[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 46 (Thursday, March 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11960-11961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1001]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF05-5-000]


Gulf LNG Energy LLC; Notice of Environmental Review and Scoping 
for the Proposed Lng Clean Energy Project and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

March 3, 2005.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of the LNG Clean Energy Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Gulf LNG Energy 
LLC (Gulf LNG) in Port of Pascagoula, on Mississippi lands in Bayou 
Casotte that are owned or controlled by the Jackson County Port 
Authority. The proposed facilities would consist of a liquefied natural 
gas (LNG) import terminal and one interconnecting pipeline. The 
Commission will use this EIS in its decision-making process to 
determine whether or not the project is in the public convenience and 
necessity.
    The LNG Clean Energy Project is currently in the preliminary design 
stage. At this time no formal application has been filed with the FERC. 
For this project, the FERC staff is initiating its National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving the 
application. This will allow interested stakeholders to be involved 
early in project planning and to identify and resolve issues before an 
application is filed with the FERC. A docket number (PF05-5-000) has 
been established to place information filed by Gulf LNG and related 
documents issued by the Commission, into the public record.\1\ Once a 
formal application is filed with the FERC, a new docket number will be 
established.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To view information in the docket, follow the instructions 
for using the eLibrary link at the end of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This notice is being sent to residents within 0.5 mile of the 
proposed LNG terminal site; landowners along the pipeline route under 
consideration; federal, state, and local government agencies; elected 
officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American 
tribes; and local libraries and newspapers.
    With this notice, we \2\ are asking these and other Federal, State, 
and local agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EIS. These agencies may choose to participate once 
they have evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities. 
Agencies which would like to request cooperating status should follow 
the instructions for filing comments described later in this notice. We 
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of 
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Some affected landowners may be contacted by a project 
representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct, 
operate, and maintain the proposed pipeline. If so, the company should 
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. In the event that 
the project is certificated by the Commission, that approval conveys 
the right of eminent domain for securing easements for the pipeline. 
Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the 
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with 
state law.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    The facility location would be in Bayou Casotte (East) Harbor, Port 
of Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi, approximately 14 nautical 
miles from the sea buoy in the Gulf of Mexico and 10 nautical miles 
from the barrier islands that separate the Gulf of Mexico from the 
Mississippi Sound. The LNG site would be accessible from the Bayou 
Casotte Ship Channel which is 42 feet deep and 350 feet wide. The 
facilities would consist of an LNG import terminal that would unload 
LNG from ships and transfer it to two 160,000 cubic meter containment 
LNG storage tanks on shore. The facility would have the capacity to 
process an average of one billion cubic feet of LNG per day. In 
addition, up to about five miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline would be 
constructed from the LNG terminal to transport the natural gas to 
Destin Pipeline Company. The project would consist of the following 
facilities:
     An LNG terminal consisting of a berth and unloading dock 
and jetty to accommodate one LNG carrier. The berth and dock would be 
designed to service LNG carriers ranging in capacity from 87,000 cubic 
meters (m3) to 138,000 m3. The anticipated level 
of traffic at full terminal capacity would be 115 ships per year.
     Two 160,000 cubic meter full containment LNG storage tanks 
on shore; and
     About five miles of 36-inch-diamenter send-out pipeline 
that would connect with Destin Pipeline near Pascagoula, Mississippi.
    A map depicting the proposed terminal site and the proposed 
pipeline route is provided in appendix 1.3 4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the 
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference and 
Files Maintenance Branch at (202) 502-8371. For instructions on 
connecting to eLibrary refer to the last page of this notice.
    \4\ Requests for detailed maps of the facilities may be made to 
the company directly. Write, call, or e-mail: Neil Carter, Project 
Director, Gulf LNG Energy, LLC, 600 Travis, Suite 6800, Houston, 
Texas 77002; telephone No. 1-866-Gulf-LNG) (e-mail 
[email protected]); second contact: Erik Swenson, King & 
Spalding, 191 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30303; telephone No. 
(404) 572-3540, ([email protected]). Be as specific as you can 
about the location(s) of your area(s) of interest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements

