[Federal Register: November 9, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 217)]
[Notices]
[Page 65802-65804]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09no06-89]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP07-4-000]
Mississippi Hub, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Mississippi Hub Gas Storage
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
November 3, 2006.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of a proposal by Mississippi Hub,
L.L.C. (MS HUB) to construct, own, and operate a new salt cavern
natural gas storage facility in Simpson and Jefferson Davis Counties,
Mississippi.\1\ The proposal would provide for the injection, storage,
and withdrawal of natural gas in two underground caverns created in the
Bond Salt Dome formation using a solution mining (leaching) process.
Once complete, the project would provide approximately 12 billion cubic
feet (Bcf) of working gas storage capacity, capable of injecting 600
million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) and delivering gas at maximum rates
up to 1,200 MMcfd. Proposed project facilities include gas compression
and withdrawal facilities, a leaching plant, an electrical substation,
raw water withdrawal and brine disposal facilities, approximately 11.4
miles of pipeline and utility corridor, metering facilities and
ancillary equipment.
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\1\ MS HUB's application was filed with the Commission under
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's
regulations.
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This notice announces the opening of the public comment period that
will be used to gather environmental input from the public and
interested agencies on the project. Comments are requested by December
4, 2006.
This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners;
Federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes, other
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers. State and local
government representatives are asked to notify their constituents of
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern. If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be
contacted by a MS HUB company representative about the acquisition of
an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed
facilities. The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the natural gas
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with
state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the
project notice MS HUB provided to landowners. This fact sheet addresses
a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is
available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov
).
Summary of the Proposed Project
MS HUB seeks authority to construct and operate the following:
(1) Natural Gas Handling Facility Site; Simpson County
(approximately 80 acres). The facility would include two storage
caverns; a 29,205 horsepower compressor station; separation,
dehydration, metering, and appurtenant facilities; leaching plant; one
freshwater well; and a non-jurisdictional electrical substation.
Solution mining of the caverns would occur over an approximate five-
year time span.
(2) Primary Raw Water Withdrawal and Brine Disposal Facility
[[Page 65803]]
(approximately 45 acres), located south of the Natural Gas Handling
Facility in Jefferson Davis County, including three raw water wells,
two brine disposal wells, pipelines, roads, and ancillary equipment.
(3) SONAT (Southern Natural Gas Company) Tie-in and Metering/
Secondary Raw Water Withdrawal and Brine Disposal Facility
(approximately 40 acres), located north of the Natural Gas Handling
Facility in Simpson County, including two raw water wells, three brine
disposal wells, pipelines, roads, ancillary equipment, and metering
equipment for an interconnection to the SONAT pipeline system.
(4) CrossTex Tie-In and Metering Facility Site (approximately 0.52
acre), located in Simpson County along the West Pipeline Corridor. The
site would include metering, pressure control, and related ancillary
equipment, pipelines, and roads.
(5) SONAT Crossover Tie-in and Metering Facility Site
(approximately 0.52 acre), located in Jefferson Davis County at the
terminus of the West Pipeline Corridor. The site would include
metering, pressure control, and related ancillary equipment, pipelines,
and roads.
(6) Utility and Pipeline Corridors. Five pipeline corridors
(Utility, South, North, East, and West) totaling 11.4 miles, are
proposed for the collocation of raw water and brine disposal pipelines,
36-inch-diameter natural gas pipelines, and an overhead electric
utility line (non-jurisdictional). All corridors except the 0.2 mile
Utility Corridor would parallel existing utility or pipeline right-of-
ways. Construction right-of-way widths range from 300-feet-wide
(Utility Corridor) to 75-feet-wide (West Pipeline Corridor). Following
construction, the permanent pipeline rights-of-way would be 50-feet-
wide for all pipeline corridors.
Non-jurisdictional facilities would need to be constructed by
others in order to complete the project. These facilities include the
permanent electrical substation at the Natural Gas Handling Facility
Site, overhead electrical power lines, and five permanent electrical
power drops. These facilities would be constructed and operated by
local electric utility companies. The permanent electric powerline
easement along the Utility Corridor would be 175-feet-wide, adjacent to
the pipeline right-of-way.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix
1.\2\
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\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other
than Appendix 1 (maps), are available on the Commission's Web site
at the ``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference
Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)
502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to the
last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 250.2
acres of land. Following construction, about 196.1 acres would be
maintained as new aboveground facility sites or pipeline right-of-way.
