80 FR 43076 - Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company; Supplemental Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed White Oak Mainline Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 139 (July 21, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 139 (Tuesday, July 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43076-43077]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17805]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP15-18-000]


Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company; Supplemental Notice of Intent 
To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed White Oak 
Mainline Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

    On January 22, 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC 
or Commission) issued in Docket No. CP15-18-000 a Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed White Oak Mainline 
Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues 
(NOI). Since its application in the above-referenced docket, FERC staff 
has requested information regarding the proposed facilities, as well as 
alternative routes to the proposed Kemblesville Loop \1\ in Chester 
County, Pennsylvania. On June 2, 2015, FERC staff also conducted an 
onsite environmental review of the proposed pipeline and several 
alternative routes. In response to data requested by FERC staff, 
Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company (Eastern Shore) provided information 
on four alternative pipeline routes. FERC staff is further evaluating 
Alternative Route 2 as described in Eastern Shore's April 21, 2015 
response. This Supplemental Notice is being issued to seek comments on 
Alternative Route 2 and opens a new scoping period for interested 
parties to file comments on environmental issues specific to this 
alternative route.
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    \1\ A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an existing 
pipeline to increase capacity.
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    The January 22, 2015 NOI announced that the FERC staff will prepare 
an environmental assessment (EA) to address the environmental impacts 
of the White Oak Mainline Expansion Project (Project). Please refer to 
the NOI for more information about the overall facilities proposed by 
Eastern Shore in Pennsylvania and Delaware, and FERC staff's EA 
process. The Commission will use the EA in its decision-making process 
to determine whether the Project is in the public convenience and 
necessity.
    The Commission previously solicited public input on the Project in 
the beginning of 2015. We \2\ are now specifically seeking comments on 
the Kemblesville Loop Alternative Route 2 to help the Commission staff 
evaluate the environmental impact associated with the alternative and 
how that compares to the currently proposed route. Please note that 
this special scoping period will close on August 8, 2015.
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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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    This Supplemental Notice is being sent to the Commission's current 
environmental mailing list for this Project, including new landowners 
that would be affected by the alternative pipeline route.
    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 the easement negotiations fail 
to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate 
condemnation proceedings where compensation would be determined in 
accordance with state law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). 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.

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal 
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form 
or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 
or [email protected]. Please carefully follow these instructions so that 
your comments are properly recorded.
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature located on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the 
link to Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for interested 
persons to submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically using the eFiling 
feature located 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.'' You must select the type of filing you are making. If 
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select 
``Comment on a Filing;'' or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 
20426.

Summary of Kemblesville Loop Alternative Route 2

    The Kemblesville Loop Alternative Route 2 would be collocated 
entirely with the existing right-of-way for Eastern Shore's White Oak 
mainline

[[Page 43077]]

pipeline and existing loop. This alternative route would involve 
construction in residential areas as the surrounding area has been 
developed into several residential subdivisions since installation of 
the original mainline pipeline. The Kemblesville Loop Alternative Route 
2 would be about 2.1 miles in length and would use previously disturbed 
land and two existing crossing locations of the White Clay Creek 
National Wild and Scenic River, administered by the U.S. Department of 
Interior's National Park Service, using a flume and/or dam and pump 
crossing method. In comparison, the currently proposed 3.9-mile-long 
route would follow existing rights-of-way for 41.9 percent of the route 
and would include two horizontal directional drill crossings of 
tributaries of the White Clay Creek National Wild and Scenic River.
    An overview map of the Kemblesville Loop Alternative Route 2 that 
follows the existing Eastern Shore pipeline right-of-way and the 
currently proposed route is included in Appendix 1.\3\
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed 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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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have identified several issues that we think deserve attention 
for our comparison of the proposed route and the Kemblesville Loop 
Alternative Route 2 based on a review of the proposed facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Eastern Shore. This 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis.
     crossings of the White Clay Creek National Wild and Scenic 
River;
     old growth forested areas along the pipeline routes; and
     noxious weeds.

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; commenters; and local libraries and newspapers. 
This list also includes landowners affected by the pipelines as 
currently proposed, as well as landowners that may be affected by the 
Kemblesville Loop Alternative Route 2. 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.
    Copies of the completed EA 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 a 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 in 
the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web 
site.

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 (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-
18). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] 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 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/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.

    Dated: July 9, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-17805 Filed 7-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P