[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 144 (Friday, July 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41381-41383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14486]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE


Federal Register Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and 
To Conduct Scoping Meetings and Notice of Floodplain and Wetland 
Involvement; Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership (Alberta Clipper 
Project)

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
and to conduct public scoping meetings. Notice of floodplain and 
wetlands involvement.

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SUMMARY: Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership (Enbridge) has applied to

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the United States Department of State for a Presidential Permit for the 
proposed construction, connection, operation, and maintenance at the 
border of the United States of facilities for the export and import of 
petroleum to and from a foreign country (Alberta Clipper Project). The 
Department of State receives and considers applications for 
Presidential Permits for such energy-related pipelines pursuant to 
authority delegated to it by the President under Executive Order 13337 
of April 30, 2004 (69 FR 25299). To issue a Permit, the Department of 
State must find that issuance would serve the national interest. The 
Department intends to consult extensively with concerned Federal and 
State agencies on this application, and invites public comment to 
assist it in arriving at its determination. In accordance with Section 
102(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 
U.S.C. 4332(C)) and implementing regulations promulgated by the Council 
on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and the Department of 
State (22 CFR part 161), including in particular 22 CFR 161.7(c)(1), 
the Department of State intends to prepare an environmental assessment 
(EA) to determine if there are any potential significant impacts and to 
address alternatives to the proposed action.
    The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to inform the public about 
the proposed action, announce plans for scoping meetings, invite public 
participation in the scoping process, and solicit public comments for 
consideration in establishing the scope and content of the Alberta 
Clipper Project EA. As the proposed project may involve an action in a 
floodplain or wetland, the EA will also include a floodplain and 
wetlands assessment and floodplain statement of findings.
    In addition, Enbridge proposes to construct an additional pipeline 
concurrently and within a portion of the same pipeline corridor 
adjacent to the Alberta Clipper Project between Clearbrook, MN and 
Superior, WI. This project is not subject to a Presidential Permit or 
other Department of State jurisdiction. However, because the two 
projects will be constructed in the same corridor, the Department of 
State will accept comments on potential issues relevant to the 
construction of this facility.

DATES: Department of State invites interested agencies, organizations, 
and members of the public to submit comments or suggestions to assist 
in identifying significant environmental issues and in determining the 
appropriate scope of the Alberta Clipper Project EA. The public scoping 
period starts with the publication of this Notice in the Federal 
Register and will continue until September 10, 2007. Written, 
electronic and oral comments will be given equal weight and the State 
will consider all comments received or postmarked by September 10, 2007 
in defining the scope of the Alberta Clipper Project EA. Comments 
received or postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent 
practicable.
    During this public scoping period, the Department of State plans to 
use the scoping process in conjunction with the Minnesota Public 
Utilities Commission public hearing process to help identify consulting 
parties and historic preservation issues for consideration under 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its 
implementing regulations (36 CFR part 800). Dates and locations for the 
public scoping meetings are:
    1. August 13; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Kennedy; MN; VFW & Cafe; 103 5th St. 
E.
    2. August 13; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Stephen; MN; Stephen Community Center; 
319 5th Street.
    3. August 14; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Thief River Falls; MN; Best Western 
Meeting Room; 1060 Highway 32 South.
    4. August 15; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Oklee; MN; Oklee Community Hall; 2nd 
Ave. between fire hall and gas station.
    5. August 15; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Gully; MN; Gully Community Center; 120 
S. Main St.
    6. August 16; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Clearbrook; MN; City Hall Gym; 200 Elm 
St. SE.
    7. August 20; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Bemidji; MN; Holiday Inn Express 
Conference Center; 2422 Ridgeway Ave.
    8. August 20; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Bemidji; MN; Holiday Inn Express 
Conference Center; 2422 Ridgeway Ave.
    9. August 21; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Cass Lake; MN; Palace Casino and 
Hotel; 16599 69th Ave. NW.
    10. August 21; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Cohasset; MN; Cohasset Community 
Center; 305 NW 1st Ave.
    11. August 22; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Floodwood; MN; St. Louis County Fair 
Building; 107 W. 7th Ave.
    12. August 23; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Carlton; MN; Black Bear Hotel; 1789 
Highway 210; Lake Hall Room.
    The public is encouraged to become involved in this process and 
provide specific comments or concerns about the proposed project. By 
becoming a commentator, your concerns will be addressed in the Alberta 
Clipper Project EA and considered by the Department of State. Your 
comments should focus on the potential environmental impacts, 
reasonable alternatives (including alternative facility sites and 
alternative pipeline routes), and measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful 
they will be. The public scoping meetings identified above are designed 
to provide another opportunity to offer comments on the proposed 
project. Interested individuals and groups are encouraged to attend 
these meetings and to present comments on the environmental issues they 
believe should be addressed in the Alberta Clipper EA. Again, written 
comments are considered with equal weight in the process relative to 
those received in public scoping meetings.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions on the Alberta Clipper EA 
and scope of environmental review should be addressed to: Elizabeth 
Orlando, OES/ENV Room 2657, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 
20520. Comments may be submitted electronically to: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed 
projects or to receive a copy of the Draft Alberta Clipper EA when it 
is issued, contact Elizabeth Orlando at the address listed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice by electronic or regular mail as 
listed above, or by telephone (202) 647-4284, or by fax at (202) 647-
5947.
    More information on the Enbridge Alberta Clipper Project 
application for a Presidential Permit, including associated maps and 
drawings will be downloadable in its entirety from an Enbridge hosted 
project Web site that is being established for this purpose and will be 
accessible from: http://www.enbridgeUS.com/publicinfo. This Web site is 
expected to be operational on or about August 13, 2007. This Web site 
will NOT accept public comments for the record, but it will provide a 
link to the Department of State project e-mail address noted above. 
Department of State Presidential Permit information and process can be 
found at http://www.state.gov/e/eeb/c9986.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Need for Agency Action

