[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11895-11897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4242]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Site Selection for 
the Expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings, and Notice of Floodplain 
and Wetlands Involvement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT, P.L. 109-58) required 
the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve (SPR) from its current 727 million-barrel capacity to 1 billion 
barrels. In order to fulfill the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the expansion project, DOE prepared 
the environmental impact statement (EIS) Site Selection for the 
Expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (DOE/EIS-0385). In the 
Record of Decision (ROD), published in the Federal Register on February 
22, 2007, DOE announced its selection of Richton, Mississippi, as the 
location of a new SPR facility as part of the expansion project. The 
site was selected for its large and undeveloped salt dome, enhanced oil 
distribution capabilities, and inland location that is less vulnerable 
to the damaging effects of hurricanes.
    Since selecting the Richton site, DOE has engaged in further 
consultations with Federal and Mississippi state agencies and is now 
considering different locations from those addressed in DOE/EIS-0385 
for certain facilities associated with the Richton SPR expansion site. 
This Notice announces DOE's intent to prepare a supplemental 
environmental impact statement (SEIS) in accordance with NEPA, Council 
on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), and the DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR part 1021).
    Some of the potential new locations may be in floodplains or 
wetlands. DOE hereby gives notice that it will include in the SEIS a 
floodplain assessment and a wetland assessment prepared in accordance 
with the DOE Regulations for Compliance with Floodplain and Wetland 
Environmental Review Requirements (10 CFR part 1022).
    DOE invites interested agencies, organizations, Native American 
tribes, and members of the public to submit comments or suggestions to 
assist in identifying alternatives, significant environmental issues, 
and the appropriate scope of the SEIS.

DATES: The public scoping period starts March 5, 2008 and will continue 
until April 29, 2008. Written and oral comments will be given equal 
weight and DOE will consider all comments received or postmarked by 
April 29, 2008, in defining the scope of the SEIS. Written comments 
postmarked or sent after this date will be considered to the degree 
practicable. The dates for public meetings are as follows:

April 8, 2008; 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Leakesville, Mississippi (Greene 
County)
April 9, 2008; 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Lucedale, Mississippi (George County)
April 10, 2008; 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Pascagoula, Mississippi (Jackson 
County)

    The locations of the public scoping meetings were selected based on 
their proximity to the locations of proposed facilities under 
consideration. If an agency, organization, or a member of the general 
public wishes to request that DOE have an additional scoping meeting at 
a specific location, please contact Donald Silawsky at the address 
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. If DOE decides to hold 
public meetings in addition to those listed above, DOE will publish an 
amendment to this Notice and make other public announcements.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions on the scope and content of 
the SEIS should be directed to Donald Silawsky at the Office of 
Petroleum Reserves (FE-47), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0301. Mr. Silawsky may 
also be contacted by telephone at 202-586-1892, by facsimile at 202-
586-4446, or by electronic mail at [email protected]. 
Envelopes and the subject line of e-mails or faxes should be labeled 
``Scoping for the SPR SEIS.'' Please note that conventional mail to DOE 
may be delayed by anthrax screening.
    The locations of the scoping meetings are as follows:

Greene County High School, 4336 High School Road, Leakesville, 
Mississippi
George County Senior Center, 7102 Hwy. 198 E., Lucedale, Mississippi
B.E. Mac McGinty Civic Center, 2902 Shortcut Road, Pascagoula, 
Mississippi

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed 
project or to receive a copy of the Draft SEIS when it is issued, 
contact Donald Silawsky by any of the means listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this Notice. Additional information may also be found on the 
DOE Fossil Energy Web site at http://www.fe.doe.gov.
    For further information on the expansion of the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve, contact David Johnson at the Office of Petroleum Reserves (FE-
42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0301, by telephone at 202-586-4733, by facsimile 
at 202-586-7919, or by electronic mail at [email protected].
    For general information on the DOE NEPA process, contact Carol 
Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-20), U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20585-0103, by telephone at 202-586-4600, or leave a toll-free message 
at 800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Need for Agency Action

