82 FR 12582 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Mountaineer Xpress and Gulf Xpress Projects

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 42 (March 6, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 42 (Monday, March 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12582-12584]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04303]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Mountaineer Xpress and Gulf Xpress Projects

 
                                                    Docket No.
 
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC.........  CP16-357-000

[[Page 12583]]

 
Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC........  CP16-361-000
 

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Mountaineer XPress Project (MXP), proposed by Columbia Gas 
Transmission, LLC (Columbia Gas), and the Gulf XPress Project (GXP), 
proposed by Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC (Columbia Gulf), in the 
above-referenced dockets. Columbia Gas requests authorization to 
construct and operate a total of 170.7 miles of natural gas 
transmission pipeline and ancillary facilities in West Virginia, and to 
modify one existing compressor station and two pending compressor 
stations. The MXP would provide about 2,700,000 dekatherms per day 
(Dth/d) of available capacity for transport to Columbia Gas' TCO Pool 
for delivery to markets across Columbia Pipeline Group's system, 
including the Columbia Gulf Leach interconnect with Columbia Gulf. 
Columbia Gulf requests authorization to construct and operate seven new 
natural gas-fired compressor stations and to upgrade a pending 
compressor station and one existing meter station in Kentucky, 
Tennessee, and Mississippi. The GXP would provide about 860,000 Dth/d 
of natural gas delivery to markets in the Gulf Coast region.
    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the MXP and GXP in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the proposed projects would result in 
some adverse and significant environmental impacts. However, if the 
projects are constructed and operated in accordance with applicable 
laws and regulations, the mitigation measures discussed in this EIS, 
and our recommendations, these impacts would be reduced to acceptable 
levels.
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE), West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), 
and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) 
participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS. 
Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with 
respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and 
participate in the NEPA analysis. The USACE will adopt and use the EIS 
to comply with the requirements of NEPA before issuing permits for the 
projects under section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which governs the 
discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States 
(including wetlands). Although the cooperating agencies provided input 
to the conclusions and recommendations presented in the draft EIS, the 
agencies will present their own conclusions and recommendations in 
their respective records of decision (where applicable) for the 
projects.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation in West Virginia of the following MXP 
facilities:
     About 164.3 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline from Marshall County to Cabell County;
     about 5.9 miles of new 24-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline in Doddridge County;
     three new compressor stations in Doddridge, Calhoun, and 
Jackson Counties;
     two new regulating stations in Ripley and Cabell Counties;
     about 296 feet of new, 10-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline at the Ripley Regulator Station to tie Columbia Gas' existing 
X59M1 pipeline into the MXP-100 pipeline in Jackson County;
     an approximately 0.4-mile-long replacement segment of 30-
inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in Cabell County; and
     upgrades to one existing compressor station (Wayne County) 
and two compressor stations (Marshall and Kanawha Counties) either 
approved or pending under separate FERC proceedings.
    The draft EIS also addresses the potential environmental effects of 
the construction and operation of the following GXP facilities:
     Seven new compressor stations in Kentucky (Rowan, Garrard, 
and Metcalfe Counties), Tennessee (Davidson and Wayne Counties), and 
Mississippi (Union and Granada Counties);
     upgrades to one pending compressor station in Carter 
County, Kentucky; and
     upgrades at one existing meter station in Boyd County, 
Kentucky.
    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; and newspapers and libraries in the project areas. Paper copy 
versions of this 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 on or before April 
24, 2017.
    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal 
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form 
or provided verbally. 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: 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 comment sessions its 
staff will conduct in the project areas to receive comments on the 
draft EIS. The sessions are scheduled as shown below.

[[Page 12584]]



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           Date and time                          Location
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Monday, March 20, 2017, 5:00-9:00   Sleepy Hollow Golf & Country Club,
 p.m.                                3780 Sleepy Hollow Drive,
                                     Hurricane, WV 25526, (304) 757-
                                     9416.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017, 5:00-9:00  Ripley High School, 2 School Street,
 p.m.                                Ripley, WV 25271, (304) 372-7355.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 5:00-    Doddridge County Park Meeting
 9:00 p.m.                           Facility, 1252 Snowbird Road, West
                                     Union, WV 26456, (304) 873-1663.
Thursday, March 23, 2017, 5:00-     New Martinsville City Hall, 195 Main
 9:00 p.m.                           Street, New Martinsville, WV 26155,
                                     (304) 455-9120.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017, 5:00-9:00  Cane Ridge High School, 12848 Old
 p.m.                                Hickory Boulevard, Antioch, TN
                                     37013, (615) 687-4000.
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    The primary goal of these comment sessions is to provide the public 
with another method for identifying specific environmental issues and 
concerns with the draft EIS. Individual verbal comments will be taken 
on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter. This format is designed to 
receive the maximum amount of verbal comments in a convenient way 
during the timeframe allotted.
    Each comment session is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 
(local time). There will not be a formal presentation by Commission 
staff when the session opens. If you wish to speak, the Commission 
staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival; distribution 
of numbers will be discontinued at 8:00 p.m. in order to ensure all 
comments are received by the session closing time. However, if no 
additional numbers have been handed out and all individuals who wish to 
provide comments have had an opportunity to do so, staff may conclude 
the session at 8:00 p.m., or after the last comment is taken. Please 
see appendix 1 for additional information on the session format and 
conduct.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the 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.
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    Your verbal comments will be recorded by the court reporter (with 
FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the public 
record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on 
FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary). 
If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal 
comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 3 to 5 minutes may 
be implemented for each commentor.
    It is important to note that verbal comments hold the same weight 
as written or electronically submitted comments. Although there will 
not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available 
throughout the comment session to answer your questions about the FERC 
environmental review process.
    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 385.214).\2\ 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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    \2\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing 
comments.
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Questions?

    Additional information about the projects 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., CP16-
357 and CP16-361). 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-04303 Filed 3-3-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P