama; and

One additional 4,700-hp compressor at Southern's recently

authorized Providence Compressor Station (approved by the Commission in

May 1995 in Docket No. CP95-505-000) in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

The general location of the project facilities are shown in

appendix 2.\3\

\3\ 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 935

acres of land. Following construction, about 329 acres would be

maintained as new right-of-way. The remaining 606 acres of land would

be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.

Southern proposes to use a 70-foot-wide right-of-way in

nonagricultural areas; and a 90-foot-wide right-of-way in agricultural

areas. Southern proposes to maintain a 50-foot-wide permanent easement.

The EIS 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 EIS 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 EIS. All comments received

are considered during the preparation of the EIS. 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 EIS 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.

--Hazardous waste.

--Effect of blasting.

--Topsoil/subsoil mixing.

--Soil compaction.

--Erosion control.

--Right-of-way restoration.

Water Resources

--Groundwater withdrawal and discharge to surrounding surface waters.

--Directional drilling of the Tennessee River.

--128 perennial waterbody crossings, including Sipsey Fork, Lost River,

and the North River.

--Effect on water quality and riparian resources.

Biological Resources

--Effect of pipeline construction and operation on wildlife and

fisheries habitat.

--Effect on federally threatened, endangered, or sensitive animal and

plant species and their habitats.

--Effect on forested wetlands and other wetland habitats.

Cultural Resources

--Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.

--Native American and tribal concerns.

Land Use

--Impact on Wheeler Wildlife Refuge and other areas of critical

environmental concern.

--Consistency with local land use plans and zoning.

--Impact on residences and recreation areas.

Air Quality and Noise

--Air quality and noise impacts associated with construction.

--Effect on local and regional air quality and local noise environment

as a result of operation of additional compression at the McConnells

and Providence Compressor Stations.

Reliability and Safety

--Assessment of hazards associated with natural gas pipelines.

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 result in the

publication of a Draft EIS which will be mailed to Federal, state, and

local agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals,

affected landowners, newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's

official service list for these proceedings. A 45-day comment period

will be allocated for the review of the Draft EIS. We will consider all

comments on the Draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before

issuing a Final EIS. The Final EIS will include our response to each

comment received.

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 Southern. Keep in mind that

this is a preliminary list:

Twenty-three federally listed endangered or threatened

species may occur in the proposed project area.

About 33 acres of forested wetlands would be affected.

About 128 perennial streams, several over 50 feet-wide,

would be crossed by the proposed project.

About 391 acres of upland forest would be affected.

The proposed pipeline crosses the Wheeler National

Wildlife Refuge (Tennessee River) from mileposts (MP) 107.81 to 108.72.

Nineteen residences are located within 50 feet of the

proposed construction right-of-way.

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

based on your comments and our analysis.

[[Page 8052]]

Two nonjurisdictional small-diameter pipeline laterals are

associated with this proposal. These laterals would service the

municipal of Decatur and Huntsville, Alabama. We have determined that

those facilities will be included in the environmental document.

Public Participation/Scoping Meeting

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, D.C.

20426;

Reference Docket No. CP96-153-000;

Send a copy of your letter to: Ms. Alisa Lykens, EIS

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 April 5, 1996.

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

public scoping meeting that will be held on Monday, April 1, 1996 at

7:00 p.m., at the Sheraton Airport Inn, 1000 Glenn Hearn Blvd.,

Huntsville, Alabama 35824, (205) 772-9661.

The purpose of the scoping meeting is to obtain input from state

and local governments and from the public. Federal agencies have formal

channels for input into the Federal process (including separate

meetings where appropriate) on an interagency basis. Federal agencies

are expected to transmit their comments directly to the FERC and not

use the scoping meetings for this purpose.

Southern will be invited to present a description of its proposal

at the scoping meeting. Interested groups and individuals are

encouraged to attend the meeting and present oral comments on the

environmental issues which they believe should be addressed in the

Draft EIS. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will

be. Anyone who would like to make an oral presentation at the meeting

should contact the EIS Project Manager identified at the end of this

notice to have his or her name placed on the list of speakers. Priority

will be given to those persons representing groups. A list will be

available at the public meeting to allow for non-preregistered speakers

to sign up. A transcript will be made of the meeting and comments will

be used to help determine the scope of the Draft EIS.

Becoming an Intervenor

In addition to involvement in the EIS 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 3).

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 Sec. 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 individuals, organizations, and

government entities interested and/or potentially affected by the

proposed project. It is also being sent to all potential right-of-way

grantors to solicit focused comments regarding environmental

considerations related to the proposed project.\4\ As details of the

project become established, representatives of Southern will directly

contact landowners, communities, and public agencies concerning any

other matters, including acquisition of permits and rights-of-way.

\4\ Southern has supplied a preliminary landowner list. This

list is based on the ownership of the land containing the existing

right-of-way. A supplemental mailing will be made, if necessary,

after the route has been surveyed.

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

keep informed and receive copies of the Draft and Final EISs, please

return the Information Request (appendix 4). 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

Ms. Alisa Lykens, EIS Project Manager, at (202) 208-0766.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-4766 Filed 2-29-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M