MS HUB has purchased in fee the tracts for the Natural Gas Handling
Facility Site, the Primary Raw Water Withdrawal and Brine Disposal
Facility Site, and the SONAT Tie-in and Metering/Secondary Raw Water
Withdrawal and Brine Disposal Facility Site. Land requirements for
meter stations would be purchased. The remainder of pipeline rights-of-
way would be acquired by easement.
The EA Process
We \3\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the Commission to take
into account the environmental impacts that could result from an action
whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us to discover and
address concerns the public may have about proposals. This process is
referred to as ``scoping''. The main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By
this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff requests public comments on
the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments received are
considered during the preparation of the EA.
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\3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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By this notice, we are also asking Federal, state, and local
agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation
of the EA. Agencies that would like to request cooperating status
should follow the instructions for filing comments below.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make
our recommendations to the Commission.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
In the EA, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the project. We will also evaluate
reasonable alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the
project. We have already identified several issues that we think
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed
facilities and the environmental information provided by MS HUB. This
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and
our analysis.
Project-related impact on:
Noise sensitive areas (i.e. residences) located in
proximity to construction operations and the proposed compressor
facility;
habitat for Federally and state-listed aquatic species
downstream from project locations;
gopher tortoise habitat in the project area (state listed
endangered species);
159.3 acres of forest lands;
58.5 acres of prime farmland soils;
29 waterbody crossings; and
2 wetlands.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission.
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative
locations/routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be.
Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments
are received in time and properly recorded:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 3.
Reference Docket No. CP07-4-000.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before December 4, 2006.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of comments.
Please refer to 18 Code of Federal Regulations
[[Page 65804]]
(CFR) 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web
site at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' link and the link to
the User's Guide. Prepare your submission in the same manner as you
would if filing on paper and save it to a file on your hard drive.
Before you can file comments, you will need to create an account by
clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' You will
be asked to select the type of filing you are making. This filing is
considered a ``Comment on Filing.''
The determination of whether to distribute the EA for public
comment will be based on the response to this notice. If you are
interested in receiving a copy of the EA, please return the Information
Request form (Appendix 2). An effort is being made to send this notice
to all individuals affected by the proposed project. This includes all
landowners who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may
be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within
distances defined in the Commission's regulations of certain
aboveground facilities.
Site Visit
On November 16, 2006, the OEP staff will conduct a site visit of
the planned MS HUB Storage Project. We will view the proposed facility
locations and pipeline route. Examination will be by automobile and on
foot. Representatives of MS HUB will be accompanying the OEP staff.
All interested parties may attend. Those planning to attend must
provide their own transportation and should meet at 9 a.m. (CST) in the
parking lot of the Wal-Mart, 1625 Simpson Highway 49, Magee,
Mississippi on November 16, 2006.
For additional information, please contact the Commission's Office
of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372).
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding, or ``intervenor''. To
become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene according to
Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR
385.214). Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the
Commission's decision. Motions to Intervene should be electronically
submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov.
Persons without Internet access should send an original and 14 copies
of their motion to the Secretary of the Commission at the address
indicated previously. Persons filing Motions to Intervene on or before
the comment deadline indicated above must send a copy of the motion to
the Applicant. All filings, including late interventions, submitted
after the comment deadline must be served on the Applicant and all
other intervenors identified on the Commission's service list for this
proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-mail addresses may be
served electronically; others must be served a hard copy of the filing.
Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your environmental comments considered.
Environmental Mailing List
If you wish to remain on our environmental mailing list, please
return the Information Request Form included in Appendix 2. If you do
not return this form, you will be removed from our mailing list.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the
FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link.
Click on the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the
docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number
field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202)502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or additional site visits will be posted
on the Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx
along with other related information.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-18988 Filed 11-8-06; 8:45 am]
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