82 FR 22533 - Northwest Pipeline LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed North Fork Nooksack Line Lowering Project Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 93 (May 16, 2017)

Page Range		22533-22535
FR Document		2017-09802
Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 93 (Tuesday, May 16, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22533-22535]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09802]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP17-133-000]


Northwest Pipeline LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed North Fork Nooksack Line 
Lowering Project 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 North Fork Nooksack Line 
Lowering Project (Nooksack Lowering Project or Project) involving 
construction and operation of facilities by Northwest Pipeline LLC 
(Northwest) in Whatcom County, Washington. 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 June 8, 2017.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on April 6, 2017, you will need to refile those 
comments in Docket No. CP17-133-000 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.
    Northwest 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

[[Page 22534]]

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 
(CP17-133-000) 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

    Northwest proposes to remove, replace, and lower about 1,700 feet 
of 30-inch-diameter pipeline in the north floodplain of the North Fork 
Nooksack River. The project also includes removal of about 1,550 feet 
of previously abandoned in place 26-inch-diameter pipeline that will 
become exposed during the replacement of the 30-inch pipeline. The 
Project is located in Whatcom County, near Deming, Washington. 
According to Northwest the Project would: (1) ensure system 
reliability; (2) preserve service continuity; and 3) to comply with 
Whatcom County requirements to complete a long-term solution and reduce 
long-term impediments to facilitate future natural channel migration.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will 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.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb a total of 
about 24.3 acres of land for lowering of the 30-inch diameter pipeline 
and removal of 26-inch-diameter pipeline. No new permanent easement 
would be required. Following construction, all construction work areas 
would be restored and revert to former uses. The pipeline corridor in 
the Project area includes three existing pipelines and work would be 
completed within its existing right-of-way. About 100 percent of the 
proposed pipeline route parallels its existing pipeline.

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.
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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;
     land use;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife including migratory birds;
     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.
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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

[[Page 22535]]

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 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. 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., CP17-
133-000. 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 sessions 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: May 9, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-09802 Filed 5-15-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 93 / Tuesday, May 16, 2017 / Notices 22533

to 700 cfs; (10) a switchyard on the annual generation was about 374,854 email of new filings and issuances
eastern bank of Schoharie Creek megawatt-hours (MWh) and average related to this or other pending projects.
adjacent to the powerhouse; and (11) annual energy consumption from For assistance, contact FERC Online
appurtenant facilities. pumping was about 540,217 MWh. Support.
l. Locations of the Application: A
During operation, the Blenheim- n. Procedural Schedule: On
copy of the application is available for
Gilboa Project’s pump-turbines may be September 6, 2016, Commission staff
review at the Commission in the Public
turned on or off several times Reference Room or may be viewed on issued a revised process plan and
throughout the day, but the project the Commission’s Web site at http:// schedule with milestones and dates for
typically generates electricity during the www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. the filing and review of NYPA’s
day when consumer demand is high and Enter the docket number excluding the remaining study reports. NYPA filed its
other power resources are more last three digits in the docket number remaining study report on February 17,
expensive. Pumping usually occurs at field to access the document. For 2017. The Director, Office of Energy
night and on weekends when there is assistance, please contact FERC Online Projects will make a final determination
excess electricity in the system available Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ on the need to modify the approved
for use. According to a July 30, 1975, ferc.gov, (866) 208–3676 (toll free), or study plan for the remaining study by
settlement agreement, NYPA releases a (202) 502–8659 (TTY). A copy is also June 18, 2017. At this time, the
minimum flow of 10 cubic feet per available for inspection and application is expected to be processed
second (cfs) during low-flow periods reproduction at the address in item (h) according to the following preliminary
when 1,500 acre-feet of water is in above. Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to
storage, and 7 cfs when less than 1,500 m. You may also register online at the schedule may be made following the
acre-feet is in storage. For the period http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ Director’s determination on the
2007 through 2016, the project’s average esubscription.asp to be notified via remaining study, and as appropriate.

