[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 138 (Friday, July 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42699-42701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18219]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF03-4-000]


Weaver's Cove Energy L.L.C. and Mill River Pipeline L.L.C.; 
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Weaver's Cove LNG Project, Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues, and Notice of Joint Public Scoping Meeting

July 11, 2003.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of Weaver's Cove Energy L.L.C.'s 
and Mill River Pipeline L.L.C.''s (collectively referred to as Weaver's 
Cove) proposed Weaver's Cove LNG Project in Fall River, Massachusetts. 
The proposed facilities would consist of liquefied natural gas (LNG) 
import terminal, storage, and vaporization facilities and one or more 
interconnecting pipeline. The Commission will use the EIS in its 
decision-making process to determine whether or not to authorize the 
project.
    The Weaver's Cove LNG Project is in the preliminary design stage. 
At this time no formal application has been filed with the FERC. For 
this project, the FERC staff is initiating its National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving the application. The 
purpose of the NEPA Pre-filing Process is to involve interested 
stakeholders early in project planning and to identify and resolve 
issues before an application is filed with the FERC. A docket number 
(PF03-4-000) has been established to place information filed by 
Weaver's Cove and related documents issued by the Commission, into the 
public record.\1\ Once a formal application is filed with the FERC, a 
new docket number will be established.
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    \1\ To view information in the docket, follow the instructions 
for using the FERRIS link at the end of this notice.
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    On May 2, 2003, the FERC staff participated in an interagency 
meeting in Fall River, Massachusetts to discuss the project and the 
environmental review process with Weaver's Cove and other key Federal 
and state agencies. These agencies included: the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Massachusetts Department of 
Environmental Protection, Energy Facilities Siting Board, and Executive 
Office of Environmental Affairs; and the Rhode Island Coastal Resources 
Management Council and Department of Environmental Management. With 
this notice, we \2\ are asking these and other Federal, state, and 
local agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect 
to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EIS. These agencies may choose to participate once 
they have evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities. 
Agencies which would like to request cooperating status should follow 
the instructions for filing comments described later in this notice.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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    This notice is being sent to residences within 0.5 mile of the 
proposed LNG terminal site; landowners along the various pipeline 
routes under consideration; Federal, state, and local government 
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; 
Native American tribes; and local libraries and newspapers. We 
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.

[[Page 42700]]

    Some affected landowners may be contacted by a project 
representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct, 
operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. If so, the company 
should seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. In the event 
that the project is certificated by the Commission, that approval 
conveys the right of eminent domain for securing easements for the 
pipeline. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an 
agreement, the company could initiate condemnation proceedings in 
accordance with state law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is attached to this 
notice as appendix 1.\3\ This fact sheet addresses a number of 
typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how 
to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is also available 
for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Internet Web site ( http://www.ferc.gov ) at the 
``FERRIS'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference and Files 
Maintenance Branch at (202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting 
to FERRIS refer to the last page of this notice.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Weaver's Cove proposes to construct and operate an LNG import 
terminal and natural gas pipeline to import LNG and deliver an average 
of 400 million British thermal units per day (MMBtu/d), and a peak of 
800 MMBtu/d to markets in the northeastern United States. The 
facilities would consist of:
    [sbull] A pier and unloading facilities capable of receiving LNG 
tankers with a capacity of up to 145,000 cubic meters;
    [sbull] One LNG storage tank with an capacity of 200,000 cubic 
meters (4.4 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent);
    [sbull] Vaporization equipment and ancillary facilities;
    [sbull] Truck loading facilities to deliver LNG to other facilities 
in the northeastern United States; and
    [sbull] Two 24-inch-diameter pipelines, between 3 and 7 miles long, 
to interconnect with the Algonquin Gas Transmission Company pipeline 
system.\4\
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    \4\ Weaver's Cove has not yet identified its preferred route for 
the sendout pipelines. Three alternatives, all predominantly along 
existing rights-of-way, are currently under consideration.
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    A map depicting the proposed terminal site and the various pipeline 
routes under consideration is provided in appendix 2.\5\
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    \5\ Requests for detailed maps of the facilities may be made to 
the company directly. Call or e-mail: local 508-678-5700, toll free 
1-800-633-5700, or [email protected] (Web site will be available 
by July 31, 2003). Be as specific as you can about the location(s) 
of your area(s) of interest.
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    Weaver's Cove is requesting approval to begin construction of the 
LNG facilities in the Fall of 2004. The approximate duration of 
construction of the terminal facilities would be 3 years. The duration 
of pipeline construction would be approximately 4 months. Weaver's Cove 
proposes to place the project in service in the Fall of 2007.

