83 FR 6555 - Questar Southern Trail Pipeline Company, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Southern Trail Pipeline Abandonment Project Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 31 (February 14, 2018)

Page Range		6555-6557
FR Document		2018-03005

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6555-6557]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03005]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos: CP18-39-000; CP18-40-000]

Questar Southern Trail Pipeline Company, Navajo Tribal Utility
Authority; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for
the Proposed Southern Trail Pipeline Abandonment 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 Southern Trail Pipeline
Abandonment Project (Project) involving abandonment in place and by
sale of facilities by Questar Southern Trail Pipeline Company
(Questar). On December 22, 2017, Questar Southern Trails Pipeline
Company (Questar), filed an application, in Docket No. CP18-39-000,
pursuant to section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to abandon its
certificate of public convenience and necessity, including its blanket
certificate authorities. Questar also requests to abandon, part by sale
and part in-place, all of its certificated facilities dedicated to
providing jurisdictional transportation service including approximately
488 miles of natural gas pipeline and related facilities located in
California, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.
In a related filing, on December 22, 2017, the Navajo Tribal
Utility Authority (NTUA), filed an application, in Docket No. CP18-40-
000, pursuant to section 7(f) of the NGA and Part 157 of the
Commission's regulations, requesting a service area determination
within which NTUA may, without further Commission authorization,
enlarge or expand its natural gas distribution facilities and a waiver
of all reporting, accounting, and other rules and regulations normally
applicable to natural gas companies. NTUA would utilize those acquired
facilities to provide its own service, replacing the service
historically provided to it by Questar. The remaining facilities not
sold to the NTUA would be abandoned in-place.
About 220 miles of pipeline facilities that would be abandoned in
place are in San Bernardino County, California; Mohave, Yavapai,
Coconino and Apache Counties, Arizona; and San Yuan, Utah. About 268
miles would be abandoned by sale and are in Coconino, Navajo and Apache
Counties, Arizona; San Yuan County, Utah; and San Yuan County, New
Mexico. 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 March 5, 2018.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on December 22, 2017, of the CP filing, you will
need to file those comments in Docket No. CP18-39-000 and CP18-40-000
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 abandonment by sale and in
place of the proposed facilities. The company would seek to negotiate a
mutually acceptable agreement.
Questar 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 how to participate in the Commission's
proceedings. It is also available for viewing on the FERC website
(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 FercOnlineSupport@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 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 file your comments electronically by 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. 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
(CP18-39-000 and CP18-40-000 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

The Project would consist of abandonment by sale approximately 268
miles of pipeline facilities and abandon in-place another approximately
220 miles of pipeline facilities, totaling approximately 488 miles of
existing mainline natural gas pipeline located between the Essex Meter
Facility with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) in San

[[Page 6556]]

Bernardino County, California and extending northeast to the Milagro
Plant in San Juan County, New Mexico. Specifically Questar proposes to:
Abandon in place the following:

--About 220 miles of 16-inch diameter pipeline extending northeast from
the current Questar Essex metering and regulating (M&R) Facility with
PG&E in San Bernardino County, California to its Grey Mountain main
line block valve in Coconino County, Arizona.
--Mohave Valley Compressor Station in Mohave County, Arizona;
--two delivery interconnects and associated M&R facilities, and all
other appurtenant facilities, as necessary; and
--affiliated facilities in San Bernardino County, California; Mohave,
Yavapai, Coconino and Apache Counties, Arizona; and San Yuan, Utah.

Abandon by sale to NTUA approximately 268 miles of its interstate
pipeline, three compressor stations, and related facilities.
Specifically, Questar proposes to:
Abandon by sale the following:

--approximately 41.3 miles of 20-inch diameter pipeline extending east
from Quastar's Chinde Wash Launcher and Receiver facility in San Juan
County, New Mexico to its Milagro Plant Interconnect in San Juan
County, New Mexico;
--about 58.9 miles of 12-inch diameter pipeline extending southeast
from Questar's Red Mesa Compressor Station in San Juan County Utah to
its Chinde Wash Launcher and Receiver facility in San Juan County, New
Mexico;
--about 168.0 miles of 16-inch diameter pipeline extending northeast
from Questar's Grey Mountain block valve in Coconino County, Arizona to
its Red Mesa Compressor Station in San Juan County, Utah;
--three compressor stations including Shiprock Compressor Station in
San Juan County, New Mexico; Red Mesa Compressor Station in San Juan
County, Utah; Cameron Compressor Station in Coconino County, Arizona;
and
--six interconnects: three receipt point interconnects and three
delivery point interconnects with associated M&R facilities, and other
appurtenant facilities, as necessary.

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

There is no construction involved in this project. About 27.25
acres of land would be disturbed during removal of minor aboveground
facilities and all work would be limited to existing permanent right-of
way and existing access roads. All disturbed areas would be restored to
preexisting conditions.

