From: Subject: FR Doc E7-16702 Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:03:24 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-16702.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 FR Doc E7-16702 
[Federal Register: August 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 164)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 48662-48663]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24au07-89]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-030-07-5101-ER-K087; WYW-166510]

=20
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement=20
for the Overland Pass Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline Project, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of=20
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) the Bureau of Land Management=20
(BLM), Wyoming State Office, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact=20
Statement (FEIS) for the Overland Pass Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline=20
Project. The FEIS analyzes the environmental consequences of a proposed=20
760-mile long, 14-inch and 16-inch diameter natural gas liquids (NGL)=20
pipeline on Federal, State, and private land.

DATES: The Overland Pass Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline Project FEIS will=20
be available for review and comment for 30 calendar days starting on=20
the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice=20
of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The BLM can best use=20
your comments and resource information submissions within that 30-day=20
comment period.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the FEIS may be submitted by the=20
following methods:
     E-mail: overland_pipeline_wy@blm.gov=
. Please do not use=20
special characters or attachments in your comments, as the BLM e-mail=20
security system may not accept them.
     Facsimile: (307) 328-4224 Attn: Overland Pass Pipeline=20
Project.
     Mail: Written comments may be mailed or submitted in=20
person to the Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, 1300=20
North Third St, Rawlins, Wyoming, 82301, Attention: Tom Hurshman,=20
Project Manager.
    Copies of the FEIS have been sent to affected Federal, State, and=20
local government agencies, Tribal governments, and interested parties.=20
Copies of the FEIS will be available electronically on the following=20
Web site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/=
leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.b=
lm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/rfodocs/overland_pipeline.html
.

    Copies of the FEIS are also available for public inspection during=20
normal business hours at the following offices:
     Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353=20
Yellowstone, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003;
     Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, 1300=20
North Third St, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301;
     Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office, 280=20
Highway 191 N., Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901;
     Bureau of Land Management, Kemmerer Field Office, 312=20
Highway 189 N., Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101; and
     U. S. Department of Agriculture, Pawnee National=20
Grasslands, 660 O St, Greeley, Colorado 80631.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Hurshman, Project Manager, Bureau=20
of Land Management, Uncompahgre Field Office, 2465 South Townsend Ave,=20
Montrose, Colorado 81401. Mr. Hurshman may be reached by telephone at=20
(970) 240-5345. Requests for information may be submitted=20
electronically via e-mail to overland_pipeline_wy@blm.gov=
.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Overland Pass Pipeline would=20
originate in Opal, Wyoming, and terminate at existing NGL processing=20
facilities in Conway, Kansas. The Overland Pass Pipeline route would=20
cross approximately 123 miles of Federal land in Wyoming and Colorado.=20
In Wyoming, approximately 98 miles of the proposed pipeline route would=20
cross public lands administered by three BLM Field Offices: Kemmerer,=20
Rock Springs, and Rawlins. In addition, the Overland Pass Pipeline=20
location would cross two units of the National Forest System=20
administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest=20
Service. The proposed pipeline location includes approximately 2 miles=20
of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, and approximately 23=20
miles of the Pawnee National Grassland north of Greeley, Colorado. No=20
Federal land in Kansas would be affected by this proposal. The project=20
would transport up to 150,000 barrels per day of NGL.
    In the fall of 2005, Williams Field Services, doing business as=20
Overland Pass Pipeline Company LLC (Overland Pass Company), submitted=20
to the BLM an application for a right-of-way (ROW) grant to construct a=20
NGL pipeline, up to 20 inches in diameter. (NGLs are naturally=20
occurring heavier hydrocarbon liquids that are associated with the=20
production of natural gas such as methane. NGLs include ethane,=20
propane, butanes, and natural gasoline.)
    On March 24, 2006, the BLM published in the Federal Register a=20
Notice of Intent (NOI ) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement=20
(EIS) under NEPA and as required by 43 Code of Federal Regulations Part=20
2880. To allow the public an opportunity to review the proposal and=20
project information, the BLM held four public meetings in April 2006.=20
Potential impacts to specific resources such as water quality and=20
quantity, threatened and endangered and sensitive species, vegetation=20
communities, historic trails, and pipeline route near residential=20
developments were issues identified during scoping and analyzed in a=20
Draft EIS.
    On March 30, 2007, the BLM published the NOA for the Draft EIS for=20
this project in the Federal Register. The 45-day comment period ended=20
on May 14, 2007. Thirteen comment letters were received from=20
individuals, organizations, corporations, and agencies. Specific=20
comment responses are provided in the FEIS, and issues and concerns=20
raised during the review are addressed in the FEIS.
    Three alternatives are analyzed in the FEIS: No Action Alternative;=20
Proposed Action Alternative, and the Southern Energy Corridor. The No=20
Action alternative means that the project as proposed by Overland Pass=20
Company in its ROW application would be rejected by the BLM. Under the=20
No Action Alternative, the BLM would not issue a ROW grant for the=20
Overland Pass Pipeline. The project, including the pipeline, temporary=20
access roads, and temporary use areas during construction, would not be=20
approved or authorized as described in the ROW application. The BLM and=20
Forest Service preferred alternative is the Proposed Action=20
Alternative.
    The Proposed Action Alternative analyzed in the FEIS reflects minor=20
revisions to the original route as proposed by Overland Pass Company.=20
The pipeline would be approximately 14 inches in diameter between Opal=20
and Echo Springs, Wyoming, and 16 inches

