81 FR 68008 - Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Central Virginia Connector Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 191 (October 3, 2016)

Page Range		68008-68010
FR Document		2016-23818

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 191 (Monday, October 3, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 191 (Monday, October 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68008-68010]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23818]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP16-493-000]

Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Central Virginia Connector
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 Central Virginia Connector
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Columbia
Gas Transmission, L.L.C. (Columbia) in Louisa and Goochland Counties,
Virginia. 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 October 27, 2016.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on August 12, 2016, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP16-493-000 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.
Columbia 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
(CP16-493-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.

[[Page 68009]]

Summary of the Proposed Project

Columbia proposes to replace three Solar Saturn units with one
Solar Centaur 50 unit at the existing Louisa Compressor Station,
convert the replaced units to standby, increase the certificated
horsepower (HP) at the Louisa Compressor Station from 4,050 HP to 6,130
HP, install pipe and valve modifications to make the existing point of
delivery between Columbia's Mainline VM-108 and VM-109 at Boswell's
Tavern Compressor Station bi-directional, install a new point of
delivery meter station adjacent to Columbia's Goochland Compressor
Station, and install other appurtenant facilities.
The Central Virginia Connector Project is in Louisa and Goochland
Counties, Virginia and would provide 45,000 cubic feet per day of
natural gas on its system and modernize compression at the Louisa
Compressor Station.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice would 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 temporarily disturb
about 13.3 acres of land. Following construction, Columbia Gas would
maintain about 0.9 acre for permanent operation of the project's
facilities; 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 a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. 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 will
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\2\ ``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;
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. 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.\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\3\ 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.\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
If we publish and distribute the EA, copies of the 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 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 in
the ``Document-less Intervention Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on
the Commission's Web site.

[[Page 68010]]

Motions to intervene are more fully described 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., CP16-
493). 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 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 would be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

Dated: September 27, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-23818 Filed 9-30-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

