80 FR 45522 - Trans-Pecos Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Presidio Border Crossing Project Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 146 (July 30, 2015)

Page Range		45522-45524
FR Document		2015-18680

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 146 (Thursday, July 30, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45522-45524]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18680]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP15-500-000]

Trans-Pecos Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Presidio Border Crossing
Project Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or

[[Page 45523]]

Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Presidio Border Crossing
Project involving construction and operation of facilities for the
export of natural gas by Trans-Pecos Pipeline, LLC (Trans-Pecos) in
Presidio 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 August 24, 2015.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on May 28, 2015, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP15-500-000 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.
Trans-Pecos 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;
(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
(CP15-500-000) 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

Trans-Pecos proposes to construct and operate a new border crossing
at the international boundary between the United States and Mexico in
Presidio County, Texas. The Presidio Border Crossing Project would
consist of the construction of approximately 2,000 feet of FERC-
jurisdictional 42-inch-diameter pipeline, installed beneath the Rio
Grande River near the City of Presidio in Presidio County, Texas. The
new pipeline would have a maximum design export capacity of
approximately 1.3 billion cubic feet per day, in order to transport
natural gas to a new delivery interconnect in the vicinity of the City
of Manuel Ojinaga, State of Chihuahua, Mexico for electric generation
and industrial market needs in Mexico.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.

Non-Jurisdictional Facilities

The Presidio Border Crossing Project has associated facilities that
would be constructed in support of the project, but do not fall under
the jurisdiction of the FERC. This would include Trans-Pecos'
intrastate pipeline facilities, consisting of 143 miles of new 42-inch-
diameter pipeline, multiple receipt and delivery metering stations, and
other auxiliary facilities extending from Pecos County, Texas and
terminating at the proposed FERC-jurisdictional project facilities in
Presidio County. The intrastate facilities would be subject to the
jurisdiction of the Texas Railroad Commission and would be non-
jurisdictional to the FERC. In the EA, we will provide available
descriptions of the non-jurisdictional facilities and include them
under our analysis of cumulative impacts.

Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the Presidio Border Crossing Project pipeline would
affect a total of 13.7 acres of land in the United States, which
includes temporary workspace for HDD construction, hydrostatic testing
of the pipeline, and project access. Following construction, Trans-
Pecos would retain 1.3 acres as a 50-foot-wide permanent easement for
operation of the FERC-jurisdictional pipeline, and the remaining
acreage would be restored and revert to former uses.

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 note that many comments were filed
prior to this notice. We want to assure those commentors that their
concerns will be considered in the scope of our environmental review;
you do not need to resubmit comments. 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;

[[Page 45524]]

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. We will 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
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.
When 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/resources/guides/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-
500). 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: July 23, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-18680 Filed 7-29-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 146 / Thursday, July 30, 2015 / Notices 45523

