[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 28 (Monday, February 11, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7740-7742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2422]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP07-191-001]


Port Dolphin Energy, LLC; Notice of Limited Scoping for the 
Proposed Port Dolphin Project and Request for Comments on Environmental 
Issues

February 4, 2008.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) is 
cooperating with the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard), the lead federal 
agency for environmental review of the Port Dolphin Project. This 
proposal involves the construction and operation of an offshore 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater port (under the jurisdiction of 
the Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration) and associated 
pipeline facilities, including about 3.9 miles of onshore pipeline 
under the Commission's jurisdiction. FERC staff is assisting the Coast 
Guard in its preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) 
that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Port Dolphin 
Project. This cooperative effort is to comply with the National

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Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which requires the Commission 
to take into account the environmental impact that could result from an 
action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public 
Convenience and Necessity under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
    NEPA requires the FERC to discover and address concerns the public 
may have about proposals under its review. This process is referred to 
as ``scoping.'' On January 18, 2008, Port Dolphin Energy, LLC (Port 
Dolphin) amended its application with the FERC regarding the proposed 
onshore pipeline route. Thus, the FERC is opening a scoping period to 
solicit input from the public and interested agencies limited to the 
proposed onshore pipeline and related facilities (i.e., those under 
FERC jurisdiction) in Manatee County, Florida. Your input will help 
determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EIS.\1\ Please note 
that the scoping period will close on March 5, 2008, and comments 
should be limited to the onshore facilities described in this amended 
docket. Details on how to submit comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice.
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    \1\ For more information on the overall Port Dolphin Project or 
the Coast Guard's EIS process, see the July 12, 2007 edition of the 
Federal Register, page 38,116, ``Port Dolphin Energy, LLC, Port 
Dolphin Energy Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port License 
Application'' under Department of Transportation/Maritime 
Administration.
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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. 
Port Dolphin would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. 
However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that approval 
conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement 
negotiations fail to produce an agreement, Port Dolphin could initiate 
condemnation proceedings in accordance with Florida state law.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries 
and newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to 
notify their constituents of this proposed project and to encourage 
them to comment on their areas of concern.\2\ If you received this 
notice, you are on the environmental mailing list for this project and 
will continue to receive project updates including the draft and final 
EISs.
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    \2\ Comments submitted during the Coast Guard's scoping period 
(July 12-August 13, 2007) for the project as originally proposed do 
not need to be resubmitted.
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    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' addresses a number 
of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and 
how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project (FERC Jurisdictional Facilities)

    Port Dolphin proposes to construct about 3.93 miles of 36-inch-
diameter pipeline extending from the high water mark in Manatee County 
(where the offshore pipeline comes ashore) to a new interconnection 
station (also in Manatee County), where the pipeline would join with 
the interstate Gulfstream Natural Gas Pipeline and the intrastate TECO/
Peoples Pipeline systems. Associated valves and appurtenant facilities 
are also proposed.
    The general location of the proposed onshore pipeline is shown in 
appendix 1.\3\
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the 
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room at 
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. 
For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the 
``Additional Information'' section at the end of this notice. Copies 
of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in 
the mail. Requests for detailed maps of the proposed facilities 
should be made directly to Port Dolphin.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    The construction right-of-way would be 100 feet wide, of which 30 
feet would be retained as permanent right-of-way. A total of about 63.6 
acres of land would be affected by pipeline construction. Of this, 
about 13.8 acres would be permanently impacted for operation. The 
proposed interconnections would be constructed on property owned by 
Port Dolphin and would encompass a 120-foot by 1,319-foot permanent 
footprint. The valve station would encompass a 50-foot by 60-foot 
permanent footprint.
    The majority (about 56 percent) of the land crossed by the pipeline 
route is either classified as urban/industrial (e.g., commercial land 
and other utility rights-of-way) or as agricultural/rangeland. The 
remaining land comprises upland forest, wetland, and surface water 
(e.g., ponds, canals, and ditches).

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your 
concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by the Commission. 
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the 
proposal, alternatives to the proposal including alternative pipeline 
routes, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more 
specific your comments, the more useful they will be. 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 letter to: 
Kimberley D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St., NE.; Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas 
Branch 1.
     Reference Docket No. CP07-191-001.
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC on or before March 5, 2008.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments. See 18 
Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on 
the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the 
``eFiling'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Prepare your 
submission in the same manner as you would if filing on paper and save 
it to a file on your hard drive. Before you can file comments you will 
need to create an account by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then 
``New User Account.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing 
you are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.''

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EIS scoping process, you may want 
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an 
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. 
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of 
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors. 
Likewise, each intervenor must send one electronic copy (using the 
Commission's eFiling system) or 14 paper copies of its filings to the 
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all 
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If 
you want to become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene 
according to Rule

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214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 
385.214) (see appendix 2).\4\ Only intervenors have the right to seek 
rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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    \4\ 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 environmental comments considered.

Additional Information

    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 full docket number (i.e., CP07-191-001) 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-2422 Filed 2-8-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P