[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 160 (Friday, August 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48698-48701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4526]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF05-4-000]


Broadwater Energy; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Broadwater LNG Project; Request for Comments 
on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Joint Public Meetings

August 11, 2005.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) and 
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard (Coast 
Guard) are in the process of evaluating the Broadwater LNG \1\ Project 
planned by Broadwater Energy (Broadwater), a joint venture between TCPL 
(TransCanada Pipelines Ltd.) USA LNG, Inc. and Shell U.S. Gas & Power 
LLC. The project would be located in Long Island Sound, within New York 
State Waters, and would consist of an offshore LNG import terminal and 
an offshore natural gas pipeline that would connect to an existing 
offshore natural gas transmission pipeline.
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    \1\ Liquefied natural gas.
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    As a part of this evaluation, FERC staff will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) that will address the 
environmental impacts of the project and the Coast Guard will assess 
the safety and security of the project. As described below, the FERC 
and the Coast Guard will hold joint public meetings to allow the public 
to provide input to these assessments.
    The Commission will use the EIS in its decisionmaking process to 
determine whether or not to authorize the project. This notice explains 
the scoping process we \2\ will use to gather information on the 
project from the public and interested agencies and summarizes the 
process that the Coast Guard will use. Your input will help identify 
the issues that need to be evaluated in the EIS and in the Coast 
Guard's safety and security assessment.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    The FERC will be the lead Federal agency in the preparation of an 
EIS that will satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA). Several Federal agencies will serve as cooperating 
agencies during preparation of the EIS: the Coast Guard; the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and 
the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service. In addition, we have 
invited the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the New York State Department 
of Environmental Conservation, and the New York State Department of 
State to serve as cooperating agencies in preparation of the EIS.
    Comments on the project may be submitted in written form or 
verbally. Further details on how to submit written comments are 
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice. In lieu of 
sending written comments, we invite you to attend the public scoping 
meetings that we have scheduled as follows:

[[Page 48699]]



               Schedule and Locations for Public Meetings
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        Date and time                           Location
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Tuesday, September 13, 2005:   Stony Brook University, Charles B. Wang
 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (e.s.t.).    Center, Stony Brook, NY 11794 (across
                                from parking garage on campus), Phone:
                                (631) 632-6320.
Wednesday, September 14,       Shoreham-Wading River Middle School
 2005: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.        Auditorium, 100 Randall Road, Shoreham,
 (e.s.t.).                      NY 11786, Phone: (631) 821-8268.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005:   East Lyme High School Auditorium, 30
 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (e.s.t.).    Chesterfield Road, East Lyme, CT 06333,
                                Phone: (860) 739-6946.
Wednesday, September 21,       Branford High School Auditorium, 185 East
 2005: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.        Main Street, Branford, CT 06405, Phone:
 (e.s.t.).                      (203) 488-7291.
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    The EIS scoping meetings listed above will be combined with the 
Coast Guard's public meetings regarding the safety and security of the 
project. At the meetings, the Coast Guard will discuss its ongoing 
analysis of (1) the suitability of Long Island Sound to accommodate LNG 
carriers, and (2) the facility's operations manual, emergency response 
plan, and security plan. The Coast Guard has issued a separate meeting 
notice for the safety and security aspects of the project.
    This Notice of Intent is being sent to Federal, State, and local 
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; commentors and other 
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage 
government representatives to notify their constituents of this planned 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.