Land Requirements

    The proposed LNG terminal would be on a 68-acre site zoned for 
industrial use on the Taunton River in Fall River, Massachusetts. The 
site has been formerly used as an oil refinery and a marine import 
terminal for petroleum products. The riverfront areas of the site are 
in a Designated Port Area as defined by the Massachusetts Coastal Zone 
Management plan.
    The project would also require maintenance and improvement dredging 
of approximately 7 miles of the Taunton River Federal Navigation 
Channel and a turning basin to enable the LNG tankers to access the 
proposed site. The dredging would occur in Massachusetts and Rhode 
Island. The total volume of dredging is anticipated to be about 
2,100,000 cubic yards. The dredged material would be disposed of in 
uplands at the terminal site or, if unsuitable for upland disposal, by 
either confined aquatic disposal cell, confined disposal, or ocean 
disposal methods.

The EIS Process

    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, or an 
import authorization under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also 
requires us to discover and address issues and concerns the public may 
have about proposals. This process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The 
main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on 
the important environmental issues and reasonable alternatives. By this 
notice, we are requesting agency and public comments on the scope of 
the issues to be analyzed and presented in the EIS. All scoping 
comments received will be considered during the preparation of the EIS. 
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the public participation section of this notice.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft 
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to Federal, state, and local 
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected landowners; other 
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the 
Commission's official service list for this proceeding. A 45-day 
comment period will be allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will 
consider all comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as 
necessary, before issuing a final EIS. In addition, we will consider 
all comments on the final EIS before we make our recommendations to the 
Commission.

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 EIS and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative locations 
and routes), 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:
    [sbull] Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie 
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
    [sbull] Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 1; and
    [sbull] Reference Docket No. PF03-4-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail 
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, the Commission 
encourages electronic filing of comments. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Internet 
Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' link and the 
link to the User's Guide. Prepare your submission in the same manner as 
you would if filing on paper and save it to a file on your hard drive. 
Before you can file comments you will need to create an account by 
clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' You will 
be asked to select the type of filing you are making. This filing is 
considered a ``Comment on Filing.''

Public Scoping Meeting

    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite 
you to attend a public scoping meeting that we will conduct in 
conjunction with the Massachusetts Executive Office of

[[Page 42701]]

Environmental Affairs. The location and time for this meeting is listed 
below:

July 29, 2003, 6 pm, Venus de Milo Restaurant, 75 GAR Highway, Swansea, 
Massachusetts 02777, (508) 678-3901

    The public scoping meeting is designed to provide Federal, state, 
and local agencies, interested groups, affected landowners, and the 
general public with more detailed information and another opportunity 
to offer comments on the proposed project. Interested groups and 
individuals are encouraged to attend the meeting and to present 
comments on the environmental issues they believe should be addressed 
in the EIS. A transcript of the meeting will be made so that your 
comments will be accurately recorded.

Availability of Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208 FERC (3372) or on 
the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). Using the ``FERRIS'' 
link, select ``General Search'' from the FERRIS menu, enter the 
selected date range and ``Docket Number'' (i.e., PF03-4-000), and 
follow the instructions. Searches may also be done using the phrase 
``Weaver's Cove'' in the ``Text Search'' field. For assistance with 
access to FERRIS, the 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 rule 
makings.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription that allows you to 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. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Finally, Weaver's Cove is in the process of establishing an 
Internet Web site for this project at http://www.weaverscoveenergy.com. 
The Web site will be available by July 31, 2003 and will include a 
description of the project, an overview map of the terminal site and 
pipeline routes, and a link for the public to submit comments on the 
project. Weaver's Cove will continue to update its Web site with 
information about the project, and will always accept comments.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-18219 Filed 7-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P