[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 98 (Monday, May 22, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27091-27093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12490]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment of Decommissioning
the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Weeks Island Facility, Iberia Parish,
Louisiana
AGENCY: Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment and to
conduct public scoping.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has determined that, pursuant
to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an Environmental
Assessment (EA) should be prepared to assess the potential
environmental consequences of decommissioning the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve (SPR) Weeks Island Facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. A
groundwater leak has compromised the containment integrity of the
facility, which currently stores 73 million barrels of crude oil
underground in a salt dome. In December 1994, DOE concluded that the
integrity of the Weeks Island mine cannot be assured and that it is
unsuitable for continued crude oil storage. The agency plans to move
Weeks Island's crude oil inventory to other SPR storage sites in
Louisiana and Texas beginning in October 1995 and then decommission the
facility, completing in June 1999. The range of proposed
decommissioning actions and associated environmental issues that have
been identified are described below. DOE is requesting comments,
suggestions, and any information that interested parties may have that
would assist the agency in identifying additional alternatives and
environmental issues to consider in the EA.
DATES: A public meeting will be held in New Iberia, Louisiana on
Thursday, June 8, 1995, at 7 p.m. Speakers may pre-register in writing,
by telephone or by facsimile by close of business June 1, 1995. Written
comments must be received by June 21, 1995.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the New Iberia Senior High
School auditorium, 1301 East Admiral Doyle Drive, New Iberia,
Louisiana. Inquiries, written comments and suggestions, and requests to
speak at the scoping meeting, to review the draft EA when it becomes
available, and/or to receive the approved EA should be labeled ``Weeks
Island EA'' and submitted to Ms. Durinda L. Robinson, Office of Public
Affairs (FE-445.2), Department of Energy, 900 Commerce Road East, New
Orleans, Louisiana 70123. Requests to speak will also be accepted by
telephone at (504) 734-4312 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00
p.m. CDT, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, or by
facsimile, (504) 734-4427.
A transcript of the meeting will be prepared and will be made
available for inspection at the following locations:
New Iberia Public Library, 445 E. Main Street, New Iberia,
Louisiana 70560 (ATTN: Ms. Vicki Chrisman)
Dupre Library, 302 East St. Mary Blvd., U. of Southwestern
Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana 70504 (ATTN: Ms. Sandy Himel)
New Orleans Public Library, Louisiana Division, 219 Loyola
Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70140
DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations Co., Technical Library,
800 Commerce Rd. W., Suite 102, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123 (ATTN: Ms.
Cindi Nelson)
Freedom of Information Reading Room, Department of Energy,
Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C.
20585
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE DOE NEPA PROCESS, CONTACT: Ms. Carol
Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-4.2),
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C.
20585, telephone (202) 586-4600 or toll-free (800) 472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The SPR Weeks Island Facility is in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, about
15 miles south of the city of New Iberia. It is a conventional room-
and-pillar salt mine in a salt dome that was converted by DOE for the
long-term storage of crude oil. It was filled to capacity with 73
million barrels of oil and has been in a standby mode since 1982. The
mine and surface property were acquired from the [[Page 27092]] Morton
Salt Company who continues to mine salt adjacent to DOE on the salt
dome.
In May 1992, a sinkhole was discovered which was vertically aligned
above the southeast boundary of the upper level of the storage chamber.
The sinkhole was backfilled with sand and monitored through 1993. An
intensive geotechnical investigation was conducted through 1994 which
confirmed that a subsurface crevasse extends into the salt formation
and that groundwater was leaking into the mine.
In December 1994, DOE concluded that the integrity of the Weeks
Island mine cannot be assured and that it is unsuitable for continued
crude oil storage. DOE decided to move the oil to other SPR sites in
Texas and Louisiana and decommission the facility. As an interim
measure, DOE has implemented a groundwater control program which
includes freezing the ground around the sinkhole to interdict
groundwater flow into the crevasse. In February 1995, DOE determined
that in accordance with NEPA and with 10 CFR 1021, DOE NEPA
Implementing Procedures, an EA of the decommissioning actions should be
prepared to determine whether a Finding of No Significant Impact is
supported or an Environmental Impact Statement will be required.
Preliminary Description of Alternatives
1. Proposed Action
The proposed action consists of stabilizing the storage chambers by
filling them with brine, sealing off the underground facilities, and
decommissioning (i.e., removing from SPR service) the onsite surface
facilities and the 36-inch-diameter 67-mile crude oil pipeline to DOE's
St. James Terminal in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Project completion
is scheduled for June 1999.
Underground Facilities
DOE would flood the storage chamber, drifts (i.e., connecting
tunnels), and manifold room with brine. The Markel mine, an adjacent
abandoned Morton salt works which is accessible from Weeks Island mine,
would also be flooded unless it is decided to maintain it for
inspection of the seal separating Weeks Island from Morton's active
mine. The production and service shafts, vent hole, and both fill holes
would be plugged in accordance with State regulations. If it is decided
to keep the Markel mine accessible for inspections, the production
shaft would be kept open for access.
Three alternatives are being considered for obtaining the 80
million barrels of brine that are needed. One alternative is to produce
brine by leaching existing DOE salt caverns at the SPR Bayou Choctaw
Facility in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, 13 miles southwest of Baton
Rouge. The brine would be transported via DOE's 36-inch-diameter, 37-
mile crude oil pipeline from Bayou Choctaw to St. James Terminal,
thence by DOE's crude oil pipeline from St. James to Weeks Island.
Weeks Island brine fill at 200,000 barrels per day would take about 13
months with an additional two months required for oil skimming and
recovery.
An alternative that will be assessed is a services contract to
produce brine from a new well on Morton property on Weeks Island salt
dome. Water for leaching would be obtained from the adjacent
Intracoastal Waterway. Construction and operation of temporary water
and brine pipelines of up to nominally one mile each would be required.
The third alternative is to award a competitive contract for brine from
another source. This alternative is unassessable because of its
undefined character. If DOE intends to pursue this alternative further,
NEPA compliance would be addressed separately under the competitive
procurement provisions of 10 CFR 1021.216.
Surface Facilities
It was suggested at a March 2, 1995, public meeting in New Iberia
that the site be donated for salt dome geological research with a
special interest in ``post closure'' uses for Louisiana's coastal salt
domes where subsidence and other geophysical concerns have occurred
subsequent to mineral extraction. The alternative to a DOE-directed
donation of the property would be to transfer it to the General
Services Administration (GSA). Improvements that could be transferred
to GSA include paved roads and parking lots, central plant fencing,
fire protection and sanitation systems, and central plant buildings
with their associated electrical distribution systems, such as the
administration building, control center, laboratory, warehouse,
pumphouses, and guard house.
Usable equipment, spare parts and materials would be transferred to
other SPR sites. All mechanical and electrical process systems and
equipment for crude oil handling would be removed and transferred to
other DOE facilities or salvaged. Associated piping, cable, and conduit
above and below grade within the fenced perimeter and oily water
handling systems would be removed and disposed at an approved facility.
Buildings associated with the shafts would be demolished. Surface
decommissioning operations are estimated to require 27 months.
Crude Oil Pipeline
At least part of the Weeks Island-to-St. James crude oil pipeline
potentially has value as either a private or a common carrier pipeline
because of its interconnection with the commercial crude oil
distribution network. If DOE could not sell it, the pipeline would be
abandoned in place in accordance with Federal and State regulations.
2. The No Action Alternative
The no action alternative will be assessed to provide a baseline
for comparison with the environmental effects of the proposed action.
Under the no action alternative, the mine would not be refilled with
oil, brine, or other fluid and no other stabilizing actions would be
taken. Efforts to control groundwater flow would continue. To the
extent that these fail to stop the leak, the mine would be allowed to
fill naturally. Actions would be taken as necessary to maintain the
mine at acceptable pressure. DOE would staff and maintain the surface
facilities in a standby state in perpetuity.
Identification of Environmental Issues
DOE has identified the issues listed below as topics to be
addressed in the EA. Public scoping may identify additional issues.
1. Risk of long-term oil contamination of Vermilion Bay and the
Gulf of Mexico that could impact the human environment.
2. Risk of contaminating groundwater adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico
with residual oil after the mine is filled with brine.
3. Risk of surface subsidence on Morton Salt Company's adjacent
mining operations.
4. Brine spill risk in sensitive environments, especially in the
Atchafalaya floodway.
5. Potential impacts on the protected Louisiana black bear.
A November 1994 study concluded that the ultimate loss of the
site's approximately 100 permanent jobs would have a negligible
socioeconomic impact on the region. DOE has not identified any
involvement of the project with floodplains or wetlands. As the site is
located within the Louisiana Coastal Zone, a determination of
consistency with the Louisiana Coastal Resources Program may be
required.
Public Scoping Meeting and Invitation To Comment
In the spirit of improving the quality of the agency's decisions,
DOE believes that, for the circumstances of this proposed action, it is
appropriate to enhance public participation in the EA
[[Page 27093]] process with a public scoping meeting. DOE invites
written and oral comments on the scope from all interested parties.
Preregistration to speak and written comments should be submitted
according to the instructions provided above under DATES and ADDRESSES.
Written and oral comments will be given equal weight in defining the
scope of the EA.
A separate registration is required for each speaker. Registrants
should confirm the time they are scheduled to speak at the registration
desk at the meeting. Persons who have not preregistered may register at
the door and will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis
to the extent time allows. To ensure that as many persons as possible
have the opportunity to speak, five minutes will be allotted to each.
Basic procedures for conducting the meeting will be announced by
the presiding officer at the start of the meeting. A brief presentation
will be made by DOE officials on the proposed action and the EA
process. The meeting will not be an evidentiary hearing ; there will be
no cross-examination of speakers. However, DOE officials conducting the
meeting will be permitted to ask clarifying questions of statements
made at the meeting.
Issued in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 1995.
Patricia Fry Godley,
Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 95-12490 Filed 5-19-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P