[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 151 (Friday, August 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47920-47921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1734]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP04-36-000 and CP04-41-000]


Weaver's Cove Energy, L.L.C.; Mill River Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice 
of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and the 
Draft General Conformity Determination for the Proposed Weaver's Cove 
LNG Project

July 30, 2004.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and natural gas 
pipeline facilities in Bristol County, Massachusetts proposed by 
Weaver's Cove Energy, L.L.C. and Mill River Pipeline, L.L.C. 
(collectively referred to as Weaver's Cove Energy) in the above-
referenced dockets. A draft General Conformity Determination was also 
prepared to assess the potential air quality impacts associated with 
construction and operation of the proposed project and is included as 
appendix H of the draft EIS.
    The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The staff concludes that 
approval of the proposed project with appropriate mitigating measures 
as recommended, would have limited adverse environmental impact. The 
draft EIS also evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including system 
alternatives, alternative sites for the LNG import terminal, and 
pipeline alternatives; and requests comments on them.
    The draft EIS was also prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). The Massachusetts 
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs issued a Certificate to 
Weaver's Cove Energy on August 28, 2003, that established a Special 
Review Procedure to guide the MEPA review of the Weaver's Cove LNG 
Project. This Special Review Procedure provides for a coordinated NEPA/
MEPA review and allows the draft and final EISs to serve as the draft 
and final Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) required under MEPA, 
provided the EISs address MEPA's EIR requirements, as specified in the 
MEPA scope for the project that was issued concurrently with the August 
28, 2003, Special Review Procedure.
    Weaver's Cove Energy's proposed facilities would transport up to 
800 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) of imported natural gas to the 
U.S. market. In order to provide LNG import, storage, and pipeline 
transportation services, Weaver's Cove Energy requests Commission 
authorization to construct, install, and operate an LNG terminal and 
natural gas pipeline facilities.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following LNG terminal and natural 
gas pipeline facilities:
     A ship unloading facility with a single berth capable of 
receiving LNG ships with cargo capacities of up to 145,000 cubic meters 
(m\3\);
     A 200,000 m\3\ (equivalent to 4.4 billion standard cubic 
feet of gas) full containment LNG storage tank;
     Vaporization equipment, sized for a normal sendout of 400 
MMcfd and a maximum sendout of 800 MMcfd;
     Four LNG truck loading stations;
     Ancillary utilities, buildings, and service facilities;
     Two 24-inch-diameter natural gas sendout pipelines, 
totaling approximately 6.1 miles in length; and
     Two meter and regulation stations.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS or the draft General 
Conformity Determination 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:
     Send an original and two copies of your comments to: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP04-36-000;
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 1, PJ11.1; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before September 20, 2004.
    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 the project. However, the Commission strongly 
encourages electronic filing of any comments or interventions 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 online.
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite 
you to attend the public comment meetings we will conduct in the 
project area. The locations and times for these meetings are listed 
below:
    September 8, 2004, 7 p.m. (e.s.t.), Venus de Milo Restaurant, 75 
GAR Highway, Swansea, Massachusetts 02777, (508) 678-3901.
    September 9, 2004, 7 p.m. (e.s.t.), Gaudet Middle School, 1113 
Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown, RI 02842, (401) 846-6395
    These meetings will be posted on the Commission's calendar located 
at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other 
related

[[Page 47921]]

information. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend 
and present oral comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings 
will be prepared.
    After these comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the draft EIS and draft 
General Conformity Determination, a final EIS, including a final 
General Conformity Determination, will be published and distributed by 
the staff. The final EIS will contain the staff's responses to timely 
comments received on the draft EIS and draft General Conformity 
Determination.
    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 draft EIS. 
You must file your request to intervene as specified above.\1\ You do 
not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
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    \1\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
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    The draft EIS 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 Room, 888 First Street, NE., 
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    A limited number of copies are available from the Public Reference 
Room identified above. In addition, copies of the draft EIS have been 
mailed to Federal, State, and local agencies; public interest groups; 
individuals and affected landowners who requested a copy of the draft 
EIS; libraries; 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 eLibrary link. 
Click on the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and 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, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. 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 rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription which 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. Go to the eSubscription link on the FERC Internet Web 
site.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-1734 Filed 8-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P