[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 154 (Friday, August 10, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45034-45035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15633]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP06-470-000; CP06-471-000; CP06-472-000; CP06-473-000; 
CP06-474-000]


Southern Lng Inc.; Elba Express Company, LLC; Southern Natural 
Gas Company; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Elba III Project

August 3, 2007.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE); 
U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard); and the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service has 
prepared this final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Elba 
III Project. The project is proposed by Southern Natural Gas Company 
(Southern) and its subsidiaries Southern LNG Inc. (Southern LNG) and 
Elba Express Company, L.L.C. (EEC). The proposed facilities consist of 
an expansion of Southern LNG's existing onshore Elba Island Liquefied 
Natural Gas (LNG) Import Terminal on the Savannah River in Georgia and 
construction and operation of the Elba Express Pipeline--a natural gas 
pipeline with compression and other appurtenant facilities in various 
counties in Georgia and South Carolina.
    The final EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Its purpose is to 
inform the Commission, the public, and other permitting agencies about 
the potential adverse and beneficial environmental impacts associated 
with the proposed project. It also recommends practical, reasonable, 
and appropriate mitigation measures which would avoid or reduce 
significant adverse impacts to the maximum extent practicable and, 
where feasible, to less than significant levels.
    In addition to the proposed action, the final EIS evaluates 
alternatives, including alternative energy sources, system 
alternatives, alternative sites for the LNG import terminal, 
alternative designs, pipeline alternatives, and alternatives to the 
Coast Guard Letter of Recommendation (LOR) action. The final EIS 
concludes that the Elba III Project is unlikely to result in 
significant adverse environmental impact on particular resources within 
the Zones of Concern because it is unlikely that a substantial cargo 
release would occur. In addition, if the project is constructed and 
operated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, Southern 
LNG and EEC's proposed mitigation, and the additional mitigation 
recommendations (see section 5), it would be an environmentally 
acceptable action.

Proposed Facilities--Elba Terminal Expansion

    Southern LNG plans to construct and operate an expansion of its 
existing LNG import terminal on Elba Island near Savannah, in Chatham 
County, Georgia. The expansion would; (a) More than double the 
terminal's LNG storage capacity by adding 405,000 cubic meters (m\3\) 
of new storage; (b) substantially increase the facility's existing 
vaporization capacity; (c) upgrade the terminal's send-out meter 
station capacity by an additional 900 million cubic feet per day 
(MMcfd); and (d) modify the terminal's LNG tanker berthing and 
unloading facilities to accommodate larger tankers and provide 
simultaneous unloading of two LNG tankers. Terminal expansion would 
entail an increase in the frequency (and potentially the size) of LNG 
vessels using the Savannah River transit route. All of the planned 
facilities would be located entirely within the existing 190-acre 
facility site on Elba Island.
    The LNG terminal expansion would be constructed in two phases, A 
and B. Phase A would be completed as early as January 2010 and would 
include the following facilities:
    a. One new 200,000 m\3\ (1.25 million barrels) LNG storage tank, 
one associated boil-off gas condenser, and three boil-off gas 
compressors;
    b. Three submerged combustion vaporizers, each with a peak capacity 
of 180 MMcfd (providing a total peak send-out capacity of 1,755 MMcfd 
for the full facility at the completion of phase A); and
    c. Modifications to the unloading docks to accommodate new, larger 
LNG tankers and to allow simultaneous unloading of two LNG tankers. The 
modifications to the dual berthing slip include:
     Adding four mooring dolphins (two for each berth);
     Dredging approximately 72,000 cubic yards of material from 
the slope at the back of the existing slip (and

[[Page 45035]]

disposing of dredged material into the existing spoil disposal area 
adjacent to the terminal); and
     Installing a sheet pile bulkhead at the back of the slip.
    These modifications would allow the slip to accommodate larger LNG 
tankers with an approximate overall length of 345 meters (m) (compared 
to the current 288 m), breadth of 55 m (currently 49 m), design laden 
draft of 12.0 m (currently 11.7 m), and displacement of 177,000 metric 
tons (currently 128,000 metric tons). Slip modifications are designed 
to accommodate LNG vessels capable of transporting up to 266,000 m\3\ 
of LNG, although carriers currently in service and delivering to the 
Elba terminal typically transport between 125,000 and 145,000 m\3\.
    Phase B would be completed no later than December 2012 and would 
include the following facilities:
    a. One new 200,000 m\3\ LNG storage tank; and
    b. Three submerged combustion vaporizers (two for service and one 
spare), each with a peak send-out capacity of 360 MMcfd (providing a 
total peak send-out capacity of 2,115 MMcfd for the full facility at 
the completion of phase B).
    Each of the two phases would include all necessary ancillary 
equipment including related pumps, piping, controls and appurtenances, 
and associated systems (electrical, mechanical, civil, instrumentation, 
hazard detection, and fire protection) and buildings necessary to 
accommodate the associated tanks and vaporizer units. Southern LNG 
estimates that following the expansion, the terminal would receive LNG 
shipments about every 5 to 10 days, depending on natural gas demand and 
LNG carrier size.

