[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 141 (Friday, July 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43975-43977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1645]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF04-11-000]


Sempra Energy International, Sempra Energy LNG; Notice of Pre-
Filing Process for the Planned Port Arthur LNG Terminal and Pipeline 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

July 20, 2004.
    This is an initial notice that the staff of the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission) has begun the National Environmental 
Protection Act (NEPA) Pre-filing Process and will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for Sempra Energy International's 
and Sempra Energy LNG's (collectively referred to as Sempra) planned 
Port Arthur LNG Terminal and Pipeline Project in Texas and Louisiana. 
The Commission will use this review process to gather input from the 
public and interested agencies on the planned project. Your input will 
help to determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EIS. Once 
the company has provided more information on the location of the 
facilities we will issue another notice and schedule scoping meetings.
    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.
    This notice is being sent to Federal, State, and local government 
agencies; elected officials; landowners, environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested parties; and 
local libraries and newspapers. We \1\ encourage government 
representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project 
and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
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    \1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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Summary of the Proposed Project

    Sempra proposes to construct and operate an LNG import terminal and 
two natural gas send-out pipelines. These facilities would be used to 
deliver up to 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas to 
existing intrastate and interstate pipeline systems. The facilities 
could be expanded to deliver an additional 1.5 Bcf/d of natural gas.
    The LNG receiving terminal would be located in the City of Port 
Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas, on the Port

[[Page 43976]]

Arthur Ship Channel. The terminal would be designed to accept LNG and 
temporarily store and vaporize LNG and would contain up to three LNG 
storage tanks with an approximate capacity of 160,000 cubic meters 
(m3) each.
    The terminal would contain two berths capable of accommodating the 
unloading of two LNG tankers. The berths would be designed for LNG 
tankers ranging in capacity from 100,000 m3 to 250,000 
m3 and would require dredging to achieve the required size 
and depth to accommodate the LNG tanker ships. Sempra estimates that 
the facility could accommodate one ship every other day.
    Two send-out pipelines also would be constructed to transport the 
vaporized natural gas to interconnections with existing intrastate and 
interstate pipeline systems. A 36-inch-diameter pipeline approximately 
70 miles long and running northeast would cross Sabine Lake and connect 
the terminal with an interstate transmission pipeline at Transco 
Pipeline Compressor Station 45 near Ragley, Louisiana. A 30-inch-
diameter pipeline approximately three miles long and running south 
would connect the terminal with the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of 
America interstate pipeline. Metering facilities would be installed at 
each of the interconnections. These pipelines would pass through 
Jefferson, and Orange Counties, Texas, and Cameron, Calcasieu, and 
Beauregard Parishes, Louisiana.
    A conceptual map depicting the planned project facilities is 
provided 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 on the 
Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the 
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room at 
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to 
the end of this notice. Copies of the appendices are being sent to 
all those receiving this notice in the mail.
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    Sempra has requested a Commission decision on the project by 
September 30, 2005. Sempra proposes to start construction of the 
facility during the first quarter of 2006 and go into service on or 
about March 31, 2009.
    In order to accommodate the construction of the LNG terminal, U.S. 
Highway 87, several pipelines, and other utilities would need to be 
relocated.

Land Requirements

    The proposed Sempra LNG terminal would be constructed and operated 
on approximately 150 acres within an approximate 540-acre parcel. The 
540-acre parcel is part of a much larger tract, about 2,900 acres, 
already owned by Sempra. The pipelines would require about 760 acres 
for construction.

The EIS Process

    The FERC will be the lead Federal agency for the EIS process which 
is being conducted to satisfy the requirements of NEPA. 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 (Certificate) or 
Authorization.
    NEPA also requires us to discover and address issues and concerns 
the public may have about proposals and to ensure those issues and 
concerns are analyzed in the EIS. This process is referred to as 
``scoping.'' The goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis 
in the EIS on the important and potentially significant environmental 
issues related to the proposed action, and on reasonable alternatives. 
The scoping process will begin after we have received more substantial 
information on the location of the proposed facilities. However, we 
welcome any comments agencies or the public may have on the Sempra 
proposal at this time. All 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.
    The Port Arthur LNG Terminal and Pipeline Project is in the 
preliminary design stage. At this time, specific facility locations and 
other details are being finalized and no formal application has been 
filed with the FERC. Sempra expects to file a formal application with 
the FERC in November 2004. Although we have no formal Certificate 
application, we are initiating our review of Sempra's planned project 
under our NEPA Pre-filing Process. The purpose of the FERC's NEPA Pre-
filing Process is to:
     Establish a framework for constructive discussion between 
the project proponents, potentially affected landowners, agencies, and 
the Commission staff;
     Encourage the early involvement of interested stakeholders 
to identify issues and study needs; and
     Attempt to resolve issues early, before an application is 
filed with the FERC.
    We are in the process of contacting agencies to request their 
assistance in the preparation of the EIS as a cooperating agency to 
satisfy their NEPA responsibilities. By this notice, we are also asking 
Federal, State, and local agencies with jurisdiction and/or special 
expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate 
with us. 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 planned project. Please focus your 
comments on the potential environmental effects, reasonable 
alternatives (including alternative facility 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 carefully follow 
these instructions:
     Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie 
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 2; and
     Reference Docket No. PF04-11-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    A docket number (PF04-11-000) has been established to place 
information filed by Sempra and related documents issued by the 
Commission, into the public record.\3\ Once a formal application is 
filed, the Commission will:
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    \3\ To view information in the docket, follow the instructions 
for using the eLibrary link in Availability of Additional 
Information, below.
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     Publish a Notice of Application in the Federal Register;
     Establish a new docket number; and
     Set a deadline for interested persons to 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.
    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 ``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 a free account by 
clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' You will 
be asked to select the type of

[[Page 43977]]

filing you are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on 
Filing.''

Environmental Mailing List

    If you wish to remain on our mailing list to receive any additional 
environmental notices and copies of the draft and final EIS, it is 
important that you return the Return Mailer (appendix 2) attached to 
this notice. If you do not return the mailer, you will be removed from 
our mailing list.

Availability of Additional Information

    Additional information about the planned 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. Click on the eLibrary link and click on ``General 
Search'' and enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits, 
in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF04-11). Be sure you have selected 
an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support at [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 208-3676 or 
for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
    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.
    In addition, a fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An 
Interstate Natural Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' 
is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site. 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.
    Sempra has initiated a Public Participation Plan to provide a means 
of communication for participating stakeholders. A toll-free number 1-
888-843-2464 has been established for communicating with Sempra 
representatives regarding this project. Also, contacts and information 
requests can be made by e-mail to Sempra at [email protected]. 
Finally, Sempra has established a Web site for this project. The Web 
site includes a list of public repositories along the planned route 
where all maps are available for inspection, along with applications 
filed with State and Federal agencies, among other useful information. 
Sempra's Web site is: http://www.portarthurlng.com.

Linda Mitry,
Acting Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-1645 Filed 7-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P