80 FR 28997 - Roadrunner Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Roadrunner Border Crossing Project; Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 97 (May 20, 2015)

Page Range		28997-28999
FR Document		2015-12214

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 97 (Wednesday, May 20, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28997-28999]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-12214]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP15-161-000]

Roadrunner Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Roadrunner Border Crossing
Project; Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

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 Roadrunner Border Crossing
Project involving construction and operation of facilities for the
export of natural gas by Roadrunner Gas Transmission, LLC (Roadrunner)
in El Paso County, Texas. The Commission will use this EA in its
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the
public interest.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. You can make a difference by providing us with
your specific comments or concerns about the project. Your comments
should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they
need to evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your comments are timely and
properly recorded, please send your comments so that the Commission
receives them in Washington, DC on or before June 13, 2015.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on April 9, 2015, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP15-161-000 to ensure they are considered as
part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if
the Commission approves the project, 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 where compensation would be determined in accordance with
state law.
Roadrunner provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the
FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do
I Need To Know?''. This fact sheet addresses a number of typically-
asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is also available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov).

Public Participation

For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic
filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist you at
(202) 502-8258 or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these
instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief,
text-only comments on a project;

[[Page 28998]]

(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a
variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission.
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on
``eRegister.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project,
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number
(CP15-161-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.

Summary of the Proposed Project

Roadrunner proposes to construct a new border crossing at the
international boundary between the United States and Mexico in El Paso
County, Texas. The Roadrunner Border Crossing Project would consist of
the construction of approximately 900 feet of FERC-jurisdictional 30-
inch-diameter pipeline, installed beneath the Rio Grande River near San
Elizario in El Paso County, Texas. The new pipeline would have a
maximum daily export capacity of 875,000 million cubic feet per day,
designed to transport natural gas to a new delivery interconnect with
Tarahumara Pipeline S. de C.V. (Tarahumara Pipeline) at the United
States/Mexico border for electric generation and industrial market
needs in Mexico.
The Roadrunner Border Crossing Project would interconnect with
Roadrunner's new intrastate pipeline facilities, including 205 miles of
30-inch-diameter pipeline, metering stations, and a new natural gas
compressor station in Pecos County, Texas. The intrastate facilities
would be subject to the jurisdiction of the Texas Railroad Commission
and would be non-jurisdictional to the FERC. Roadrunner would
concurrently construct the non-jurisdictional facilities in two phases
between 2015 and 2016.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to all those
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the Commission's Public
Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to
the last page of this notice.
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Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the Roadrunner Cross Border Pipeline Project
pipeline would affect a total of 23.4 acres of land in the United
States including 3.1 acres of additional temporary workspace for HDD
construction and hydrostatic testing of the pipeline, 18.7 acres of
temporary access roads, and 1.6 acres of operational right-of-way that
would overlap between the FERC jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional
pipeline facilities.

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 an
Authorization. NEPA also requires us \2\ to discover and address
concerns the public may have about proposals. This process is referred
to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the
analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this
notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of the
issues to address in the EA. We will consider all filed comments during
the preparation of the EA.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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In the EA we 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;
land use;
water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
cultural resources;
vegetation and wildlife;
air quality and noise;
endangered and threatened species;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate reasonable 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.
The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We
will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the
Public Participation section beginning on page 2.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the
EA.\3\ Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status
should follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the
Public Participation section of this notice.
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\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act

In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on
historic properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the project
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our
findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status
of consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Environmental Mailing List

The environmental mailing list includes: federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits

[[Page 28999]]

comments on the project. We will update the environmental mailing list
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the
proposed project.
If we publish and distribute the EA, copies will be sent to the
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please
return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are
available on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/help/how-to/intervene.asp.

Additional Information

Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site at www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP15-
161). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to
the documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

Dated: May 14, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-12214 Filed 5-19-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

28998 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 97 / Wednesday, May 20, 2015 / Notices

