82 FR 57438 - WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review of the Billy Creek Storage Field Abandonment Project

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 232 (December 5, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57438-57439]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26137]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP17-469-000]


WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Schedule for 
Environmental Review of the Billy Creek Storage Field Abandonment 
Project

    On June 30, 2017, WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. (WBI) filed an

[[Page 57439]]

application in Docket No. CP17-469-000 requesting a Certificate of 
Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to Sections 7(b) and 7(c) of 
the Natural Gas Act to abandon the Billy Creek Storage Field, and 
construct certain natural gas facilities to recover the storage field's 
cushion gas. The proposed project is known as the Billy Creek Storage 
Field Abandonment Project (Project), and would involve the abandonment 
of the storage field and related facilities in Johnson County, Wyoming.
    On July 17, 2017, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission or FERC) issued its Notice of Application for the Project. 
Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal 
authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and 
to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization 
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Project. This instant notice 
identifies the FERC staff's planned schedule for the completion of the 
EA for the Project.

Schedule for Environmental Review

    Issuance of EA: February 2, 2018.
    90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline: May 3, 2018.
    If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice will be 
provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the 
Project's progress.

Project Description

    WBI proposes to abandon the Billy Creek Storage Field and related 
facilities and recover and sell the estimated 2.3 billion cubic feet of 
cushion gas prior to abandonment of the field. WBI proposes a 
combination of any of these three options to recover the remaining 
cushion gas:
    1. Utilize and/or modify existing storage field facilities (Option 
1);
    2. install a temporary 200 horsepower (or less) replacement 
compressor unit (Option 2); and/or
    3. drill one new natural gas recovery well in one of two locations 
(Option 3).
    Following cushion gas withdrawal, WBI would abandon pipeline and 
aboveground facilities in-place and by removal, including the 
additional compressor unit and/or recovery well listed in Options 2 and 
3. WBI states that the storage field is no longer reliable due to water 
encroachment and that the firm storage deliverability is now provided 
by another WBI storage field.

Background

    On August 17, 2017, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Billy Creek 
Storage Field Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues (NOI). The NOI was sent to affected landowners; 
federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials; 
Native American tribes; and local libraries. In response to the NOI, 
the Commission received comments from the Wyoming Department of 
Environmental Quality and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The 
primary issues raised by commentors are impacts on water quality and 
surface waterbodies, restoration and the development of a reclamation 
plan, invasive species prevention and mitigation, and applicable 
permits.

Additional Information

    In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to 
keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, 
the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. 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.
    Additional information about the Project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-FERC or on the 
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). Using the eLibrary link, select General 
Search from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date range and Docket 
Number excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP17-469), and follow the 
instructions. For assistance with access to eLibrary, the helpline can 
be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at 
[email protected]. The eLibrary link on the FERC Web site also 
provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.

    Dated: November 29, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-26137 Filed 12-4-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P