[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 156 (Friday, August 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44209-44210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20928]



[[Page 44209]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP99-579-000 and CP99-580-000]


Southern LNG Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the Proposed Elba Island Terminal Recommissioning 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

August 9, 1999.
    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 Elba Island Terminal 
Recommissioning Project involving construction and operation of 
facilities by Southern LNG Inc. (Southern LNG) on Elba Island in 
Chatham County, Georgia.\1\ The project involves returning Southern 
LNG's existing, certificated liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine import 
terminal (Elba Island Terminal) to active service. This EA will be used 
by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether 
the project is in the public convenience and necessity.
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    \1\ Southern LNG's application was filed with the Commission 
under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and part 157 of the 
Commission's regulations.
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Background

    In 1972, in Docket No. CP71-264, the Federal Power Commission 
(FERC's predecessor) authorized Southern Energy Company (Southern LNG's 
predecessor), to construct and operate the Elba Island Terminal. 
Southern LNG initiated construction in 1973. The terminal encompasses 
about 140 acres on the 840-acre Elba Island in an estuary of the 
Savannah River. Elba Island lies approximately 8 miles upstream of the 
river's discharge into the Atlantic Ocean and approximately 5 miles 
downstream from Savannah, Georgia. The existing authorized facilities 
at the Elba Island Terminal include the following:
     LNG unloading facilities, including marine berth, pier, 
and arms for unloading LNG from vessels;
     LNG storage facilities, including three double-wall 
storage tanks, each with the capacity of 400,000 barrels (four billion 
cubic feet vaporized equivalent);
     LNG sendout facilities, including pumps and vaporizers 
with a maximum capacity of 540 million cubic feet per day;
     Boil-off compressors;
     Pressure relief, vent, and disposal systems;
     Spill containment facilities, including a 400,000-barrel 
capacity main spill containment for each LNG storage tank; and
     Fire water system sourced from a fresh-water pond and 
river water.
    Southern LNG commenced operation in July, 1978. Between 1978 to 
1980, the Elba Island Terminal was used to import LNG purchased from El 
Paso Algeria Corporation. El Paso Algeria Corporation transported LNG 
by cryogenic tankers to the point of unloading at the Elba Island 
Terminal. Southern LNG resold all of the vaporized LNG to Southern 
Natural Gas Company (Southern Natural).
    In April, 1980, Southern LNG was unable to continue importation of 
LNG due to economic considerations. After LNG shipments were 
discontinued, Southern LNG retained an inventory of LNG through April, 
1982. During this time, Southern LNG rendered peaking service to 
Southern Natural until depleting the remaining LNG.
    Since 1982, the Elba Island Terminal has been maintained in a 
limited state of readiness to ensure that the plant could be safely and 
reliably reactivated. An ongoing preventative maintenance program has 
been in place since that time and needed repairs, replacements, 
enhancements and additions have been identified for implementing during 
the recommissioning process.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Southern LNG requests Commission authorization, in Docket No. CP99-
580-000, to recommission the Elba Island Terminal for the purpose of 
providing open-access service to shippers desiring to contract for 
receipt, storage, and vaporization of LNG and delivery of vaporized LNG 
at the existing point of interconnect with the interstate pipeline of 
Southern Natural.
    The storage and vaporization facilities would not be significantly 
altered, replaced or relocated. The storage and throughput capacity of 
the facilities would remain the same as originally placed in service in 
1978. The recommissioning work will include the following:
     Install suction drum level control and minimum flow 
piping;
     Replace two LNG pumps;
     Install LNG recirculation piping;
     Install an additional boil-off compressor (1,000-
horsepower);
     Install LNG tank level, density and temperature gauges;
     Upgrade fire protection system;
     Upgrade hazard detection system;
     Install intrusion detection system;
     Renew dredging of berthing area and turning basin;
     Increase dredged material basin capacity;
     Modify power distribution switchgear to allow parallel 
operation with utility (under consideration); and
     Install distributed control and data acquisition system.

The proposed improvements would bring the facilities into compliance 
with applicable current code requirements and would update the safety, 
security, operability and reliability of the terminal. The location of 
the project facilities 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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    In addition, in Docket No. CP99-579-000, Southern LNG requests 
section 3 authorization under subpart B of Part 153 of the Commission's 
regulations for siting of natural gas import facilities. This 
application is directly related to Southern LNG's proposal described 
above in Docket No. CP99-580-000.

Land Requirements for Construction

    No additional land would be required by Southern LNG's proposal. 
All work would occur within previously disturbed and currently 
maintained areas. None of the proposed recommissioning tasks would 
result in substantial changes to the appearance or previous function of 
the existing facilities. Prior to restarting the facility, the ship 
berthing and turning basin areas would need to be dredged and 
maintained to -39 feet mean low water (MLW) with an over-dredge of two 
feet to -41 feet MLW.

The EA Process

    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. All comments received 
are considered during the preparation of the EA. State and local 
government representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents

[[Page 44210]]

of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
    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
 Water resource, fisheries, and wetlands
 Vegetation and wildlife
 Endangered and threatened species
 Public safety
 Land use
 Cultural resources
 Air quality and noise
 Hazardous waste
    We will also evaluate possible 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 make 
our recommendations to the Commission
    To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal, and measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful 
they will be. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that 
your comments are received in time and properly recorded:
     Send two copies of your letter to: David P. Boergers, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St. NE, Room 
1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Environmental Review and Compliance Branch, PR-11.1;
     Reference Docket Nos. CP99-579-000 and CP99-580-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before September 8, 1999.
    Beyond asking for written comments, in October, 1999, we will be 
conducting a site visit, holding a public scoping meeting, and 
conducting a cryogenic design and engineering review. The public 
meeting will be designed to provide you with more detailed information 
and another opportunity to offer your comments on the proposed project. 
Further details on the dates and locations of the above events will be 
noticed at a later date.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor''. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
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 14 copies of its filings to the 
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. 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). Only intervenors have the 
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
    The date for filing timely motions to intervene in this proceeding 
ends on August 13, 1999. If this date cannot be met, parties 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 environmental comments considered.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Mr. Paul McKee of the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 
208-1088 or on the FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us) using the ``RIMS'' 
link to information in this docket number. Click on the ``RIMS'' link, 
select ``Docket #'' from the RIMS Menu, and follow the instructions. 
For assistance with access to RIMS, the RIMS helpline can be reached at 
(202) 208-2222.
    Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides 
access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such 
as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website, 
click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS menu, and 
follow the instructions. For assistance with access to CIPS, the CIPS 
helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc 99-20928 Filed 8-12-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M