[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13996-13999]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05176]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF22-3-000, Docket No. PF22-4-000]

Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Company, LLC Supplemental Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments
on Environmental Issues for the Planned Virginia Reliability Project
and Commonwealth Energy Connector Project, and Notice of Public Scoping
Session

    On February 22, 2022 the staff of the Office of Energy Projects
issued the Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on
Environmental Issues for the Planned Virginia Reliability Project and
Commonwealth Energy Connector Project, and Notice of Public Scoping
Session. It has come to our attention that addresses on our intended
mailing list may not have received the correct notice. As such, we are
issuing a Supplemental Notice of Scoping Period.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss
the environmental impacts of the Virginia Reliability Project and
Commonwealth Energy Connector Project involving construction and
operation of facilities by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia)
and Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco),
respectively. Columbia's project would be located in Greensville,
Prince George, Sussex, Surry, Southampton, and Isle of Wight Counties,
Virginia and in the cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake, Virginia.
Transco's project would be located in Mecklenburg, Brunswick, and
Greensville Counties, Virginia. Because of planned operational
connections between the Virginia Reliability Project and the
Commonwealth Energy Connector Project, the Commission will prepare a
single environmental document as part of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) review process. The Commission will use this
environmental document in its decision-making process to determine
whether the projects are in the public convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the extension of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies regarding the projects. As part of the 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 April 6, 2022. Comments may be
submitted in written or oral 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 or oral comments during the preparation
of the environmental document.
    If you submitted comments on either of these projects to the
Commission before the opening of the dockets on December 1, 2021, you
will need to file those comments in Docket Nos. PF22-3-000 (Virginia
Reliability Project) or PF22-4-000 (Commonwealth Energy Connector
Project) to ensure they are considered.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for these projects. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of these planned
projects and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a representative from
Columbia or Transco may contact you about the acquisition of an
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities.
The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable easement
agreement. You are not required to enter into an agreement. However, if
the Commission approves the project, the Natural Gas Act conveys the
right of eminent domain to the company. Therefore, if you and the
company do not reach an easement agreement, the pipeline company could

initiate condemnation proceedings in court. In such instances,
compensation would be determined by a judge in accordance with state
law. The Commission does not subsequently grant, exercise, or oversee
the exercise of that eminent domain authority. The courts have
exclusive authority to handle eminent domain cases; the Commission has
no jurisdiction over these matters.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' 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 (www.ferc.gov) under the links to Natural Gas Questions or
Landowner Topics.

Public Participation

    There are four 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 [email protected].
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov)
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 (www.ferc.gov)
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 (PF22-3-
000 for Virginia Reliability Project or PF22-4-000 for Commonwealth
Energy Connector Project) 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.
    (4) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you
to attend a virtual public scoping session. As previously mentioned, on
February 22, we issued a scoping notice titled Notice of Scoping Period
Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Planned Virginia
Reliability Project and Commonwealth Energy Connector Project, and
Notice of Public Scoping Session that identified a scoping period that
ended March 24, 2022. Within that scoping period, we scheduled a
comment meeting for March 15 at 5:00 p.m. eastern time. Since then, we
have determined that some or all the notices were not delivered to our
mailing list. As a result of being unable to determine the extent to
which notices were delivered correctly, we intend to conduct the
originally scheduled meeting and conduct a second meeting on March 29,
2022 at 5:00 p.m. eastern time. Directions for participation in both
meetings is provided below. The Commission invites you to attend the
virtual public scoping sessions its staff will conduct by telephone,
scheduled as follows:

