83 FR 17170 - Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, LLC Herscher Northwest Storage Field Abandonment Project

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 75 (April 18, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17170-17171]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08072]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP18-12-000]


Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the 
Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, LLC Herscher 
Northwest Storage Field Abandonment Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the 
Herscher Northwest Storage Field Abandonment Project, proposed by 
Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America LLC (Natural) in the above-
referenced docket. Natural requests authorization to abandon the 
Herscher Northwest Storage Field facilities with its certificated 
maximum inventory of 18.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) located in Kankakee 
County, Illinois.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
abandonment of the Herscher Northwest Storage Field Abandonment Project 
in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    Natural proposes to abandon:
     In place 19 injection/withdrawal wells by permanently 
plugging and capping;
     in place 16.15 miles of 4- to 16-inch-diameter associated 
pipeline laterals in the storage field by capping;
     in place 13 non-jurisdictional observation wells by 
plugging;
     in place one non-jurisdictional salt water disposal well 
by plugging;
     in place approximately 15.3 Bcf of non-recoverable cushion 
gas;
     by removal the 330-horsepower Compressor Station 202 
including its building, compressor unit, concrete piers, and concrete 
foundation; and
     by removal all aboveground and belowground storage field 
auxiliary surface facilities, including, but not limited to: Well head 
piping, slug catchers, water gathering system, and methanol 
distribution systems associated with the abandoned wells; seven tap 
valves; a pigging facility; and two corrosion monitors along with their 
associated rectifiers and ground beds.
    Natural also proposes to convert the P. Cook No. 1 injection/
withdrawal well to an observational well for its nearby Herscher Mount 
Simon Storage Field; and retain the P. Cook No. G-1 well as an 
observation well for its nearby Herscher Galesville Storage Field.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the EA 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 area. In addition, 
the EA is available for public viewing on the FERC's website 
(www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies of 
the EA 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 EA may do so. Your comments 
should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable 
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. 
The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. To 
ensure that the Commission has the opportunity to consider your 
comments prior to making its decision on this project, it is important 
that we receive your comments in Washington, DC on or before May 14, 
2018.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
project docket number (CP18-12-000) 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].
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature on the Commission's website (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 also file your comments electronically using the 
eFiling feature on the Commission's website (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. You must select the type of filing you are making. If you 
are filing a comment on a particular

[[Page 17171]]

project, please select Comment on a Filing; 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.
    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).\1\ 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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    \1\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing 
comments.
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    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC website (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., CP18-
12). 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.

    Dated: April 12, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-08072 Filed 4-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P