Summary of the Planned Project

    Broadwater plans to construct and operate an LNG terminal and 
natural gas transmission pipeline in Long Island Sound within New York 
State waters. The general location of the project is shown on Figure 1. 
The Broadwater LNG Project would include a floating storage and 
regasification unit (FSRU) that would receive LNG from LNG carrier 
vessels, store the LNG in onboard storage tanks, and vaporize the LNG 
to natural gas. The natural gas would be sent out to the existing 
interstate natural gas pipeline system via a new offshore pipeline 
(described below). The FSRU would be approximately 1,250 feet long and 
200 feet wide, have a draft of approximately 40 feet, and would be 
shaped like a marine vessel. The deck of the FSRU would be 
approximately 80 feet above the water line, and some structures and 
equipment would extend above the deck.
    The FSRU would be moored to a yoke mooring system that would 
consist of a fixed, tower-like structure secured to the seafloor by 
multiple legs attached to piles driven into the sediments. The FSRU 
would pivot around the mooring tower in response to wind, tide, and 
current conditions.
    The FSRU would be moored at a water depth of approximately 90 feet 
at a distance of approximately 9 miles from the nearest Long Island 
shoreline and approximately 10 miles from the nearest Connecticut 
shoreline. After a review of safety and security issues related to the 
project, the Coast Guard would establish a safety zone around the FSRU, 
and all marine traffic not related to operation of the project would be 
prohibited from entering the safety zone.
    Operation of the FSRU would involve the following basic activities:
     Receipt of LNG from two to three LNG carriers per week, 
each with a capacity of 125,000 to 250,000 cubic meters. Support tugs 
would assist the LNG carriers in berthing, with only one LNG carrier 
berthed at the FSRU at any one time.
     Temporary storage of up to 8 billion cubic feet (350,000 
cubic meters) of LNG in onboard storage tanks.
     Vaporization of the stored LNG would be accomplished using 
a closed-loop, shell-and-tube vaporization system that would not 
require seawater intakes or discharges.
    In addition to the LNG storage and vaporization equipment, the FSRU 
would also house the following major items:
     Power generation turbines fueled by natural gas.
     Equipment for gas and fire detection, fire protection, 
fire-fighting, life-saving, and other safety concerns.
     LNG unloading arms, cranes, piping, and manifolds.
     Crew quarters.
    After vaporization of the LNG, natural gas would be sent out from 
the FSRU into a new 30-inch-diameter offshore pipeline that would 
extend approximately 22 miles from the FSRU to an offshore connection 
with an existing pipeline owned by the Iroquois Gas Transmission System 
(IGTS). The existing IGTS pipeline extends across Long Island Sound in 
an approximately northeast to southwest direction. Broadwater plans to 
bury the new pipeline beneath the seafloor. The project would deliver 
an average of about one billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to 
the IGTS pipeline, with a peak delivery rate of 1.25 billion cubic feet 
per day. IGTS would deliver the natural gas from the Broadwater LNG 
Project to its existing and future customers. Broadwater plans to have 
the project in operation by 2010.
    Both the FSRU and the new pipeline would be located in offshore 
waters within Suffolk County, New York. Broadwater would be required to 
obtain a right-of-way lease from the New York State Office of General 
Services for the FSRU and the pipeline.

The EIS Process

    NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental 
impacts that could result from an action when it considers whether or 
not an LNG import terminal or an interstate natural gas pipeline should 
be approved. The FERC will use the EIS to consider the environmental 
impacts that could result if it issues project authorizations to 
Broadwater under Sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also 
requires us to discover and address concerns the public may have about 
proposals. This process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of 
the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on the 
important environmental issues. With this Notice of Intent, the 
Commission staff is requesting public comments on the scope of the 
issues to be addressed in the EIS. All comments received will be 
considered during preparation of the EIS.
    In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of the 
proposed project under these general headings:
     Geology and soils
     Water resources
     Aquatic resources
     Vegetation and wildlife
     Threatened and endangered species

[[Page 48700]]

