[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 144 (Friday, July 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41383-41385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14488]


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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 Pipelines (Southern Lights) L.L.C. (LSr 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 Pipelines (Southern Lights) L.L.C. has applied to 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 (LSr 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 LSr 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.

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 LSr 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 State will consider all 
comments received or postmarked by September 10, 2007 in defining the 
scope of the LSr Project EA. Comments received or postmarked after that 
date

[[Page 41384]]

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.
    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 LSr 
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 LSr 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 scope of the LSr EA 
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 
project or to receive a copy of the Draft LSr 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 LSr 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 
Pipelines (Southern Lights) L.L.C. (``Enbridge'') for a Presidential 
Permit, pursuant to Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004, to 
construct, connect, operate, and maintain a 20-inch crude oil and 
liquid hydrocarbon pipeline at the U.S.-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 
Southern Lights Pipeline Project (``LSr 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 Cromer, Manitoba, Canada, to 
Clearbrook, Minnesota in the United States. The LSr Project would have 
the capacity to deliver 186,000 barrels per day (bpd) of petroleum from 
a supply hub near Cromer, Manitoba to an existing terminal in 
Clearbrook, Minnesota.
    In total, the LSr Project would consist of approximately 313 miles 
of new pipeline in total. The proposed system expansion would include 
the construction of approximately 136 miles of new 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline from the United States-Canada border near Neche, North Dakota 
to the existing Enbridge tank farm in Clearbrook, Minnesota 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 178 miles 
of new pipeline from Cromer, Manitoba to the United States-Canada 
border. Appropriate regulatory authorities in Canada will conduct an 
independent environmental review for the Canadian facilities.
    The LSr 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 mid-2008. Construction would occur 
over approximately 6 months, with an in-service date on or before 
December 31, 2008.
    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.
    The LSr 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 Clearbrook, Minnesota. Construction 
of the proposed pipeline would generally require a 100-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 25 feet wide and generally located within the existing 
maintained right-of-way. The

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working side (i.e., equipment work area and travel lane) would 
typically be 75 feet wide and partially located outside the existing 
maintained right-of-way. Following construction, up to a 50-foot-wide 
permanent right-of-way in addition to the existing permanent right-of-
way will be maintained for operation of the pipeline.

    Dated: July 23, 2007.
David Brown,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy, Bureau of International 
Oceans, Environment and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7-14488 Filed 7-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-07-P