[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 161 (Friday, August 20, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51655-51656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1856]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP04-47-000; Docket Nos. CP04-38-000; CP04-39-000; and 
CP04-40-000]


Sabine Pass LNG, L.P, Cheniere Sabine Pass Pipeline Company; 
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Sabine Pass LNG and Pipeline Project

August 12, 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 Cameron Parish, Louisiana proposed by Sabine 
Pass LNG, L.P. and Cheniere Sabine Pass Pipeline Company (collectively 
referred to as Cheniere Sabine) in the above-referenced dockets.
    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,

[[Page 51656]]

alternative sites for the LNG import terminal, and pipeline 
alternatives.
    Cheniere Sabine's proposed facilities would transport an average of 
2.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) of imported natural gas to the 
U.S. market. In order to provide LNG import, storage, and pipeline 
transportation services, Cheniere Sabine 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 new marine terminal basin connected to the Sabine Pass 
Channel that would include a ship maneuvering area and two protected 
berths to unload up to 300 LNG ships per year with a ship capacity 
ranging up to 250,000 cubic meters (m\3\) of LNG;
     Three all-metal, double-walled, single containment, top-
entry LNG storage tanks, each with a nominal working volume of 
approximately 160,000 m\3\ (1,006,400 barrels) and each with secondary 
containment dikes to contain 110 percent of the gross tank volume;
     Sixteen high-pressure submerged combustion vaporizers with 
a capacity of approximately 180 million cubic feet per day, as well as 
other associated vaporization equipment;
     Instrumentation and safety systems, including hazard 
detection and fire response systems, ancillary utilities, buildings, 
and service facilities, including a metering facility;
     Packaged natural gas turbine/generator sets to generate 
power for the LNG terminal; and
     Approximately 16 miles of 42-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline, two metering stations, and associated pipeline facilities 
including launcher and receiver facilities.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS 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 Nos. CP04-38-000 et al. and CP04-47-000;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 2, PJ11.2; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before October 5, 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 meeting we will conduct in the project 
area. The location and time for this meeting is listed below: September 
21, 2004, 7 p.m., Johnsons Bayou Community Center, 5556 Gulf Beach 
Highway, Johnsons Bayou, LA 70631, Telephone: 337-569-2815.
    This meeting will be posted on the Commission's calendar located at 
http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other 
related 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, a final EIS 
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.
    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, with ``eLibrary,'' the ``eLibrary'' helpline can be reached 
at 1-866-208-3676, for TTY, contact (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 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 http://www.ferc.gov/eSubscribenow.htm.

Linda Mitry,
Acting Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-1856 Filed 8-19-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P