(2) You can file your comments Land Requirements for Construction please carefully follow the instructions
electronically by using the eFiling Construction of the Roadrunner Cross in the Public Participation section
feature on the Commission’s Web site Border Pipeline Project pipeline would beginning on page 2.
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to affect a total of 23.4 acres of land in the With this notice, we are asking
Documents and Filings. With eFiling, agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
United States including 3.1 acres of
you can provide comments in a variety or special expertise with respect to the
additional temporary workspace for
of formats by attaching them as a file environmental issues of this project to
HDD construction and hydrostatic
with your submission. New eFiling formally cooperate with us in the
testing of the pipeline, 18.7 acres of
users must first create an account by preparation of the EA.3 Agencies that
temporary access roads, and 1.6 acres of
clicking on ‘‘eRegister.’’ If you are filing would like to request cooperating
operational right-of-way that would
a comment on a particular project, agency status should follow the
overlap between the FERC jurisdictional
please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as instructions for filing comments
and non-jurisdictional pipeline
the filing type; or provided under the Public Participation
facilities.
(3) You can file a paper copy of your section of this notice.
comments by mailing them to the The EA Process Consultations Under Section 106 of the
following address. Be sure to reference The National Environmental Policy National Historic Preservation Act
the project docket number (CP15–161– Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
000) with your submission: Kimberly D. In accordance with the Advisory
take into account the environmental Council on Historic Preservation’s
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy impacts that could result from an action
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street implementing regulations for section
whenever it considers the issuance of an 106 of the National Historic
NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Authorization. NEPA also requires us 2 Preservation Act, we are using this
Summary of the Proposed Project to discover and address concerns the notice to initiate consultation with the
public may have about proposals. This applicable State Historic Preservation
Roadrunner proposes to construct a process is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The
new border crossing at the international Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views
main goal of the scoping process is to and those of other government agencies,
boundary between the United States and focus the analysis in the EA on the
Mexico in El Paso County, Texas. The interested Indian tribes, and the public
important environmental issues. By this on the project’s potential effects on
Roadrunner Border Crossing Project notice, the Commission requests public
would consist of the construction of historic properties.4 We will define the
comments on the scope of the issues to project-specific Area of Potential Effects
approximately 900 feet of FERC- address in the EA. We will consider all
jurisdictional 30-inch-diameter (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as
filed comments during the preparation the project develops. On natural gas
pipeline, installed beneath the Rio of the EA. facility projects, the APE at a minimum
Grande River near San Elizario in El In the EA we will discuss impacts that encompasses all areas subject to ground
Paso County, Texas. The new pipeline could occur as a result of the disturbance (examples include
would have a maximum daily export construction and operation of the construction right-of-way, contractor/
capacity of 875,000 million cubic feet proposed project under these general pipe storage yards, compressor stations,
per day, designed to transport natural headings: and access roads). Our EA for this
gas to a new delivery interconnect with • geology and soils; project will document our findings on
Tarahumara Pipeline S. de C.V. • land use; the impacts on historic properties and
(Tarahumara Pipeline) at the United • water resources, fisheries, and summarize the status of consultations
States/Mexico border for electric wetlands; under section 106.
generation and industrial market needs • cultural resources;
in Mexico. • vegetation and wildlife; Environmental Mailing List
The Roadrunner Border Crossing • air quality and noise; The environmental mailing list
Project would interconnect with • endangered and threatened species; includes: federal, state, and local
Roadrunner’s new intrastate pipeline • public safety; and government representatives and
facilities, including 205 miles of 30- • cumulative impacts. agencies; elected officials;
inch-diameter pipeline, metering We will also evaluate reasonable
environmental and public interest
stations, and a new natural gas alternatives to the proposed project or
groups; Native American Tribes; other
compressor station in Pecos County, portions of the project, and make
interested parties; and local libraries
Texas. The intrastate facilities would be recommendations on how to lessen or
and newspapers. This list also includes
subject to the jurisdiction of the Texas avoid impacts on the various resource
all affected landowners (as defined in
Railroad Commission and would be areas.
the Commission’s regulations) who are
non-jurisdictional to the FERC. The EA will present our independent
potential right-of-way grantors, whose
Roadrunner would concurrently analysis of the issues. The EA will be
property may be used temporarily for
construct the non-jurisdictional available in the public record through
project purposes, or who own homes
facilities in two phases between 2015 eLibrary. Depending on the comments
within certain distances of aboveground
and 2016. received during the scoping process, we
facilities, and anyone who submits
The general location of the project may also publish and distribute the EA
facilities is shown in appendix 1.1 to the public for an allotted comment 3 The Council on Environmental Quality
period. We will consider all comments regulations addressing cooperating agency
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

1 The appendices referenced in this notice will on the EA before making our responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of recommendations to the Commission. Regulations, Part 1501.6.
appendices were sent to all those receiving this To ensure we have the opportunity to 4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s

notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the consider and address your comments, Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the district, site, building, structure, or object included
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice. Energy Projects. of Historic Places.

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Document Created: 2018-02-21 10:29:52
Document Modified: 2018-02-21 10:29:52

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
FR Citation		80 FR 28997

80 FR 28997 - Roadrunner Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Roadrunner Border Crossing Project; Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 97 (May 20, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission