
[Federal Register: March 5, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 43)]
[Notices]               
[Page 10242-10243]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05mr10-49]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP09-444-000]

 
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 300 Line Project

February 25, 2010.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission 
or FERC) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the 300 Line 
Project proposed by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (TGP) in the above 
referenced docket. TGP requests authorization to expand its natural gas 
pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in order to increase the 
natural gas delivery capacity to the northeast region of the United 
States by approximately 350,000 dekatherms per day and improve the 
reliability of it's existing 300 Line system.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the 300 Line Project in accordance with 
the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(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.
    The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers participated as 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of this EA. Cooperating 
agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to 
resources potentially affected by TGP's proposal and participate in the 
NEPA analysis. These cooperating agencies will adopt and use the EA to 
consider the issuance of right-of-way grants on federally administered 
lands.
    The proposed 300 Line Project includes the following facilities:
     Installation of approximately 127.4 miles of new 30-inch-
diameter pipeline loop \1\ in seven separate segments in Potter, Tioga, 
Bradford, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties, Pennsylvania; and 
Sussex and Passaic Counties, New Jersey;
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    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipe that is usually installed 
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. 
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
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     Construction of new compressor stations in Venango and 
McKean Counties, Pennsylvania;
     Modifications to seven existing compressor stations in 
Potter, Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna, and Pike Counties, Pennsylvania, 
and Sussex County, New Jersey;
     Installation of associated appurtenant aboveground 
facilities including mainline valves and pig \2\ launchers/receivers; 
and
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    \2\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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     Contractor/pipe yards and access roads.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for public viewing on the FERC's Web site at http://
www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies of the 
EA are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal 
Regulatory Energy Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, 
NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, State, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; local 
libraries and newspapers in the project area; intervenors to the FERC's 
proceeding; and affected landowners, potentially affected landowners, 
and other interested individuals and groups.
    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. The 
Notice of Schedule for

[[Page 10243]]

Environmental Review issued on December 8, 2009, indicated that the EA 
would be issued on February 19, 2010 and the 90-day Federal 
authorization decision deadline was May 20, 2010. Due to the 
unprecedented weather circumstances and subsequent closing of Federal 
government offices in Washington, DC, during the week of February 8, 
2010, issuance of the EA was delayed from February 19, 2010, until 
February 25, 2010. Therefore, the 90-day Federal authorization decision 
deadline is extended until May 26, 2010. To ensure that your comments 
are properly recorded and considered prior to a Commission decision on 
the proposal, it is important that FERC receives your comments in 
Washington, DC on or before March 29, 2010.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please 
reference the project docket number (CP09-444-000) with your 
submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and 
has dedicated eFiling expert staff available to assist you at (202) 
502-8258 or efiling@ferc.gov.
    (1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick 
Comment feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at 
http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. A Quick 
Comment is an easy method for interested persons to submit text-only 
comments on a project;
    (2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling 
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://
www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. eFiling involves 
preparing your submission in the same manner as you would if filing on 
paper, and then saving the file on your computer's hard drive. You will 
attach that file as your submission. New eFiling users must first 
create an account by clicking on ``Sign up'' or ``eRegister.'' You will 
be asked to select the type of filing you are making. A comment on a 
particular project is considered a ``Comment on a Filing''; or
    (3) You may file a paper copy of your comments at the following 
address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    Although your comments will be considered by the Commission, simply 
filing comments will not serve to make the commentor a party to the 
proceeding. 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).\3\ Only intervenors 
have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \3\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion of filing 
comments electronically.
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    Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be 
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they 
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be 
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor 
status to have your comments considered.
    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 (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on 
the eLibrary link, then on ``General Search'' and enter the docket 
number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field 
(i.e., CP09-444). 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 
notifications of these filings, document summaries and direct links to 
the documents. Go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-4615 Filed 3-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

