Notice2022-11240
Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for the Swarts Complex Abandonment Project Amendment
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 25, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 101 (Wednesday, May 25, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31869-31870]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11240]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP22-162-000, CP18-549-001]
Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an
Environmental Assessment for the Swarts Complex Abandonment Project
Amendment
On April 12, 2022, Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) filed an application
in Docket Nos. CP22-162-000 and CP18-549-001 requesting a limited
amendment to the existing abandonment authorization issued by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) on March 20,
2019. The proposed project is known as the Swarts Complex Abandonment
Project Amendment (Project) and would change Equitrans' abandonment
method for five injection and withdrawal (I/W) wells in the Swarts
Complex. Equitrans previously proposed abandonment-by-sale and
currently proposes to plug-and-abandon the five wells to comply with
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's (PADEP)
regulations.
On April 15, 2022, the Commission 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\
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\1\ 40 CFR 1501.10 (2020).
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Schedule for Environmental Review
Issuance of EA--September 2, 2022.
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline \2\--December 1, 2022.
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\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
The Commission authorization issued on March 20, 2019 in Docket No.
CP18-549-000 authorized Equitrans to abandon eighteen I/W wells in the
Swarts Complex by sale, abandon the associated well lines in place, and
abandon any associated appurtenant facilities. Since the issuance of
the Abandonment Authorization, Equitrans has abandoned four of the
originally authorized eighteen I/W wells by sale to CONSOL Pennsylvania
Coal Company LLC, CONSOL Mining Company LLC,
[[Page 31870]]
and CNX Gas Company LLC (collectively, CONSOL). The PADEP's setback
regulation requires wells within 2,000 feet of coal mining activities
to be plugged/abandoned or reconditioned. Equitrans, to comply with the
PADEP's regulations, now proposes to perform the plugging and
abandonment of five of the remaining fourteen wells itself rather than
transferring those responsibilities to CONSOL. Specifically, Equitrans
now proposes to plug and abandon I/W wells 603791, 603792, 603793,
603795, and 603797, and abandon in place the pipelines associated with
the five wells. Equitrans also proposes to disconnect and remove
aboveground appurtenances along with a portion of the well lines that
are within each well site workspace.
Background
On April 19, 2022, the Commission issued a Notice of Scoping Period
Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Swarts
Complex Abandonment Project Amendment (Notice of Scoping). The Notice
of Scoping was sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and local
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested parties; and
local libraries and newspapers. In response to the Notice of Scoping,
the Commission has not received any comments to date. Any substantive
comment filed in response to the Notice of Scoping 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 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.,
CP22-162 or CP18-549), 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#5c1a190e1f1332303532390f292c2c332e281c3a392e3f723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="df999a8d9c90b1b3b6b1ba8caaafafb0adab9fb9baadbcf1b8b0a9">[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 19, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-11240 Filed 5-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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