CNG Transmission Corporation; Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Market Area Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP97-774-000]

CNG Transmission Corporation; Texas Eastern Transmission

Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment

for the Proposed Market Area Storage Project and Request for Comments

on Environmental Issues

February 20, 1998.

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 in the Market Area Storage Project.\1\ This EA

will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to

determine whether

[[Page 9789]]

the project is in the public convenience and necessity.

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\1\ CNG Transmission Corporation's and Texas Eastern

Transmission Corporation'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

CNG Transmission Corporation (CNG) and Texas Eastern Transmission

Corporation (Texas Eastern) (together referred to as the Applicants)

want to expand the capacity of the jointly-owned storage facilities to

allow for the storage of an additional 10 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of

natural gas at the Oakford Storage Field in Westmoreland County,

Pennsylvania. Also, the proposed facilities would add about 200 million

cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of injection capability and about 393 MMcf/

d of additional end-of-January withdrawal capability at the Oakford

Storage Field. The Applicants seek authority to construct and operate

these facilities in spring 1998:

12,000 horsepower (hp) of additional electric motor-driven

compression and related piping and appurtenant facilities at the

existing Oakford Compressor Station in Westmoreland County,

Pennsylvania;

About 6 miles of new and replacement storage field well

lines of various sizes and lengths;

Various valves, piping, filter separators, buildings, and

appurtenant facilities at the Oakford Compressor Station;

A replacement dehydration system at the Oakford Compressor

Station capable of processing an additional 400 MMcf/d; and

325 feet of 10-inch-diameter suction line at the Lincoln

Height Compressor Station in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

replacing an 8-inch-diameter pipeline and related aboveground

facilities.

A nonjurisdictional 138 kilovolt (kV) electric substation would be

installed at the Oakford Compressor Station by Allegheny Power Company.

The Substation would be constructed on a 0.75 acre site on compressor

station property along the south side and outside of the existing fence

line. It would consist of a 138 kV transformer, poles, breakers, and a

30-foot-long access road all within the existing compressor station

facility. About 2 miles of transmission lines would be constructed to

the substation.

CNG also seeks authority to increase the deliverability of its

Greenlick Compressor Station in Potter County, Pennsylvania, from 912

MMcf/d to 1,062 MMcf/d by modifying certain facilities and constructing

and operating related facilities in spring 1999. These activities would

include:

Reworking 4 existing crossover heaters by adding a new

electronic panel board, electronic ignition system, and heat

turbulator;

Installing 1 new vertical filter/separator;

Reworking six 10-inch ANSI 1500# Ball Valves;

Replacing two 10-inch ANSI 1500# Ball Valves;

Removing and installing a new Regan Pump of the same size;

Reworking nine-12-inch-diameter existing orifice runs; and

Installing new beads in the existing towers.

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, NE., 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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Land Requirement for Construction

Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 110.4

acres of land. Following construction, about 21 acres would be

maintained as new aboveground facility sites (mostly within the

existing compressor stations) and about 34.6 acres would be within

pipeline rights-of-way. The remaining 54.8 acres of land would be

restored and allowed to revert to its former use.

The EA Process

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the

Commission to taken 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

Endangered and threatened species

Public safety

Land use

Cultural resources

Air quality and noise

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 CNG and Texas Eastern. This

preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and

our analysis.

The addition of 12,000 hp of compression may increase the

noise level near the Oakford Compressor Station.

A high-quality cold-water fishery, Beaver Run, would be

crossed near milepost 0.65 on storage pipeline JP-302, about 2 miles

upstream from the headwaters of Beaver Run Reservoir which is the main

drinking water source for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

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 or 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: David P. Boergers,

Acting Secretary,

[[Page 9790]]

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE, Room 1A,

Washington, DC 20426;

Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the

Environmental Review and Compliance Branch II, PR-11;

Reference Docket No. CP97-774-000; and

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, DC on or before March 23, 1998.

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

remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request

(appendix 3). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be

taken off the mailing list.

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).

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.

Your do not need intervenor status to have your comments

considered.

David P. Boergers,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98-4909 Filed 2-25-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M