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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP99-61-000; CP99-62-000; CP99-63-000; CP99-64-000]

TriState Pipeline L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed TriState Pipeline

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

Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

January 8, 1999.

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or

Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that

will discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and

operation of the facilities proposed in the TriState Pipeline

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

making process to determine whether the project is in the public

convenience and necessity. The application and other supplemental

filings in this docket are available for viewing on the FERC Internet

website (www.ferc.fed.us). Click on the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket

#'' from the RIMS Menu, and follow the instructions.

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\1\ TriState Pipeline L.L.C.'s applications in Docket Nos. CP99-

61-000, CP99-62-000, and CP99-63-000, were filed with the Commission

under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Parts 157 and 284

of the Commission's regulations. The application in Docket No. CP99-

64-000 was filed with the Commission under Section 3 of the NGA and

Part 153 of the Commission's regulations.

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Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides

access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such

as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website,

click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and

follow the instructions.

If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted

by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an

easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities.

The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable

agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that

approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if

easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline

company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with

state law. A fact sheet addressing a number of typically asked

questions, including the use of eminent domain, is attached to this

notice as 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, Room 2A, 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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Additionally, with this notice we are asking a number of Federal

agencies (see appendix 2) with jurisdiction and/or special expertise

with respect to environmental issues 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'

responsibilities.

Summary of the Proposed Project

TriState Pipeline L.L.C. (TriState) proposes to build new natural

gas pipeline and compression facilities to transport 650 thousand

decatherms per day (MDth/day) of natural gas from the Chicago Hub near

Joliet, Illinois. Of the 650 MDth/day, 200 MDth/day would be delivered

to the White Pigeon delivery point in Michigan. The remaining 450 MDth/

day would be transported to the Dawn Hub in Ontario, Canada.

TriState requests Commission authorization, in Docket No. CP99-61-

000, to construct, lease, and operate the following facilities:

construct 2.8 miles of new 30-inch-diameter interconnect

pipeline for the Alliance Interconnect (1.5 miles) and Northern Border

Interconnect (1.3 miles) in Will County, Illinois;

construct 147.4 miles of new 30-inch-diameter pipeline in

Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan extending from Joliet, Illinois in Will

County to White Pigeon, Michigan in St. Joseph County. About 32.6 miles

would be in Illinois, 108.5 miles would be in Indiana, and 6.3 miles

would be in Michigan;

construct 66.1 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline looping

the existing Consumers Energy Company (Consumers) and Michigan Gas

Storage (MSG) systems in Michigan in three segments: the Branch County

Loop (24.1 miles), the Oakland County Loop (23.4 miles), and the Macomb

County Loop (18.6 miles);

construct 11.8 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline from

Consumers' existing St. Clair Compressor Station in St. Clair,

Michigan, to the United States (U.S.)-Canadian International Boundary

in the St. Clair River;

construct one new compressor station (Joliet Compressor

Station) with 30,000 horsepower (hp) in Joliet, Illinois and upgrade

Consumers' existing St. Clair Compressor Station with 18,570 hp of

additional compression;

construct four new meter/regulating stations including two

in Will County, Illinois, one in St. Joseph County, Michigan, and one

in the St. Clair County, Michigan;

construct 22 new mainline and crossover valves; and

lease 450 MDth/day of firm pipeline capacity on the

Consumers and MSG systems between White Pigeon, Michigan and Consumers'

existing St. Clair Compressor Station.

The general location of TriState's proposed project facilities is

shown in appendix 3.

In addition, TriState requests in Docket No. CP99-64-000 a

Presidential Permit to construct, operate, and maintain facilities at

the International Border between the U.S.-Canadian International

Boundary in the St. Clair River near Marine City, Michigan. TriState's

border facilities would connect TriState's proposed U.S. facilities

with Canadian facilities owned by TriState's Canadian affiliate,

TriState-Canada.

Land Requirement for Construction

TriState would construct a total of about 229.0 miles of new

pipeline of which about 111.5 miles (49 percent) would be constructed

parallel to various existing utility rights-of-way. The remaining 116.6

miles (51 percent) would be constructed on newly created right-of-way

that does not parallel existing rights-of-way. Where possible,

TriState's right-of-way would overlap the existing rights-of-way as

much as possible during construction to minimize impacts. TriState's

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

locations to avoid impact on homes and existing utility structures

(meter stations, etc.). The pipeline would also deviate from the

existing rights-of-way in selected locations to improve waterbody

crossings and for other environmental or engineering reasons.

Construction of the TriState Pipeline Project would affect a total

of about 3,000 acres of land including extra workspace and aboveground

facilities. Of this total, about 2,764 acres would be disturbed by the

construction right-of-way, 210 acres would be disturbed by extra

workspace, and 26 acres would be distributed by the aboveground

facilities and access roads. All these acreage figures are subject to

change.

TriState would generally use a 75- to 100-foot-wide construction

right-of-way depending on land use and the need to segregate topsoil.

