[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 222 (Thursday, November 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67570-67571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-3227]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP04-47-000, CP04-38-000, CP04-39-000, and CP04-40-000]


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

November 12, 2004.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final 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 final 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 
final EIS also evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including system 
alternatives, alternative sites for the LNG import terminal, and 
pipeline alternatives.
    The final EIS also 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.
    The purpose of the Sabine Pass LNG and Pipeline Project is to 
provide the facilities necessary to meet growing demand for natural gas 
in the United States by providing a reliable supply of natural gas and 
access to worldwide natural gas reserves.
    The final 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 of the final EIS are available from the 
Public Reference Room identified above. In addition, copies of the 
final EIS have been mailed to Federal, State, and local

[[Page 67571]]

agencies; public interest groups; individuals and affected landowners 
who requested a copy of the final EIS; libraries; newspapers; and 
parties to this proceeding.
    In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 
regulations implementing the NEPA, no agency decision on a proposed 
action may be made until 30 days after the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes a notice of availability of a final EIS. 
However, the CEQ regulations provide an exception to this rule when an 
agency decision is subject to a formal internal appeal process which 
allows other agencies or the public to make their views known. In such 
cases, the agency decision may be made at the same time the notice of 
the final EIS is published, allowing both periods to run concurrently. 
The Commission's decision for this proposed action is subject to a 30-
day rehearing period.
    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 any FERC Online service, please e-mail 
[email protected] or call (866) 208-3676, for TTY (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.

Linda Mitry,
Deputy Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-3227 Filed 11-17-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P