Milestone Target date

Notice of Acceptance/Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis ............................................................................................ June 2017.
Filing of recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and fishway prescriptions ......................................................... August 2017.
Commission issues Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) .................................... February 2018.
Comments on Draft EA or EIS .................................................................................................................................................... April 2018.
Modified terms and conditions ..................................................................................................................................................... June 2018.
Commission issues Final EA or EIS ............................................................................................................................................ September 2018.

o. Final amendments to the County, Washington. The Commission proposed project and encourage them to
application must be filed with the will use this EA in its decision-making comment on their areas of concern.
Commission no later than 30 days from process to determine whether the If you are a landowner receiving this
the issuance date of the notice of ready project is in the public convenience and notice, a pipeline company
for environmental analysis. necessity. representative may contact you about
Dated: May 9, 2017. This notice announces the opening of the acquisition of an easement to
Kimberly D. Bose, the scoping process the Commission construct, operate, and maintain the
will use to gather input from the public proposed facilities. The company would
Secretary.
and interested agencies on the project. seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
[FR Doc. 2017–09799 Filed 5–15–17; 8:45 am]
You can make a difference by providing agreement. However, if the Commission
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
us with your specific comments or approves the project, that approval
concerns about the project. Your conveys with it the right of eminent
comments should focus on the potential domain. Therefore, if easement
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
environmental effects, reasonable negotiations fail to produce an
Federal Energy Regulatory alternatives, and measures to avoid or agreement, the pipeline company could
Commission lessen environmental impacts. Your initiate condemnation proceedings
input will help the Commission staff where compensation would be
[Docket No. CP17–133–000] determine what issues they need to determined in accordance with state
evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your law.
Northwest Pipeline LLC; Notice of
comments are timely and properly Northwest provided landowners with
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
recorded, please send your comments so a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
Assessment for the Proposed North
that the Commission receives them in entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Fork Nooksack Line Lowering Project
Washington, DC on or before June 8, Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
Request for Comments on
2017. To Know?’’ This fact sheet addresses a
Environmental Issues
If you sent comments on this project number of typically asked questions,
The staff of the Federal Energy to the Commission before the opening of including the use of eminent domain
Regulatory Commission (FERC or this docket on April 6, 2017, you will and how to participate in the
Commission) will prepare an need to refile those comments in Docket
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

Commission’s proceedings. It is also
environmental assessment (EA) that will No. CP17–133–000 to ensure they are available for viewing on the FERC Web
discuss the environmental impacts of considered as part of this proceeding. site (www.ferc.gov).
the North Fork Nooksack Line Lowering This notice is being sent to the
Public Participation
Project (Nooksack Lowering Project or Commission’s current environmental
Project) involving construction and mailing list for this project. State and For your convenience, there are three
operation of facilities by Northwest local government representatives should methods you can use to submit your
Pipeline LLC (Northwest) in Whatcom notify their constituents of this comments to the Commission. The

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22534 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 93 / Tuesday, May 16, 2017 / Notices

Commission encourages electronic filing Land Requirements for Construction recommendations to the Commission.
of comments and has expert staff Construction of the proposed facilities To ensure we have the opportunity to
available to assist you at (202) 502–8258 would disturb a total of about 24.3 acres consider and address your comments,
or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please of land for lowering of the 30-inch please carefully follow the instructions
carefully follow these instructions so diameter pipeline and removal of 26- in the Public Participation section,
that your comments are properly inch-diameter pipeline. No new beginning on page 2.
recorded. With this notice, we are asking
permanent easement would be required.
(1) You can file your comments agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
Following construction, all construction
electronically using the eComment or special expertise with respect to the
work areas would be restored and revert
feature on the Commission’s Web site environmental issues of this project to
to former uses. The pipeline corridor in
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to formally cooperate with us in the
the Project area includes three existing
Documents and Filings. This is an easy preparation of the EA.3 Agencies that
pipelines and work would be completed
method for submitting brief, text-only would like to request cooperating
within its existing right-of-way. About
comments on a project; agency status should follow the
100 percent of the proposed pipeline
instructions for filing comments
(2) You can file your comments route parallels its existing pipeline.
provided under the Public Participation
electronically by using the eFiling
The EA Process section of this notice.
feature on the Commission’s Web site
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to The National Environmental Policy Consultations Under Section 106 of the
Documents and Filings. With eFiling, Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to National Historic Preservation Act
you can provide comments in a variety take into account the environmental In accordance with the Advisory
of formats by attaching them as a file impacts that could result from an action Council on Historic Preservation’s
with your submission. New eFiling whenever it considers the issuance of a implementing regulations for section
users must first create an account by Certificate of Public Convenience and 106 of the National Historic
clicking on ‘‘eRegister.’’ If you are filing Necessity. NEPA also requires us 2 to Preservation Act, we are using this
a comment on a particular project, discover and address concerns the notice to initiate consultation with the
please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as public may have about proposals. This applicable State Historic Preservation
the filing type; or process is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views
(3) You can file a paper copy of your main goal of the scoping process is to and those of other government agencies,
comments by mailing them to the focus the analysis in the EA on the interested Indian tribes, and the public
following address. Be sure to reference important environmental issues. By this on the project’s potential effects on
the project docket number (CP17–133– notice, the Commission requests public historic properties.4 We will define the
000) with your submission: Kimberly D. comments on the scope of the issues to project-specific Area of Potential Effects
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy address in the EA. We will consider all (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street filed comments during the preparation the project develops. On natural gas
NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. of the EA. facility projects, the APE at a minimum
In the EA we will discuss impacts that encompasses all areas subject to ground
Summary of the Proposed Project could occur as a result of the disturbance (examples include
Northwest proposes to remove, construction and operation of the construction right-of-way, contractor/
replace, and lower about 1,700 feet of proposed project under these general pipe storage yards, compressor stations,
30-inch-diameter pipeline in the north headings: and access roads). Our EA for this
• Geology and soils; project will document our findings on
floodplain of the North Fork Nooksack
• land use; the impacts on historic properties and
River. The project also includes removal • water resources, fisheries, and
of about 1,550 feet of previously summarize the status of consultations
wetlands; under section 106.
abandoned in place 26-inch-diameter • cultural resources;
pipeline that will become exposed • vegetation and wildlife including Environmental Mailing List
during the replacement of the 30-inch migratory birds; The environmental mailing list
pipeline. The Project is located in • air quality and noise; includes federal, state, and local
Whatcom County, near Deming, • endangered and threatened species;
government representatives and
Washington. According to Northwest • public safety; and
the Project would: (1) ensure system • cumulative impacts. agencies; elected officials;
reliability; (2) preserve service We will also evaluate reasonable environmental and public interest
continuity; and 3) to comply with alternatives to the proposed project or groups; Native American Tribes; other
Whatcom County requirements to portions of the project, and make interested parties; and local libraries
complete a long-term solution and recommendations on how to lessen or and newspapers. This list also includes
reduce long-term impediments to avoid impacts on the various resource all affected landowners (as defined in
facilitate future natural channel areas. the Commission’s regulations) who are
migration. The EA will present our independent potential right-of-way grantors, whose
analysis of the issues. The EA will be property may be used temporarily for
The general location of the project
facilities is shown in appendix 1.1 available in the public record through
3 The Council on Environmental Quality
eLibrary. Depending on the comments regulations addressing cooperating agency
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

1 The appendices referenced in this notice will received during the scoping process, we responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of may also publish and distribute the EA Regulations, Part 1501.6.
appendices were sent to all those receiving this to the public for an allotted comment 4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s

notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov period. We will consider all comments regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First on the EA before making our historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) district, site, building, structure, or object included
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to 2 We, us, and our refer to the environmental staff in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice. of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. of Historic Places.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:42 May 15, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\16MYN1.SGM 16MYN1
Document Created: 2017-05-16 13:52:45
Document Modified: 2017-05-16 13:52:45
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		82 FR 22533
82 FR 22533 - Northwest Pipeline LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed North Fork Nooksack Line Lowering Project Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 93 (May 16, 2017)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