The TriState Pipeline Project would also require extra

[[Page 2485]]

temporary work areas for waterbody, highway, and railroad crossings;

for additional topsoil storage; and for pipe storage and equipment

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

temporary work spaces, TriState would retain a 50-foot-wide permanent

pipeline right-of-way in Illinois and Indiana and a 60-foot-wide

permanent right-of-way in Michigan. Total land requirements for the

permanent right-of-way would be about 1,484 acres. The project would

also require an additional 19 acres for the operation of the new or

modified aboveground facilities. TriState would restore the remaining

1,497 acres of land affected by construction of the project and allow

these areas to revert to their former use.

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 that 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 EIS on the important environmental issues. By

this Notice of Intent, the Commission requests public comments on the

scope of the issues in will address in the EIS. All comments received

are considered during the preparation of the EIS. 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.

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 TriState. These issues are listed below. This

is a preliminary list of issues and may be 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 right-of-way restoration.

Water Resources

--Effect of construction on areas with shallow groundwater.

--Effect of construction on crossings of 95 perennial waterbodies,

including 20 coldwater fisheries and one anadromous fishery.

--Crossing of three rivers 100 feet wide or greater.

--Crossing of six waterbodies designated as sensitive/unique of which

three are classified as salmonid waters and two are listed as Indiana

Outstanding Rivers.

--Effect of construction in waterbodies with contaminated sediments.

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

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

--Impact on wetland hydrology.

Biological Resources

--Short- and long-term effects of right-of-way clearing and maintenance

on wetlands, forests, riparian areas, and vegetation communities of

special concern.

--Effect on wildlife and fisheries habitats.

--Impact on federally endangered species such as the Indiana bat and on

federally threatened species such as the northern copperbelly

watersnake.

Cultural Resources

--Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.

--Native American concerns.

Socioeconomics

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

surrounding areas.

--Impact on property values.

Land Use

--Impact on crop production.

--Impact on residential areas.

--Effect on public lands and special use areas including waterbodies on

the Indiana Outstanding River List, state scenic trails, a state

recreation areas, county parks, city/township private parks and

campgrounds, and golf courses.

--Impact on future land uses and consistency with local land use plans

and zoning.

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

Air Quality and Noise

--Effect on local air quality and noise environment as a result of

construction.

--Effect on local air quality and noise environment as a result of

operation of the compressor stations.

Pipeline Reliability and Safety

Cumulative Impact

--Impact of construction combined with that of other projects that have

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

--Impact of proposed project's influence on the potential for future

upstream and downstream facilities.

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 Draft EIS

which will be mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public

interest groups, affected landowners and other interested individuals,

newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for

this proceeding. 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 each comment received on the

Draft EIS and will be used by the Commission in its decision-making

process to determine whether to approve the project.

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 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 to: David P. Boergers, 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 Nos. CP99-61-000, CP99-62-000, CP99-63-

000, and CP99-64-000;

Mail your comments so that they will be received in

Washington, D.C. on or before February 12, 1999.

In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite

you to attend the public scoping meetings the FERC will conduct in the

project area. The locations and times for these meetings are listed

below.

[[Page 2486]]

Schedule of Public Scoping Meetings for the TriState Pipeline

Project Environmental Impact Statement

February 8, 1999 7:00 PM--University Park, Illinois, Engbretson Hall,

Governors State University, Governors Highway and Stuenkel Rd., (708)

534-4515

February 9, 1999 7:00 PM--Walkerton, Indiana, Urey Middle School

Cafeteria, 407 Washington Street, (219) 586-3184

February 10, 1999 7:00 PM--Sturgis, Michigan, Sturgis Youth Civic

Center, 201 N. Nottawa, (800) 778-7437

February 11, 1999 7:00 PM--Pontiac, Michigan, Pontiac Northern High

School, Little Theater (S. Parking Lot), 1051 Arlene Ave., (248) 857-

8460

The public meetings are designed to provide you with more detailed

information and another opportunity to offer your comments on the

proposed project. TriState representatives will be present at the

scoping meetings to describe their proposal. Interested groups and

individuals are encouraged to attend the meetings and to present

comments on the environmental issues they believe should be addressed

in the Draft EIS. A transcript of each meeting will be made so that

your comments will be accurately recorded.

On the dates of the meetings, we will also be conducting limited

site visits to the project area. 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 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 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 4). Only

intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's

decision.

The date for filing of 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 environmental comments considered.

Environmental Mailing List

This notice is being sent to individuals, organizations, and

government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the

proposed project. It is also being sent to all identified potential

right-of-way grantors. As details of the project become established,

representatives of TriState may also separately contact landowners,

communities, and public agencies concerning project matters, including

acquisition of permits and rights-of-way

All commenters will be retained on our mailing list. If you do not

want to send comments at this time but still want to keep informed and

receive copies of the Draft and Final EIS, you must return the

Information Request (appendix 5). If you do not send comments or return

the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

Additional information about the proposed project is available from

Mr. Paul McKee of the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202)

208-1088 or on the FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us) using the ``RIMS''

link to information in this docket number. For assistance with access

to RIMS, the RIMS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2222. Access to

the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission with regard to

this docket, such as orders and notices, is also available on the FERC

website using the ``CIPS'' link. For assistance with access to CIPS,

the CIPS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 99-787 Filed 1-13-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M