Notice2024-21476
Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Northern Natural Gas Company Northern Lights 2025 Expansion Project
Primary source
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Published
September 20, 2024
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77122-77123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21476]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP24-60-000]
Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Northern Natural Gas Company Northern Lights 2025 Expansion
Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the
Northern Lights 2025 Expansion Project (Project), proposed by Northern
Natural Gas Company (Northern) in the above-referenced docket. Northern
requests authorization to construct and operate about 8.6 miles of
pipeline extensions, and associated ancillary and auxiliary equipment
in Freeborn, Houston, and Washington Counties, Minnesota and Monroe
County, Wisconsin. Northern's stated purpose for this Project is to
provide up to 46,064 dekatherms per day of firm, winter natural gas
transportation capacity to Northern's Market Area.\1\
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\1\ Northern's Market Area is north of the inlet to Northern's
Clifton Compressor Station in Clay County, Kansas. The Market Area
includes pipeline configured in a grid system, with gas flowing from
Northern's transmission facilities and third-party interstate
pipelines.
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The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. FERC staff
concludes that approval of the proposed Project would not constitute a
major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment.
The proposed Project includes the following facilities:
<bullet> 3.0-mile-long extension of the 36-inch-diameter Lake Mills
to Albert Lea E Line;
<bullet> 2.43-mile-long extension of the 30-inch-diameter Elk River
3rd Branch Line;
<bullet> a non-contiguous 1.91-mile-long extension of the 30-inch-
diameter Farmington to Hugo C-Line;
<bullet> 1.28-mile-long extension of the 8-inch-diameter Tomah
Branch Line Loop;
<bullet> one pig new launcher,\2\ valves, and piping inside the
existing Hugo Compressor Station;
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\2\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline,
conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
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<bullet> minor piping modifications within the existing La Crescent
Compressor Station;
<bullet> relocation of one pig receiver facility along the Tomah
Branch Line loop;
<bullet> removal of three existing tie-in valve settings along the
Lake Mills to Albert Lea E-line, Elk River 3rd Branch line, and Tomah
Branch Line loop;
<bullet> three new valve settings and associated valves and piping
along the Lake Mills to Albert Lea E-line, Elk River 3rd Branch line,
and Tomah Branch Line loop;
<bullet> and other appurtenant facilities; and
<bullet> abandonment and removal of 275 feet of its existing 30-
inch diameter Elk River 3rd Branch Line.
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; local libraries; churches; and newspapers in
the project area. The EA 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
natural gas 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 EA 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>), select ``General Search'' and enter the docket number
in the ``Docket Number'' field, excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
CP24-60). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ec8ebfcedc1e0e2e7e0ebddfbfefee1fcfacee8ebfceda0e9e1f8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="165073647559787a7f787345636666796462567073647538717960">[email protected]</span></a> or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202) 502-8659.
The EA 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 EA may do so. Your comments should
focus on the EA's disclosure and discussion of potential environmental
effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. To ensure that the Commission has the opportunity to
consider your comments prior to making its decision on this project, it
is important that we receive your comments in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 15, 2024.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file
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#abedced9c8e4c5c7c2c5cef8dedbdbc4d9dfebcdced9c885ccc4dd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="11577463725e7f7d787f74426461617e636551777463723f767e67">[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 also file your comments electronically 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.'' You must select the type of filing you are making. If
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select
``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 (CP24-
60-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service
must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
[[Page 77123]]
Filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status,
but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of
the Commission's decision. At this point in this proceeding, the
timeframe for filing timely intervention requests has expired. Any
person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion
to intervene out-of-time pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and
(d)) and show good cause why the time limitation should be waived.
Motions to intervene are more fully described at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/how-intervene">https://www.ferc.gov/how-intervene</a>.
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. The eLibrary link
also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners,
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#347b646474525146571a535b42"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="206f707060464552430e474f56">[email protected]</span></a>.
In addition, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which 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> to
register for eSubscription.
Dated: September 13, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-21476 Filed 9-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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