[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 101 (Thursday, May 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30128-30129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8016]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP05-420-000]


Bayou Casotte Energy, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Casotte Landing LNG Project

May 19, 2006.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared this draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the construction and operation of the liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) import terminal and natural gas pipeline facilities, referred to 
as the Casotte

[[Page 30129]]

Landing LNG Project, as proposed by Bayou Casotte Energy, LLC in the 
above-referenced docket.
    This draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act. The staff concludes that approval of 
the Casotte Landing LNG Project, with appropriate mitigating measures 
as recommended, would have limited adverse environmental impact. The 
draft EIS evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including system 
alternatives, alternative sites for the LNG import terminal, and 
pipeline alternatives. The draft EIS also contains our Essential Fish 
Habitat Assessment.
    The general purpose of the Casotte Landing LNG Project is to 
provide up to 1.6 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to markets 
in the United States.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of 
construction and operation of the following facilities near the City of 
Pascagoula in Jackson County, Mississippi:
     A ship unloading facility with a single berth capable of 
receiving LNG ships with cargo capacities of up to 200,000 cubic meters 
(m3);
     Three 160,000 m3 (net capacity) full 
containment LNG storage tanks;
     A closed-loop intermediate fluid vaporizer system 
utilizing cooling water from the adjacent Chevron Pascagoula Refinery 
as a heat source, sized for a normal sendout of 1.3 Bcfd;
     Various ancillary buildings and facilities;
     Five pipeline interconnects originating from a 1.5-mile-
long, 36-inch-diameter spur;
     Associated pipeline support facilities, including two 
meter stations at interconnects with the existing pipeline systems; and
     Integrally related nonjurisdictional facilities would 
include a natural gas liquid (NGL) extraction system and pipeline, 
electric transmission lines, an electric substation, a waste heat water 
circulation system, and the relocation of two of the Chevron Pascagoula 
Refinery crude oil tanker berths.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To 
expedite the FERC's receipt and consideration of your comments, 
electronic submission of comments is strongly encouraged. See 18 Code 
of Federal Regulations (CFR) 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions 
on the FERC's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under the eFiling 
link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can submit comments, 
you will need to create a free account by clicking on ``Sign-up'' under 
``New User.'' You will be asked to select the type of submission you 
are making. This type of submission is considered a ``Comment on 
Filing.'' Comments submitted electronically must be submitted by July 
10, 2006.
    If you wish to mail comments on the draft EIS, please mail your 
comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before 
July 10, 2006 and carefully follow these instructions:
    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. CP05-420-000 on the original and 
both copies;
     Label one copy of your 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 July 10, 2006.
    In lieu of or in addition to sending written comments, we invite 
you to attend the public comment meeting the FERC will conduct in the 
project area to receive comments on the draft EIS. The public comment 
meeting will be conducted jointly to also receive comments on the draft 
EIS prepared for the Clean Energy LNG Project. The meeting is scheduled 
as follows: Thursday, June 22, 2006, 7 p.m. (CDT), Pascagoula High 
School cafeteria, 1716 Tucker Avenue, Pascagoula, MS 39567. Telephone: 
(228) 938-6451.
    The public comment meeting will be posted on the FERC's calendar 
located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx. 
Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and present 
oral comments on the draft EIS. A transcript of the meeting will be 
prepared.
    After the written comments and comments from the public meeting 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 
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 and Files Maintenance Branch, 
888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426. (202) 502-8371.
    A limited number of copies of the draft EIS are available from the 
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch identified above. In 
addition, CD copies of the draft EIS have been mailed to Federal, 
state, and local agencies; elected officials; public interest groups; 
individuals and affected landowners; libraries; newspapers; and parties 
to these proceedings.
    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 website (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 
at (202) 502-8659. 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 the eSubscription 
link on the FERC Internet Web site.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-8016 Filed 5-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P