[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 71 (Monday, April 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17930-17931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9092]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP03-75-000]


Freeport LNG Development, L.P.; Notice of Application

April 7, 2003.
    Take notice that on March 28, 2003, Freeport LNG Development, L.P., 
(Freeport LNG), 1200 Smith Street, Suite 600, Houston, Texas 77002, 
filed an application pursuant to section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) 
and parts 153 and 380 of the Commission's regulations for authorization 
to site, construct and operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving 
terminal and associated facilities in the Freeport, Texas area as a 
place of entry for the importation of LNG, all as more fully set forth 
in the application on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection. This filing is available for review at the Commission or 
may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using 
the ``FERRIS'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll-free at (866)208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202)502-8659.
    Freeport LNG states that it proposes to construct the Freeport LNG 
Terminal in response to the growing demand for natural gas in Texas 
intrastate markets. Freeport LNG explains that the Freeport LNG 
Terminal will be comprised of an LNG receiving facility (including 
docking facilities and associated piping appurtenances); an LNG storage 
and vaporization facility (including two LNG storage tanks, 
vaporization units and associated piping and control

[[Page 17931]]

equipment; and 9.38 miles of 36-inch diameter send out pipeline as well 
as metering facilities and associated appurtenances.
    Freeport LNG states that the Freeport LNG Terminal will be located 
on Quintana Island, southeast of Freeport, Brazoria County, Texas. 
Freeport LNG avers that the Freeport LNG Terminal will not be used to 
provide jurisdictional interstate transportation service. Freeport LNG 
states that the facilities will instead be used to engage in commerce 
between the State of Texas and foreign nations. Freeport LNG maintains 
that since it does not intend to use the proposed facilities to import 
LNG on its own behalf, but rather, to provide terminal services to 
third parties, shippers utilizing the Freeport LNG facilities will be 
required to obtain authorization from the Department of Energy/Office 
of Fossil Energy for the import of natural gas.
    Freeport LNG states that LNG will be transported through a send out 
pipeline from Quintana Island to the Stratton Ridge meter station, 
which will serve as the terminus of the Freeport LNG Termination. 
Freeport LNG states that interconnection facilities will be constructed 
between the Stratton Ridge meter station and certain intrastate systems 
with facilities in close proximity to the Stratton Ridge meter station 
in order to connect the report LNG terminal with Texas markets. 
Freeport LNG states that the interconnection facilities will be 
constructed by the respective intrastate pipelines. In addition, 
Freeport LNG states that the Freeport LNG Terminal is anticipated to be 
completed and placed in service in time to meet natural gas demand 
during the 2006-2007 winter heating season.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to Lisa 
M Tonery, King & Spalding LLP, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, New York, 
New York 10036-4003, at (212) 556-2100, fax (212) 556-2222.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or 
before the comment date stated below file with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, a 
motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of the 
Commission's rules of practice and procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 
385.211) and the regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person 
obtaining party status will be placed on the service list maintained by 
the Secretary of the Commission and will receive copies of all 
documents filed by the applicant and by all other parties. A party must 
submit 14 copies of filings made in the proceeding. with the Commission 
and must mail a copy to the applicant and to every other party. Only 
parties to the proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders 
in the proceeding.
    However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have 
comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with 
the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and 
two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. 
The Commission will consider these comments in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will 
not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission's 
rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project 
provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly 
involved in the protest.
    Persons who wish to comment only on the environmental review of 
this project should submit an original and two copies of their comments 
to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commenters will be 
placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive 
copies of the environmental documents, and will be notified of meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Environmental commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed 
documents on all other parties. However, the non-party commenters will 
not receive copies of all documents filed by other parties or issued by 
the Commission (except for the mailing of environmental documents 
issued by the Commission) and will not have the right to seek court 
review of the Commission's final order.
    The Commission may issue a preliminary determination on non-
environmental issues prior to the completion of its review of the 
environmental aspects of the project. This preliminary determination 
typically considers such issues as the need for the project and its 
economic effect on existing customers of the applicant, on other 
pipelines in the area, and on landowners and communities. For example, 
the Commission considers the extent to which the applicant may need to 
exercise eminent domain to obtain rights-of-way for the proposed 
project and balances that against the non-environmental benefits to be 
provided by the project. Therefore, if a person has comments on 
community and landowner impacts from this proposal, it is important 
either to file comments or to intervene as early in the process as 
possible.
    Protests and interventions may be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 
instructions on the Commission's Web site under the ``e-Filing'' link. 
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings.
    If the Commission decides to set the application for a formal 
hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, the Commission will issue 
another notice describing that process. At the end of the Commission's 
review process, a final Commission order approving or denying the 
section 3 authorization will be issued.
    Comment Date: April 29, 2003.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-9092 Filed 4-11-03; 8:45 am]
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