Elba Express Pipeline

    EEC plans to construct and operate about 188 miles of new natural 
gas pipeline and appurtenant facilities in Georgia and South Carolina. 
The pipeline would be constructed in two phases, extending between an 
interconnection with Southern near Port Wentworth, Chatham County, 
Georgia on the southern end and an interconnection with 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) in Anderson 
County, South Carolina on the northern end.
    The first phase is proposed to be placed in service no later than 
July 2011 with a design capacity of 945 MMcfd, and would consist of:
    a. The ``Southern Segment,'' which includes about 104.8 miles of 
42-inch-diameter pipeline extending from Port Wentworth to the existing 
Southern Wrens Compressor Station (Wrens) in Jefferson County, Georgia 
(to be collocated in a corridor with existing Southern pipelines); and
    b. The ``Northern Segment,'' which includes about 10 miles of 42-
inch-diameter pipeline and 72.3 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline 
extending from Wrens to interconnections with Transco in Hart County, 
Georgia, and Anderson County, South Carolina.
    The second phase would involve construction and operation of a new 
compressor station of about 10,000 horsepower near Millen, Jenkins 
County, Georgia. The compressor station would increase the pipeline 
design capacity by 230 MMcfd to a total of 1,175 MMcfd, and is proposed 
to be placed in service no later than January 2013.
    The Coast Guard has assessed potential risks to navigation safety 
and port security associated with the proposed project. The Coast 
Guard's safety and security assessment is documented in the Captain of 
the Port's Waterway Suitability Report (WSR). The final EIS includes an 
analysis of the environmental impacts related to the Coast Guard's LOR 
regarding the suitability of the Savannah River for more frequent and 
larger LNG vessel operations.
    The Coast Guard Captain of the Port will issue an LOR to Southern 
LNG and the appropriate federal, state and local agencies, in 
accordance with 33 CFR 127.009. The LOR, which will be based on the 
Coast Guard's WSR, is an official determination regarding the 
suitability or unsuitability of the waterway to support the proposed 
terminal expansion and associated LNG marine traffic. The Coast Guard 
intends to adopt all or portions of this EIS to serve as the NEPA 
analysis for the LOR. The LOR will not be issued until after the NEPA 
process has been completed.
    Additional information about the Elba III Project and relevant 
Coast Guard authorities and responsibilities can be obtained from: 
Charlie Johnson, Port Security Specialist, Coast Guard Marine Safety 
Unit Savannah, 100 W. Oglethorpe Avenue, JGL Federal Building,Savannah, 
GA 31401, (912) 652-4353 ext. 271.
    The final 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 Room, 888 First Street, NE., 
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    A limited number of hard copies and CD-ROMs are available from the 
Public Reference Room identified above. CD-ROM copies of the final EIS 
have been mailed to federal, state, and local agencies; public interest 
groups; libraries and newspapers in the project area; affected 
landowners; individuals who requested a copy of the final EIS; and 
parties to these proceedings. Hard copy versions of the final EIS were 
mailed to those specifically requesting them.
    The COE is accepting comments on this final EIS for a period of 30 
days after a notice of its availability is published in the Federal 
Register. The COE is particularly interested in comments pertaining to 
decisions it must make on the Elba III Project. These include a Section 
404 Permit for expansion of the existing terminal, a Section 404 Permit 
for wetland impacts associated with construction of the pipeline, an 
easement where the pipeline crosses COE-managed lands, modifications to 
existing COE wildlife mitigation lands, and approval for a large fuel-
carrying pipeline across federal property. Comments on these issues may 
be submitted either by e-mail to the following address: 
[email protected] or in hard copy to the following 
address: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, ATTN: Mr. 
William Bailey (PD-E), Post Office Box 889, Savannah, GA 31402-0889.
    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, 
contact (202) 502-8659. 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 rulemakings.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-15633 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]
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