Notice2022-10105
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for the Des Moines A-Line Replacement 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
May 11, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 91 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28821-28822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-10105]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP22-26-000]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Schedule for the
Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for the Des Moines A-Line
Replacement Project
On December 3, 2021, Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern) filed
an application in Docket No. CP22-26-000 requesting a Certificate of
Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to Section 7(b) and 7(c) of
the Natural Gas Act to abandon, remove, and construct certain natural
gas pipeline facilities in Boone, Dallas and Polk Counties, Iowa. The
proposed project is known as the Des Moines A-Line Replacement Project
(Project). Northern proposes to abandon its existing 16-inch-diameter
Des Moines A-Line, originally authorized in 1943, and replace its
capacity through the installation of new 20-inch-diameter pipeline as
an extension of its Des Moines C-Line. The C-Line extension would not
increase the capacity of the system; but rather restore the 340 million
cubic feet per day (MMcf/day) of natural gas lost with abandonment of
the A-line. The Project would result in no loss of service to
Northern's customers and would have no impact on Northern's ability to
serve markets on its system.
On December 17, 2021, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission or FERC) issued its Notice of Application for the Project.
Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal
authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and
to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's
environmental document for the Project.
This notice identifies Commission staff's intention to prepare an
environmental assessment (EA) for the Project and the planned schedule
for the completion of the environmental review.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 40 CFR 1501.10 (2020).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Schedule for Environmental Review
Issuance of EA: November 4, 2022.
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline: \2\ February 2,
2023.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The Commission's deadline applies to the decisions of other
federal agencies, and state agencies acting under federally
delegated authority, that are responsible for federal
authorizations, permits, and other approvals necessary for proposed
projects under the Natural Gas Act. Per 18 CFR 157.22(a), the
Commission's deadline for other agency's decisions applies unless a
schedule is otherwise established by federal law.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice will be
provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the
Project's progress.
Project Description
Northern proposes to abandon about 29.6 miles of its existing 16-
inch-diameter Des Moines IAB65001 A-Line in Boone, Dallas and Polk
Counties, Iowa. The abandonment would begin at its existing Ogden
Compressor Station at A-Line milepost (MP) 0.0 in Boone County. It
would terminate at an existing A-Line Third Launcher, at A-Line MP
29.63, in Polk County. The A-Line would remain in-service downstream of
the launcher; which would be renamed the Des Moines Pigging and
Regulator Facility. Most of the existing A-Line would be abandoned-in-
place; however, Northern proposes to remove about 0.06 mile of the A-
Line. Northern also proposes to install a total of about 9.1 miles of
new 20-inch-diameter pipeline as an extension of its existing C-Line in
Boone, Dallas, and Polk Counties, Iowa.
Background
On February 8, 2022, the Commission issued a Notice of Scoping
Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Des
Moines A-Line Replacement Project. The scoping period closed March 11,
2022. The Notice of Scoping was sent to affected landowners; federal,
state, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental
and public interest groups; potentially interested Indian tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. In response to
the Notice of Scoping, the Commission received a comment from the
Teamsters National Pipeline Labor Management Cooperation Trust, stating
that they support the building of the Project if union labor is
utilized in construction. A landowner stated that the Project was
rerouted to avoid their property, and referenced a past incident of
pipeline failure on their property. A second landowner expressed
concerns that the Project would negatively impact the impending sale of
their property. All substantive environmental comments will be
addressed in the EA.
Additional Information
In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to
keep track of formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, the
Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. This
[[Page 28822]]
service provides automatic notification of filings made to subscribed
dockets, 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> to register for
eSubscription.
Additional information about the Project 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, select
``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date
range and ``Docket Number'' excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
CP22-26), and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to
eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-
8659, or at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eaacafb8a9a5848683848fb99f9a9a85989eaa8c8f9889c48d859c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="52141700111d3c3e3b3c37012722223d202612343720317c353d24">[email protected]</span></a>. The eLibrary link on the FERC
website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.
Dated: May 5, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-10105 Filed 5-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 11, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.