[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 46 (Thursday, March 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11966-11967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1011]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP04-386-000, CP04-400-000, CP04-401-000, CP04-402-000]


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

March 3, 2005.
    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 Jefferson, Orange, and Newton Counties, Texas 
and Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana proposed by Golden Pass LNG Terminal 
L.P. and Golden Pass Pipeline L.P. (collectively referred to as Golden 
Pass) 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, alternative sites for the LNG import terminal, and 
pipeline alternatives.
    Golden Pass's proposed facilities would transport an average of 2.0 
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, Golden Pass 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 protected marine terminal basin connected to the 
Port Arthur Channel that would include a ship maneuvering area, two 
protected berths, and unloading facilities capable of accommodating up 
to 200 LNG ships per year;
     A total of five all-metal, double-walled, full containment 
LNG storage tanks, each with a nominal working volume of approximately 
155,000 cubic meters (975,000 barrels) and each with secondary 
containment dikes to contain 110 percent of the gross tank volume;
     A total of ten shell-and-tube vaporizers, using a closed 
loop circulating solution and selective catalytic reduction to reduce 
regulated pollutants;
     Associated LNG storage and vaporization facilities, 
including administrative, storage, and maintenance buildings, access 
roads, and a waterline;
     A pipeline system comprised of 77.8 miles of 36-inch-
diameter mainline, 42.8 miles of 36-inch-diameter loop, and 1.8 miles 
of 24-inch-diameter lateral; and
     Associated ancillary pipeline facilities, including 
interconnections with up to 11 existing interstate and intrastate 
pipeline systems.

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 Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Reference Docket Nos. CP04-386-000 et al. and CP04-400-
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 April 19, 2005.
    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 meetings we will conduct in the 
project area. The location and time for this meetings are listed below:
    March 22, 2005, 7 p.m. (CST); VFW Hall, 4402 Highway 12, Starks, 
Louisiana, Telephone: (337) 743-6409.

    March 23, 2005, 7 p.m. (CST); Sabine Pass School Auditorium, 5641 
South Gulfway Drive, Sabine Pass, Texas, Telephone: (409) 971-2321.
    These meetings 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

[[Page 11967]]

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 toll 
free at 1-866-208-3676, for TTY at (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 the eSubscription link on the FERC Internet Web 
site.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-1011 Filed 3-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P