[Federal Register: March 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 45)]
[Notices]
[Page 11616-11617]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08mr06-77]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. AD06-5-000]
Office of Energy Projects (OEP); Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Effectiveness Assessment of the Natural Gas Facility Interagency
Agreement
February 28, 2006.
In May 2002, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission), the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife
Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, the
Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National
Marine Fisheries Service, the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, and the Department of Energy signed an agreement entitled
``Interagency Agreement on Early Coordination of Required Environmental
and Historic Preservation Reviews Conducted in Conjunction with the
Issuance of Authorizations to Construct and Operate Interstate Natural
Gas Pipelines Certificated by the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission'' (IA).
As a result of the IA, the signatory agencies formed a working
group to coordinate each agency's implementation of the IA (Working
Group). Among its tasks, the Working Group committed to the periodic
evaluation of the effectiveness of the IA. On behalf of the Working
Group, FERC is leading the effort to initiate this assessment. To
achieve the maximum benefit, including evaluation of the Commission's
Pre-Filing Process, a series of telephone conferences and interactive
public workshops are planned. The participants will include individuals
who have participated in the Commission's National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) process since the enactment of the IA, and will cover both
pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in various regions of
the United States. These include individuals from Federal, state and
local agencies, regulated natural industry, Native American tribes,
affected property owners, citizens, non-government organizations and
other stakeholders.
Since many of the signatory federal agencies have prepared internal
guidelines to more effectively implement the IA, the assessment will
also collect feedback on each agency's implementation, to determine
whether they are effective or need revision to improve the review of
future natural gas projects.
[[Page 11617]]
The FERC or its contractor will be contacting individuals to
collect specific information about experiences working with the IA and/
or agency guidance. We are looking for a broad cross-section of
responses--large and small projects; involving multiple agencies or a
single agency; and projects involving the Commission's Pre-Filing
Process. The information gathered from this assessment will be compiled
and presented to the Working Group to assist in determining whether the
IA and the signatory agencies' current internal guidelines are
furthering the intended goals. The information will also be used to
gage whether agencies are fulfilling the expeditious completion of
proceedings by issuing the necessary permits or authorizations for
natural gas projects.
At this time, we are considering the following projects for our
assessment (note this project list may change and is not final):
ANR Pipeline Company: West Leg Project, (CP02-434-000);
Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation: Line 1278
Replacement Project, (CP04-34-000);
Transwestern Pipeline Company: San Juan 2005 Expansion,
(CP04-104-000);
Golden Pass LNG: Golden Pass LNG Project, (CP04-386-000);
Vista del Sol LNG: Vista del Sol LNG Project, (CP04-395-
000);
Northwest Pipeline Corporation: Northwest Capacity
Replacement Project, (CP05-32-000); and
Entrega Gas Pipeline, LLC: Entrega Pipeline Project,
(CP04-413-000).
Public Participation
You are encouraged to participate and provide comments about the
Commission's NEPA process as it relates to the IA and/or the
Commission's Pre-Filing Process. To expedite the receipt and
consideration of your comments, electronic submission of comments is
strongly encouraged. See Title 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under
the eFiling link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can
submit comments you will need to create a free account by clicking on
``Sign-up'' under ``New user.'' You will be asked to select a type of
submission you are making. This type of submission is considered a
``Comment on Filing.'' Comments submitted electronically must be
submitted by March 31, 2006.
If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that
they will be received in Washington, DC on or before March 31, 2006 and
carefully follow these instructions:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas
1, DG2E; and
Reference Docket No. AD06-5-000 on the original and both
copies.
Everyone who responds to this notice or provides comments will be
retained on our Gas Outreach mailing list.
We will issue a separate notice announcing the workshops' planned
dates, locations and times. If you have any questions regarding the IA
Effectiveness Assessment, the upcoming/planned public workshops, or
would like to be placed on our Gas Outreach mailing list for this task,
please call Alisa Lykens, Gas Outreach Manager, at (202) 502-8766.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-3207 Filed 3-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P