# Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed NKY Gate Enhancement Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss the environmental impacts of the NKY Gate Enhancement Project (Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC (Columbia) in Mason, Nicholas, Bracken, Pendleton and Campbell Counties, Kentucky, and Hamilton County, Ohio. The Commission will use this environmental document 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 regarding the project. As part of the National Environmental Policy Act (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 February 4, 2026. Comments may be submitted in written 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 comments during the preparation of the environmental document.
If you submitted comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on November 10, 2025, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. CP26-19-000 to ensure they are considered as part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental mailing list for this project. State and local government representatives should 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 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.
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?” which 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 Natural Gas, Landowner Topics link.
**Public Participation**
There are three 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 (CP26-19-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
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.
For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or *[email protected].*
**Summary of the Proposed Project**
Columbia proposes to abandon four existing natural gas pipelines (totaling 48.54 miles) and construct and operate two new natural gas pipelines and three new natural gas connecting pipelines (totaling 30.16 miles) and associated auxiliary and appurtenant facilities. According to Columbia, the Project would replace vintage pipeline infrastructure originally installed in the 1950s with modern pipeline facilities in order to proactively address aging infrastructure, reduce potential safety and reliability risks, and ensure continued compliance with evolving federal and state regulations, including those administered by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
The Project would consist of the following:
**Abandonment In-Place and by Removal**
• Line AM04—22.48 total miles of existing 24-inch natural gas pipeline, from the existing Foster Launcher Receiver, terminating before the Ohio River crossing east of Mary Ingles Highway (State Highway 445) in Bracken County, Kentucky;
• Line AM09 Abandonment—20.50 total miles of existing 26-inch natural gas pipeline, from the existing Foster Regulator Station, terminating at the existing Cold Spring Meter Station in in Bracken County, Kentucky;
• Line EKY Abandonment—4.99 total miles of existing 14-inch natural gas pipeline; and
• E-Loop Abandonment [^1] —0.57 total miles of existing 20-inch diameter natural gas pipeline.
[^1] A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to an existing pipeline to increase capacity.
**New Construction**
• Line AM36—24.62 miles of new 36-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline, from the existing Foster Regulator Station in Bracken County, Kentucky, primarily paralleling the existing Line AM04 and Line AM09 pipelines, terminating south of Interstate 275 in Hamilton County, Ohio;
• Line EM-7—5.02 miles of new 30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline, from the existing Moorefield Site, primarily paralleling the existing Line EKY pipeline, terminating at the existing Carlisle Meter Station in Nicholas County, Kentucky;
• Black River Lateral—0.10 mile of new 8-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in Bracken County, Kentucky;
• Cold Spring Lateral—0.36 mile of new 24-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in Campbell County, Kentucky;
• Kellogg Station Lateral—0.06 mile of new 24-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in Hamilton County, OH;
• Four new meter and regulator stations—Bracken Meter Station in Bracken County, Kentucky and the Gubsur Mill, Parkview, and UL47 Meter Stations in Campbell County, Kentucky.
• Six new “pig” launcher/receiver facilities; [^2] and
[^2] A “pig” is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
• Five new mainline valves and other associated auxiliary and appurtenant facilities.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1. [^3]
[^3] 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. For assistance, contact FERC at *[email protected]* or call toll free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY (202) 502-8659.
**Land Requirements for Construction**
Constructing and abandoning the proposed facilities would disturb about 565.68 acres of land. Following construction, Columbia would permanently maintain about 125.67 acres of land to operate the proposed facilities. The remaining acreage would be restored and allowed to revert to former uses. About 57 percent (14.04 miles) of the proposed Line AM36 and 100 percent (5.02 miles) of the proposed Line EM-7 parallels existing pipeline, utility, or road rights-of-way.
**NEPA Process and the Environmental Document**
Any environmental document issued by the Commission will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the proposed project under the relevant general resource areas:
• geology and soils;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• threatened and endangered species;
• cultural resources;
• socioeconomics;
• land use including nearby residences, recreation, and other resources;
• air quality and noise; and
• reliability and safety.
Commission staff have already identified several issues that deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental information provided by Columbia. This preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis:
• residential construction;
• traffic;
• socioeconomics;
• public safety; and
• pipeline route alternatives.
Commission staff 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. 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.
Following this scoping period, Commission staff will 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 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 decision regarding the proposed project. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a *Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule* will be issued, which will open up an additional comment period. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS which 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 [^4] 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.
[^4] For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
With this notice, the Commission is asking agencies with jurisdiction by law and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of this project to formally cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document. [^5] 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.
[^5] Cooperating agency responsibilities are addressed in Section 107(a)(3) of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4336(a)(3)).
**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 applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s), 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. [^6] The environmental document for this project will document findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
[^6] 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.
**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 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 proposed project.
*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 CP26-19-000 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).
**Additional Information**
Additional information about the project is available from the FERC website at *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 (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. 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.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: January 5, 2026.
Carlos D. Clay,
Deputy Secretary.