# Puget Sound Energy, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Jackson Prairie Storage Field Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A98-8619 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** April 2, 1998 - **Citation:** 63 FR 16256 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP98-250-000] Puget Sound Energy, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Jackson Prairie Storage Field Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues March 27, 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 facilities proposed in the Jackson Prairie Storage Field 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\ Puget Sound Energy, Inc's. application was filed with the Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's regulations. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summary of the Proposed Project Puget Sound Energy, Inc. (Puget), as project operator,\2\ proposes to construct the following facilities at the Jackson Prairie Storage Field in Lewis County, Washington: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ The storage field is owned in equal one-third undivided interests by Puget, Northwest Pipeline Corporation, and Washington Water Power Company. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eight new Zone 2 withdrawal/injection wells installed at three new and four expanded existing well pads; About 1,093 feet of new 8-inch and 10-inch-diameter well lateral pipeline; A new 24-inch-diameter pipeline to be installed within the existing right-of-way, extending 9,235 feet between the Jackson Prairie Compressor Station and the Jackson Prairie valve/manifold tie-in station located adjacent to Northwest Pipeline Corporation's Chehalis Compressor Station; One new 6,960-horsepower compressor unit and associated facilities at the existing Jackson Prairie Compressor Station; and New metering equipment, filter separator, and piping modifications to be installed inside the existing fenced area at the Jackson Prairie Meter Station. The location of the storage field is shown in appendix 1.\3\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \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, 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Land Requirements for Construction The new 24-inch-diameter pipeline would be constructed within an existing 50-foot-wide permanent right-of-way and would disturb about 10.6 acres of land. Additional work areas (each 50 feet by 100 feet) located outside the existing pipeline right-of-way would be required on both sides of the right-of-way at a road crossing at the intersection of Meier Road and Meier Road East. The eight new withdrawal/injection wells would require a total of about 4.7 acres of land for construction. The well pads range in size from 75 feet by 200 feet to 150 feet by 250 feet. Each of the eight wells would require either 8-inch or 10-inch-diameter lateral pipelines to connect the new wells to the existing pipeline gathering and lateral system. At the four new well sites that are adjacent to existing wells, no new rights-of-way would be needed because all of the pipeline would be within the well pad area. At Well Nos. 74, 75, 78, and 79, new 50- foot-wide construction and permanent rights-of-way would be established for the lateral pipelines outside the proposed well pads totaling about 0.26 acres. Well Nos. 73, 74, and 75 would require new access roads to connect the new well sites to existing project roads. Well No. 73 would require a 250-foot-long gravel road within an existing 16-inch pipeline right- of-way to access the new well pad. Well Nos. 74 and 75 would require a 25-foot road extension. The additional comprehension facilities would occupy 1.4 acres directly adjacent to the existing Jackson Prairie Compressor Station. At the existing Jackson Prairie Meter Station construction would be within the existing fenced area. 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. To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the public participation section on page 4 of this Notice. 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 and wetlands *vegetation and wildlife *endangered and threatened species *land use *cultural resources *air and noise 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 Puget. These issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis. A total of about 5.3 acres of wetlands would be affected by construction. About 2.6 acres of young Douglas-fir trees within an existing tree farm would be permanently removed. There may be additional noise impact on nearby noise- sensitive areas resulting from the additional compressor unit. 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, and [[Page 16257]] 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, 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-11.1; *Reference Docket No. CP98-250-000; and *Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before April 24, 1998. 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''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 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 14 copies of its filings to the Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy 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). Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. The date for filing timely motions to intervene in this proceeding has passed having ended on March 26, 1998. 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 environmental comments considered. Additional information about the proposed project is available from Mr. Paul McKee in the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-1088. David P. Boergers, Acting Secretary. [FR Doc. 98-8619 Filed 4-1-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A98-8619. Public record. Not legal advice.