[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22786-22788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-937]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. PF04-2-000 and PF04-5-000]


BP Crown Landing, LLC and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice 
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed 
Crown Landing LNG and Logan Lateral Projects, Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

April 19, 2004.
    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 BP Crown Landing, LLC's 
(Crown Landing) Crown Landing LNG Project located in Gloucester County, 
New Jersey and New Castle County, Delaware. The EIS will also address 
the associated Texas Eastern Transmission, LP's (Texas Eastern) Logan 
Lateral Project in Gloucester County, New Jersey and Delaware County, 
Pennsylvania. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process 
we will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on 
the projects. Your input will help the Commission staff determine which 
issues need to be evaluated in the EIS. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on June 21, 2004.
    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the public 
participation section of this notice. In lieu of sending written 
comments, you are invited to attend the public scoping meetings that 
are scheduled as follows:
    Wednesday, May 5, 2004, 7 p.m., Robert E. Wilson Community Center, 
1150 Engle Street, Chester Township, PA, (610) 494-4149.
    Thursday, May 6, 2004, 7 p.m., Holiday Inn, One Pureland Drive (I-
295 at Exit 10), Swedesboro, NJ, (856) 467-3322.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State, 
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers in this proceeding. We 
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of 
these planned projects and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.

[[Page 22787]]

Summary of the Proposed Projects

    Crown Landing proposes to construct and operate an LNG import 
terminal on the eastern shoreline of the Delaware River in Logan 
Township, New Jersey. The LNG terminal would consist of facilities 
capable of unloading LNG ships, storing up to 450,000 cubic meters of 
LNG (9.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent), vaporizing the 
LNG, and sending out natural gas at a rate of up to 1.2 billion cubic 
feet per day. Crown Landing proposes to interconnect the LNG facilities 
on site with two existing pipelines owned and operated by Columbia Gas 
Transmission Company and Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation. In 
addition, Texas Eastern would construct and operate a lateral from its 
Chester Junction facility in Chester, Pennsylvania to the proposed LNG 
terminal. The LNG terminal and pipeline facilities would consist of:
     A ship unloading facility capable of receiving 
LNG ships with capacities up to 200,000 cubic meters;
     Three 150,000 cubic meter (net capacity) full-
containment LNG storage tanks, comprised of 9 percent nickel steel 
inner tank, pre-stressed concrete outer tank, and a concrete roof;
     A closed loop shell and tube heat exchanger 
vaporization system;
     Various ancillary facilities, including 
administrative offices, warehouse/maintenance building, main control 
center, guardhouse, and a pier control room;
     Three meter and regulation stations located on 
the proposed LNG terminal site; and
     Approximately 9.6 miles of 30-inch-diameter 
natural gas pipeline (4.9 miles in Pennsylvania and 4.7 miles in New 
Jersey), a main line valve, and a meter and regulation station located 
on the LNG terminal site.
    A map depicting Crown Landing's proposed LNG terminal site and 
Texas Eastern's proposed pipeline route is provided in appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Web site at the ``eLibrary'' link or from the 
Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, Room 2A 
or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary 
refer to the end of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent 
to all those receiving this notice in the mail.
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    Crown Landing is requesting approval to begin construction of the 
LNG facilities in August 2005 and proposes an in-service date of 
September 2008. Texas Eastern would begin construction of the proposed 
pipeline and aboveground facilities in 2006 and proposes an in-service 
date in the Fall of 2008.

The EIS Process

    The FERC will use the EIS to consider the environmental impact that 
could result if it issues Crown Landing an Order Authorizing Approval 
of a Place of Import under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act and it 
issues Texas Eastern a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.
    This notice formally announces our preparation of the EIS and the 
beginning of the process referred to as ``scoping.'' We \2\ are 
soliciting input from the public and interested agencies to help us 
focus the analysis in the EIS on the potentially significant 
environmental issues related to the proposed actions.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a single 
draft EIS prepared for both projects. 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 FERC'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.
    Although no formal application for authorizing import or natural 
gas facilities has been filed, the FERC staff is initiating its NEPA 
review now. The purpose of the FERC's NEPA Pre-filing Process is to 
encourage the early involvement of interested stakeholders and to 
identify and resolve issues before an application is filed with the 
FERC.
    We have held early discussions with other jurisdictional agencies 
to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard; National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Jersey 
Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of 
Transportation, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and 
Environmental Control, Delaware Historic Preservation Office, and 
Delaware River Basin Commission. By this notice, we 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. Agencies that would 
like to request cooperating status should follow the instructions for 
filing comments provided below.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the proposals. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including 
alternative terminal sites and pipeline routes), and measures to avoid 
or lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the 
more useful they will be. To ensure that your comments are timely and 
properly recorded, please mail your comments so that they will be 
received in Washington, DC on or before June 21, 2004, and carefully 
follow these instructions:
     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;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention 
of Gas Branch 1, DG2E;
     Reference Docket Nos. PF04-2-000 and PF04-5-000 
on the original and both copies.
    The public scoping meetings to be held on May 5 and 6, 2004 in 
Chester Township, PA and Swedesboro, NJ are designed to provide another 
opportunity to offer comments on the proposed projects. Interested 
groups and individuals are encouraged to attend these meetings and to 
present comments on the environmental issues they believe should be 
addressed in the EIS. Transcripts of the meetings will be made so that 
your comments will be accurately recorded.
    Please note that the Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and 
the instructions on the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``eFiling'' 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.''
    When Crown Landing and Texas Eastern submit their applications for 
authorization to construct and operate the Crown Landing LNG and Logan 
Lateral Projects, the Commission will publish a Notice of Application 
in the Federal Register and will establish a deadline for interested 
persons to

[[Page 22788]]

intervene in the proceeding. Because the Commission's NEPA Pre-filing 
Process occurs before an application to begin a proceeding is 
officially filed, petitions to intervene during this process are 
premature and will not be accepted by the Commission.

Environmental Mailing List

    If you wish to be taken off our environmental mailing list, please 
return the ``Remove from Mailing List'' Form included in appendix 2. If 
you do not return this form, you will remain on our mailing list.

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 
``eLibrary'' link, select ``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, 
enter the selected date range and ``Docket Number'' (i.e., PF04-2-000 
or PF04-5-000), and follow the instructions. Searches may also be done 
using the phrase ``Crown Landing LNG'' or ``Logan Lateral'' in the 
``Text Search'' field. For assistance with access to eLibrary, the 
helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at 
[email protected]. The eLibrary 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 FERC 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, Crown Landing has established an Internet Web site for its 
project at http://www.bpcrownlanding.com. The Web site includes a 
description of the project, maps and photographs of the proposed site, 
information on LNG, and links to related documents.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E4-937 Filed 4-26-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P