    The Department of State has received an application from Enbridge 
Energy, Limited Partnership (``Enbridge'') for a Presidential Permit, 
pursuant to Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004, to construct, 
connect, operate, and maintain a 36-inch crude oil and liquid 
hydrocarbon pipeline at the U.S.-

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Canadian border at Neche, Pembina County, North Dakota, for the purpose 
of transporting liquid hydrocarbons and other petroleum products 
between the United States and Canada. Enbridge seeks this authorization 
in connection with its Alberta Clipper Project (``Alberta Clipper 
Project''), which is designed to transport Canadian crude oil from the 
Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (``WCSB'') to existing refinery 
markets in the Midwest region of the United States. The project 
description set forth in this notice is based on information provided 
by Enbridge in its Presidential permit application.
    Enbridge is planning to increase its ability to provide additional 
supplies of petroleum to markets in the United States in response to 
customer requests and marketplace demands. To fulfill this goal, 
Enbridge has embarked upon an expansion program to increase its 
transportation capacity. The Enbridge Expansion Program is specifically 
designed to increase petroleum transportation services from the 
increasingly accessible oil sands supply in the WCSB to refineries in 
the Midwest. Enbridge proposes to construct and operate a petroleum 
pipeline and related facilities from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada, to 
Superior, Wisconsin in the United States. The Alberta Clipper Project 
would have an initial capacity to deliver 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) 
of petroleum from an existing terminal at Hardisty, Alberta to an 
existing terminal in Superior, Wisconsin.
    In total, the Alberta Clipper Project would consist of 
approximately 992 miles of new pipeline in total. The proposed system 
expansion would include the construction of approximately 326 miles of 
new 36-inch-diameter pipeline from the United States-Canada border near 
Neche, North Dakota to the existing Enbridge tank farm in Superior, 
Wisconsin for the transportation of petroleum. Enbridge proposes to 
construct the pipeline generally along its existing pipeline right-of-
way. In Canada, the project would involve the construction of 
approximately 666 miles of new pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to the 
United States-Canada border. Appropriate regulatory authorities in 
Canada will conduct an independent environmental review for the 
Canadian facilities.
    The Alberta Clipper Project also would require modifications at 
existing pump stations and the construction of delivery facilities and 
mainline valves. Modifications of the pump stations would occur at 
locations necessary to maintain adequate flow through the pipeline. 
Mainline valves would be installed and located as dictated by the 
hydraulic characteristics of the transported petroleum. Enbridge 
proposes to begin construction of the project in November 2008. 
Construction would occur over approximately 14 months, with an in-
service date on or before December 31, 2009.
    U.S. counties that could possibly be affected by construction of 
the proposed pipeline are:
    North Dakota: Pembina.
    Minnesota: Kittson, Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake, Polk, 
Clearwater, Beltrami, Hubbard, Cass, Itasca, Aitkin, St. Louis, 
Carlton.
    Wisconsin: Douglas.
    The Alberta Clipper Project would be constructed within or adjacent 
to Enbridge's existing right-of-way between the United States-Canadian 
border near Neche, North Dakota and Superior, Wisconsin. Construction 
of the proposed pipeline would generally require a 140-foot-wide 
construction right-of-way to allow temporary storage of topsoil and 
spoil and to accommodate safe operation of construction equipment. The 
spoil side (i.e., topsoil and ditch spoil stockpile area) would 
typically be up to 50-feet feet wide and generally located within the 
existing maintained right-of-way. The working side (i.e., equipment 
work area and travel lane) would typically be 90-feet wide and mostly 
be located outside the existing maintained right-of-way. Following 
construction, Enbridge would retain right-of-way to maintain 75-feet 
from the current outermost pipeline.

    Dated: July 23, 2007.
David Brown,
Director, Office of International Oceans, Environment and Scientific 
Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7-14486 Filed 7-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-07-P