[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 128 (Thursday, July 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 39933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16851]



[[Page 39933]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-90-001]


AES Ocean Express Pipeline Project; Notice of Availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Announcement of a Public 
Comment Meeting for the Proposed Ocean Express Pipeline Project

June 27, 2003.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
on the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by AES Ocean Express, 
L.L.C. (Ocean Express) in the above-referenced docket.
    The DEIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project with the appropriate mitigating measures as 
recommended, would have limited adverse environmental impact. The DEIS 
also evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including system 
alternatives, major route alternatives, and route variations, and 
requests comments on them.
    The DEIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of approximately 54.4 miles of 24-inch 
diameter, interstate natural gas pipeline extending from a receipt 
point on the Exclusive Economic Zone boundary between the United States 
and the Bahamas to delivery points in Broward County, Florida. In 
addition, associated ancillary facilities proposed to be constructed 
include two meter stations, one below-ground valve, one aboveground 
main pipeline shutoff valve, and one pig launching/receiving station.
    The purpose of the Ocean Express Pipeline Project is to transport 
842,000 dekatherms/day of natural gas on an annual basis to new markets 
in southeastern Florida.

Comment Procedures and Public Meeting

    Any person wishing to comment on the DEIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that we receive your comments before the date specified 
below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your 
comments are received in time and properly recorded:
    [sbull] Send an original and two copies of your comments to:
    Magalie Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
    [sbull] Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 3, PJ11.3;
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. CP02-90-001; and
    [sbull] Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before August 12, 2003.
    Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail 
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. As a result, we will include 
all comments that we receive within a reasonable time frame in our 
environmental analysis of this project. However, the Commission 
strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments or interventions 
or protests to this proceeding. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 
instructions on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under 
the ``e-Filing'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can 
file comments, you will need to create a free account which can be 
created by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.''
    In addition to accepting written and electronically filed comments, 
one public meeting to receive comments on this DEIS will be held at the 
following time and location.
Date
Monday, July 28, 2003, 7 p.m.--
Location
Hollywood Beach Culture & Community Center, 1301 S. Ocean Drive, 
Hollywood, Florida 33019, (954) 921-3600

    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and 
present oral comments on the environmental impacts described in the 
DEIS. Transcripts of the meetings will be prepared.
    After these comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the DEIS, a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will be published and distributed 
by the staff. The FEIS will contain the staff's responses to timely 
comments filed on the DEIS.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to 
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to 
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene 
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this DEIS. You 
must file your request to intervene as specified above. You do not need 
intervenor status to have your comments considered.
    The DEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 
888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    A limited number of copies are available from the Public Reference 
and Files Maintenance Branch identified above. In addition, copies of 
the DEIS have been mailed to Federal, state and local agencies, public 
interest groups, individuals who have requested the DEIS, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the 
FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the FERRIS link. 
Click on the FERRIS link, enter the docket number excluding the last 
three digits in the Docket Number field. Be sure you have selected an 
appropriate date range. For assistance with FERRIS, the FERRIS helpline 
can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659 or at 
[email protected]. The FERRIS link on the FERC Internet Web 
site also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by 
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription which allows you too keep track of all formal issuances 
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time 
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to 
the documents. Go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-16851 Filed 7-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P