[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 13 (Friday, January 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3218-3219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1104]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[COTP Port Arthur-04-018]


Notice and Request for Comments; Letter of Recommendation, LNG 
Jefferson County, TX

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP), Port Arthur, 
is preparing a letter of recommendation as to the suitability of the 
Sabine Pass Channel waterway for liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine 
traffic. The COTP is looking for comments and related material 
pertaining specifically to the Maritime Operation, Waterways 
Management, and Port Security aspects of the proposed LNG Facility.

DATES: Comments and related material pertaining specifically to the 
Maritime Operation, Waterways Management, and Port Security aspects of 
the proposed LNG Facility must reach the Coast Guard on or before 
February 22, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments and related material to: Commanding 
Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office, 2901 Turtle Creek 
Drive, Port Arthur, TX 77642, ATTN: Waterways Management Branch.
    You may send comments and related material by fax to:U.S. Coast 
Guard Marine Safety Office (MSO) Port Arthur Attention: Waterways 
Management Branch (409) 723-6532. U.S. Coast Guard MSO Port Arthur 
maintains a file for this notice. Comments and material received from 
the public during the comment period will become part of this file and 
will be available for inspection or copying at U.S. Coast Guard MSO 
Port Arthur, Waterways Management Branch, between the hours of 7:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lieutenant (LT) Kevin Smith or LT 
Constance Ruckstuhl at U.S. Coast Guard MSO Port Arthur, (409) 723-
6501.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate by submitting comments and related 
material pertaining specifically to the Maritime Operation, Waterways 
Management, and Port Security aspects of the proposed LNG Facility. If 
you do so, please include your name and address, identify the docket 
number

[[Page 3219]]

[COTP Port Arthur-04-018], indicate the specific section of this 
document to which each comment applies, and give the reason for each 
comment. Please submit all comments and related material in an unbound 
format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and 
electronic filing. For a returned receipt, 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 public meetings or hearings. But you may 
submit a request for meetings or hearing by writing to Commanding 
Officer, U.S. Coast Guard MSO Port Arthur at the address under 
ADDRESSES explaining why they would be beneficial. If we determine that 
public hearings or meetings would benefit the recommendation process, 
we will hold them at a time and place announced by a later notice in 
the Federal Register.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is responsible for 
authorizing the siting and construction of onshore LNG facilities under 
Section 3 (15 U.S.C. 717b) 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 the LNG 
facilities under Section 7 (15 U.S.C. 717b) of the NGA. The FERC 
conducts environmental, safety, and security reviews of LNG plants and 
related pipeline facilities, and as the Lead Federal Agency prepares 
the overall National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation (18 
CFR part 380). As required by NEPA, FERC will issue a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for review and comment by the 
public. After issuing the DEIS for this proposed LNG facility and 
pipeline project, FERC will hold a public meeting. The date, time, and 
location of this meeting will be published on FERC's Web site, http://www.ferc.gov, under Docket Nos. CP04-386-000, CP04-400-000 (``Golden 
Pass LNG and Pipeline Project'').

Background and Purpose

    Under 33 CFR 127.009, the U.S. Coast Guard COTP Port Arthur, is 
preparing a letter of recommendation as to the suitability of the 
Sabine Pass Channel waterway for liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine 
traffic. The letter of recommendation is in response to a Letter of 
Intent to operate a LNG facility in Jefferson County, TX. This facility 
would consist of an LNG import terminal and storage facilities and 
approximately 75 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline crossing four 
counties in Texas and one parish in LA. The Letter of Intent is 
available in the docket where indicated under ADDRESSES.
    Golden Pass LNG Terminal LP propose to build a new LNG import, 
storage, and vaporization terminal in a rural part of Jefferson County, 
Texas, across the Sabine Neches Ship Channel, Jefferson County, Texas; 
and a natural gas pipeline to transfer up to 2.7 billion cubic feet per 
day of imported natural gas. Golden Pass has acquired a 477-acre tract 
of land, for the proposed LNG terminal facility. The facility property 
is approximately 10 miles south of Port Arthur, Texas and 2 miles 
northeast of Sabine, Texas. The LNG import terminal would import, 
store, and vaporize an average of approximately 2,000 million standard 
cubic feet per day (MMscfd) of LNG, with an installed capacity of 2,700 
MMscfd, for supply to U.S. natural gas markets. Golden Pass seeks 
authority to construct and operate the following new facilities:
    1. A new marine basin connected to the Sabine Pass Channel that 
would include a ship maneuvering area and two protected berths to 
unload up to 200 LNG ships per year with a ship capacity ranging up to 
250,000 cubic meters (m\3\) of LNG;
    2. Two 30-inch-diameter single wall, 304 stainless steel, insulated 
LNG transfer lines to transfer the LNG from the berth facilities to the 
LNG storage tanks;
    3. Five insulated full-containment LNG storage tanks, each with a 
working capacity of approximately 155,000 m\3\ and each with secondary 
containment dikes to contain the gross tank volume;
    4. A boil-off gas (BOG) recovery system consisting of three BOG 
compressors (141,783 ft\3\/hr), one return gas blower and a 271 bbl 
direct-contact re-condenser;
    5. Ancillary utilities, buildings, and service facilities, 
including hazard detection and fire response systems;
    6. Approximately 77 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline extending 
from the LNG import terminal to an interconnection with an existing 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation interstate pipeline near 
Starks, Louisiana;
    7. Approximately a 43 mile, 36-inch diameter pipeline commencing at 
the LNG import terminal send-out metering station parallel to and 
looping the Golden Pass Pipeline as far as the Sabine Gas Pipeline 
Meter Station in Jefferson County, Texas; and,
    8. Associated pipeline facilities including pig launchers/receivers 
and metering equipment.
    Construction of the LNG terminal facilities would take 
approximately 3 years and the pipeline would take approximately 12 
months. Golden Pass proposes to place the project in service in the 
2008-2009 timeframe.
    In preparation for issuance of the letter of recommendation, the 
COTP will consider all information submitted by the owner or operator 
under the requirements of 33 CFR 127.007, as well as comments received 
from the public.

Additional Information

    Additional information can be found in the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission document entitled ``Notice of Intent to Prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Golden Pass LNG and 
Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and 
Notice of Public Scoping Meeting and Site Visit'', published in the 
Federal Register September 27, 2004 (69 FR 57684) and available for 
download at http://www.ferc.gov under Docket Nos. CP04-386-000, CP04-
400-000.

    Dated: January 6, 2005.
Sharon K. Richey,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port, Port Arthur.
[FR Doc. 05-1104 Filed 1-19-05; 8:45 am]
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