Notice2023-10739
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Greenwood and North Greenwood Storage Fields Abandonment Project
Primary source
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Published
May 19, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 97 (Friday, May 19, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 97 (Friday, May 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32208-32211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10739]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP23-214-000]
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period
Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Greenwood
and North Greenwood Storage Fields Abandonment Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental document, that will discuss
the environmental impacts of the Greenwood and North Greenwood Storage
Fields Abandonment Project involving abandonment of facilities by
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia) in Steuben County, New York.
The Commission will use this environmental document in its decision-
making process to determine whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies regarding the project. As part of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) review process, the Commission takes into account
concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental
impacts that could result from its action whenever it considers the
issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. This
gathering of public input is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal
of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the environmental
document on the important environmental issues. Additional information
about the Commission's NEPA process is described below in the NEPA
Process and Environmental Document section of this notice.
By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the
scope of issues to address in the environmental document. To ensure
that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please submit your
comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 14, 2023. Comments may be
submitted in written form. Further details on how to submit comments
are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impacts. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what
issues they need to evaluate in the environmental document. Commission
staff will consider all written comments during the preparation of the
environmental document.
If you submitted comments on this project to the Commission before
the opening of this docket on April 21, 2023, you will need to file
those comments in Docket No. CP23-214-000 to ensure they are considered
as part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
Columbia provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I
Need To Know?'' which addresses typically asked questions, including
the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's
proceedings. This fact sheet along with other landowner topics of
interest are available for viewing on the FERC website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>)
under the Natural Gas, Landowner Topics link.
Public Participation
There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the
Commission. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your
comments are properly recorded. 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#d492b1a6b79bbab8bdbab187a1a4a4bba6a094b2b1a6b7fab3bba2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="70361502133f1e1c191e15230500001f020430161502135e171f06">[email protected]</span></a>.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>)
under the link to FERC Online. Using eComment 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, which is located 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.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you
are making; a comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment
on a Filing''; 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 (CP23-
214-000) 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.
Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances and
submittals regarding the dockets/projects to which you
[[Page 32209]]
subscribe. These instant email notifications are the fastest way to
receive notification and provide a link to the document files which can
reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings. Go to
<a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to register for
eSubscription.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Columbia proposes to abandon its Greenwood and North Greenwood
Storage Fields, including all active associated pipelines, facilities,
and appurtenances, in Steuben County, New York. According to Columbia,
the storage fields are no longer needed, and the project would reduce
future integrity risks and eliminate the costs required to maintain the
fields.
The Greenwood and North Greenwood Storage Fields Abandonment
Project would consist of the following activities:
<bullet> abandoning four injection/withdrawal wells by permanently
plugging and abandoning;
<bullet> abandoning four observations wells and one disposal well
by permanently plugging and abandoning;
<bullet> abandoning approximately 3 miles of associated storage
lines in the Greenwood Fields, consisting of three 8-inch-diameter
laterals, and five 4-inch-diameter laterals. About 0.1 mile would be
abandoned by removal and about 2.9 miles would be abandoned in place;
<bullet> abandoning by removal the North Greenwood Compressor
Station, including all below- and above-ground structures;
<bullet> abandoning by removal all above-ground appurtenances; and
<bullet> abandoning in place the remaining below-ground brine lines
and miscellaneous appurtenances.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix
1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a> using the link called ``eLibrary''. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice. At
this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's
Public Reference Room. For assistance, contact FERC
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aaeceff8e9e5c4c6c3c4cff9dfdadac5d8deeacccfd8c984cdc5dc">[email protected]</a> or call toll free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY
(202) 502-8659.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Abandonment of the proposed facilities would temporarily disturb
about 25.8 acres of land. This includes about 15.5 acres of existing
easements, 3.8 acres of existing access roads, 3.6 acres of existing
facility space, and 2.8 acres of temporary workspaces. Following the
removal of facilities, Columbia would restore workspaces to their
former uses.
NEPA Process and the Environmental Document
Any environmental document issued by the Commission will discuss
impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation
of the proposed project under the relevant general resource areas:
<bullet> geology and soils;
<bullet> water resources and wetlands;
<bullet> vegetation and wildlife;
<bullet> threatened and endangered species;
<bullet> cultural resources;
<bullet> land use;
<bullet> environmental justice;
<bullet> air quality and noise; and
<bullet> cumulative impacts.
Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the
proposed project or portions of the project and make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Your
comments will help Commission staff identify and focus on the issues
that might have an effect on the human environment and potentially
eliminate others from further study and discussion in the environmental
document.
Following this scoping period, Commission staff will determine
whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the EIS will present Commission
staff's independent analysis of the issues. If Commission staff
prepares an EA, a Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an
Environmental Assessment will be issued. The EA may be issued for an
allotted public comment period. The Commission would consider timely
comments on the EA before making its decision regarding the proposed
project. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of Intent to
Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule will be issued, which will open up an
additional comment period. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS which
will be issued for public comment. Commission staff will consider all
timely comments received during the comment period on the draft EIS and
revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any EA
or draft and final EIS will be available in electronic format in the
public record through eLibrary \2\ and the Commission's natural gas
environmental documents web 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>). If eSubscribed, you
will receive instant email notification when the environmental document
is issued.
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\2\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
last page of this notice.
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With this notice, the Commission is asking agencies with
jurisdiction by law and/or special expertise with respect to the
environmental issues of this project to formally cooperate in the
preparation of the environmental document.\3\ Agencies that would like
to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for
filing comments provided under the Public Participation section of this
notice.
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\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, section 1501.8.
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Consultation Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, the Commission is using this notice to initiate
consultation with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s),
and to solicit their views and those of other government agencies,
interested Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential
effects on historic properties.\4\ The environmental document for this
project will document findings on the impacts on historic properties
and summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes Federal, State, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the project and includes a mailing address with their
comments. Commission staff will update the environmental mailing list
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that Commission notices related to
this environmental review are sent to all individuals, organizations,
and government entities interested in and/or
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potentially affected by the proposed project.
If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please complete one of
the following steps:
(1) Send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8bcceaf8dbf9e4e1eee8ffcaefeff9eef8f8c8e3eae5eceecbedeef9e8a5ece4fd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="90d7f1e3c0e2fffaf5f3e4d1f4f4e2f5e3e3d3f8f1fef7f5d0f6f5e2f3bef7ffe6">[email protected]</span></a> stating your
request. You must include the docket number CP23-214-000 in your
request. If you are requesting a change to your address, please be sure
to include your name and the correct address. If you are requesting to
delete your address from the mailing list, please include your name and
address as it appeared on this notice. This email address is unable to
accept comments.
OR
(2) Return the attached ``Mailing List Update Form'' (Appendix 2).
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC website at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a> using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number
in the ``Docket Number'' field. Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online
Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b1f7d4c3d2fedfddd8dfd4e2c4c1c1dec3c5f1d7d4c3d29fd6dec7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0c4a697e6f4362606562695f797c7c637e784c6a697e6f226b637a">[email protected]</span></a> or (866) 208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
Public sessions or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events">https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events</a> along with
other related information.
Dated: May 15, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
Appendix 1
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19MY23.016
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Appendix 2
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19MY23.017
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19MY23.018
[FR Doc. 2023-10739 Filed 5-18-23; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-C
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