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                              Date and time
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Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. eastern time, Call in
 number:<PHONE_NUMBER>, Passcode: 3472916.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. eastern time, Call in
 number:<PHONE_NUMBER>, Passcode: 3537740.
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    Although there will not be a formal presentation, Commission staff
will be available to answer questions you may have about the
environmental review process. The primary goal of these scoping
sessions are to have you identify the specific environmental issues and
concerns that should be considered in the environmental document.
Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a
court reporter present on the line. This format is designed to receive
the maximum amount of oral comments, in a convenient way during the
timeframe allotted, and is in response to the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic.
    The scoping sessions are scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
eastern time. You may call at any time after 5:00 p.m. at which time
you will be placed on mute and hold. Calls will be answered in the
order they are received. Once answered, you will have the opportunity
to provide your comment directly to a court reporter with FERC staff or
representative present on the line. A time limit of three minutes will
be implemented for each commentor. Transcripts of all comments received
during the scoping sessions will be publicly available on FERC's
eLibrary system (see the last page of this notice for instructions on
using eLibrary).
    It is important to note that the Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided orally at a virtual scoping sessions.
    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 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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.

Summary of the Planned Projects

Virginia Reliability Project

    Columbia plans to replace and expand existing facilities associated
with its VM-107 and VM-108 pipelines in southeast Virginia. The
Virginia Reliability Project would increase the capability of
Columbia's existing pipeline facilities to provide incremental firm
transportation service of 100,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d), while
increasing the reliability of Columbia's system by replacing 1950s
vintage pipeline. According to Columbia, its project would meet the
increasing market demand of residential, commercial, and industrial
consumers in southeast Virginia.
    The Virginia Reliability Project would consist of the following:
     Replacement of approximately 47.7 miles of existing, 1950s
vintage 12-inch-diameter VM-107 and VM-108 pipelines with 24-inch-
diameter pipeline mostly within Columbia's existing right-of-way, in
the Counties of Sussex, Surry, Southampton, and Isle of Wight, as well
as the cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake, Virginia;
     installation of one new 5,500 horsepower (HP) electric-
drive compressor unit at the existing Emporia Compressor Station in
Greensville County, Virginia;
     a facility upgrade involving additional gas cooling and an
increase of 2,700 HP at the existing Petersburg Compressor Station in
Prince George County, Virginia;

     expansion of the Emporia Point of Receipt in Greensville
County, Virginia; RS-7423 Regulator Station in Prince George County,
Virginia; and the MS-831010 Point of Delivery in the City of
Chesapeake, Virginia; and
     eight mainline valve replacements, five new launcher/
receiver installations, and other minor appurtenant facilities.
    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
www.ferc.gov 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 due to the proclamation declaring a National
Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19),
issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact
FERC at [email protected] or call toll free,<PHONE_NUMBER>
or TTY<PHONE_NUMBER>.
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Commonwealth Energy Connector Project

    Transco plans to expand its existing natural gas transmission
system to provide 105,000 Dth/d of incremental firm transportation
capacity from its Compressor Station 165 in Pittsylvania County,
Virginia to the existing Emporia delivery point in Greensville County,
Virginia on the existing South Virginia Lateral B-Line Pipeline.
    The Commonwealth Energy Connector Project would consist of the
following:
     Construction of a 6.35-mile-long, 24-inch-diameter
pipeline loop \2\ (referred to as the Commonwealth Loop), including
valve and launcher/receiver facilities, in Brunswick and Greensville
Counties, Virginia;
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    \2\ A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to
an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
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     installation of a 30,500 HP electric motor-drive
compressor unit at the existing Compressor Station 168 in Mecklenburg
County, Virginia; and
     expansion of the existing Emporia Metering and Regulator
Station in Greensville County, Virginia.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.

Land Requirements for Construction

Virginia Reliability Project

    As a preliminary estimate, construction of the planned facilities
for the Virginia Reliability Project would disturb about 814 acres of
land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. Following
construction, Columbia would maintain about 195 acres for permanent
operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage would be
restored. These acreages are subject to change pending further pipeline
route refinement. The pipeline route, as currently planned, parallels
Columbia's existing VM-107 and VM-108 pipelines.