    The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT, Pub. L. 109-58) states (in 
Section 303) that: ``Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall complete a proceeding to select, from 
sites that the Secretary has previously studied, sites necessary to 
enable acquisition by the Secretary of the full authorized volume of 
the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.'' In order to fulfill the requirements 
of NEPA for the expansion project, DOE prepared the EIS Site Selection 
for the Expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (DOE/EIS-0385). In 
the ROD,

[[Page 11896]]

published in the Federal Register on February 22, 2007 (72 FR 7964), 
DOE announced its selection of Richton, Mississippi, as the location of 
a new SPR facility as part of the expansion project. The site was 
selected for its large and undeveloped salt dome, enhanced oil 
distribution capabilities, and inland location that is less vulnerable 
to the damaging effects of hurricanes.
    The ROD stated that the raw water intake structure to be used for 
oil storage cavern development, maintenance, and drawdown at the 
Richton facility is to be located at the Leaf River at New Augusta, 
Mississippi (10 miles from the Richton Site), with a secondary raw 
water intake structure at the Gulf of Mexico (88 miles from the Richton 
Site). The ROD also stated that the oil terminal and tank farm are to 
be located at the former Naval Station Pascagoula, a Base Realignment 
and Closure site on Singing River Island in the Gulf of Mexico. The 
brine disposal pipeline as described in DOE/EIS-0385 was to run roughly 
south from Singing River Island into the Gulf of Mexico and terminate 
in a diffuser about 11.5 miles from the south shore of the island.
    After selecting Richton, DOE engaged in further consultations with 
the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, and other governmental entities. As a result, DOE is 
considering whether to select a new location for the raw water intake 
structure, from the location on the Leaf River as described in the ROD, 
to a location with greater water availability. DOE will also assess a 
new location for the marine oil terminal from the Singing River Island 
location described in the ROD. Relocating the oil terminal may require 
a revised route for the offshore brine disposal pipeline. DOE will 
assess any changes to pipeline or powerline rights-of-way that would be 
made as a result of changing the raw water intake structure and marine 
oil terminal facilities.
    DOE has determined that the potential new locations of the raw 
water intake, oil terminal, and brine disposal pipeline and diffuser 
associated with the Richton SPR expansion facility would be substantial 
changes to the proposal analyzed in DOE/EIS-0385 that are relevant to 
environmental concerns. DOE will therefore prepare a SEIS in accordance 
with NEPA, the CEQ NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the DOE 
NEPA regulations (10 CFR part 1021), and 10 CFR part 1022.

Alternatives

    DOE has identified the Pascagoula River near Merrill as one 
alternative location for the raw water intake for the Richton SPR 
expansion facility. DOE has identified Bayou Casotte Harbor as an 
alternative site for the marine oil terminal. Associated with this 
potential new location of the oil terminal is a revised route for the 
offshore brine disposal pipeline that would run south from Bayou 
Casotte Harbor into the Gulf of Mexico and utilize an existing 
underwater right of way. The termination point of the revised pipeline 
route at the diffuser would be about 1.2 miles west of the diffuser 
location that was identified in DOE/EIS-0385. DOE will assess any 
changes to pipeline or powerline rights-of-way that would be made as a 
result of changing the raw water intake structure and marine oil 
terminal facilities. DOE invites suggestions for alternative locations 
for the raw water intake structure, oil terminal, and brine disposal.
    The No-Action Alternative would be to not change the planned 
locations of the raw water intake structure, marine oil terminal, and 
brine disposal pipeline and diffuser.

