[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 135 (Friday, July 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-17168]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 15, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket Nos. CP94-59-000, 001, CP93-226-000]

 

Cove Point LNG Limited Partnership, Columbia LNG Corporation; 
Public Meeting on Environmental and Safety Issues

July 11, 1994.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff will conduct 
a public meeting at 7 p.m. on August 4, 1994 at the Holiday Inn, 155 
Holiday Drive, Solomons, Maryland to discuss environmental and safety 
issues associated with the construction of a liquefaction unit and 
recommissioning part of the existing LNG facilities at Columbia LNG 
Corporation's (Columbia LNG) terminal located at Cove Point, Calvert 
County, Maryland.

Background

    On February 26, 1993, Columbia LNG filed an application in Docket 
No. CP93-226-000 proposing to construct a liquefaction unit and 
recommission its existing facilities at its Cove Point import terminal 
in Calvert County, Maryland. The liquefaction unit would have been 
capable of liquefying up to 20.0 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) of 
natural gas for storage. Existing LNG vaporizers would have provided up 
to 1.0 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) of sendout during the winter 
season. Additionally, Columbia LNG proposed to provide LNG ship 
terminalling services where it would unload LNG tankers at its existing 
offshore facilities.
    On April 8, 1993, the FERC staff issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the above project and 
requested comments on its scope. The notice and requests for comments 
were sent to Federal, state and local environmental agencies, parties 
to the proceeding, and the public.
    On November 3, 1993, Columbia LNG withdrew its application filed in 
Docket No. CP93-226-000 and concurrently refiled a new application in 
Docket No. CP94-59-000 under a limited partnership called Cove Point 
LNG Company, L.P. This name was later changed in Docket No. CP94-59-001 
to Cove Point LNG Limited Partnership (Cove Point LNG).
    The new application has some obvious differences from the initial 
application filed on February 26, 1993. Offshore facilities are no 
longer being considered for recommissioning. The 20 MMCFD liquefaction 
unit has been downsized to 15 MMCFD. The recommissioning of the 
remaining existing facilities would be conducted in two phases. Phase 
1, which involves two of the four storage tanks, four of the ten 
vaporizers, two of the three first-stag sendout pumps, four of the ten 
second-stage sendout pumps, one of the two boiloff blowers, boiloff 
compressors, and other related equipment, would be initially 
recommissioned. Phase 2 would recommission the remaining facilities 
(except the offshore facilities) within three years after the in-
service date for the peaking services, provided that such 
recommissioning commences within three years after the in-service date. 
If recommissioning of any of the identified facilities is not commenced 
within the three-year period, Cove Point LNG will return to the FERC to 
obtain further authority to recommission such facilities.

 Public Participation

    Given the downsizing of the project, the FERC staff did not 
supplement its original NOI to Prepare an EA. Some comments were 
originally received as a result of the NOI. They have been analyzed and 
the EA is nearing completion. Since few comments were received, staff 
is making an additional effort to reach out to the public and will 
conduct a public meeting as noted at the beginning of this notice. It 
is hoped that the local public near the LNG plant will attend this 
meeting and offer their viewpoints.
    Persons who would like to make oral presentations at the public 
meeting should contact the FERC Project Manager below to have their 
names placed on the speakers' list. Persons on the speakers' list prior 
to the date of the meeting will be allowed to speak first. A second 
speakers' list will be available for sign-up at the public meeting. 
Priority will be given to those persons representing groups.
    In addition to the public meeting, the FERC staff will be 
conducting separate discussions during the course of August 4 and 5 
with the Cove Point LNG and its design contractors to examine the 
cryogenic engineering design aspects of the proposal. Because much of 
the design data is proprietary and submitted to Cove Point LNG on a 
confidential basis, these discussions are limited to those who have 
direct access to the design data and can technically discuss the design 
aspects of the plant. Staff will however be available at the August 4 
evening meeting to answer any general questions concerning these 
separate design discussions.
    Further information concerning the public scoping meeting or about 
this project in general is available from Hugh Thomas, Project Manager, 
at (202) 208-0980.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-17168 Filed 7-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M