

[Federal Register: March 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 45)]
[Notices]               
[Page 11616-11617]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08mr06-77]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD06-5-000]

 
Office of Energy Projects (OEP); Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Effectiveness Assessment of the Natural Gas Facility Interagency 
Agreement

February 28, 2006.
    In May 2002, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission), the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, the 
Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National 
Marine Fisheries Service, the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation, and the Department of Energy signed an agreement entitled 
``Interagency Agreement on Early Coordination of Required Environmental 
and Historic Preservation Reviews Conducted in Conjunction with the 
Issuance of Authorizations to Construct and Operate Interstate Natural 
Gas Pipelines Certificated by the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission'' (IA).
    As a result of the IA, the signatory agencies formed a working 
group to coordinate each agency's implementation of the IA (Working 
Group). Among its tasks, the Working Group committed to the periodic 
evaluation of the effectiveness of the IA. On behalf of the Working 
Group, FERC is leading the effort to initiate this assessment. To 
achieve the maximum benefit, including evaluation of the Commission's 
Pre-Filing Process, a series of telephone conferences and interactive 
public workshops are planned. The participants will include individuals 
who have participated in the Commission's National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) process since the enactment of the IA, and will cover both 
pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in various regions of 
the United States. These include individuals from Federal, state and 
local agencies, regulated natural industry, Native American tribes, 
affected property owners, citizens, non-government organizations and 
other stakeholders.
    Since many of the signatory federal agencies have prepared internal 
guidelines to more effectively implement the IA, the assessment will 
also collect feedback on each agency's implementation, to determine 
whether they are effective or need revision to improve the review of 
future natural gas projects.

[[Page 11617]]

    The FERC or its contractor will be contacting individuals to 
collect specific information about experiences working with the IA and/
or agency guidance. We are looking for a broad cross-section of 
responses--large and small projects; involving multiple agencies or a 
single agency; and projects involving the Commission's Pre-Filing 
Process. The information gathered from this assessment will be compiled 
and presented to the Working Group to assist in determining whether the 
IA and the signatory agencies' current internal guidelines are 
furthering the intended goals. The information will also be used to 
gage whether agencies are fulfilling the expeditious completion of 
proceedings by issuing the necessary permits or authorizations for 
natural gas projects.
    At this time, we are considering the following projects for our 
assessment (note this project list may change and is not final):
     ANR Pipeline Company: West Leg Project, (CP02-434-000);
     Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation: Line 1278 
Replacement Project, (CP04-34-000);
     Transwestern Pipeline Company: San Juan 2005 Expansion, 
(CP04-104-000);
     Golden Pass LNG: Golden Pass LNG Project, (CP04-386-000);
     Vista del Sol LNG: Vista del Sol LNG Project, (CP04-395-
000);
     Northwest Pipeline Corporation: Northwest Capacity 
Replacement Project, (CP05-32-000); and
     Entrega Gas Pipeline, LLC: Entrega Pipeline Project, 
(CP04-413-000).

Public Participation

    You are encouraged to participate and provide comments about the 
Commission's NEPA process as it relates to the IA and/or the 
Commission's Pre-Filing Process. To expedite the receipt and 
consideration of your comments, electronic submission of comments is 
strongly encouraged. See Title 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 
instructions on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under 

the eFiling link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can 
submit comments you will need to create a free account by clicking on 
``Sign-up'' under ``New user.'' You will be asked to select a type of 
submission you are making. This type of submission is considered a 
``Comment on Filing.'' Comments submitted electronically must be 
submitted by March 31, 2006.
    If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that 
they will be received in Washington, DC on or before March 31, 2006 and 
carefully follow these instructions:
    Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
     Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
1, DG2E; and
     Reference Docket No. AD06-5-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    Everyone who responds to this notice or provides comments will be 
retained on our Gas Outreach mailing list.
    We will issue a separate notice announcing the workshops' planned 
dates, locations and times. If you have any questions regarding the IA 
Effectiveness Assessment, the upcoming/planned public workshops, or 
would like to be placed on our Gas Outreach mailing list for this task, 
please call Alisa Lykens, Gas Outreach Manager, at (202) 502-8766.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-3207 Filed 3-7-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
