80 FR 43419 - Dominion South Carolina Gas, Inc; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Columbia to Eastover Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 140 (July 22, 2015)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 140 (July 22, 2015)
| Page Range | 43419-43421 | |
| FR Document | 2015-17944 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 140 (Wednesday, July 22, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 43419-43421] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-17944] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP15-504-000] Dominion South Carolina Gas, Inc; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Columbia to Eastover Project and 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 Columbia to Eastover Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion South Carolina Gas, Inc (DCG) in Calhoun, Richland, and Lexington Counties, South Carolina. The Commission will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity. 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 August 17, 2015. If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on May 29, 2015, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. CP15-504-000 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. DCG 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 [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 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; (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 (CP15-504-000) 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 DCG proposes the Columbia to Eastover Project to construct and operate 28 miles of new 8-inch-diameter [[Page 43420]] pipeline in Calhoun and Richland Counties, South Carolina, with sections of access roads in Lexington County, South Carolina. The Project would deliver 18,000 dekatherms per day of firm transmission natural gas service to International Paper Company to replace the current use of coal and fuel oil, as well as trucked-delivered natural gas, as a means of complying with maximum achievable control technology environmental air quality standards mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The pipeline would originate from DCG's existing 20-inch-diameter Salley to Eastman pipeline at the DAK Americas industrial facility. In addition to the pipeline, DCG proposes to install the following ancillary facilities:a tap and pig launcher; \1\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, conducting internal inspections, or other purposes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- a metering and regulation station and pig receiver; and eight mainline valves. The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.\2\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb about 423 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. Following construction, DCG would maintain about 121 acres for permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. About 75 percent of the proposed pipeline route parallels existing pipeline or utility rights- of-way. 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 \3\ 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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; vegetation and wildlife; endangered and threatened species; cultural resources; air quality and noise; 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.\4\ 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1501.6. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.\5\ 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, aboveground facilities, 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \5\ 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Environmental Mailing List The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental 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 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 [[Page 43421]] 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 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- 504). 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. 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: July 16, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015-17944 Filed 7-21-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 140 / Wednesday, July 22, 2015 / Notices 43419
29. Title: FERC–545, Gas Pipeline Issued: July 16, 2015. the acquisition of an easement to
Rates: Rate Change (Non-formal). Kimberly D. Bose, construct, operate, and maintain the
30. Action: Revisions to an Secretary. proposed facilities. The company would
information collection. [FR Doc. 2015–17949 Filed 7–21–15; 8:45 am] seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P agreement. However, if the Commission
31. OMB Control No.: 1902–0154. approves the project, that approval
32. Respondents: Business or other for conveys with it the right of eminent
profit enterprise (Natural Gas Pipelines). DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY domain. Therefore, if easement
33. Frequency of Responses: Ongoing. negotiations fail to produce an
Federal Energy Regulatory agreement, the pipeline company could
34. Necessity of Information: The Commission initiate condemnation proceedings
Commission is establishing a policy to where compensation would be
[Docket No. CP15–504–000]
allow interstate natural gas pipelines to determined in accordance with state
seek to recover certain capital Dominion South Carolina Gas, Inc; law.
expenditures made to modernize system Notice of Intent To Prepare an DCG provided landowners with a fact
infrastructure through a surcharge Environmental Assessment for the sheet prepared by the FERC entitled
mechanism, subject to certain Proposed Columbia to Eastover ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On
conditions. The information that the Project and Request for Comments on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’
pipeline should share with its shippers Environmental Issues This fact sheet addresses a number of
and submit to the Commission is typically asked questions, including the
intended to ensure that the resulting The staff of the Federal Energy use of eminent domain and how to
rates are just and reasonable and protect Regulatory Commission (FERC or participate in the Commission’s
natural gas consumers from excessive Commission) will prepare an proceedings. It is also available for
costs environmental assessment (EA) that will viewing on the FERC Web site
discuss the environmental impacts of (www.ferc.gov).
35. Internal Review: The Commission the Columbia to Eastover Project
has reviewed the guidance in the Policy involving construction and operation of Public Participation
Statement and has determined that the facilities by Dominion South Carolina For your convenience, there are three
information is necessary. These Gas, Inc (DCG) in Calhoun, Richland, methods you can use to submit your
requirements conform to the and Lexington Counties, South Carolina. comments to the Commission. The
Commission’s plan for efficient The Commission will use this EA in its Commission encourages electronic filing
information collection, communication, decision-making process to determine of comments and has expert staff
and management within the natural gas whether the project is in the public available to assist you at (202) 502–8258
pipeline industry. The Commission has convenience and necessity. or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully
assured itself, by means of its internal This notice announces the opening of follow these instructions so that your
review, that there is specific, objective the scoping process the Commission comments are properly recorded.
support for the burden estimates will use to gather input from the public (1) You can file your comments
associated with the information and interested agencies on the project. electronically using the eComment
requirements. You can make a difference by providing feature on the Commission’s Web site
36. Interested persons may obtain us with your specific comments or (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
information on the reporting concerns about the project. Your Documents and Filings. This is an easy
requirements by contacting the comments should focus on the potential method for submitting brief, text-only
following: Federal Energy Regulatory environmental effects, reasonable comments on a project;
Commission, 888 First Street NE., alternatives, and measures to avoid or (2) You can file your comments
Washington, DC 20426 [Attention: Ellen lessen environmental impacts. Your electronically by using the eFiling
Brown, Office of the Executive Director, input will help the Commission staff feature on the Commission’s Web site
email: DataClearance@ferc.gov, phone: determine what issues they need to (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
(202) 502–8663, fax: (202) 273–0873]. evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your Documents and Filings. With eFiling,
comments are timely and properly you can provide comments in a variety
37. Comments filed with OMB, recorded, please send your comments so of formats by attaching them as a file
identified by the OMB Control No. that the Commission receives them in with your submission. New eFiling
1902–0154 should be sent via email to Washington, DC on or before August 17, users must first create an account by
the Office of Information and Regulatory 2015. clicking on ‘‘eRegister.’’ If you are filing
Affairs: oira_submission@omb.gov, If you sent comments on this project a comment on a particular project,
Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory to the Commission before the opening of please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as
Commission Desk Officer. The Desk this docket on May 29, 2015, you will the filing type; or
Officer may also be reached via need to file those comments in Docket (3) You can file a paper copy of your
telephone at 202–395–0710. A copy of No. CP15–504–000 to ensure they are comments by mailing them to the
the comments should also be sent to the considered as part of this proceeding. following address. Be sure to reference
Commission, in Docket No. PL15–1– This notice is being sent to the the project docket number (CP15–504–
000. Comments concerning the Commission’s current environmental 000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
collection of information and the mailing list for this project. State and Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
associated burden estimate should be local government representatives should Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
submitted by August 21, 2015. notify their constituents of this NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
The Commission orders: proposed project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern. Summary of the Proposed Project
The requests for clarification are If you are a landowner receiving this DCG proposes the Columbia to
denied as discussed above. notice, a pipeline company Eastover Project to construct and
By the Commission. representative may contact you about operate 28 miles of new 8-inch-diameter
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![Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 140 / Wednesday, July 22, 2015 / Notices 43421
intervene. Instructions for becoming an Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/21/15. develop standards for filing forms.1 On
intervenor are in the User’s Guide under Docket Numbers: RP15–1117–000. June 10, 2015, Commission staff held a
the ‘‘e-filing’’ link on the Commission’s Applicants: Kern River Gas technical conference to explore a
Web site. Transmission Company. transition to XML format, as well as
Description: Section 4(d) Rate Filing: NAESB’s assistance in that transition
Additional Information
2015 Converted Contracts to be effective process.
Additional information about the 8/1/2015. After the staff technical conference,
project is available from the Filed Date: 7/14/15. the Commission received five comments
Commission’s Office of External Affairs, Accession Number: 20150714–5047. generally supportive of moving forward
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/27/15. with the NAESB process. NAESB has
site at www.ferc.gov using the agreed to sponsor this project and the
The filings are accessible in the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Click on the eLibrary August 13, 2015 conference call is to
Commission’s eLibrary system by
link, click on ‘‘General Search’’ and establish procedures for moving
clicking on the links or querying the
enter the docket number, excluding the forward. The comments also posed
docket number.
