87 FR 164 pgs. 52378-52379 - Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Virginia Electrification Project
Type: NOTICEVolume: 87Number: 164Pages: 52378 - 52379
Pages: 52378, 52379Docket number: [Docket No. CP21-498-000]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2022-18332 Filed 8-24-22; 8:45 am]
Agency: Energy Department
Sub Agency: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP21-498-000]
Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Virginia Electrification Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Virginia Electrification Project (Project), proposed by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia) in the above-referenced docket. Columbia requests authorization to construct and operate natural gas facilities in Virginia. The Project is designed to provide 35,000 dekatherms per day of incremental mainline capacity on Columbia's pipeline system. The Project would address a request from Columbia Gas of Virginia, an unaffiliated local distribution company, for firm transportation service to meet growing energy demand in the southeast Virginia market area off of Columbia's existing VM-107, VM-108, and VM-109 pipelines.
This draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Columbia's Project facilities include: one zero emission electric motor compressor unit at the Boswells Tavern Compressor Station located in Louisa County; facility modifications to the Boswells Tavern point of receipt located in Louisa County to allow for increased capacity; replacement of all five existing gas-powered compressor units at the Goochland Compressor Station, located in Goochland County, with new units that will run exclusively on electric motors, but will have the ability to run on gas in order to ensure reliability; and change the status of an existing compressor unit from backup mode to active mode and increase the site-rated station horsepower to 5,500 horsepower at the Petersburg Compressor Station located in Prince George County. The FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed Project, with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would result in some adverse environmental impacts; however, with the exception of climate change impacts, those impacts would not be significant. The EIS is not characterizing the Project's greenhouse gas emissions as significant or insignificant because the Commission is conducting a generic proceeding to determine whether and how the Commission will conduct significance determinations going forward. 1 The EIS also concludes that no system, route, or other alternative would meet the Project objective while providing a significant environmental advantage over the Project as proposed.
The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Virginia Electrification Project to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; local libraries; newspapers; elected officials; Native American Tribes; and other interested parties. The draft EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website ( www.ferc.gov ), on the natural gas environmental documents page ( https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents ). In addition, the draft EIS may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link ( https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search ) select "General Search" and enter the docket number in the "Docket Number" field ( i.e., CP21-498-000). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
The draft EIS is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding. Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. Your comments should focus on the draft EIS's disclosure and discussion of potential environmental effects, measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts and the completeness of the submitted alternatives, information, and analyses. To ensure consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that the Commission receive your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 11, 2022.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission's website ( www.ferc.gov ) under the link to FERC Online. This 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 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." If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select "Comment on a Filing" as the filing type; 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 (CP21-498-000) 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, MD 20852.
Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214). Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/how-intervene. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission's decision. The Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
Questions?
[top] Additional information about the Project 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. The eLibrary link also
In addition, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription that 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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.
Dated: August 19, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-18332 Filed 8-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P