Alliance Pipeline L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Alliance Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket Nos. CP97-168-000 and CP97-169-000]

Alliance Pipeline L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Alliance Pipeline

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

Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

February 21, 1997.

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or

Commission) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that

will address the environmental impacts of the construction and

operation of approximately 887 miles of natural gas transmission

pipeline, seven compressor stations, metering and delivery facilities,

and other appurtenant facilities proposed in the Alliance Pipeline

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

making process to determine whether to approve the project.

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\1\ Alliance Pipeline L.P.'s applications were filed with the

Commission under Sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part

157 of the Commission's regulations on December 24, 1996.

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Summary of the Proposed Project

Alliance Pipeline L.P. (Alliance) wants to build new natural gas

pipeline transmission facilities in North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and

Illinois with an initial capacity to transport 1.3 billion cubic feet

per day of natural gas from Canada to interconnections with existing

natural gas pipeline systems in the Chicago, Illinois area. Alliance

requests Commission authorization, in Docket No. CP97-168-000, to

construct and operate the following facilities:

887 miles of 36-inch-diameter mainline pipeline extending

from the border of the United States (U.S.) and Canada near Sherwood,

Renville County, North Dakota, to a point near Joliet, Will County,

Illinois. Of the 887-mile-long mainline, about 324 miles would be in

North Dakota, 252 miles would be in Minnesota, 189 miles would be in

Iowa, and 122 miles would be in Illinois.

Seven new compressor stations with a total of 320,000

horsepower (hp) of compression:

--Towner Compressor Station (40,000 hp) in McHenry County, North

Dakota.

--Wimbledon Compressor Station (40,000 hp) in Barnes County, North

Dakota.

--Fairmount Compressor Station (40,000 hp) in Richland County, North

Dakota.

--Olivia Compressor Station (40,000 hp) in Renville County, Minnesota.

--Albert Lea Compressor Station (40,000 hp) in Freeborn County,

Minnesota.

--Manchester Compressor Station (40,000 hp) in Delaware County, Iowa.

--Tampico Compressor Station (80,000 hp) in Whiteside County, Illinois.

Five new meter stations located in Grundy and Will

Counties, Illinois, and a new measurement and pressure control station

located in Grundy County, Illinois.

A total of 1.1 mile of 36-inch-diameter pipeline

connecting Alliance's proposed meter stations with existing natural gas

pipeline facilities in Grundy and Will Counties, Illinois.

Associated pipeline facilities, including 47 mainline

block valves, seven internal tool launchers/receivers, and permanent

access roads for access to compressor stations and valves.

Communication and electric service facilities associated with the

compressor stations may also be required.

In addition, Alliance requests in Docket No. CP97-169-000 a

Presidential Permit authorizing construction, operation and maintenance

of facilities at the International Border for the importation of

natural gas. These facilities would consist only of the portion of the

mainline extending across the border and will be evaluated in the EIS

as part of the facilities described above.

In connection with the facilities proposed by Alliance, a natural

gas liquids (NGL) extraction plant would be constructed near Morris,

Illinois by Aux Sable Liquid Products L.P. The purpose of the NGL plant

would be to extract ethane and other natural gas liquids that may be

present in Alliance's gas stream. For the purpose of comprehensive

environmental review, the NGL extraction plant will be included within

the scope of the EIS.

Alliance also plans to construct a 982-mile-long natural gas

pipeline system in Canada extending from gas production areas in

western Canada to the U.S./Canadian border where it would connect with

Alliance's proposed facilities in the U.S. However, environmental

review of the Canadian portion of the project will not be included in

our EIS.

The location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.

Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the Alliance Pipeline Project facilities would

affect a total of about 13,312 acres. Of this total, about 11,313 acres

would be disturbed by construction of the pipeline. Approximately 814.1

miles (90 percent) of the new pipeline be installed parallel to various

existing pipeline rights-of-way occupied by other pipelines. Alliance's

pipeline would deviate from the existing rights-of-way in several

locations to avoid environmental or engineering constraints or reduce

the total length of new pipeline required. Alliance would generally use

a right-of-way width for construction of 105 feet, with provisions for

extra temporary work areas for waterbody, highway and railroad

crossings, additional topsoil storage, and pipe and equipment yards.

Following construction and restoration of the right-of-way and

temporary work spaces, Alliance would retain a 60-foot-wide permanent

pipeline right-of-way. Existing land uses on the remainder of the

disturbed areas, as well as most land uses on the permanent right-of-

way, would be allowed to continue following construction. Total land

requirements for the permanent right-of-way would be about 6,449 acres.

The extra work areas and aboveground facilities, including

compressor and meter stations, internal tool launchers/receivers, and

permanent access roads would affect approximately 1,999 acres of land

during construction. Mainline valves would be built within or adjacent

to the permanent right-of-way. No locations have been identified for

the communication and electrical service facilities.

The NGL extraction plant would be located on a 100-acre parcel

currently occupied by an abandoned synthetic natural gas plant owned by

Northern Illinois Gas Company.

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. The EIS we are

preparing will give the Commission the information to do that. 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.

We encourage state and local government representatives to notify their

constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to comment.