Commonwealth Energy Connector Project

    Construction of the planned facilities for the Commonwealth Energy
Connector would disturb about 168 acres of land for the compressor
station modifications and the pipeline. An additional amount, as yet to
be quantified, would be disturbed for aboveground facilities. Following
construction, Transco would maintain about 2.8 acres of new pipeline
right-of-way for permanent operation of the project's facilities; the
remaining acreage is either part of its existing permanent right-of-way
or would be restored. The acreage that would be permanently affected by
aboveground facilities outside of Transco's existing facilities has yet
to be quantified. The pipeline route, as currently planned, parallels
Transco's existing South Virginia Lateral A-Line.

NEPA Process and the Environmental Document

    Any environmental document issued by Commission staff will discuss
impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation
of the planned projects under the relevant general resource areas:
     Geology and soils;
     water resources and wetlands;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     threatened and endangered species;
     cultural resources;
     socioeconomics and environmental justice;
     land use;
     air quality and noise;
     climate change; and
     reliability and safety.
    Commission staff have already identified several issues that
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the planned
facilities and the environmental information provided by Columbia and
Transco for their respective projects. This preliminary list of issues
may change based on your comments and our analysis:
     Lands administered by the Great Dismal Swamp National
Wildlife Refuge and alternative alignments to reduce or avoid impacts;
     the Sunray Historic District in the city of Chesapeake,
Virginia;
     residential, commercial, and industrial areas;
     agricultural lands;
     wetlands and waterbodies; and
     forested areas.
    Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the
planned projects or portions of the projects 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.
    Although no formal application has been filed for either project,
Commission staff have already initiated a NEPA review under the
Commission's pre-filing process. The purpose of the pre-filing process
is to encourage early involvement of interested stakeholders and to
identify and resolve issues before the Commission receives an
application. As part of the pre-filing review, Commission staff will
contact federal and state agencies to discuss their involvement in the
scoping process and the preparation of the environmental document.
    If formal applications are filed, Commission staff will then
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 environmental 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 determination on
the proposed projects. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of
Intent to Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule will be issued once the
applications are filed, which will open an additional public comment
period. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS that 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 \3\ and the Commission's natural gas environmental
documents web page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents). If eSubscribed, you will receive
instant

email notification when the environmental document is issued.
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    \3\ 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 related to these projects to formally cooperate in
the preparation of the environmental document.\4\ 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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    \4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 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 Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and to
solicit its views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the projects' potential effects on
historic properties.\5\ The environmental document for these projects
will document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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    \5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 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; and
other interested parties. 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 projects
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 potentially affected by the planned projects.
    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 [email protected] stating your
request. You must include the docket number PF22-03-000 for Virginia
Reliability Project or PF22-04-000 for Commonwealth Energy Connector
Project 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).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Columbia and Transco file their applications with the
Commission, you may want to become an ``intervenor'' which is an
official party to the Commission's proceeding. Only intervenors have
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of
Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Motions to intervene are more
fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to.asp.
Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor
status at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives formal
applications for the projects, after which the Commission will issue a
public notice that establishes an intervention deadline.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the projects is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC website (www.ferc.gov) 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 [email protected] or toll free at<PHONE_NUMBER>,
or for TTY, contact<PHONE_NUMBER>. 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 https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events along with
other related information.

    Dated: March 7, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-05176 Filed 3-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 236 (Thursday, December 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88713-88714]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29387]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-79457; File No. SR-BatsBZX-2016-79]

Self-Regulatory Organizations; Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Make
Non-Substantive Changes to the Equity Options Fee Schedule

