Notice2026-10227
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for the Ventura to Farmington A-Line Abandonment and Capacity Replacement Project and Northern Lights 2027 Expansion Project
Primary source
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Published
May 21, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 98 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 29952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10227]
[[Page 29952]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP26-130-000]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Schedule for the
Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for the Ventura to
Farmington A-Line Abandonment and Capacity Replacement Project and
Northern Lights 2027 Expansion Project
On March 2, 2026, Northern Natural Gas Company filed an application
in Docket No. CP26-130-000 requesting a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity pursuant to Section 7(c) and Authorization
pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act to construct, operate,
and abandon certain natural gas pipeline facilities in Iowa and
Minnesota. The proposed project is known as the Ventura to Farmington
A-line Abandonment and Capacity Replacement Project (V2F Project) and
Northern Lights 2027 Expansion Project (NL27 Project), collectively
referred to as ``Project,'' and would replace the capacity lost through
the abandonment and provide an additional 79,303 dekatherms per day of
incremental firm service.
On March 16, 2026, 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\ The EA will be
issued for a 30-day comment period.
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\1\ For tracking purposes under the National Environmental
Policy Act, the unique identification number for documents relating
to this environmental review is EAXX-019-20-000-1776779749.
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Schedule for Environmental Review
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Issuance of EA........................ October 2, 2026.
90-day Federal Authorization Decision December 31, 2026.
Deadline \2\.
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If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice will be
provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the
Project's progress.
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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.
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Project Description
The V2F Project would abandon in-place 131 miles of aging 16-inch-
diameter pipeline from Ventura, Iowa, to Farmington, Minnesota. The
lost capacity would be replaced through the construction and operation
of three pipeline extensions, totaling about 18 miles of 36-inch and
30-inch-diameter pipeline, and associated aboveground facilities in
Freeborn, Steele and Dakota Counties, Minnesota. The NL27 Project would
construct and operate ten pipeline extensions totaling 28.5 miles of
various diameter pipeline (ranging from 4-inch to 36-inch-diameter), a
compressor station uprate, and associated aboveground appurtenances in
Freeborn, Steele, Scott, Carver, Martin, Stearns, Jackson, Watonwan,
Isanti, Morrison, and Washington Counties, Minnesota. The two projects
are being filed together because two of the proposed pipeline
extensions (the Lake Mills M500 E-line and Albert Lea M500 E-line) are
required for each project and would be constructed concurrently.
Background
On April 13, 2026, the Commission issued a Notice of Scoping Period
Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Ventura to
Farmington A-Line Abandonment and Capacity Replacement Project and
Northern Lights 2027 Project (Notice of Scoping). The Notice of Scoping
was sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and local government
agencies; elected officials; Native American tribes; environmental and
public interest groups; other interested parties; and local libraries
and newspapers. The Commission received comments from three landowners.
The primary issues raised by the commentors relate to compensation, and
further concerns including the diminution of property value,
agricultural and structural effects, and the extent and duration of the
construction and restoration. All substantive 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 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.
For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office
of Public Participation at (202)502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dc938c8c9cbab9aebff2bbb3aa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="19564949597f7c6b7a377e766f">[email protected]</span></a>.
Additional information about the Project is available from 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., CP26-130), 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#e9afacbbaaa6878580878cba9c9999869b9da98f8c9b8ac78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7b3d3e293834151712151e280e0b0b14090f3b1d1e0918551c140d">[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.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: May 18, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-10227 Filed 5-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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