
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44764-44765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20514]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP17-257-000]


WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Valley Expansion Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the 
Valley Expansion Project, proposed by WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. 
(WBI Energy) in the above-referenced docket. WBI Energy requests 
authorization to construct, operate, and maintain new natural gas 
facilities in Clay County, Minnesota and Cass, Barnes, Stutsman, and 
Burleigh Counties, North Dakota.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Valley Expansion 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.
    The proposed Valley Expansion Project includes the following 
facilities:
     About 37.3 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline in Clay 
County, Minnesota and Cass County, North Dakota;
     a new interconnect at the tie-in with the existing Viking 
Gas Transmission Company Pipeline in Clay County, Minnesota;
     a new 3,000-horsepower compressor station to tie into WBI 
Energy's existing Mapleton Town Border Station and Line Section No. 24 
in Cass County, North Dakota;
     a new regulator station in Barnes County, North Dakota;
     replacement of the existing Jamestown Town Border Station 
in Stutsman County, North Dakota; and
     replacement of the Apple Valley Town Border Station in 
Burleigh County, North Dakota.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the EA to federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 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 
Web site (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 October 
20, 2017.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file 
your comments with the Commission. In all instances, please reference 
the project docket number (CP17-257-000) with your submission. The 
Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert 
staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or 
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov.
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature on the Commission's Web site (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 Web site (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

[[Page 44765]]

the type of filing you are making. If you are filing a comment on a 
particular 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 Web site (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., CP17-
257). 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.

    Dated: September 20, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-20514 Filed 9-25-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