December 2, 2016.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the ``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given
that on November 29, 2016, Bats BZX Exchange, Inc. (the ``Exchange'' or
``BZX'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II,
and III below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The
Exchange has designated the proposed rule change as one establishing or
changing a member due, fee, or other charge imposed by the Exchange
under Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(2)
thereunder,\4\ which renders the proposed rule change effective upon
filing with the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to
solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
    \4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of the
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange filed a proposal to make certain non-substantive and
clarifying changes to the fee schedule applicable to Members \5\ and
non-members of the Exchange pursuant to Exchange Rules 15.1(a) and (c).
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    \5\ A Member is defined as ``any registered broker or dealer
that has been admitted to membership in the Exchange.'' See Exchange
Rule 1.5(n).
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    The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange's
Web site at www.batstrading.com, at the principal office of the
Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in
Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in
Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts of such
statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to modify its fee schedule applicable to the
Exchange's equity options platform (``BZX Options'') to make certain
clarifying and non-substantive changes to its fee schedule in order to
improve formatting, eliminate certain redundancies, increase overall
readability, and provide users with straightforward descriptions to
augment overall comprehensibility and usability of the existing fee
schedule. The Exchange notes that these changes are purely clerical and
do not substantively amend any fee or rebate, nor do they alter the
manner in which the Exchange assesses fees or calculates rebates. The
proposed changes are simply intended to provide greater transparency to
market participants regarding how the Exchange assesses fees and
calculates rebates. Specifically, the Exchange proposes to:
     Alphabetize defined terms under the ``Definitions''
section; \6\
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    \6\ The Exchange does not proposes to alphabetize the
definitions under the Market Data section of its fee schedule as
those terms are generally grouped with similar terms.
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     amend criteria for Tier 3 under footnote 5 to add a zero
after 2.5% to ensure that it is represented to the hundredths decimal
point, like all other percentages included in the fee schedule;
     ensure each tier requiring multiple criteria is conjoined
using ``; and'' to clarify that all of a tier's criteria must be
satisfied to receive the applicable rate;
     amend the title of the column setting forth each tier's
rate to simply state ``Fee Per Contract to Remove'', ``Fee Per Contract
to Add'' or ``Rebate Per Contract to Add'' as applicable. Renaming
these column is intended to clearly indicate whether the footnote
provides a fee and/or a rebate, and whether that enhanced pricing
applies to orders which add or remove liquidity. In renaming these
columns, the Exchange also proposes to remove certain other descriptive
language as such language is redundant and set forth in the tier's
title and list of its applicable fee codes;

     amend the name under first column of the tiers listed
under footnotes 1, 3, 4, 5, 12, and 13 to simply state ``Tier 1'', Tier
2'' etc. as the deleted language is redundant with the respective
tier's title or with the description of the tier's criteria;
     replace the phrase ``equal to or greater than'' and
``greater than or equal to'' with ``>='' in all required criteria cells
under footnotes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13; and
     amend the NBBO Setter Tier under footnote 4 to specify at
the top of the footnote that the additional rebates provided by the
tier are only applicable to orders that establish a new National Best
Bid or Offer (``NBBO'') and to delete such language from each tier's
criteria.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent
with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder that are applicable to a national securities exchange, and,
in particular, with the requirements of Section 6 of the Act.\7\
Specifically, the Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is
consistent with Sections 6(b)(4) of the Act,\8\ in that it provides for
the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees and other charges
among members and other persons using any facility or system which the
Exchange operates or controls. The Exchange believes that the proposed
changes are reasonable and equitable because they are intended to
simplify the Exchange's fee schedule and provide greater transparency
to market participants regarding how the Exchange assesses fees and
calculates rebates. The Exchange notes that these changes are purely
clerical and do not substantively amend any fee or rebate, nor do they
alter the manner in which the Exchange assesses fees or calculates
rebates. The Exchange also believes that the proposal is non-
discriminatory because it applies uniformly to all Members. Finally,
the Exchange believes that the proposed changes will make the fee
schedule clearer and eliminate potential investor confusion, thereby
removing impediments to and perfecting the mechanism of a free and open
market and a national market system, and, in general, protecting
investors and the public interest.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will
result in any burden on competition that is not necessary or
appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act, as amended. To
the contrary, the Exchange believes that the proposed rule change will
not impose any burden on competition as the changes are purely clerical
and do not amend any fee or rebate.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

    The Exchange has not solicited, and does not intend to solicit,
comments on this proposed rule change. The Exchange has not received
any written comments from members or other interested parties.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action

