Notice2021-16164
Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC, Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage, Inc.; Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline Restoration Project and Supply Header Restoration Project
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 29, 2021
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 143 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 143 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40820-40821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16164]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP15-554-009 and CP15-555-007]
Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC, Eastern Gas Transmission and
Storage, Inc.; Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline
Restoration Project and Supply Header Restoration Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared a draft supplemental environmental impact
statement (EIS) for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC's (Atlantic)
Atlantic Coast Pipeline Restoration Project, and Eastern Gas
Transmission and Storage, Inc.'s (EGTS) Supply Header Restoration
Project (Restoration Projects), in the above-referenced dockets.
Atlantic and EGTS request authorization to implement the Restoration
Projects in order to stabilize lands affected by previous construction
efforts for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Supply Header Project,
respectively, and to facilitate cessation of all project-related
activities. Implementation of the plans is proposed because Atlantic
and EGTS have cancelled their respective projects and do not intend to
complete them.
The draft supplemental EIS assesses the potential impacts that
would result
[[Page 40821]]
from the Restoration Projects, in accordance with the requirements of
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).\1\ The FERC staff
concludes that the proposed actions, with the additional mitigation
measures recommended in the supplemental EIS, would continue to avoid
or reduce impacts to less than significant levels with the exception of
climate change impacts, which FERC staff is unable to determine
significance.
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\1\ The construction and operation impacts of the then-proposed
Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Supply Header Project were evaluated in
a final EIS, which was issued by the Commission on July 21, 2017, in
Docket Nos. CP15-554-00, CP15-554-001; and CP15-555-000.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and the U.S.
Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service participated as
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the draft supplemental 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 draft supplemental EIS addresses the potential environmental
effects of the following activities:
<bullet> Atlantic proposes to leave all installed pipeline in place
(approximately 31.4 miles of the pipeline right-of-way), restore lands
that were cleared and graded (approximately 82.7 miles of the pipeline
right-of-way), and leave felled trees in place in areas where trees
have not yet been cleared (approximately 25.2 miles of the pipeline
right-of-way). For aboveground facilities, Atlantic proposes to restore
the sites and manage the disposition of the materials and land through
an investment recovery process. Workspace for these activities would
occur in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.
<bullet> EGTS proposes to leave all installed pipeline in place
(approximately 11.7 miles), leave approximately 0.13 mile of felled
trees in place, and complete final restoration of approximately 9 miles
of the pipeline right-of-way that EGTS previously cleared and/or
graded. EGTS proposes to stabilize all aboveground facility sites and
prepare assets for long term preservation. Workspace for these
activities would occur in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability for the
draft supplemental EIS 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 supplemental EIS is only
available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from
the FERC's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>), on the Environmental Documents page
(<a href="https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents">https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents</a>). In addition, the final supplemental EIS may
be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on
the eLibrary link (<a href="https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search">https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search</a>), click on
General Search, and enter the docket number in the ``Docket Number''
field, (i.e., CP15-554 or CP15-555). Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online
Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c781a2b5a488a9abaea9a294b2b7b7a8b5b387a1a2b5a4e9a0a8b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e2a4879081ad8c8e8b8c87b19792928d9096a284879081cc858d94">[email protected]</span></a> 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 supplemental EIS
may do so. Your comments should focus on the EIS's disclosure and
discussion of potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives,
and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. To ensure
consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final
supplemental EIS, it is important that the Commission receive your
comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 13, 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c482a1b6a78baaa8adaaa197b1b4b4abb6b084a2a1b6a7eaa3abb2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="195f7c6b7a56777570777c4a6c6969766b6d597f7c6b7a377e766f">[email protected]</span></a>. 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 (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) 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 (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) 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. Your written comments must reference the Project docket
number CP15-554-009 and/or CP15-555-007. 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 <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/ferc-online/how-guides">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/ferc-online/how-guides</a>. 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 proposals is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) 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 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 <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a>.
Dated: July 23, 2021.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-16164 Filed 7-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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