[Federal Register: January 18, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 11)]
[Notices]
[Page 2277-2279]
[DOCID:fr18ja07-68]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP07-41-00]

CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company, Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed; Carthage to
Perryville Project--Phase III and Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues

January 10, 2007.
    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 Carthage to Perryville
Project--Phase III involving construction and operation of facilities
by CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company (CenterPoint) in Red
River Parish, Louisiana and Panola County, Texas (Project).\1\ This EA
will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to
determine whether the Project is in the public convenience and
necessity.
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    \1\ CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company'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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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities.
The pipeline 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 pipeline
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?'' addresses a number of typically asked questions, including
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

    CenterPoint seeks authorization to construct and operate:
    (1) At the existing Panola Compressor Station in Panola County,
Texas:
    (a) One additional natural gas-fired compressor unit identified as
a Solar Mars 100 turbine rated at 15,000 horsepower (hp);
    (b) One 1,200 gallon condensate storage tank;
    (c) One 237 hp standby generator engine;
    (d) One filter separator;
    (e) Piping and piping systems;
    (f) One air compressor; One compressor skid; one control enclosure;
and one office.
    (2) At the proposed Westdale Compressor Station site near Westdale
in Red River Parish, Louisiana:
    (a) Compressor station buildings and related infrastructure;
    (b) One natural gas-fired Solar Mars 100 turbine compressor unit
rated at 15,000 horsepower (hp);
    (c) One 1,200 gallon condensate storage tank;
    (d) One 237 hp standby generator engine;
    (e) One filter separator;
    (f) Piping and piping systems;
    (g) One air compressor; one compressor skid; one control enclosure;
and one office.
    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

    The Project would require a total of approximately 12.2 acres for
construction of the proposed Westdale Compressor Station. The Westdale
Compressor Station would encompass approximately 11 acres plus a
permanent access road. Acreage on the existing Panola Compressor
Station property grounds, and an existing access road, would also be
utilized for the construction and operation of the proposed additional
Panola Compressor Station 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
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. State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
    In the EA we \3\ will discuss impacts that would occur as a result
of the construction and operation of the Project under these general
headings:
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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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     Air quality and noise.
     Cultural resources.
     Fisheries.
     Geology and soils.
     Land use.
     Public safety.
     Water resources.
     Wetlands.
     Wildlife.
    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.
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the
environmental information provided by CenterPoint. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
     Air quality and noise.
     Geology and soils.
     Cultural resources.
     Land use.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Project. By becoming a commenter, 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, 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. CP07-41-000.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before February 12, 2007.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any
comments or interventions or protests to this proceeding. See 18 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. Before you can file comments you will need to create a
free account which can be created on-line.
    We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 3). If you do not
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

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

    An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the proposed Project. This includes all landowners who are
potential right-of-way grantors or who own homes within distances
defined in the Commission's regulations of certain aboveground
facilities. By this notice we are also asking governmental agencies,
especially those in Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming
cooperating agencies for the preparation of the EA.

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
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

    Finally, public meetings or 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. E7-562 Filed 1-17-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P