    The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \9\ and paragraph (f) of Rule 19b-4
thereunder.\10\ At any time within 60 days of the filing of the
proposed rule change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend
such rule change if it appears to the Commission that such action is
necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of
investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f).
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IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of
the following methods:

Electronic Comments

     Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
     Send an email to<EMAIL_ADDRESS>Please include
File Number SR-BatsBZX-2016-79 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities
and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-BatsBZX-2016-79. This
file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To
help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently,
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on
the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all
written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are
filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to
the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other
than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and
printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20549 on official business days between the hours of
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available
for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All
comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does
not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should
submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All
submissions should refer to File Number SR-BatsBZX-2016-79, and should
be submitted on or before December 29, 2016.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\11\
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    \11\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-29387 Filed 12-7-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P


[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 135 (Monday, July 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42062-42064]
[FR Doc No: 2013-16850]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP13-477-000]

Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Assessment and Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues for the Proposed Smithfield III Expansion Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Smithfield III Expansion
Project (Project) involving construction and operation of aboveground
facilities by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia) in Greene and
Washington Counties, Pennsylvania; and Monongalia, Wetzel, Gilmer,
Roane, and Kanawha Counties, West Virginia. The Commission will use
this EA 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 on the project. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on August 7, 2013.
    Comments on the Project may be submitted in written form or
electronically, as described in the Public Participation section of
this notice. This notice is being sent to the Commission's current
environmental mailing for this Project. State and local government
representatives are asked to notify their constituents of this proposed
Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you 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 Commission approves the project, that approval conveys with it the
right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to
produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation
proceedings where compensation would be determined in accordance with
state law.
    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?''. 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 also available for viewing on
the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Columbia states that the Project would increase its transportation
capacity by 444 MDth per day.
    The Project would consist of the following facilities:
     New compressor station (Redd Farm Compressor Station) on
Columbia's existing Line 1570 in Washington County, PA.
     Modifications at the Hero-Jollytown Valve Setting which
would involve a new regulation setting;
     Modifications to the Smithfield Compressor Station
consisting of upgrades to the existing reciprocating engine/compressor
building ventilation systems, existing gas coolers, and installation of
new gas coolers;
     Modifications to the Glenville Compressor Station by
installing two gas-fired turbines, each rated at 7,800 horsepower (HP),
and other auxiliary equipment; and
     Modifications at the Pigeon Valve Setting by removing and
replacing the crossover piping and valve to enable gas to flow south.

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 appendices were sent to all those
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ``eLibrary'' 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.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb about 17.6
acres of land including the temporary workspace areas for all
aboveground facility sites. With the exception of the construction of
the Redd Farm compressor Station, Columbia would utilize areas within
the fenced boundaries of the existing facilities for materials staging
and construction activities, or previously cleared land immediately
adjacent to these facilities.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 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 \2\ 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, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of
the issues to address in the EA. We will consider all filed comments
during the preparation of the EA.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Land use;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Air quality and noise;
     Endangered and threatened species;
     Cumulative impacts; and
     Public safety.
    We 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.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We
will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendation
to the Commission. To ensure your comments are considered, please
carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section
beginning on page 4.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the
EA.\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, Sec.  1501.6.
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Consultations 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, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with applicable State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), 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\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the project
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this Project will document our
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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Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Project. Your comments should focus on
the 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 your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so
that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before August
7, 2013.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please
reference the project docket number (CP13-477-000) with your
submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and
has expert staff available to assist you at<PHONE_NUMBER> or
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for interested persons to
submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically using the eFiling
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. 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 following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426.

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. We will update the environmental mailing list
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the
proposed project.
    If the EA is published for distribution, copies will be sent to the
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please
return the attached Information Request (Appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in
the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web
site.

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 Web site at 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 (i.e., CP13-
477). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>or toll free at<PHONE_NUMBER>, or for TTY,
contact<PHONE_NUMBER>. 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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

    Dated: July 9, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-16850 Filed 7-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P