80 FR 49217 - Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Equitrans Expansion Project, and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 158 (August 17, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 158 (Monday, August 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49217-49219]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20199]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF15-22-000]


Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Planned Equitrans Expansion Project, and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will discuss the potential environmental effects of the 
Equitrans Expansion Project (EEP, or Project) involving construction 
and operation of facilities by Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) in 
Allegheny, Washington, and Green Counties, Pennsylvania and Wetzel 
County, West Virginia, in the Commission's environmental impact 
statement (EIS) currently under preparation for the planned Mountain 
Valley Pipeline (MVP) Project (FERC Docket No. PF15-3-000). The Project 
is designed to transport natural gas from the northern portion of 
Equitrans' system south to a future interconnection with MVP, as well 
as existing interconnects on the southern portion of Equitrans' system 
with Texas Eastern Transmission, LP and Dominion Transmission, Inc. 
Because of the interconnection with MVP, the Commission staff will 
evaluate the two projects jointly in the EIS. This EIS will be used by 
the Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the 
MVP and EEP Projects are 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 EEP. 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 EIS. 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 September 14, 2015.
    If you sent comments on the EEP to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on April 9, 2015, you will need to re-file those 
comments in Docket No. PF15-22-000 to ensure they are considered as 
part of this proceeding. This scoping period is established to receive 
comments on the EEP, and comments previously filed with the FERC 
regarding the MVP Project should not be refiled under the EEP docket.
    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 planned 
Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a representative of 
Equitrans may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the planned 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.
    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

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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 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 
(PF15-22-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.

Summary of the Planned Project

    According to Equitrans, the EEP is designed to allow shippers the 
flexibility of transporting up to 600,000 dekatherms per day of natural 
gas produced in the Appalachian Basin to potential markets in the 
Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern United States. The EEP would 
consist of the following facilities:
     A new 3.0-mile-long, 30-inch-diameter pipeline and a new 
4.2-mile-long, 20-inch-diameter pipeline in Allegheny and Washington 
Counties Pennsylvania (H-316 Pipeline and H-318 Pipeline);
     a new Redhook Compressor Station, to replace the existing 
Pratt Compressor Station in Green County, Pennsylvania;
     an interconnect with the planned MVP Project and a tap on 
Equitrans' existing H-302 pipeline in Wetzel County, West Virginia 
(Webster Interconnection and Mobley Tap);
     a new extension of an existing 6-inch-diameter pipeline 
and an existing 12-inch-diameter pipeline extending for 0.2-mile in 
Green County, Pennsylvania (M-80 Pipeline and H-158 Pipeline);
     a new approximately 200-foot-long, 16-inch-diameter 
pipeline in Wetzel County, West Virginia (H-319 Pipeline);
     a new approximately 55-foot-long extension of an existing 
12-inch pipeline in Green County, Pennsylvania (H-305 Pipeline);
     pig launchers and receivers; \1\ and
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    \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.
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     four meter and regulation stations.
    The general location of the Project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned facilities would disturb approximately 
207 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipelines. 
Following construction, Equitrans would maintain approximately 64 acres 
for permanent operation of the Project's facilities; the remaining 
acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. The actual acreage 
affected will be determined more precisely as Project design proceeds 
and likely will increase above these preliminary estimates.

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 the issuance of a 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. The 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 EIS on the important 
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EIS. We will 
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EIS.
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    \2\ The pronouns ``we'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the 
environmental staff of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     water resources and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     cultural resources;
     land use, recreation, and visual resources;
     air quality and noise;
     public safety; and
     cumulative impacts.
    The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We 
will evaluate possible alternatives to the planned Project or portions 
of the Project. For specific resources, we would make recommendations 
on how to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts, in addition to the 
measures proposed by Equitrans.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our environmental review under the Commission's pre-filing 
process. The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early 
involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve 
issues before the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-
filing review, we have begun to contact some federal and state agencies 
to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation 
of the EIS.
    We will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. 
After the comment period, we will consider all timely comments and 
revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To 
ensure we have the opportunity to consider and address your comments, 
please carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation 
section of this notice.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EIS.\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. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, West Virginia Department of Natural 
Resources, and the West Virginia Department of Environment Protection 
have already agreed to be cooperating agencies in the development of 
the EIS for the MVP Project.
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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

[[Page 49219]]

applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s), 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(s) 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 EIS 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 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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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Equitrans. This preliminary 
list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis:
     Steep slopes;
     erosion control;
     alternatives and their potential impacts on a range of 
resources; and
     cumulative impacts.

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Indian 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 
planned Project.
    Copies of the completed draft EIS 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 compact disc 
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please 
return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Equitrans files its application with the Commission, 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. Motions to intervene are more fully described at 
http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions 
for becoming an intervenor are in the ``Document-less Intervention 
Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site. 
Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor 
status at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a 
formal application for the project.

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., PF15-
22). 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, if scheduled, will be 
posted on the Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

     Dated: August 11, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-20199 Filed 8-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P