[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 239 (Thursday, December 11, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75427-75428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-29361]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP07-62-000, CP07-63-000, CP07-64-000, CP07-65-000]


AES Sparrows Point LNG, LLC; Mid-Atlantic Express, L.L.C.; Notice 
of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Sparrows Point LNG Terminal and Pipeline Project

December 5, 2008.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared this final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the construction and operation of a liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) import terminal and natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by 
AES Sparrows Point LNG, LLC and Mid-Atlantic Express, L.L.C. 
(collectively referred to as AES) in the above-referenced dockets. The 
Project facilities would be located in Baltimore, Harford, and Cecil 
Counties, Maryland, and in Lancaster and Chester Counties, 
Pennsylvania.
    The final EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (COE), the U.S. Coast Guard, (Coast Guard), and the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are cooperating agencies for the 
development of this EIS. A cooperating agency has jurisdiction by law 
or special expertise with respect to potential environmental impacts 
associated with the proposal and is involved in the NEPA analysis.
    Based on the analysis included in the EIS, the FERC staff concludes 
that if the Project is constructed and operated in accordance with 
applicable laws and regulations, and with implementation of AES's 
proposed mitigation measures, and the additional mitigation measures 
recommended by staff, it would have mostly limited adverse 
environmental impacts.
    AES proposes to construct and operate an LNG import terminal in an 
industrial port setting on Sparrows Point, in Baltimore County, 
Maryland. The LNG terminal would consist of facilities capable of 
unloading LNG ships, storing up to 480,000 cubic meters (m\3\) of LNG 
(10.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent), vaporizing the 
LNG, and sending out natural gas at a baseload rate of 1.5 billion 
cubic feet per day (Bcfd). The maximum potential gas sendout capacity 
without expansion is 1.595 Bcfd. Mid-Atlantic Express proposes to 
interconnect its pipeline with three existing interstate natural gas 
pipelines by construction of a single, approximate 88-mile-long 
pipeline north, to the vicinity of Eagle, Pennsylvania.
    The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following LNG terminal and natural 
gas pipeline facilities.
     A ship unloading facility, with two berths, capable of 
receiving LNG ships with capacities up to 217,000 m\3\;
     Three 160,000 m\3\ (net capacity) full-containment LNG 
storage tank, comprised of 9 percent nickel inner tank, pre-stressed 
concrete outer tank, and a concrete roof;
     A closed-loop shell and tube heat exchanger vaporization 
system;
     Various ancillary facilities including administrative 
offices, warehouse, main control room, security building, and a 
platform control room;
     Meter and regulation station within the LNG Terminal site;
     Dredging an approximate 118 acre area in the Patapsco 
River to -45 feet

[[Page 75428]]

below mean lower low water to accommodate the LNG vessels; and
     Approximately 88 miles of 30-inch-diameter natural gas 
pipeline (approximately 48 miles in Maryland and 40 miles in 
Pennsylvania), a pig launcher and receiver facility at the beginning 
and ending of the pipeline, 10 mainline valves, and three meter and 
regulation stations, one at each of three interconnection sites at the 
end of the pipeline.
    The Project would also include the vessel transit from the LNG 
vessel's entrance into U.S. territorial waters, through its transit to 
and from the LNG terminal at Sparrows Point.
    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.
    Only volume 1 of the final EIS, containing text of the analysis, 
was printed in hard copy. Volume 2, containing additional appendices, 
was produced as .pdf files on a compact disk (CD) that can be read by a 
computer with a CD-ROM drive. A limited number of hard copies and CDs 
of the final EIS are available from the FERC's Public Reference Room, 
identified above. This final EIS is also available for public viewing 
on the FERC's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov, via the 
eLibrary link.
    Copies of this final EIS have been mailed to Federal, State, and 
local agencies; elected officials; Indian tribes and Native American 
organizations with an interest in the project area; interveners; 
regional environmental organizations and public interest groups; 
affected landowners; local libraries and newspapers; and other 
interested parties. Hard copies of volume 1 were mailed to those who 
specifically requested them, while all others on the mailing list were 
sent both volumes of the EIS on CDs.
    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372). The 
administrative public record for this proceeding to date is on the FERC 
Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). Go to Documents & Filings and 
choose the eLibrary link. Under eLibrary, click on ``General Search,'' 
and enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the 
Docket Number field (e.g., CP07-62). 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 call 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.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription that 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. To register for this service, go to the eSubscription 
link on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp).

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-29361 Filed 12-10-08; 8:45 am]
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