[[Page 48663]]

in diameter from Echo Springs, Wyoming, to Conway, Kansas. The Southern=20
Energy Corridor Alternative reflects the Green River Resource=20
Management Plan's preferred locations for future proposed ROWS. Other=20
alternatives, including transportation system alternatives and route=20
variations, were considered, but not studied in detail.
    As part of the proposed action, the Overland Pass Pipeline would be=20
routed across southern Wyoming from Opal to Echo Springs along various=20
existing utility or pipeline ROWs. From Echo Springs, the pipeline ROW=20
would run in a southeasterly direction, paralleling the existing=20
Southern Star Pipeline, and proceed to the south of Cheyenne, Wyoming,=20
before entering Colorado. A major portion of the proposed route in=20
Wyoming would cross public lands administered by the BLM.
    From the Colorado border, the pipeline ROW would continue to=20
parallel the Southern Star Pipeline southeasterly crossing the Pawnee=20
National Grassland, which is administered by the USDA Forest Service,=20
and then into Kansas. From the Colorado-Kansas state line, the Overland=20
Pass Pipeline would continue to run parallel to the Southern Star=20
Pipeline to south of WaKeeney, Kansas. It would then follow an existing=20
BP Amoco pipeline to Bushton, Kansas. From this point, the Overland=20
Pass Pipeline would not parallel existing pipelines until reaching=20
Mitchell, Kansas, where it would then follow an existing Williams=20
Pipeline to the termination point at Conway, Kansas.
    At Bushton and Conway, Kansas, the transported NGL would be=20
processed at existing facilities and distributed through an existing=20
transportation infrastructure to consumer markets in the Midwest and=20
Texas' Gulf of Mexico coast. About 82 percent of the proposed 760-mile=20
pipeline would be co-located within existing pipeline ROW corridors. In=20
addition to the pipeline, three electric pump stations (two immediate=20
and one future construction) would be needed to move the NGL at a=20
maximum pressure of 1,440 pounds per square inch gauge through the=20
pipeline. The pump stations are proposed to be located near Echo=20
Springs and Laramie, Wyoming, and near WaKeeney, Kansas. The pipeline=20
would have manual or self-actuating shut-off valves at regular=20
intervals, as well as cleaning facilities and meter stations.
    The Overland Pass Pipeline would be constructed and installed=20
within a 75 foot-wide construction area. After construction and=20
reclamation, the permanent ROW would be 50-feet wide, centered on the=20
pipeline. All temporary workspace areas needed for construction=20
activities outside the 50-foot-wide permanent ROW would require=20
Temporary Use Permits.
    All comment submittals must include the commenter's name and street=20
address. Comments, including the names and street addresses of=20
respondent, will be available for public review at the Rawlins Field=20
Office during its business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through=20
Friday, except for Federal holidays. Before including your address,=20
phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information=20
in your comment, be advised that your entire comment, including your=20
personal identifying information may be made publicly available at any=20
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal=20
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we=20
will be able to do so.

Mary Trautner,
Acting State Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-16702 Filed 8-23-07; 8:45 am]

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