68008 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 191 / Monday, October 3, 2016 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern If you are a landowner receiving this
Time on October 17, 2016. notice, a pipeline company
Federal Energy Regulatory Dated: September 27, 2016. representative may contact you about
Commission the acquisition of an easement to
Kimberly D. Bose,
[Docket Nos. EL16–115–000; QF16–362– construct, operate, and maintain the
Secretary.
002; QF16–363–002; QF16–364–002; QF16– proposed facilities. The company would
[FR Doc. 2016–23815 Filed 9–30–16; 8:45 am]
365–002; QF16–366–002; QF16–367–002; seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
QF16–368–002; QF16–369–002; QF16–370– BILLING CODE 6717–01–P agreement. However, if the Commission
002; QF16–371–002; QF16–372–002; QF16– approves the project, that approval
373–002; QF16–374–002; QF16–375–002; conveys with it the right of eminent
QF16–376–002; QF16–377–002; QF16–378– DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
domain. Therefore, if easement
002; QF16–379–002; QF16–380–002; QF16–
381–002; QF16–382–002; QF16–383–002; Federal Energy Regulatory negotiations fail to produce an
QF16–384–002; QF16–385–002; QF16–386– Commission agreement, the pipeline company could
002; QF16–387–002] initiate condemnation proceedings
[Docket No. CP16–493–000] where compensation would be
Windham Solar LLC; Allco Finance determined in accordance with state
Limited; Windham Solar LLC; Notice of Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC.; law.
Amendment of Petition for Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Columbia provided landowners with
Enforcement a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
Proposed Central Virginia Connector
Take notice that on September 26, Project and Request for Comments on entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
2016, Windham Solar LLC filed an Environmental Issues Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
amendment to the September 12, 2016 To Know?’’ This fact sheet addresses a
filed petition for enforcement pursuant The staff of the Federal Energy number of typically asked questions,
to section 210 of Public Utility Regulatory Commission (FERC or including the use of eminent domain
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 Commission) will prepare an and how to participate in the
(PURPA), 16 U.S.C. 824a–3. environmental assessment (EA) that will Commission’s proceedings. It is also
Any person desiring to intervene or to discuss the environmental impacts of available for viewing on the FERC Web
protest this filing must file in the Central Virginia Connector Project site (www.ferc.gov).
accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of involving construction and operation of
facilities by Columbia Gas Public Participation
the Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214). Transmission, L.L.C. (Columbia) in For your convenience, there are three
Protests will be considered by the Louisa and Goochland Counties, methods you can use to submit your
Commission in determining the Virginia. The Commission will use this comments to the Commission. The
appropriate action to be taken, but will EA in its decision-making process to Commission encourages electronic filing
not serve to make protestants parties to determine whether the project is in the of comments and has expert staff
the proceeding. Any person wishing to public convenience and necessity. available to assist you at (202) 502–8258
become a party must file a notice of This notice announces the opening of or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully
intervention or motion to intervene, as the scoping process the Commission follow these instructions so that your
appropriate. Such notices, motions, or will use to gather input from the public comments are properly recorded.
protests must be filed on or before the and interested agencies on the project.
(1) You can file your comments
comment date. On or before the You can make a difference by providing
electronically using the eComment
comment date, it is not necessary to us with your specific comments or
feature on the Commission’s Web site
serve motions to intervene or protests concerns about the project. Your
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to
on persons other than the Applicant. comments should focus on the potential
Documents and Filings. This is an easy
The Commission encourages environmental effects, reasonable
method for submitting brief, text-only
electronic submission of protests and alternatives, and measures to avoid or
comments on a project;
interventions in lieu of paper using the lessen environmental impacts. Your
‘‘eFiling’’ link at http://www.ferc.gov. input will help the Commission staff (2) You can file your comments
Persons unable to file electronically determine what issues they need to electronically by using the eFiling
should submit an original and 5 copies evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your feature on the Commission’s Web site
of the protest or intervention to the comments are timely and properly (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, recorded, please send your comments so Documents and Filings. With eFiling,
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC that the Commission receives them in you can provide comments in a variety
20426. Washington, DC on or before October of formats by attaching them as a file
This filing is accessible on-line at 27, 2016. with your submission. New eFiling
http://www.ferc.gov, using the If you sent comments on this project users must first create an account by
‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is available for to the Commission before the opening of clicking on ‘‘eRegister.’’ If you are filing
review in the Commission’s Public this docket on August 12, 2016, you will a comment on a particular project,
Reference Room in Washington, DC. need to file those comments in Docket please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as
There is an ‘‘eSubscription’’ link on the No. CP16–493–000 to ensure they are the filing type; or
Web site that enables subscribers to considered as part of this proceeding. (3) You can file a paper copy of your
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

receive email notification when a This notice is being sent to the comments by mailing them to the
document is added to a subscribed Commission’s current environmental following address. Be sure to reference
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC mailing list for this project. State and the project docket number (CP16–493–
Online service, please email local government representatives should 000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call notify their constituents of this Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call proposed project and encourage them to Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
(202) 502–8659. comment on their areas of concern. NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:56 Sep 30, 2016 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM 03OCN1

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 191 / Monday, October 3, 2016 / Notices 68009

