Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed E-Line Stitch Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP97-755-000]

Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Assessment for the Proposed E-Line Stitch Project and

Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

December 9, 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

about 25 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop and abandonment of

eleven 1,600 horsepower (HP) compressor units proposed in the E-Line

Stitch 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\ Northern 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

Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) proposes to replace the

capacity of the 11 compressor units to be abandoned by installing the

two segments of loop. There would be no increase in the capacity of

Northern's system as a result of this proposal. Northern seeks

authority to construct and operate:

About 11 miles of 36-inch-diameter loop between the

Mullinville and Macksville Compressor Stations in Edwards and Pawnee

Counties, Kansas;

About 14 miles of 36-inch-diameter loop between the

Macksville and Bushton Compressor Stations in Barton and Rice Counties,

Kansas; and

Abandonment of eleven 1,600 HP compressor units at the

Bushton Compressor Station in Rice County, Kansas.

No nonjurisdictional facilities would be constructed as a result of

this proposal.

The 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 347.6

acres of land, including a 100-foot-wide construction right-of-way,

additional temporary work spaces, and a staging area. Following

construction, only about 1.5 acres would become new permanent right-of-

way where the loops deviate from the existing rights-of-way to cross

two streams. All of the 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.

Land use.

Cultural resources.

Air quality and noise.

Endangered and threatened species.

Public safety.

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 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 Northern. This preliminary

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

Crossing of 5 perennial waterbodies.

Impact on cultivated croplands.

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:

Send two copies of your letter to: Lois Cashell,

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., N.E.,

Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;

Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the

Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.2;

Reference Docket No. CP97-755-000; and

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, DC on or before January 8, 1998.

If you are interested in obtaining procedural information please

write to the Secretary of the Commission.

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).

[[Page 65690]]

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 comments considered.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97-32625 Filed 12-12-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M