80 FR 54777 - Florida Southeast Connection, LLC; Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 176 (September 11, 2015)

Page Range		54777-54778
FR Document		2015-22914
Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 176 (Friday, September 11, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 176 (Friday, September 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54777-54778]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-22914]



[[Page 54777]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP14-554-000; CP15-16-000; CP15-17-000]


Florida Southeast Connection, LLC; Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 
Company, LLC; Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC

Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Southeast Market Pipelines Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Hillabee Expansion, Sabal Trail, and Florida Southeast 
Connection (FSC) Projects as proposed by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 
Company, LLC (Transco), Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC (Sabal Trail), 
and Florida Southeast Connection, LLC (FSC), respectively, in the 
above-referenced dockets. These are separate, but connected, natural 
gas transmission pipeline projects collectively referred to as the 
Southeast Market Pipelines (SMP) Project. The applicants request 
authorization to construct and operate a total of about 685.5 miles of 
natural gas transmission pipeline and associated facilities, six new 
natural gas-fired compressor stations, and modify existing compressor 
stations in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The SMP Project would 
provide about 1.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to meet 
growing demands by the electric generation, distribution, and end use 
markets in Florida and the southeast United States.
    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the SMP Project in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the SMP Project would have some 
adverse environmental impacts; however, these impacts would be reduced 
to less-than-significant levels with the implementation of the 
applicants' proposed mitigation and the additional measures recommended 
in the draft EIS.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) participated as a 
cooperating agency in the preparation of the draft EIS. The USACE has 
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources 
potentially affected by the proposals and is participating in the NEPA 
analysis. The USACE has jurisdictional authority pursuant to section 
404 of the Clean Water Act, which governs the discharge of dredged or 
fill material into waters of the United States; section 10 of the 
Rivers and Harbors Act, which regulates any work or structures that 
potentially affect the navigable capacity of navigable waters of the 
United States; and section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act which 
regulates the temporary occupation of water-related structures 
constructed by the United States. The USACE may adopt and use the EIS 
to support its review of the SMP Project. Although the cooperating 
agency provides input to the conclusions and recommendations presented 
in the draft EIS, the agency will present its own conclusions and 
recommendations in its Record of Decision for the project. A copy of 
the USACE's public notice of its receipt of applications from Transco, 
Sabal Trail, and FSC is enclosed with our draft EIS.
    The draft EIS of the SMP Project addresses the potential 
environmental effects of the construction and operation of the 
following project facilities:
    The Hillabee Expansion Project would include:
     Approximately 43.5 miles of new 42- and 48-inch-diameter 
natural gas pipeline loop \1\ in Alabama;
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    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipe that is installed adjacent to an 
existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. A loop generally 
allows more gas to move through the system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     one new compressor station in Choctaw County, Alabama and 
modifications to three existing compressor stations in Dallas, Chilton, 
and Coosa Counties, Alabama; and
     installation of pig \2\ launchers/receivers and mainline 
valves (MLVs).
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    \2\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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    The Sabal Trail Project would include:
     Approximately 515.5 miles of new natural gas pipeline in 
Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, including:
    [cir] 480.9 miles of 36-inch-diameter mainline pipeline in Alabama, 
Georgia, and Florida;
    [cir] the 21.5-mile-long, 24-inch-diameter Citrus County Line in 
Florida; and
    [cir] the 13.1-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter Hunters Creek Line in 
Florida;
     five new compressor stations in Tallapoosa County, 
Alabama; Dougherty County, Georgia; and Suwannee, Marion, and Osceola 
Counties, Florida;
     subsequent modifications to two of the new compressor 
stations in Dougherty County, Georgia and Suwannee County, Florida; and
     installation of pig launchers/receivers, MLVs, and meter 
and regulating stations.
    The FSC Project would include:
     Approximately 126.4 miles of new 30- and 36-inch-diameter 
natural gas pipeline in Florida; and
     installation of pig launchers/receivers, MLVs, and meter 
and regulating stations.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the draft EIS to federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; 
potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and 
groups; newspapers and libraries in the project area; and parties to 
this proceeding. Paper copy versions of this draft EIS were mailed to 
those specifically requesting them; all others received a CD version. 
In addition, the draft EIS is available for public viewing on the 
FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. A limited 
number of copies are available for distribution and public inspection 
at:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First 
Street NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is 
important that the Commission receive your comments by October 26, 
2015.
    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
appropriate docket numbers (CP14-554-000 for the FSC Project; CP15-16-
000 for the Hillabee Expansion Project; or CP15-17-000 for the Sabal 
Trail Project) with your submission. 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

[[Page 54778]]

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 numbers 
(CP14-554-000, CP15-16-000, and CP15-17-000) with your submission:

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.

