[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 209 (Tuesday, November 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60457-60459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23859]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP21-6-000]


Spire Storage West, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Clear Creek Expansion 
Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Clear Creek Expansion Project, proposed by Spire Storage West, 
LLC (Spire) in the above-referenced docket. Spire requests 
authorization to construct, expand, and operate natural gas 
transmission and storage facilities at Spire's existing Clear Creek 
Storage Field in order to increase the certificated gas capacities from 
4.0 billion cubic feet (Bcf) to 20 Bcf, and

[[Page 60458]]

increase the maximum daily injection and withdrawal capacities. Spire 
would also construct 10.6 miles of 20- and 24-inch-diameter pipeline to 
connect with the Canyon Creek Plant and the Kern River Gas Transmission 
mainline, and to reconnect with the Questar Pipeline at the Clear Creek 
Plant in Uinta County, Wyoming.
    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Clear Creek 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 the mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would not 
result in significant environmental impacts, with the exception of 
climate change impacts. FERC staff continues to be unable to determine 
significance with regards to climate change impacts. Most adverse 
environmental impacts would be temporary or short-term during 
construction and have minimal effects on existing land use, as the 
proposed facilities would be added within an area already characterized 
by energy production and transmission facilities.
    The U.S. Bureau of Land Management participated as a cooperating 
agency in the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating agencies have 
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources 
potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the NEPA 
analysis. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will adopt and use the EIS 
to satisfy its requirements under NEPA as part of Spire's application. 
Section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act authorizes the BLM to issue a 
Right-of-Way Grant, Application for Permits to Drill, and Temporary Use 
Permits for the portions of the Project that would encroach on any 
federal lands in the Project area. Although the cooperating agency 
provided input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in the 
draft EIS, the agency will present its own conclusions and 
recommendations in its respective Record of Decision for the project.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following project facilities:
     Four compressor units at the Clear Creek Plant;
     a tank storage and natural gas liquids fueling equipment 
facility on an existing pad;
     11 new injection/withdrawal wells, one new water disposal 
well, and associated lines;
     approximately 7.0 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline;
     approximately 3.6 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline; and
     approximately 3.5 miles of 4,160-volt powerline; and other 
related appurtenances.
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability 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. The draft EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be 
viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the 
natural gas environmental documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents). In 
addition, the draft EIS may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on 
the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search) select ``General Search'' and enter 
the docket number in the ``Docket Number'' field, excluding the last 
three digits (i.e., CP21-6). 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 draft EIS is not a decision document. It presents Commission 
staff's independent analysis of the environmental issues for the 
Commission to consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this 
proceeding. Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. 
Your comments should focus on draft EIS's disclosure and discussion of 
potential environmental effects, measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impacts, and the completeness of the submitted 
alternatives, information and analyses. To ensure consideration of your 
comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that the 
Commission receive your comments on or before 5:00pm Eastern Time on 
December 20, 2021.
    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 staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 or [email protected]. 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 
FERC Online. 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 
FERC Online. 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 Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP21-6-
000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must 
be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. 
Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly 
D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins 
Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    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 part 385.214). Motions to intervene are 
more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/ferc-online/how-guides. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or 
judicial review 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.

Questions?

    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. The eLibrary link 
also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription that allows you to keep track of all formal

[[Page 60459]]

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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.

    Dated: October 27, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-23859 Filed 11-1-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