Identification of Environmental Issues

    The purpose of this Notice is to solicit comments and suggestions 
for consideration in the preparation of the SEIS. As background for 
public comment, this Notice contains a list of potential environmental 
issues that DOE has tentatively identified for analysis. This list, 
which DOE developed from preliminary scoping of the proposed changes, 
is not intended to be all-inclusive or to imply any predetermination of 
impacts. Instead, it is presented to facilitate public comment on the 
planned scope and content of the SEIS. Additions to or deletions from 
this list may occur as a result of the public scoping process.
    The following is a preliminary list of potential environmental 
resource areas that may be affected by construction and operation of 
the raw water intake, oil terminal, and brine pipeline and diffuser at 
the proposed new locations and that may be analyzed in the SEIS:
    (1) Local and Regional Air Quality.
    (2) Water Resources: The quantity and quality of local and regional 
marine, freshwater, and groundwater systems.
    (3) Ecological Resources: Terrestrial and aquatic plants and 
animals, including state and Federally listed threatened and endangered 
species, and other protected resources (e.g., wetlands and essential 
fish habitat).
    (4) Land Use: The effects of allocating land resources at the 
proposed new locations for the raw water intake and oil terminal rather 
than for other uses (e.g., commercial or recreation).
    (5) Geological Resources: Local geology and soils.
    (6) Public Health and Safety (including potential incidental spills 
and releases).
    (7) Socioeconomics: Potential influx of workers and the potential 
increase in demand for local services.
    (8) Cultural Resources: Historical, archaeological, and culturally 
important sites.
    (9) Environmental Justice: The potential for disproportionately 
high and adverse effects on populations protected under Executive Order 
12898 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority 
Populations and Low-Income Populations).

Scoping Process

    To ensure that all issues related to this proposal are addressed, 
DOE will conduct an open process to define the scope and content of the 
SEIS. Interested agencies, organizations, Native American tribes, and 
members of the public are encouraged to submit comments or suggestions 
concerning the content of the SEIS, issues and impacts to be addressed 
in the SEIS, and alternatives that should be considered. DOE invites 
oral comments and suggestions at public scoping meetings to which 
agencies, organizations, Native American tribes, and the general public 
are invited.
    Written comments should be sent to DOE as described in the 
ADDRESSES section above. Public scoping meetings will be held at the 
locations, dates and times listed in the DATES and ADDRESSES sections. 
These meetings will be informal. A presiding officer designated by DOE 
will establish procedures governing the conduct of the meetings. The 
meetings will not be conducted as evidentiary hearings, and those who 
choose to make statements will not be cross-examined by other speakers. 
To request time to speak at the public scoping meetings, please contact 
Donald Silawsky via mail, fax, or e-mail as listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this Notice. Persons may also sign up to speak before each 
meeting at the reception desk at the entrance to the meeting.
    To ensure that everyone who wishes to speak has a chance to do so, 
five minutes will be allotted to each speaker. Depending on the number 
of persons requesting to speak, DOE may allow longer times for 
representatives of

[[Page 11897]]

organizations. Persons wishing to speak on behalf of an organization 
should identify that organization when they sign up to speak.
    A complete transcript of the public scoping meetings will be 
retained by DOE and made available to the public for review via the DOE 
Web site at http://www.fe.doe.gov and during business hours at the 
Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Reading Room, Forrestal 
Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0173, and 
at the Department of Energy SPR Project Management Office, 900 Commerce 
Road East, New Orleans, LA 70123-3406. Additional copies of the public 
scoping meetings transcripts will be made available during normal 
business hours at the following locations:

Jackson County, Pascagoula Public Library, 3214 Pascagoula St., 
Pascagoula, MS 39567
Perry County, Richton Public Library, 210 N. Front St., Richton, MS 
39476
Greene County, Leakesville Public Library, 101 Lafayette, Leakesville, 
MS 39451
George County, Lucedale-George County Public Library, 507 Oak St., 
Lucedale, MS 39452

Draft SEIS Schedule and Availability

    The Draft SEIS is scheduled to be issued in late Fall 2008. The 
availability of the Draft SEIS and dates for public hearings soliciting 
comments will be announced in the Federal Register and local media. The 
Draft SEIS will be made available for public inspection at the 
libraries identified above. Comments on the Draft SEIS will be 
considered in preparing the Final SEIS.
    Interested parties who do not wish to submit comments at this time, 
but who would like to receive a copy of the Draft SEIS and other 
project materials, should contact Donald Silawsky as provided in the 
ADDRESSES section of this Notice.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 29, 2008.
James A. Slutz,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. E8-4242 Filed 3-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P