    (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the 
Commission invites you to attend one of the public meetings its staff 
will conduct in the SMP Project area to receive comments on the draft 
EIS. We encourage interested groups and individuals to attend and 
present oral comments on the draft EIS. The meetings are scheduled as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Date and time                           Location
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Monday, September 28, 2015,    Albany Civic Center--Meeting Room, 100
 6:00-8:00 p.m. Eastern         West Oglethorpe, Albany, GA 31701.
 Daylight Time (EDT).
Tuesday, September 29, 2015,   Colquitt County High School (Old High
 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT.            School), Withers Auditorium, 1800 Park
                                Avenue, Moultrie, GA 31776.
Wednesday, September 30,       Holiday Inn Valdosta, Conference Center,
 2015, 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT.      Magnolia Ballroom, 1805 West Hill Ave.,
                                Valdosta, GA 31601.
Thursday, October 1, 2015,     Columbia High School--Auditorium, 469 SE
 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT.            Fighting Tiger Drive, Lake City, FL
                                32025.
Monday, October 5, 2015, 6:00- Central Alabama Community College, Betty
 8:00 p.m. Central Daylight     Carol Graham Technology Center--Multi
 Time (CDT).                    Purpose Room, 1675 Cherokee Road,
                                Alexander City, AL 35010.
Monday, October 5, 2015, 6:00- Indian River State College, Williamson
 8:00 p.m. EDT.                 Conference Center Auditorium, 2229
                                Northwest 9th Avenue, Okeechobee, FL
                                34972.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015,      South Girard School Auditorium, 521
 6:00-8:00 p.m. CDT.            Fontaine Road, Phenix City, AL 36869.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015,      Dunnellon Middle School Auditorium, 21005
 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT.            Chestnut Street, Dunnellon, FL 34431.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015,    Davenport School of the Arts Cafeteria,
 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT.            4751 County Road 547, (Lee Jackson
                                Highway), Davenport, FL 33837.
Thursday, October 8, 2015,     Bell High School Auditorium, 930 South
 6:00-8:00 p.m. EDT.            Main Street, Bell, FL 32619.
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    We will begin our sign up of speakers at 5:30 p.m. The comment 
meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a presentation by Commission 
staff on our environmental review process, after which speakers will be 
called. The meeting will end once all speakers have provided their 
comments or at 8:00 p.m., whichever comes first. Please note that there 
may be a time limit of 3 minutes to present comments, and speakers 
should structure their comments accordingly. If time limits are 
implemented, they will be strictly enforced to ensure that as many 
individuals as possible are given an opportunity to comment. The 
meetings are recorded by a stenographer to ensure comments are 
accurately recorded. Transcripts will be entered into the formal record 
of the Commission proceeding. It is important to note that verbal 
comments hold the same weight as written or electronically submitted 
comments.
    Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a 
motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214).\3\ Only intervenors have 
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. The 
Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental 
concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they 
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other 
party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments 
will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor 
status to have your comments considered.
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    \3\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing 
comments.
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Questions?

    Additional information about the SMP 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., CP14-
554, CP15-16, and CP15-17). 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; 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 that 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: September 4, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-22914 Filed 9-10-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 176 / Friday, September 11, 2015 / Notices 54777