last three digits in the Docket Number certain questions that should be
Any person desiring to intervene or
field (i.e., CP15–504). Be sure you have addressed during the NAESB meetings.
protest in any of the above proceedings
selected an appropriate date range. For NAESB has posted details regarding
must file in accordance with Rules 211
assistance, please contact FERC Online the conference at https://
and 214 of the Commission’s
Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov www.naesb.org/pdf4/naesb_weq-wgq_
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or for ffs_081315ma.pdf. Further information
385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. The regarding participation can be obtained
time on the specified comment date.
eLibrary link also provides access to the by contacting NAESB by phone (713–
Protests may be considered, but
texts of formal documents issued by the 356–0060) or email (naesb@naesb.org).
intervention is necessary to become a
Commission, such as orders, notices, Commission notices for future
party to the proceeding.
and rulemakings. meetings will not be issued. The
In addition, the Commission offers a eFiling is encouraged. More detailed
Commission will post the time and
free service called eSubscription which information relating to filing
dates for future meetings on its Web site
allows you to keep track of all formal requirements, interventions, protests,
at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
issuances and submittals in specific service, and qualifying facilities filings
forms/eforms-refresh.asp, Information
dockets. This can reduce the amount of can be found at: http://www.ferc.gov/
also may be found on the NAESB Web
time you spend researching proceedings docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For
site at https://www.naesb.org/ferc_
by automatically providing you with other information, call (866) 208–3676
forms.asp (NAESB Members) or https://
notification of these filings, document (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659.
www.naesb.org/committee_
summaries, and direct links to the Dated: July 15, 2015. activities.asp (non-Members).
documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/docs- Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., For more information about this
filing/esubscription.asp. Deputy Secretary. conference call or the proceeding,
Finally, public meetings or site visits [FR Doc. 2015–17916 Filed 7–21–15; 8:45 am] please contact Robert Hudson, Office of
will be posted on the Commission’s BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
Enforcement, at (202) 502–6620 or
calendar located at www.ferc.gov/ Robert.Hudson@ferc.gov or Nicholas
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along Gladd, Office of General Counsel, at
with other related information. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (202) 502–8836 or Nicholas.Gladd@
Dated: July 16, 2015. ferc.gov.
Federal Energy Regulatory Dated: July 16, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Commission
Secretary. Kimberly D. Bose,
[FR Doc. 2015–17944 Filed 7–21–15; 8:45 am] [Docket No. AD15–11–000] Secretary.
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P [FR Doc. 2015–17947 Filed 7–21–15; 8:45 am]
Electronic Filing Protocols for BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
Commission Forms; Notice of Meeting
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY of North American Energy Standards
Board DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission Take notice that the North American Federal Energy Regulatory
Energy Standards Board (NAESB) has Commission
Combined Notice of Filings announced that it will hold its first
conference call on August 13, 2015, Combined Notice of Filings #2
Take notice that the Commission has
from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern
received the following Natural Gas Take notice that the Commission
Time, to initiate its process for
Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings: received the following electric rate
developing standards for the submission
filings:
Filings Instituting Proceedings of Commission forms in XML format. In
the Commission’s April 16, 2015, Order Docket Numbers: ER14–694–004.
Docket Numbers: RP15–1116–000. Applicants: Entergy Services, Inc.
Applicants: Questar Overthrust in this proceeding, the Commission
Description: Tariff Amendment: EAI–
announced it was beginning a process to
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Pipeline Company. ESI_Response_7–16–2015 to be effective
Description: Annual Fuel Gas develop a revised method for natural gas
12/31/9998.
Reimbursement Percentage Report for pipelines, public utilities, and oil
Filed Date: 7/16/15.
2015 of Questar Overthrust Pipeline pipelines to file forms, and asked
Accession Number: 20150716–5154.
Company under RP15–1116. NAESB and the electric, natural gas, and
Filed Date: 7/9/15. oil industries to establish a collaborative 1 Electronic Filing Protocols for Commission
Accession Number: 20150709–5228. process with Commission staff to Forms, 151 FERC ¶ 61,025 (2015).
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Document Created: 2015-12-15 12:55:20
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 12:55:20
| 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 43419 |
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