Summary of the Proposed Project In the EA we will discuss impacts that project-specific Area of Potential Effects
Columbia proposes to replace three could occur as a result of the (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as
Solar Saturn units with one Solar construction and operation of the the project develops. On natural gas
Centaur 50 unit at the existing Louisa proposed project under these general facility projects, the APE at a minimum
Compressor Station, convert the headings: encompasses all areas subject to ground
replaced units to standby, increase the • geology and soils; disturbance (examples include
• land use; construction right-of-way, contractor/
certificated horsepower (HP) at the
• water resources, fisheries, and pipe storage yards, compressor stations,
Louisa Compressor Station from 4,050
wetlands; and access roads). Our EA for this
HP to 6,130 HP, install pipe and valve • cultural resources; project will document our findings on
modifications to make the existing point • vegetation and wildlife; the impacts on historic properties and
of delivery between Columbia’s • air quality and noise; summarize the status of consultations
Mainline VM–108 and VM–109 at • endangered and threatened species; under section 106.
Boswell’s Tavern Compressor Station bi- • public safety; and
directional, install a new point of • cumulative impacts. Environmental Mailing List
delivery meter station adjacent to We will also evaluate reasonable The environmental mailing list
Columbia’s Goochland Compressor alternatives to the proposed project or includes federal, state, and local
Station, and install other appurtenant portions of the project, and make government representatives and
facilities. recommendations on how to lessen or agencies; elected officials;
The Central Virginia Connector avoid impacts on the various resource environmental and public interest
Project is in Louisa and Goochland areas. groups; Native American Tribes; other
Counties, Virginia and would provide The EA will present our independent interested parties; and local libraries
45,000 cubic feet per day of natural gas analysis of the issues. The EA will be and newspapers. This list also includes
on its system and modernize available in the public record through all affected landowners (as defined in
compression at the Louisa Compressor eLibrary. Depending on the comments the Commission’s regulations) who are
Station. received during the scoping process, we potential right-of-way grantors, whose
The general location of the project may also publish and distribute the EA property may be used temporarily for
facilities is shown in appendix 1.1 to the public for an allotted comment project purposes, or who own homes
Land Requirements for Construction period. We will consider all comments within certain distances of aboveground
on the EA before making our facilities, and anyone who submits
Construction of the proposed facilities recommendations to the Commission. comments on the project. We will
would temporarily disturb about 13.3 To ensure we have the opportunity to update the environmental mailing list as
acres of land. Following construction, consider and address your comments, the analysis proceeds to ensure that we
Columbia Gas would maintain about 0.9 please carefully follow the instructions send the information related to this
acre for permanent operation of the in the Public Participation section, environmental review to all individuals,
project’s facilities; the remaining beginning on page 2. organizations, and government entities
acreage would be restored and revert to With this notice, we are asking interested in and/or potentially affected
former uses. agencies with jurisdiction by law and/ by the proposed project.
The EA Process or special expertise with respect to the If we publish and distribute the EA,
environmental issues of this project to copies of the EA will be sent to the
The National Environmental Policy formally cooperate with us in the environmental mailing list for public
Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to preparation of the EA.3 Agencies that review and comment. If you would
take into account the environmental would like to request cooperating prefer to receive a paper copy of the
impacts that could result from an action agency status should follow the document instead of the CD version or
whenever it considers the issuance of a instructions for filing comments would like to remove your name from
Certificate of Public Convenience and provided under the Public Participation the mailing list, please return the
Necessity. NEPA also requires us 2 to section of this notice. attached Information Request (appendix
discover and address concerns the 2).
public may have about proposals. This Consultations Under Section 106 of the
process is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The National Historic Preservation Act Becoming an Intervenor
main goal of the scoping process is to In accordance with the Advisory In addition to involvement in the EA
focus the analysis in the EA on the Council on Historic Preservation’s scoping process, you may want to
important environmental issues. By this implementing regulations for section become an ‘‘intervenor’’ which is an
notice, the Commission requests public 106 of the National Historic official party to the Commission’s
comments on the scope of the issues to Preservation Act, we are using this proceeding. Intervenors play a more
address in the EA. We will consider all notice to initiate consultation with the formal role in the process and are able
filed comments during the preparation applicable State Historic Preservation to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be
of the EA. Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views heard by the courts if they choose to
and those of other government agencies, appeal the Commission’s final ruling.
1 The appendices referenced in this notice would
interested Indian tribes, and the public An intervenor formally participates in
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of on the project’s potential effects on the proceeding by filing a request to
appendices were sent to all those receiving this intervene. Instructions for becoming an
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov historic properties.4 We will define the
intervenor are in the ‘‘Document-less
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First 3 The Council on Environmental Quality Intervention Guide’’ under the ‘‘e-filing’’
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) regulations addressing cooperating agency link on the Commission’s Web site.
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice. Regulations, Part 1501.6. historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the 4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s district, site, building, structure, or object included
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
Energy Projects. Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define of Historic Places.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:56 Sep 30, 2016 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM 03OCN1

Document Created: 2018-02-13 14:11:12
Document Modified: 2018-02-13 14:11:12

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		81 FR 68008

81 FR 68008 - Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Central Virginia Connector Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 191 (October 3, 2016)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission