[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 170 (Friday, September 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52374-52375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4812]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP05-92-000]


Liberty Gas Storage, L.L.C.; Notice of Availability of the 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Liberty Gas Storage Project

August 26, 2005.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the 
natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Liberty Gas Storage, L.L.C. 
(Liberty Gas Storage) in the above-referenced docket.
    The EA was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment.
    The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the proposed Liberty Gas Storage Project 
including:
     Two existing brine solution mining caverns owned by PPG 
Industries, Inc. (PPG) (PPG Cavern 15 and PPG Cavern 17) that would be 
converted to natural gas storage caverns capable of storing 23.4 
billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas; and
     A 1.3-mile-long 20-inch-diameter pipeline with a maximum 
allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 3,280 pounds per square inch 
(psig) that would connect the natural gas storage cavern wells to the 
new On-site Compressor Station.

[[Page 52375]]

     A new compressor station (On-site Compressor Station) in 
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana;
     A new compressor station (Remote Compressor Station) in 
Beauregard Parish, Louisiana;
     A new 23.3-mile-long, 30-inch-diameter pipeline from the 
On-site Compressor Station to connect to multiple interstate pipeline 
systems including Florida Gas Transmission (FGT), Tennessee Gas 
Pipeline (TGP), Texas Eastern Transmission Company (TETCO), 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) and Trunkline Gas 
Company (Trunkline) in Calcasieu and Beauregard Parishes with a MAOP of 
1,480 psig;
     A new meter/regulator station for deliveries to FGT at MP 
2.1 on the 30-inch Pipeline in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana;
     A new meter/regulator station for deliveries to TGP at MP 
7.0 on the 30-inch Pipeline in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana;
     A new meter/regulator station for deliveries to TETCO and 
Transco, located on the site of the Remote Compressor Station at MP 
19.7 in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana; and
     A new meter/regulator station for deliveries to Trunkline, 
located adjacent to the existing Trunkline site at MP 23.3 in 
Beauregard Parish, Louisiana.
    The purpose of the Liberty Gas Storage Project is to provide firm 
and interruptible storage of natural gas in the gulf coast region, 
including to the potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) market. The 
Liberty Gas Storage Project would provide related interruptible hub 
services on an open access basis for volumes transported on the 
interstate natural gas system in and from the gulf coast and south 
Texas areas. The Liberty Gas Storage Project would help meet the 
growing need for high-deliverability natural gas storage in the 
southeastern United States and in markets served directly and 
indirectly by the numerous natural gas pipelines that traverse the 
project area. Consequently, Liberty Gas Storage's facilities and 
services would serve the needs of local gas distribution, power 
generation, pipeline shippers, and gas marketers, as well as existing 
and proposed LNG terminals that may be placed into service in the 
region.
    The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are 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.
    Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, State and local 
agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, newspapers, 
and parties to this proceeding.
    Any person wishing to comment on the EA 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: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas 2, DG2E.
     Reference Docket No. CP05-92-000; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before September 26, 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 this project. However, the Commission 
strongly 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 ``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 by clicking on ``Sign-up.''
    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).\1\ Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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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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    Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be 
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they 
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be 
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor 
status to have your comments considered.
    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, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-4812 Filed 9-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P