NorAm Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 1998 Line F Replacement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP97-724-000]

NorAm Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an

Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 1998 Line F Replacement

Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

October 14, 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

facilities proposed in the 1998 Line F Replacement 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.

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\1\ NorAm Gas Transmission 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

NorAm Gas Transmission Company (NGT) wants to replace an existing

mainline pipeline, abandon gas storage and supply pipelines, and make

mainline enhancements to its pipeline system in Louisiana. NGT states

that these actions would improve the safety, reliability, and

efficiency of its pipeline system. Specifically, NGT seeks

authorization for the following activities in Louisiana:

Abandon about 60 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline on

Line F in Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, and Lincoln Parishes and

replace it with about 61 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline in ten

segments ranging from 200 feet to 32.8 miles in length. Some portions

of the pipeline to be abandoned would be removed, other portions would

be left in place.

Abandon in place Line 1-F (0.8 mile of 20-inch-diameter

pipeline) and Line FT-5 (0.9 mile of 10-inch-diameter pipeline) located

in Lincoln Parish.

Reclassify about 8.2 miles of Line F as a low pressure gas

supply line and operate it as part of Line F-1-F in Caddo Parish.

Abandon 63 delivery taps installed on the old Line F to

deliver gas to rural customers served by Arkansas Louisiana Gas

Company, and relocate 36 other delivery taps to the new Line F.

Install pipeline maintenance facilities at the Buckley

Compressor Station in Caddo Parish, the Red Chute Compressor Station in

Bossier Parish, and the Ruston Storage Compressor Station in Lincoln

Parish.

NGT proposes to begin construction of its facilities in June 1998.

The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix

1.\2\ If you are interested in obtaining detailed maps of a specific

portion of the project, or procedural information, please write to the

Secretary of the Commission.

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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 855

acres of land. Following construction, about 249 acres would be

maintained as new permanent right-of-way. The remaining acreage would

be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.

NGT intends to use a up to a 85-foot-wide construction right-of-way

for the installation of the replacement pipeline. Where the replacement

pipeline would be parallel to the existing line, 15 to 30 feet of the

construction right-of-way would be within NGT's existing right-of-way.

Consequently, about 45 feet of new clearing would be required in most

areas. All but the eastermost 1.8 miles of the replacement pipeline

would be built adjacent to NGT's existing pipeline. In this area, 75

feet of new right-of-way would be cleared for construction.

After the replacement pipeline is in service, NGT would remove the

majority of the old pipeline. Abandonment activities would take place

entirely within NGT's existing 40-foot-wide right-of-way. Following

construction, NGT would maintain a 40-foot-wide permanent right-of-way.

Additional temporary work space would be required adjacent to the

planned construction right-of-way at road and stream crossings. These

areas would vary in size between 4,000 and 168,000 square feet.

The EA Process

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the

Commission to take into account the environmental

[[Page 54452]]

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

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 make

our 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

the environmental information provided by NGT.

This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your

comments and our analysis.

The proposed replacement pipeline would cross 68

waterbodies, 13 of which are greater than 100 feet wide.

The project would disturb about 17 acres of wetland during

construction, including 8 acres of forested wetland.

Eleven residences would be within 50 feet of the edge of

the construction right-of-way.

The pipeline would cross Bayou Dorcheat, a Louisiana

Natural and Scenic Waterway, using a directional drilling technique.

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 carefully follow these instructions to

ensure that your comments are received in time and properly recorded:

Send two copies of your letter to: Lois Cashell,

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street,

N.E., Room 1A, Washington, D.C. 20426;

Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the

Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1;

Reference Docket No. CP97-724-000; and

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, D.C. on or before November 17, 1997.

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

Paul McKee in the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-

1088.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97-27661 Filed 10-17-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M