Commission) will prepare an Commission’s proceedings. It is also constructed in support of the project,
environmental assessment (EA) that will available for viewing on the FERC Web but do not fall under the jurisdiction of
discuss the environmental impacts of site (www.ferc.gov). the FERC. This would include Trans-
the Presidio Border Crossing Project Pecos’ intrastate pipeline facilities,
Public Participation
involving construction and operation of consisting of 143 miles of new 42-inch-
facilities for the export of natural gas by For your convenience, there are three diameter pipeline, multiple receipt and
Trans-Pecos Pipeline, LLC (Trans-Pecos) methods you can use to submit your delivery metering stations, and other
in Presidio County, Texas. The comments to the Commission. The auxiliary facilities extending from Pecos
Commission will use this EA in its Commission encourages electronic filing County, Texas and terminating at the
decision-making process to determine of comments and has expert staff proposed FERC-jurisdictional project
whether the project is in the public available to assist you at (202) 502–8258 facilities in Presidio County. The
interest. or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully intrastate facilities would be subject to
This notice announces the opening of follow these instructions so that your the jurisdiction of the Texas Railroad
the scoping process the Commission comments are properly recorded. Commission and would be non-
will use to gather input from the public (1) You can file your comments jurisdictional to the FERC. In the EA, we
and interested agencies on the project. electronically using the eComment will provide available descriptions of
You can make a difference by providing feature on the Commission’s Web site the non-jurisdictional facilities and
us with your specific comments or (www.ferc.gov) under the link to include them under our analysis of
concerns about the project. Your Documents and Filings. This is an easy cumulative impacts.
comments should focus on the potential method for submitting brief, text-only
environmental effects, reasonable comments on a project; Land Requirements for Construction
alternatives, and measures to avoid or (2) You can file your comments Construction of the Presidio Border
lessen environmental impacts. Your electronically by using the eFiling Crossing Project pipeline would affect a
input will help the Commission staff feature on the Commission’s Web site total of 13.7 acres of land in the United
determine what issues they need to (www.ferc.gov) under the link to States, which includes temporary
evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your Documents and Filings. With eFiling, workspace for HDD construction,
comments are timely and properly you can provide comments in a variety hydrostatic testing of the pipeline, and
recorded, please send your comments so of formats by attaching them as a file project access. Following construction,
that the Commission receives them in with your submission. New eFiling Trans-Pecos would retain 1.3 acres as a
Washington, DC on or before August 24, users must first create an account by 50-foot-wide permanent easement for
2015. clicking on ‘‘eRegister.’’ If you are filing operation of the FERC-jurisdictional
If you sent comments on this project a comment on a particular project, pipeline, and the remaining acreage
to the Commission before the opening of please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as would be restored and revert to former
this docket on May 28, 2015, you will the filing type; or uses.
need to file those comments in Docket (3) You can file a paper copy of your
No. CP15–500–000 to ensure they are comments by mailing them to the The EA Process
considered as part of this proceeding. following address. Be sure to reference The National Environmental Policy
This notice is being sent to the the project docket number (CP15–500– Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
Commission’s current environmental 000) with your submission: Kimberly D. take into account the environmental
mailing list for this project. State and Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy impacts that could result from an action
local government representatives should Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street whenever it considers the issuance of an
notify their constituents of this NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Authorization. NEPA also requires us 2
proposed project and encourage them to to discover and address concerns the
comment on their areas of concern. Summary of the Proposed Project
public may have about proposals. This
If you are a landowner receiving this Trans-Pecos proposes to construct and process is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The
notice, a pipeline company operate a new border crossing at the main goal of the scoping process is to
representative may contact you about international boundary between the focus the analysis in the EA on the
the acquisition of an easement to United States and Mexico in Presidio important environmental issues. By this
construct, operate, and maintain the County, Texas. The Presidio Border notice, the Commission requests public
proposed facilities. The company would Crossing Project would consist of the comments on the scope of the issues to
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable construction of approximately 2,000 feet address in the EA. We note that many
agreement. However, if the Commission of FERC-jurisdictional 42-inch-diameter comments were filed prior to this
approves the project, that approval pipeline, installed beneath the Rio notice. We want to assure those
conveys with it the right of eminent Grande River near the City of Presidio commentors that their concerns will be
domain. Therefore, if easement in Presidio County, Texas. The new considered in the scope of our
negotiations fail to produce an pipeline would have a maximum design environmental review; you do not need
agreement, the pipeline company could export capacity of approximately 1.3 to resubmit comments. We will consider
initiate condemnation proceedings billion cubic feet per day, in order to all filed comments during the
where compensation would be transport natural gas to a new delivery preparation of the EA.
determined in accordance with state interconnect in the vicinity of the City In the EA we will discuss impacts that
law. of Manuel Ojinaga, State of Chihuahua, could occur as a result of the
Trans-Pecos provided landowners Mexico for electric generation and construction and operation of the
Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC industrial market needs in Mexico. proposed project under these general
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas The general location of the project headings:
Facility On My Land? What Do I Need facilities is shown in appendix 1. • Geology and soils;
To Know?’’. This fact sheet addresses a
number of typically-asked questions, Non-Jurisdictional Facilities
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
including the use of eminent domain The Presidio Border Crossing Project environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
and how to participate in the has associated facilities that would be Energy Projects.

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Document Created: 2018-02-23 09:29:55
Document Modified: 2018-02-23 09:29:55

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 45522

80 FR 45522 - Trans-Pecos Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Presidio Border Crossing Project Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 146 (July 30, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission