[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 235 (Friday, December 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74221-74223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28866]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6443]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement; Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership (``Alberta Clipper 
Project'')

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement; Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership (``Alberta Clipper 
Project'').

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SUMMARY: The staff of the Department of State has prepared a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Enbridge Energy, 
Limited Partnership (``Enbridge'') Alberta Clipper Pipeline Project. 
Enbridge has applied to the Department of State for a Presidential 
Permit, pursuant to Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004, to 
construct, connect, operate, and maintain a 36-inch diameter crude oil 
and liquid hydrocarbon pipeline at the U.S.-Canadian border near 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 Pipeline Project (``Alberta Clipper Project''), which 
is designed to transport Canadian crude oil from the Western Canadian 
Sedimentary Basin (``WCSB'') to existing refinery markets primarily in 
the Midwest region of the United States.
    The Secretary of State is designated and empowered to receive all 
applications for Presidential Permits, as referred to in Executive 
Order 13337, as amended, for the construction, operation, or 
maintenance, at the borders of the United States, of facilities for the 
exportation or importation of

[[Page 74222]]

petroleum, petroleum products, coal, or other fuels to or from a 
foreign country.
    Any person wishing to comment on the Draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Department of State decision on the Enbridge 
proposal, it is important that we receive your comments by January 30, 
2009.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS was prepared to conform to the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and to 
evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposed pipeline 
project. The document also evaluates alternatives to the proposal, 
including system alternatives and pipeline route alternatives.
    The federal cooperating agencies for the development of this EIS 
are: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Department of Agriculture--Farm 
Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service; U.S. 
Department of Interior--U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of 
Indian Affairs; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 
addition, two Indian Bands are acting as cooperating agencies for this 
EIS: The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Leech Lake 
Band of Ojibwe Indians. Cooperating agencies either have jurisdiction 
by law or special expertise with respect to the environmental impacts 
assessed in connection with the proposal and are involved in the 
Department's analysis of those environmental impacts.
    The Draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the United States portion of the Alberta 
Clipper Project. The proposed Alberta Clipper Project would be a new 
pipeline that would transport crude oil from Enbridge's existing 
facilities in Hardisty, Alberta, Canada to its existing terminal in 
Superior, Wisconsin. From there, the liquid hydrocarbons would be 
transported to Midwestern markets, the eastern United States and 
Canada, and the Midcontinent and U.S. Gulf markets. Crude oil would be 
transported to markets in the Midwest via Enbridge's Lakehead System, 
which is currently being expanded, and potentially through pipelines 
that may be constructed in the future. The proposed Project would be 
designed to transport an average crude oil volume of approximately 
450,000 bpd.
    Overall, the Alberta Clipper Project would consist of a new 
pipeline and associated facilities in both Canada and the United 
States. The Draft EIS focuses on the portion of the Alberta Clipper 
Project in the United States. The primary components of the U.S. 
portion of the Project would be the new pipeline, new mainline valves, 
and additional pumping capacity at three existing pump stations. The 
pipeline would extend approximately 331.8 miles from the U.S./Canada 
border near Neche, North Dakota through Minnesota and Wisconsin to the 
existing Enbridge terminal in Superior. A total of 32 mainline valves 
would be installed at key locations along the alignment.
    The Canadian portion of the Alberta Clipper Project received its 
final Canadian National Energy Board certificate in other approvals by 
August 2008.
    Approximately 82 percent of the proposed pipeline route in the 
United States (about 270 miles) would be within or adjacent to an 
existing Enbridge pipeline corridor. The existing corridor houses six 
pipelines between the U.S./Canada border and Clearbrook, Minnesota 
(including the Southern Lights LSr Project pipeline which began 
construction in summer 2008), and four existing pipelines between 
Clearbrook and Superior. The existing pipelines transport crude oil or 
petroleum products. A fifth pipeline has been proposed for the corridor 
between Clearbrook and Superior, and Enbridge proposes to construct it 
concurrently with the Alberta Clipper Project pipeline.
    Three existing Enbridge pump stations along the corridor would be 
upgraded to accommodate the Alberta Clipper pipeline. The upgrades 
would include additional pumps and the associated electrical equipment 
necessary to power the pumps.
    If approved, Enbridge proposes to begin construction of the project 
in the spring of 2009, with an in-service date of early 2010.
    As a separate but connected action to the Alberta Clipper Project, 
Enbridge is proposing to construct, operate, and maintain the Superior 
Terminal Expansion Project. This project would consist of five new 
250,000-barrel storage tanks and associated piping and facilities at 
the existing Enbridge terminal. The Superior Terminal Expansion Project 
is not part of the Presidential Permit Application submitted to 
Department of State and would be permitted separately from the Alberta 
Clipper Project.
    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. Enbridge would retain a portion of the construction right-
of-way in order to maintain a 75-feet right-of-way from the current 
outermost pipeline.
    The Alberta Clipper Project would not require construction of new 
pump stations. Mainline valves would be installed along the pipeline to 
limit the volume of a spill if one were to occur. Enbridge conducted an 
analysis to determine the most appropriate locations for mainline 
valves in compliance with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 195. 
Construction of the pipeline would require establishment of rail 
unloading sites for delivery of pipe and contractor/pipe storage yards 
at locations near the construction right-of-way to temporarily store 
pipe and the contractor's vehicles, equipment, tools, and other 
construction-related items. Rail unloading areas would be located 
adjacent to railroad sidings. Enbridge would need to gain access to the 
construction right-of-way during pipeline installation and the 
permanent right-of-way during operation. In general, Enbridge would use 
existing public roads to gain access to the construction right-of-way 
as much as possible. In areas where public roads are limited, existing 
privately owned roads may be used for access, provided that Enbridge 
receives permission from the landowners. If neither public nor 
privately owned roads are available, Enbridge would construct new 
access roads that typically would be approximately 10 to 30 feet wide.
    U.S. States and 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; and
     Wisconsin: Douglas.
    Comment Procedures and Public Meetings: Any person wishing to 
comment on the Draft EIS may do so. To ensure consideration prior to a 
Department of State decision on the proposal, it is important that we 
receive your comments by no later than January 30, 2009.
    Options for submitting comments on the Draft EIS are as follows:
     By mail to: Elizabeth Orlando, Alberta Clipper Project 
Manager, U.S. Department of State, OES/ENV Room 2657, Washington, DC 
20520. Please note that Department of State mail can be delayed due to 
security screening.
     Fax to: (202) 647-5947, attention Elizabeth Orlando.
     E-mail to: [email protected].
     Comment over the internet via the Alberta Clipper EIS Web 
site: mailto:www.albertaclipper.state.gov.

[[Page 74223]]

    Comments received will be included in the public docket without 
change and may be made available on-line at http://www.albertaclipper.state.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the commenter indicates that the comment includes 
information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or 
other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not 
submit information that you consider to be CBI, or otherwise protected, 
through e-mail. If you send a comment by e-mail, your e-mail address 
will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that 
is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If 
you want to submit an electronic comment, we recommend that you include 
your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and 
with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If we cannot read your comment 
because of technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, we may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
comments should avoid the use of any special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, the 
Department of State invites you to attend the public meetings in the 
project area to receive comments on the Draft EIS. A court reporter 
will be present and will accept comments for the record. Dates and 
locations for the public meetings are:
     Monday, December 15, 2008, 6 to 9 p.m., Thief River Falls, 
Minnesota, Best Western, 1060 Highway 32 South, Thief River Falls.
     Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Cass Lake, 
Minnesota, Cass Lake Palace Casino, 6280 Upper Cass Lake Frontage Road, 
NW., Cass Lake.
     Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Bemidji, 
Minnesota, Holiday Inn Express Conference Center, 2422 Ridgeway Avenue, 
NW., Bemidji.
     Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Grand 
Rapids, Minnesota, Wendego Conference Center, 20108 Golf Crest Road, 
Grand Rapids.
     Thursday, December 18, 2008, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Carlton, 
Minnesota, Black Bear Hotel--Lake Hall Room, 1785 Highway 210, Carlton.
     Thursday, December 18, 2008, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Superior, 
Wisconsin, Barkers Island Inn, 300 Marina Drive, Superior.
    After comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and modifications are made to the Draft EIS, a final EIS 
will be published and distributed by the Department of State. The final 
EIS will contain the Department's response to timely comments received 
on the Draft EIS.
    Copies of the Draft EIS have been mailed to interested federal, 
tribal, state and local agencies; public interest groups; individuals 
and affected landowners who requested a copy of the Draft EIS or 
provided comments during the scoping process; libraries; and other 
stakeholders.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Enbridge application for a 
Presidential Permit, including associated maps, the Draft EIS; a list 
of libraries where the Draft EIS may be reviewed; and other project 
information is available for viewing and download at the project Web 
site: http://www.albertaclipper.state.gov.
    For information on the proposed project or the Draft EIS contact 
Elizabeth Orlando, OES/ENV Room 2657, U.S. Department of State, 
Washington, DC, 20520, or by telephone (202) 647-4284, or by fax at 
(202) 647-5947.

    Issued in Washington, DC on December 5, 2008.
Daniel Fantozzi,
Director, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and 
Scientific Affairs/Office of Environmental Policy, Department of State.
 [FR Doc. E8-28866 Filed 12-4-08; 8:45 am]
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