     Land use, recreation, and visual resources
     Cultural resources
     Socioeconomics
     Marine transportation
     Air quality and noise
     Reliability and safety
     Cumulative impacts
    In the EIS, we will also evaluate possible alternatives to the 
proposed project or portions of the project, and make recommendations 
on how to lessen or avoid impacts on affected resources.
    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; commentors; other interested 
parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the FERC'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. We will consider all comments on the final EIS before we 
make our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure that your 
comments are considered, please follow the instructions in the Public 
Participation section of this Notice of Intent.
    Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has 
already initiated its NEPA review under its Pre-filing Process. The 
purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage early involvement of 
interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an 
application is filed with the FERC. In addition, the Coast Guard, which 
would be responsible for reviewing the safety and security aspects of 
the planned project and regulating safety and security if the project 
is approved, has initiated its review of the project as well.
    With this notice, we are asking Federal, State, and local agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues, in addition to those agencies that have already 
agreed to serve as cooperating agencies (as noted above), 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. Additional agencies that would like to request 
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this 
Notice.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified issues that we think deserve attention 
based on comment letters received during our NEPA Pre-filing Process, a 
preliminary review of the project area, and the planned facility 
information provided by Broadwater. This preliminary list of issues, 
which is presented below, may be revised based on your comments and our 
continuing analyses.
     Conversion of the project area from open water to an 
energy facility (``industrialization'' of Long Island Sound);
     Potential impacts to the marine environment from 
construction activities, including habitats, water quality, and aquatic 
life;
     Potential impacts on essential fish habitat and State and/
or Federally-listed threatened and endangered species;
     Consistency with New York State and Long Island Sound 
Coastal Zone Management programs;
     Potential impacts due to air emissions from the FSRU and 
the LNG carriers;
     Potential visual impacts due to the presence of the FSRU 
and the LNG carriers;
     Potential impacts of ballast water intake by the FSRU and 
the LNG carriers;
     Potential impacts to public use resulting from creation of 
a safety zone around the FSRU;
     Potential impacts of increased boat traffic associated 
with construction in nearshore marine waters;
     Potential impacts of increased boat traffic associated 
with LNG carrier traffic and associated support vessels;
     Potential impacts on cultural resources at the site of the 
mooring tower and along the pipeline route;
     Potential noise impacts due to construction and operation;
     Risks associated with the transport and storage of LNG and 
the transport of natural gas;
     Alternative locations and alignments for the LNG terminal 
and offshore pipeline route, respectively; and
     Assessment of the cumulative effects of the project when 
combined with other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future 
actions in the project area.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the planned project. By becoming a 
commentor, your concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by 
the Commission. Your comments should focus on the potential 
environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including alternative 
facility sites and pipeline routes), and measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful 
they will be. To ensure that your comments are timely and properly 
recorded, please follow these instructions:
     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 3, DG2E.
     Reference Docket No. PF05-4-000 on the original and both 
copies.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before October 7, 2005.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any 
comments in response to this Notice of Intent. For information on 
electronically filing comments, please see 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 as well as information in 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii). Before you can file comments you will need to 
create a free account, which can be accomplished on-line.
    The public scoping meetings (dates, times, and locations are listed 
above) are designed to provide another opportunity to offer comments on 
the proposed project. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged 
to attend the meetings and to present comments on the environmental 
issues that they believe should be addressed in the EIS. A transcript 
of each meeting will be generated so that your comments will be 
accurately recorded.
    Once Broadwater formally files its application with the Commission, 
you may want to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to 
the proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and 
are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts 
if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor 
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to 
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the 
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site. 
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time. 
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.

[[Page 48701]]

Environmental Mailing List

    If you wish to remain on the environmental mailing list, please 
return the attached Mailing List Form. If you do not return this form, 
we will remove your name from our mailing list.

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.'' Click on the eLibrary link, select ``General Search'' and enter 
the project docket number excluding the last three digits (i.e., PF05-
4) 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 by e-
mail 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 rule makings.
    In addition, the FERC 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.
    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, Broadwater has established an Internet Web site for this 
project at http://www.broadwaterenergy.com. The Web site includes a 
description of the project, additional maps of the project area, and 
answers to frequently asked questions. You can also request additional 
information or provide comments directly to Broadwater at (800) 798-
6379.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-4526 Filed 8-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P