Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Intent

Tag : Natural Gas Valve

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC orCommission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that willdiscuss the environmental impacts of the J-2 Loop Project,involving construction and operation of natural gas facilities byAlgonquin Gas Transmission, LLC (Algonquin) in Middlesex County,Massachusetts. The EA will be used by the Commission in itsdecision-making process to determine whether the project is in thepublic convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping period that willbe used to gather environmental input from the public andinterested agencies on the project. Your input will help theCommission staff determine which issues need to be evaluated in theEA. Please note that the scoping period will close on August 2,2008. Details on how to submit comments are provided in the PublicParticipation section of this notice.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contactedby an Algonquin representative about the acquisition of an easementto construct, operate, and maintain the proposed projectfacilities. The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutuallyacceptable agreement. However, if the project is approved by theCommission, that approval conveys with it the right of eminentdomain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce anagreement, Algonquin could initiate condemnation proceedings inaccordance with Massachusetts State law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled "An Interstate NaturalGas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need to Know?" addresses anumber of typically asked questions, including the use of eminentdomain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.
With this notice, we /1/ are asking other Federal, State, and localagencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect toenvironmental issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of theEA. Agencies that would like to request cooperating status shouldfollow the instructions for filing comments provided below.
FOOTNOTE 1 "We," "us," and "our" refer to the environmental staffof the FERC's Office of Energy Projects. END FOOTNOTE
Algonquin seeks authorization to construct about 2.3 miles of14-inch-diameter pipeline and associated facilities within thecities of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. The project wouldcommence at an existing meter station adjacent to the Mystic ValleyParkway in Medford and travel in a general southeast directionwithin road rights-of-way to its terminus at an interconnectionwith NSTAR Gas Company's (NSTAR) system adjacent to the McGrathHighway/railroad track overpass in Somerville. A meter station andpig /2/ launcher facility would be constructed in Medford, at theexisting meter station and a valve and pig receiver would beconstructed at the interconnect with NSTAR.
FOOTNOTE 2 A pipeline "pig" is a device designed to internallyclean or inspect the pipeline. A pig launcher/receiver is anaboveground facility where pigs are inserted or retrieved from thepipeline.
Appendix A presents a detailed map identifying all facilitiesassociated with this project. /3/
FOOTNOTE 3 The appendices referenced in this notice are not beingprinted in the Federal Register . Copies are available on theCommission's Internet Web site at the"eLibrary" link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room at(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, referto the "Additional Information" section at the end of this notice.Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving thisnotice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps of the proposedfacilities should be made directly to Dominion. END FOOTNOTE
Land Requirements for Construction
Algonquin would temporarily disturb about 36.8 acres to constructthe new pipeline and about 0.6 acres for aboveground facilities.During operation of the project, Algonquin would affect about 0.33acres for pipeline maintenance and about 0.04 acres for abovegroundfacilities.
The majority of the J-2 Loop Project would be constructed withinexisting roadways, roadside shoulders, and paved parking areas.
The EA Process
We are preparing this EA to comply with the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act of 1969 (NEPA) which requires the Commission to takeinto account the environmental impacts that could result from anaction whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate ofPublic Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us to discoverand address concerns the public may have about proposals. Thisprocess is referred to as "scoping." The main goal of the scopingprocess is to focus the analysis in the EA on the importantenvironmental issues. By this notice, we are requesting publiccomments on the scope of the issues to be addressed in the EA. Allcomments received will be considered during the preparation of theEA.