# Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed East Tennessee Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A97-17691 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** July 8, 1997 - **Citation:** 62 FR 36507 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP97-526-000] Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed East Tennessee Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues July 1, 1997. 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 by the Southern Natural Gas Company (Southern) for its East Tennessee Expansion Project.\1\ This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ Southern's application was filed with the Commission on May 15, 1997 under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's regulations. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summary of the Proposed Project Southern proposes to expand the capacity of certain of its facilities in [[Page 36508]] Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama to meet requests from 15 shippers for firm transportation service totaling about 65,000 thousand cubic feet per day of natural gas. Southern seeks authority to construct and operate the following facilities: East Tennessee Lateral--2.9 miles of 8-inch-diameter pipeline, in Catoosa County, Georgia and Hamilton County, Tennessee. Ocmulgee-Atlanta Loop \2\--8.0 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline, in Spalding and Henry Counties, Georgia. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ A loop is a segment of pipeline installed adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to the existing line on both ends. The loop allows more gas to be moved through the pipeline system. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd North Main Loop--2.8 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline, in Pickens County, Alabama. South Main 3rd Loop--4.6 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline, in Perry County, Alabama. Macon Branch Loop Line--replace 10.0 miles of existing 12- inch-diameter pipeline with 16-inch-diameter pipeline, in Fulton and Clayton Counties, Georgia. Cartersville Gate Regulator Station--new regulator station at milepost (MP) 41.6 on Southerns Chattanooga Line in Floyd County, Georgia. East Tennessee Meter Station--new meter station at the terminus of Southerns proposed East Tennessee Lateral, in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Cleveland Branch Meter Station--expand an existing mater station at MP 21.1 on Southerns Cleveland Branch Line, in Bradley County, Tennessee. Rome Compressor Station--new 4,700 horsepower (hp) compressor station at MP 51.2 on Southerns Chattanooga Line in Floyd County, Georgia. York Compressor Station--uprate two existing compressor units from 6,500 hp each to 9,160 hp, in Sumter County, Alabama. Auburn Compressor Station--uprate two existing compressor units from 6,500 hp each to 9,160 hp, in Lee County, Alabama. Bell Mills Compressor Station--add a new 1,600 hp compressor unit to an existing compressor station, in Cleburne County, Alabama. Chattanooga Line--increase the maximum allowable operating pressure from the existing 1,114 pounds per square inch gage (psig) to 1,200 psig in two segments, from about MP 0.8 to MP 41.6 and MP 51.2 to MP 114.9. The general location of the proposed project facilities are shown in appendix 1.\3\ Southern indicated the project would cost $52,179,005, and seeks an in-service date of November 1998. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \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, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb a total of about 353 acres. Of this, about 181 acres is currently existing permanent right-of-way, and about 27 acres would be added as new permanent right-of-way. The other 145 acres of temporary construction right-of-way would be restored and allowed to 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 Air quality and noise Endangered and threatened species Cultural resources Land use 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 make recommendations to the Commission. 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 environmental information provided by Southern. These issues include: Karst features, sinkholes, caves, and limestone deposits in the vicinity of the East Tennessee Lateral and South Main 3rd Loop. Potential for landslides or ground failure in the vicinity of the East Tennessee Lateral and Rome Compressor Station. Potential for paleontological resources in the vicinity of the South Main 3rd Loop. Prime farmland in the vicinity of the East Tennessee Lateral, Ocmulgee-Atlanta Loop, 2nd North Main Loop, South Main 3rd Loop, Rome Compressor Station, and East Tennessee Meter Station. Crossing 32 perennial waterbodies, all classified as warmwater fisheries, of which two streams (Cahaba River and a tributary to the Cahaba) are over 100 feet wide. Crossing 36 wetlands totaling 9.5 acres. Crossing three streams with the potential for sensitive mussel species. Eleven archaeological sites identified along proposed project components. Eighteen residences within 50 feet of the construction right-of-way. This preliminary list of issues may be 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 (including alternative locations and 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 [[Page 36509]] comments are received and properly recorded: Send two copies of your comments to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E., Room 1A, Washington, D.C. 20426; Reference Docket No. CP97-526-000; and Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, D.C. on or before August 4, 1997. Becoming an Intervenor In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want to become an official party to the proceeding, known as 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 on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. 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, having ended June 23, 1997. 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. Lois D. Cashell, Secretary. [FR Doc. 97-17691 Filed 7-7-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A97-17691. Public record. Not legal advice.