[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 169 (Wednesday, September 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53455-53457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19960]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[CGD01-04-093]


Notice, Request for Comments; Letter of Recommendation, LNG 
Facility Weavers Cove, Fall River, MA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements in 33 CFR 127.009, the 
U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) Providence is preparing a 
letter of recommendation as to the suitability of the Narragansett Bay 
waterways for liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine traffic. The letter of 
recommendation is in response to a Letter of Intent to operate a LNG 
facility at Weavers Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts. The COTP 
Providence is seeking comments and related material pertaining 
specifically to the maritime operation and waterways management aspects 
of the proposed LNG facility. In preparation for issuance of the letter 
of recommendation, the COTP Providence will consider comments received 
from the public, as well as information submitted by the owner or 
operator under the requirements of 33 CFR 127.007. Specific items 
suitable for comment are listed later in this notice under Background 
and Purpose.

[[Page 53456]]


DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or 
before November 1, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety 
Office Providence maintains the public docket for this notice. Comments 
and documents will become part of this docket and will be available for 
inspection and copying at the same address between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may submit comments 
and related material by:
    (1) Mail or delivery to Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Marine 
Safety Office, 20 Risho Avenue, East Providence, RI, 02914-1208.
    (2) Fax to (401) 435-2399
    (3) Electronically via e-mail at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
call Mr. Edward G. LeBlanc at Coast Guard Marine Safety Office 
Providence, RI, (401) 435-2351. For assistance using the FERC internet 
Web site we reference, please contact FERC online support at 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY 
contact 1-202-502-8659.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related material pertaining 
specifically to the maritime operation and waterways management aspects 
of the proposed LNG facility. If you do so, please include your name 
and address, identify the docket number for this notice (CGD01-04-093), 
and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your comments and 
material by mail, hand delivery, fax, or electronic means, as described 
in ADDRESSES, but please submit your comments and material by only one 
means.
    If you submit them by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an 
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would 
like to know that they reached U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office 
Providence, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or 
envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during 
the comment period. The recommendation made by this office may be 
affected by comments received.

Public Meeting

    We do not now plan to hold a public meeting solely for the 
preparation of a Letter of Recommendation, but you may submit a request 
for one to U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Providence at the 
address under ADDRESSES explaining why one would be beneficial. If we 
determine that a public meeting would aid the recommendation process, 
we will hold one or more at a time and place announced by a later 
notice in the Federal Register. We will be participating as a 
cooperating agency in public meetings sponsored by the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (FERC), as outlined in the next paragraph.
    The FERC is the lead Federal agency responsible for authorizing the 
siting and construction of onshore LNG facilities under Section 3 of 
the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (15 U.S.C. 717 et seq). FERC also authorizes 
the construction and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines that 
may be associated with LNG facilities under section 7 of the NGA. The 
FERC conducts environmental, safety, and security reviews of LNG plants 
and related pipeline facilities, and as the lead Federal agency 
prepared the overall National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
documentation (18 CFR part 380). As required by NEPA, FERC issued a 
draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in August 2004 (FERC/EIS-
0169D). Publication of the Weaver's Cove LNG draft EIS was announced on 
pages 47920 to 47921 of Federal Register Volume 69, No. 151, dated 
Friday, August 6, 2004. As stated in that announcement, FERC intends to 
hold two public meetings. The location 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, MA 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 are also posted on FERC's calendar at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/Eventslist.aspx along with other related 
material. Comments received at these public meetings, which are related 
specifically to maritime operation and waterways management issues 
surrounding the proposed LNG facility, will be considered by the Coast 
Guard in the Letter of Recommendation process.

Background and Purpose

    Although FERC is the lead Federal agency for authorizing the siting 
and construction of onshore LNG facilities, the Coast Guard is 
responsible for navigation safety issues related to LNG ship 
deliveries. The FERC authorization process and the Coast Guard Letter 
of Recommendation process are two separate and distinct processes, 
although related in that they both pertain to the Weaver's Cove Energy 
LNG proposal. In accordance with the requirements of 33 CFR 127.009, 
the U.S. Coast Guard COTP Providence is preparing a Letter of 
Recommendation as to the suitability of Narragansett Bay and the 
Taunton River to accommodate LNG marine traffic. The Letter of 
Recommendation is in response to a Letter of Intent submitted on May 
12, 2004, by Weaver's Cove Energy, L.L.C. and Mill River Pipeline, 
L.L.C. collectively referred to as Weaver's Cove Energy, in accordance 
with 33 CFR 127.007 to operate a LNG facility at Weaver's Cove, Fall 
River, MA.
    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. The proposed LNG terminal would include 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\) of natural gas. The 
Coast Guard COTP Providence's Letter of Recommendation will address the 
suitability of Narragansett Bay and the Taunton River to accommodate 
LNG vessels with a capacity of up to 145,000 cubic meters. 
Specifically, the Letter of Recommendation will address the suitability 
of the waterway for LNG marine traffic based on:
     The physical location of the facility.
     A description of the facility.
     The LNG vessels' characteristics and the frequency of LNG 
shipments to or from the facility.
     Charts showing waterway channels and identifying 
commercial, industrial, environmentally sensitive, and residential 
areas in and adjacent to the waterway used by the LNG vessels en route 
to the facility, within 25 kilometers of the facility.
     Density and character of marine traffic in the waterways.
     Locks, bridges, or other manmade obstructions in the 
waterway.
     Depth of water.
     Tidal range.
     Protection from the high seas.
     Natural hazards, including reefs, rocks, and sandbars.
     Underwater pipelines and cables.
     Distance of berthed vessel from the channel, and the width 
of the channel.
    As stated above, the Letter of Recommendation process is 
independent of and separate from, although related to, the Federal 
permitting process for which FERC is the lead agency. Any permit that 
may be

[[Page 53457]]

issued by FERC will require, as a condition of final approval, that 
Weaver's Cove Energy obtain a Letter of Recommendation from the U.S. 
Coast Guard COTP Providence.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the Weaver's Cove LNG project is 
available from FERC's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC or 
on the FERC internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using their 
eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, then click on ``General 
Search'' and enter FERC's docket number excluding the last three digits 
in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP04-36). For assistance, please 
contact FERC online support at [email protected] or toll free 
at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY contact 1-202-502-8659.

    Dated: August 25, 2004.
M. E. Landry,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port, Providence.
[FR Doc. 04-19960 Filed 8-31-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P