[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 101 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30432-30433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-2668]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP04-223-000, CP04-293-000, and CP04-358-000]


KeySpan LNG, L.P., Algonquin Gas Transmission, L.L.C.; Notice of 
Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Keyspan LNG Facility Upgrade Project

May 20, 2005.
    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 proposed by KeySpan LNG, L.P. (KeySpan LNG) and 
Algonquin Gas Transmission, L.L.C. (Algonquin), respectively, in the 
above-referenced dockets (collectively referred to as the KeySpan LNG 
Facility Upgrade Project).
    The final EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The staff concludes that If 
KeySpan LNG is able to modify its facility so that current federal 
safety standards are met, and if the project is constructed and 
operated in accordance with KeySpan LNG's and Algonquin's proposed 
mitigation and our recommended mitigation measures, we believe that the 
proposed project 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 addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following LNG and natural gas 
pipeline facilities in Providence, Rhode Island:
     A ship unloading facility with a single berth capable of 
receiving LNG ships with cargo capacities of 71,500 to 145,000 cubic 
meters;
     Two 16-inch-diameter liquid unloading arms and a 24-inch-
diameter liquid unloading line from the arms to the LNG storage tank;
     Two vapor return blowers, a 12-inch-diameter vapor arm, 
and an 8-inch-diameter vapor return line;
     Four boil-off-gas compressors and a boil-off gas 
condenser;
     A two-stage LNG pumping system;
     An indirect fired vaporizer system with a capacity of 375 
million cubic feet per day (MMcfd);
     Operations control buildings;
     Ancillary utilities and LNG facilities;
     A 1.44-mile-long 24-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline;
     A receipt point meter station and 30-inch-diameter pig 
launcher; and
     A 24-inch-diameter tap valve and 30-inch-diameter pig 
receiver at the point where the new pipeline would tie into Algonquin's 
existing G-12 Lateral pipeline system.
    The purpose of KeySpan LNG's proposed upgrade is to convert the 
existing KeySpan LNG storage facility to an LNG terminal capable of 
receiving marine deliveries, increase the facility's existing 
vaporization capacity from 150 MMcfd to 525 MMcfd, augment the supply 
of LNG to fill the region's LNG storage facilities to meet peak day 
needs, and provide 375 MMcfd of new, firm, reliable baseload supply of 
natural gas to Rhode Island and the New England region.
    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 are available from the Public Reference 
Room identified above. In addition, copies of the final EIS have been 
mailed to federal, state, and local 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

[[Page 30433]]

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 eLibrary, the eLibrary helpline can be reached at 1-
866-208-3676, TTY (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.

Linda Mitry,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-2668 Filed 5-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P