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 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 facilities to be abandoned in place and removal of minor facilities
proposed 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. Currently, no agency has
expressed intention to participate as a cooperating agency in the
preparation of the EA to satisfy its NEPA responsibilities related to
this project.
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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(s) (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(s) 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 project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground

[[Page 6557]]

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/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 website. 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 website 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., CP18-
39 or CP18-40). 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 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: February 8, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-03005 Filed 2-13-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

6556 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 14, 2018 / Notices

Bernardino County, California and Land Requirements for Construction or special expertise with respect to the
extending northeast to the Milagro Plant There is no construction involved in environmental issues of this project to
in San Juan County, New Mexico. this project. About 27.25 acres of land formally cooperate with us in the
Specifically Questar proposes to: would be disturbed during removal of preparation of the EA.3 Agencies that
• Abandon in place the following: minor aboveground facilities and all would like to request cooperating
—About 220 miles of 16-inch diameter work would be limited to existing agency status should follow the
pipeline extending northeast from the permanent right-of way and existing instructions for filing comments
current Questar Essex metering and access roads. All disturbed areas would provided under the Public Participation
regulating (M&R) Facility with PG&E be restored to preexisting conditions. section of this notice. Currently, no
in San Bernardino County, California agency has expressed intention to
to its Grey Mountain main line block The EA Process participate as a cooperating agency in
valve in Coconino County, Arizona. The National Environmental Policy the preparation of the EA to satisfy its
—Mohave Valley Compressor Station in Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to NEPA responsibilities related to this
Mohave County, Arizona; take into account the environmental project.
—two delivery interconnects and impacts that could result from an action Consultations Under Section 106 of the
associated M&R facilities, and all whenever it considers the issuance of a National Historic Preservation Act
other appurtenant facilities, as Certificate of Public Convenience and
necessary; and In accordance with the Advisory
Necessity. NEPA also requires us 2 to Council on Historic Preservation’s
—affiliated facilities in San Bernardino discover and address concerns the
County, California; Mohave, Yavapai, implementing regulations for section
public may have about proposals. This 106 of the National Historic
Coconino and Apache Counties, process is referred to as scoping. The
Arizona; and San Yuan, Utah. Preservation Act, we are using this
main goal of the scoping process is to notice to initiate consultation with the
Abandon by sale to NTUA focus the analysis in EA. We will applicable State Historic Preservation
approximately 268 miles of its interstate consider all filed comments during the Office(s) (SHPO), and to solicit their
pipeline, three compressor stations, and preparation of the EA. views and those of other government
related facilities. Specifically, Questar In the EA we will discuss impacts that agencies, interested Indian tribes, and
proposes to: could occur as a result of the facilities the public on the project’s potential
• Abandon by sale the following: to be abandoned in place and removal effects on historic properties.4 We will
—approximately 41.3 miles of 20-inch of minor facilities proposed under these define the project-specific Area of
diameter pipeline extending east from general headings: Potential Effects (APE) in consultation
Quastar’s Chinde Wash Launcher and • Geology and soils; with the SHPO(s) as the project
Receiver facility in San Juan County, • land use; develops. On natural gas facility
New Mexico to its Milagro Plant • water resources, fisheries, and projects, the APE at a minimum
Interconnect in San Juan County, New wetlands; encompasses all areas subject to ground
Mexico; • cultural resources; disturbance (examples include
—about 58.9 miles of 12-inch diameter • vegetation and wildlife; construction right-of-way, contractor/
pipeline extending southeast from • air quality and noise; pipe storage yards, compressor stations,
Questar’s Red Mesa Compressor • endangered and threatened species; and access roads). Our EA for this
Station in San Juan County Utah to its • public safety; and project will document our findings on
Chinde Wash Launcher and Receiver • cumulative impacts. the impacts on historic properties and
facility in San Juan County, New We will also evaluate reasonable summarize the status of consultations
Mexico; alternatives to the proposed project or under section 106.
—about 168.0 miles of 16-inch diameter portions of the project and make
pipeline extending northeast from recommendations on how to lessen or Environmental Mailing List
Questar’s Grey Mountain block valve avoid impacts on the various resource The environmental mailing list
in Coconino County, Arizona to its areas. includes federal, state, and local
Red Mesa Compressor Station in San The EA will present our independent government representatives and
Juan County, Utah; analysis of the issues. The EA will be agencies; elected officials;
—three compressor stations including available in the public record through environmental and public interest
Shiprock Compressor Station in San eLibrary. Depending on the comments groups; Native American Tribes; other
Juan County, New Mexico; Red Mesa received during the scoping process, we interested parties; and local libraries
Compressor Station in San Juan may also publish and distribute the EA and newspapers. This list also includes
County, Utah; Cameron Compressor to the public for an allotted comment all affected landowners (as defined in
Station in Coconino County, Arizona; period. We will consider all comments the Commission’s regulations) who are
and on the EA before making our potential right-of-way grantors, whose
—six interconnects: three receipt point recommendations to the Commission. property may be used temporarily for
interconnects and three delivery point To ensure we have the opportunity to project purposes, or who own homes
interconnects with associated M&R consider and address your comments, within certain distances of aboveground
facilities, and other appurtenant please carefully follow the instructions
facilities, as necessary. in the Public Participation section, 3 The Council on Environmental Quality

The general location of the project beginning on page 2. regulations addressing cooperating agency
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES

With this notice, we are asking responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
facilities is shown in appendix 1.1 Regulations, Part 1501.6.
agencies with jurisdiction by law and/ 4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s
1 The appendices referenced in this notice will regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502– Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
appendices were sent to all those receiving this 8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov refer to the last page of this notice. district, site, building, structure, or object included
using the link called eLibrary or from the 2 We, us, and our refer to the environmental staff in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. of Historic Places.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:07 Feb 13, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\14FEN1.SGM 14FEN1

Document Created: 2018-02-14 03:59:15
Document Modified: 2018-02-14 03:59:15

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		83 FR 6555

83 FR 6555 - Questar Southern Trail Pipeline Company, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Southern Trail Pipeline Abandonment Project Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 31 (February 14, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission