[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 126 (Friday, June 28, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33729-33730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16532]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-517-000]


Algonquin LNG, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the Proposed Algonquin LNG Modifications Project and 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

June 24, 1996.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the construction and operation of 
the facilities proposed in the Algonquin LNG Modifications Project. 
This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process 
to determine whether an environmental impact statement (EIS) is 
necessary and whether to approve the project.\1\
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    \1\ Algonquin LNG, Inc.'s application was filed with the 
Commission under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Parts 157 and 
284 of the Commission's regulations.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Algonquin LNG, Inc. (ALNG) seeks Commission authorization to expand 
its existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Providence, Rhode 
Island and construction of pipeline facilities in East Providence, 
Rhode Island. The purpose of the proposed facilities are to provide 
natural gas liquefaction, LNG storage, LNG trucking, and LNG 
vaporization services on a firm and interruptible, open access, blanket 
basis.

Existing Facilities

    ALNG owns and operates a 600,000-barrel LNG storage facility on the 
west side of the Providence River. The facility has been in operation 
for over 20 years, and is exclusively supplied with LNG delivered by 
truck. Upon demand, LNG is either redelivered in liquid form into 
trucks supplied by its customers, or vaporized into Providence Gas 
Company's (PGC) distribution system. ALNG states that the usefulness of 
the facility is limited by its lack of liquefaction capabilities and 
direct access to the interstate pipeline grid.
    PGC currently receives gas from Algonquin Gas Transmission 
Company's (AGT) East Providence Meter Station (among other points) 
which is located on the east side of the Providence River about 1.7 
miles southeast of the site. After delivery at the meter station, PGC 
transports the gas in a northerly direction in a 12-inch-diameter 
pipeline to a manifold of three 10-inch-diameter pipelines that cross 
the Providence River. These three pipelines converge into a 12-inch-
diameter pipeline on the west side of the Providence River that 
ultimately feeds PGC's Allens Avenue Plant located adjacent to the ALNG 
site.

Proposed Facilities

    ALNG's proposes to construct the following facilities on or near 
its existing LNG storage facility:
     A liquefaction facility with a capacity of 40,000 million 
British thermal units per day (MMbtu/d);
     LNG pumps and vaporizers with a capacity of 375,000 MMbtu/
d;
     Boil-off gas compressors;
     1.05 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline;
     0.25 mile of 10.75-inch-diameter pipeline;
     Metering facilities;
     Inspect the existing 600,000-barrel LNG storage tank, and 
install new instrumentation; and
     Miscellaneous construction including water/glycol system, 
feed gas compressors, odorant injection, control systems, and fire 
protection system additions.
    ALNG also requests authorization:
     To acquire two existing 0.45-mile-long, 10.75-inch-
diameter pipeline crossings of the Providence River;
     To abandon three existing vaporizers and related 
facilities;
     To abandon its present LNG services;
     To provide an enhanced, open access LNG handling service; 
and
     For a blanket certificate to construct eligible 
facilities.
    AGT proposes to reconstruct the East Providence Meter Station to 
accommodate lower natural gas deliveries as a result of PGC 
transferring volumes to the ALNG Interconnect. Construction would occur 
under AGT's subpart F Blanket Certificate and associated environmental 
requirements.
    PGC would construct limited non-jurisdictional facilities on its 
property in association with the proposed project. These include:
     Construction of a regulator station to accept gas from 
ALNG; and
     Retirement of PGC boil-off compressors and certain 
structures.
    The proposed Algonquin LNG Modifications Project is shown in 
appendix 1.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the 
Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 
First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 208-1371. 
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this 
notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    The proposed facilities have been sited within existing industrial 
areas, and within or along roadway and utility rights-of-way. In 
general, the construction of the proposed LNG facilities would be 
confined to the existing 16.5 acre ALNG plant area leased from PGC, and 
an additional adjacent 4.2 acres to be leased from PGC. A proposed 
valve site and interconnections to the PGC system would require work 
immediately adjacent to the ALNG site on PGC properties that are 
currently used for gas distribution activities. These areas are 
currently graded and covered with gravel.
    The proposed new pipeline in East Providence would typically 
require a 50-foot-wide permanent right-of-way and a 25-foot-wide 
temporary construction workspace. A reduced right-of-way and 
construction workspace would be utilized along the Veterans Memorial 
Parkway to avoid and/or minimize impacts. The proposed permanent right-
of-way would encompass an area of about 3.59 acres. The construction 
workspace would require an additional 4.53 acres. With exception to the 
Veterans Memorial Parkway, these areas are all industrial land that has 
been previously disturbed.
    Access to the proposed facilities would be from existing public and 
private roadways. No new access roads would be required.