[[Page 8950]]

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the

construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already

identified a number of issues that we think deserve attention based on

a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental

information provided by Alliance. These issues are listed below. Keep

in mind that this is a preliminary list. The list of issues may be

added to, subtracted from, or changed based on your comments and our

analysis.

Soils.

--Temporary and permanent impacts on prime farmland soils.

--Mixing of topsoil and subsoil during construction.

--Compaction of soil by heavy equipment.

--Impacts on drain tiles and irrigation systems.

--Erosion control and restoration of the right-of-way.

Water Resources.

--Crossing of 616 waterbodies, canals and drainages.

--Crossing of 11 rivers or canals 100 feet wide or greater, including

the James, Chippewa, Minnesota, Bois de Sioux, Wapsipinicon,

Mississippi, Rock, Fox and Des Planes rivers, and the Illinois and

Michigan Canals.

--Potential for erosion and sediment transport to the waterbodies.

--Effect of construction on groundwater and surface water supplies.

--Impact on wetlands.

Biological Resources.

--Effect on wildlife and fisheries habitats.

--Effect on federally listed endangered and threatened species.

Cultural Resources.

--Impact on historic and prehistoric sites.

--Native American and tribal concerns.

Socioeconomics.

--Effect of the construction workforce on demands for services in

surrounding areas.

--Impact on property values.

Land Use.

--Impact on crop production and grazing.

--Impact on residential areas.

--Effect on public lands and special use areas, including: Rural

Economic and Community Development Services areas, a state game refuge,

and several proposed segments of the North Country National Scenic

Trail in North Dakota; a National Waterfowl Production Area, Seven Mile

Creek County Park, East Minnesota River State Game Refuge, Sakatah

Singing Hills River State Trail, and Lyle-Austin Wildlife Management

Area in Minnesota; Price Wildlife Habitat in Iowa; and Camp Hauberg,

Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Fox River Natural Area, and Illinois

and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor and State Trail in

Illinois.

--Impact on future land uses.

--Visual effect of the aboveground facilities on surrounding areas.

Air Quality and Noise.

--Impact on local air quality and noise environment during

construction.

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

from operation of new compressor stations and the NGL extraction plant.

Reliability.

--Assessment of hazards associated with natural gas pipelines, and

natural gas liquids extraction operations.

Cumulative Impact.

--Assessment of the combined effect of the proposed project with other

projects, including other natural gas transmission lines, which have

been or may be proposed in the same region and similar time frames.

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 presented in 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 lists for

these proceedings. A 45-day comment period will be allotted for 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 all comments received.

Public Participation and Scoping Meetings

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 comments are received and properly recorded:

Reference Docket Nos. CP97-168-000 and CP97-169-000.

Send two copies of your comments to: Lois Cashell,

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE,

Washington, DC 20426.

Label one copy for the attention of the Environmental

Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1.

Please mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, DC on or before March 28, 1997.

In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, you are

invited to attend one of the four public scoping meetings being held in

the project area. Meetings will be held at the following times and

locations:

March 17, 1997

7:00 pm--Chieftain Motor Lodge, (701) 652-3131, Highway 281,

Carrington, North Dakota

March 18, 1997

7:00 pm--Mankato Civic Center, (507) 389-3000, One Civic Center

Plaza, Mankato, Minnesota

March 19, 1997

7:00 pm--Falcon Civic Center, (319) 334-2606, 1305 5th Avenue,

N.E., Independence, Iowa

March 20, 1997

7:00 pm--Days Inn, (815) 875-3371, (formerly Lincoln Inn), 2238

North Main Street, Princeton, Illinois

The purpose of the scoping meetings is to obtain information from

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

formal channels for participating in the process as cooperating

agencies (including separate meetings, where appropriate). Federal

agencies are expected to file their written comments directly with the

FERC and not use the scoping meetings for this purpose.

Alliance will be present at the scoping meetings to describe their

proposal. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend

the meetings and present oral comments on the environmental issues

which they believe should be addressed in the Draft EIS. A transcript

will be made of the meetings and the comments will be made part of the

Commission's record in this proceeding.

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

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

may choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal

relative to their agencies'

[[Page 8951]]

responsibilities. The list of agencies is provided in appendix 2.\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, Room 2A, or call (202)

208-1371. Copies of the appendices were 2A, or call (202) 208-1371.

Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this

notice in the mail.

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On the above dates we will also be conducting limited site visits

to the project area in the vicinity of each scoping meeting location.

Anyone interested in participating in the site visit may contact the

Commission's Office of External Affairs, identified at the end of this

notice, for more details and must provide their own transportation.

Becoming an Intervenor

In addition to involvement in the EIS scoping process, you may want

to become an official party to the proceedings, 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 lists for

these proceedings. 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 of timely motions to intervene in these

proceedings has passed, having ended January 29, 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. However, 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.

Anyone offering scoping comments will be automatically kept on our

environmental mailing list for this project. If you do not want to

offer comments at this time but still want to keep informed and receive

copies of the Draft and Final EISs, please return the Environmental

Mailing List Information (appendix 4). If you do not return the card

you will be taken off the mailing list.

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. 97-4914 Filed 2-26-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M