    The proposed LNG terminal would be located within approximately 40 
acres of land within a 259-acre property under control of the Port of 
Pascagoula at the entrance to Bayou Casotte and accessible via the 
Pascagoula Ship Channel. The project would require dredging of a 
turning basin and berth to achieve the required size and depth to 
accommodate the LNG tanker ships. The terminal site contains about 
eight acres of wetlands, but the current conceptual facility layout 
would avoid placement of equipment and facilities within the wetland 
area, except for the pipeline.
    The send-out pipeline would parallel the outer perimeter of the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredged material disposal area to its tie-
in with Destin Pipeline. A right-of-way width was not specified in Gulf 
LNG's proposal.

The EIS Process

    NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental 
impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the 
issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, or an 
import authorization under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also 
requires us to discover and address issues and concerns the public may 
have about proposals. This process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The 
main goal of the scoping process is to focus

[[Page 11961]]

the analysis in the EIS on the important environmental issues and 
reasonable alternatives. By this notice, we are requesting agency and 
public comments on the scope of the issues to be analyzed and presented 
in the EIS. All scoping comments received will be considered during the 
preparation of the EIS. To ensure your comments are considered, please 
carefully follow the instructions in the public participation section 
of this notice.
    The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general 
headings:
     Geology and soils
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
     Vegetation and wildlife
     Endangered and threatened species
     Land use
     Cultural resources
     Air quality and noise
     Public safety
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft 
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to federal, state, and local 
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected landowners; other 
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the 
Commission's official service list for this proceeding. A 45-day 
comment period will be allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will 
consider all comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as 
necessary, before issuing a final EIS. In addition, we will consider 
all comments on the final EIS before we make our recommendations to the 
Commission.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have identified several issues that we think deserve attention 
based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and the 
environmental resources present in the project area. This preliminary 
list of issues may be changed based information obtained during the 
public participation period and on our continuing analysis:

 Another LNG project may be proposed adjacent to this project.
 Water Resources
    --Assessment of construction effects on water quality.
    --Review of wetland areas impacted on the terminal site.
--Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation
    --Effects on wildlife and fisheries including commercial and 
recreational fisheries.
    --Potential impacts of water intake/discharge systems and their 
potential impact on marine species.
 Endangered and Threatened Species
    --Effects on federally-listed species
    --Effects on essential fish habitat.
 Reliability and Safety
    --Safety and security of the terminal and pipeline.
    --LNG shipping.

    Our evaluation will also include possible alternatives to the 
proposed project or portions of the project, and we will make 
recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various 
resource areas of concern.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative locations 
and routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. Gulf 
LNG has established a preliminary pipeline route for the project; 
however, if minor reroutes or variations are required to avoid or 
minimize impacts to certain features on your property, this is your 
opportunity to assist us and Gulf LNG in identifying your specific 
areas of concern. The more specific your comments, the more useful they 
will be. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your 
comments are received and properly recorded:
     Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie 
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 2; and
     Reference Docket No. PF05-5-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    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 this project. However, the Commission 
encourages electronic filing of any comments or interventions or 
protests 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 ``eFiling'' 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 by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.''
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Mailing List Retention 
Form included in Appendix 2.
    In addition, the FERC staff will conduct a scoping meeting of the 
project in the future. A notice of the scoping meeting will be issued 
by FERC at a later date.

Availability of Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208 FERC (3372) or on 
the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). Using the 
``eLibrary'' link, select ``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, 
enter the selected date range and ``Docket Number'' (i.e., PF05-5-000), 
and follow the instructions. Searches may also be done using the phrase 
``Gulf LNG'' in the ``Text Search'' field. For assistance with access 
to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 
502-8659, or at [email protected]. The eLibrary link on the 
FERC Internet website 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 that 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. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Further, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
    Finally, Gulf LNG has established an Internet Web site for its 
project at http://www.lngcleanenergy.com/overview/. The Web site 
includes a description of the project, maps and photographs of the 
proposed site, information on LNG, and links to related documents.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-1001 Filed 3-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P