The EA Process/Environmental Issues

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us 
to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. 
We call this ``scoping''. The main goal of the scoping process is to 
focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By 
this Notice of Intent, the Commission requests public comments on the 
scope of the issues it will address in the EA and whether an EIS is 
necessary. All comments received are considered during the preparation 
of the EA. State and local government representatives are encouraged to 
notify their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to 
comment on their areas of concern.

[[Page 33730]]

    The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:

 Geology and Soils
    --Erosion control.
    --Facility site and right-of-way restoration.
    --Soil contamination.
 Water Resources
    --Potential to affect water quality and riparian resources.
    --Cooling water discharge into the Providence River.
 Biological Resources
    --Effect of facility construction and operation on wildlife and 
fisheries habitat, including wintering waterfowl.
    --Effect on wetland habitats.
 Cultural Resources
    --Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.
    --Native American and tribal concerns.
 Socioeconomics
    --Impact of a peak workforce of about 225 workers on the 
surrounding area.
 Land Use
    --Impact on state areas of critical environmental concern.
    --Impact on residences and recreation areas.
 Air Quality and Noise
    --Air quality and noise impacts associated with construction.
    --Impact on regional air quality and noise-sensitive areas 
associated with operation of the proposed LNG facility.
 Public Safety
    --Compliance with 49 CFR 193.

    We will also evaluate possible pipeline and technology 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.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending 
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be 
published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public 
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners, 
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for 
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA 
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we 
recommend that the Commission approve or not approve the project.

Public Participation/Scoping Meeting

    You can make a difference by sending a letter addressing your 
specific comments or concerns about the project. You should focus on 
the potential environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to 
the proposal (including alternative pipeline routes), and measures to 
avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, 
the more useful they will be. Please follow the instructions below to 
ensure that your comments are received and properly recorded:
     Address your letter to: Lois Cashell, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE, Washington, D.C. 
20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP96-517-000;
     Send a copy of your letter to: Mr. Chris Zerby, EA Project 
Manager, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE, Room 
72-55, Washington, D.C. 20426; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, D.C. on or before July 26, 1996.
    Beyond asking for written comments, we will hold a public scoping 
meeting during the week of July 15, 1996 (time, date and location will 
be noticed at a late date). This public meeting will be designed to 
provide you with more detailed information and another opportunity to 
offer your comments on the proposed project.
    At a later date (time, date and location will be noticed at a later 
date) the FERC staff will meet with representatives of ALNG to conduct 
a cryogenic design and engineering review of the proposed LNG 
facilities.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding or become an 
``intervenor''. Among other things, intervenors have the right to 
receive copies of case-related Commission documents and filings by 
other intervenors. Likewise, each intervenor must provide copies of its 
filings to all other parties. If you want to become an intervenor you 
must file a motion to intervene according to Rule 214 of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214) (see 
appendix 2).
    The date for fling timely motions to intervene in this proceeding 
has passed. Therefore, parties now seeking to file late interventions 
must show good cause, as required by section 385.214(b)(3), why this 
time limitation should be waived. Environmental issues have been viewed 
as good cause for late intervention. You do not need intervenor status 
to have your scoping comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mr. Chris Zerby, EA Project Manager, at (202) 208-0111.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-16532 Filed 6-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M