[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42163-42164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19924]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3106]


Finding of No Significant Impact: Penn Octane Corporation 
Pipelines at the Port of Brownsville, TX

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice of a finding of no significant impact with regard to an 
application to construct, operate and maintain two pipelines to 
transport crude oil across the U.S.-Mexico border.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State has conducted an environmental 
assessment of the proposed construction by Penn Octane Corporation of 
two pipelines to transport petroleum products crossing the 
international boundary near the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The purpose 
of these pipelines is to improve both the safety and economics of 
transporting liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and refined product from 
producers in the U.S. to consumers in Mexico. The pipelines will 
originate at the Penn Octane terminal located at the Port of 
Brownsville, Texas. The pipelines will be designed to transport up to 
50,000 barrels of LPG and an equivalent amount of gasoline or diesel 
per day.
    Four alternatives to the proposed action were considered, including 
three alternate pipeline routes, and a ``no action'' alternative which 
would result in the continued transport of LPG via tanker truck from 
Brownsville to Matamoros, Mexico.
    The assessment concluded that there are no substantial impacts from 
the construction and normal operation of these pipelines. The proposed 
routing avoids populated areas in Cameron County to the maximum extent 
possible, and also shows no disproportionate impacts to minority or 
disadvantaged populations.
    Environmental impacts of the proposed routing are minimized by the 
selection of a route which largely uses existing right-of-ways 
established for railroads, utility lines, drainage ditches, or roads. 
Disturbances to waterways to be crossed will be minimized by 
directionally drilling below resacas (oxbow lakes remaining from the 
Rio Grande delta) and the Rio Grande River. Additional engineering 
practices, such as coating, cathodic protection, automatic check valves 
and inventory

[[Page 42164]]

control, inspection, and hydrotesting will be incorporated into the 
project to minimize the risk of accident to the pipeline in the future.
    Based on the environmental assessment, the Department of State has 
concluded that issuance of a Presidential Permit authorizing 
construction of the pipelines will not have a significant effect on the 
human environment within the United States. In accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations, 40 CFR 1501.4 and 1508.13 and 
Department of State Regulations, 22 CFR 161.8(C), a finding of no 
significant impact is adopted and an environmental impact statement 
will not be prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE PIPELINE PERMIT APPLICATION, CONTACT: 
Bill Memler, Office of International Energy Policy, Room 3535, U.S. 
Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, (202) 647-4557.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Penn Octane Corporation is a corporation 
formed under the laws of the State of California, with its principal 
place of business in Redwood, California.
    On May 20, 1999, the Department of State published a Notice of 
Application for a Presidential Permit in the Federal Register. No 
negative public comments were received and concerned agencies expressed 
no opposition to issuing the permit.

    Dated: July 28, 1999.
Peter Bass,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy, Sanctions, and 
Commodities.
[FR Doc. 99-19924 Filed 8-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-07-P