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NEPA analysis. The USACE has • installation of pig launchers/
jurisdictional authority pursuant to receivers, MLVs, and meter and
Federal Energy Regulatory section 404 of the Clean Water Act, regulating stations.
Commission which governs the discharge of dredged The FSC Project would include:
or fill material into waters of the United • Approximately 126.4 miles of new
[Docket Nos. CP14–554–000; CP15–16–000;
States; section 10 of the Rivers and 30- and 36-inch-diameter natural gas
CP15–17–000]
Harbors Act, which regulates any work pipeline in Florida; and
Florida Southeast Connection, LLC; or structures that potentially affect the • installation of pig launchers/
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line navigable capacity of navigable waters receivers, MLVs, and meter and
Company, LLC; Sabal Trail of the United States; and section 14 of regulating stations.
Transmission, LLC the Rivers and Harbors Act which The FERC staff mailed copies of the
regulates the temporary occupation of draft EIS to federal, state, and local
Notice of Availability of the Draft water-related structures constructed by government representatives and
Environmental Impact Statement for the United States. The USACE may agencies; elected officials;
the Proposed Southeast Market adopt and use the EIS to support its environmental and public interest
Pipelines Project review of the SMP Project. Although the groups; Native American tribes;
The staff of the Federal Energy cooperating agency provides input to potentially affected landowners and
Regulatory Commission (FERC or the conclusions and recommendations other interested individuals and groups;
Commission) has prepared a draft presented in the draft EIS, the agency newspapers and libraries in the project
environmental impact statement (EIS) will present its own conclusions and area; and parties to this proceeding.
for the Hillabee Expansion, Sabal Trail, recommendations in its Record of Paper copy versions of this draft EIS
and Florida Southeast Connection (FSC) Decision for the project. A copy of the were mailed to those specifically
Projects as proposed by USACE’s public notice of its receipt of requesting them; all others received a
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line applications from Transco, Sabal Trail, CD version. In addition, the draft EIS is
Company, LLC (Transco), Sabal Trail and FSC is enclosed with our draft EIS. available for public viewing on the
Transmission, LLC (Sabal Trail), and The draft EIS of the SMP Project FERC’s Web site (www.ferc.gov) using
Florida Southeast Connection, LLC addresses the potential environmental the eLibrary link. A limited number of
(FSC), respectively, in the above- effects of the construction and operation copies are available for distribution and
referenced dockets. These are separate, of the following project facilities: public inspection at:
but connected, natural gas transmission The Hillabee Expansion Project would Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
pipeline projects collectively referred to include: Public Reference Room, 888 First
as the Southeast Market Pipelines (SMP) • Approximately 43.5 miles of new Street NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC
Project. The applicants request 42- and 48-inch-diameter natural gas 20426, (202) 502–8371.
authorization to construct and operate a pipeline loop 1 in Alabama; Any person wishing to comment on
total of about 685.5 miles of natural gas • one new compressor station in
the draft EIS may do so. To ensure
transmission pipeline and associated Choctaw County, Alabama and
consideration of your comments on the
facilities, six new natural gas-fired modifications to three existing
proposal in the final EIS, it is important
compressor stations, and modify compressor stations in Dallas, Chilton,
that the Commission receive your
existing compressor stations in and Coosa Counties, Alabama; and
• installation of pig 2 launchers/ comments by October 26, 2015.
Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The For your convenience, there are four
receivers and mainline valves (MLVs).
SMP Project would provide about 1.1 methods you can use to submit your
The Sabal Trail Project would
billion cubic feet per day of natural gas comments to the Commission. In all
include:
to meet growing demands by the electric • Approximately 515.5 miles of new instances, please reference the
generation, distribution, and end use natural gas pipeline in Alabama, appropriate docket numbers (CP14–
markets in Florida and the southeast Georgia, and Florida, including: 554–000 for the FSC Project; CP15–16–
United States. Æ 480.9 miles of 36-inch-diameter 000 for the Hillabee Expansion Project;
The draft EIS assesses the potential mainline pipeline in Alabama, Georgia, or CP15–17–000 for the Sabal Trail
environmental effects of the and Florida; Project) with your submission. The
construction and operation of the SMP Æ the 21.5-mile-long, 24-inch- Commission encourages electronic filing
Project in accordance with the diameter Citrus County Line in Florida; of comments and has expert staff
requirements of the National and available to assist you at (202) 502–8258
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Æ the 13.1-mile-long, 36-inch- or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully
FERC staff concludes that approval of diameter Hunters Creek Line in Florida; follow these instructions so that your
the SMP Project would have some • five new compressor stations in comments are properly recorded.
adverse environmental impacts; Tallapoosa County, Alabama; Dougherty (1) You can file your comments
however, these impacts would be County, Georgia; and Suwannee, electronically using the eComment
reduced to less-than-significant levels Marion, and Osceola Counties, Florida; feature on the Commission’s Web site
with the implementation of the • subsequent modifications to two of (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
applicants’ proposed mitigation and the the new compressor stations in Documents and Filings. This is an easy
additional measures recommended in Dougherty County, Georgia and method for submitting brief, text-only
the draft EIS. Suwannee County, Florida; and comments on a project;
rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2) You can file your comments
(USACE) participated as a cooperating 1 A loop is a segment of pipe that is installed electronically by using the eFiling
agency in the preparation of the draft adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to feature on the Commission’s Web site
EIS. The USACE has jurisdiction by law it at both ends. A loop generally allows more gas (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
to move through the system.
or special expertise with respect to 2 A pig is an internal tool that can be used to Documents and Filings. With eFiling,
resources potentially affected by the clean and dry a pipeline and/or to inspect it for you can provide comments in a variety
proposals and is participating in the damage or corrosion. of formats by attaching them as a file

VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:14 Sep 10, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\11SEN1.SGM 11SEN1
Document Created: 2015-12-15 10:00:06
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 10:00:06
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 54777
80 FR 54777 - Florida Southeast Connection, LLC; Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 176 (September 11, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
