[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 25, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8521-8522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3973]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP09-60-000; PF08-20-000]


Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Notice of Application

February 18, 2009.
    Take notice that on February 4, 2009, Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP 
(Cove Point) with a principal place of business at 120 Tredegar Street, 
Richmond, VA, filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission an 
application under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act seeking 
authorization to upgrade, modify, and expand the existing offshore pier 
at Cove Point's LNG Terminal located in Calvert County, Maryland. Cove 
Point says that these proposed facilities will enable the safe docking, 
discharge and departure from the pier of next-generation LNG vessels 
that are now coming into service worldwide.
    Cove Point's proposal is more fully set forth in the application 
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. The 
filing is available for review at the Commission in the Public 
Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number 
excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC at FERCOnline 
[email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY, (202) 502-
8659.
    Any questions regarding this Application should be directed to 
Amanda K. Prestage, Regulatory and Certificates Analyst II, Dominion 
Transmission, Inc., 701 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219, 
telephone: (804) 771-4416, fax: (804) 771-4804.
    Cove Point says that its Pier Reinforcement Project would consist 
of the following components to be constructed at or adjacent to the 
existing offshore pier at the Cove Point LNG Terminal:
     Installation of ten new mooring dolphins;
     Reinforcement of eight existing breasting dolphins;
     Construction of new walkways at each end of the pier;
     Replacement of the existing gangways and service cranes 
with new automated gangways on platforms;
     Installation of new display boards;
     Upgrading of the docking control system with new quick-
release mooring hooks;
     Dredging the channelward side of the pier to accommodate 
deeper draft vessels; and
     Placing the dredged material at a permitted dredged 
material placement site.
    Cove Point says that the cost of the Pier Reinforcement Project is 
about $51.1 million and that it is proposing to provide an optional 
incremental service under Rate Schedules LTD-1 and LTD-2 to shippers 
utilizing these proposed Incremental Port Facilities. Under Cove 
Point's current tariff limit, it limits the receipt of vessels at its 
LNG Terminal to a capacity of no greater than 148,000 cubic meters of 
LNG. The proposed modifications to the pier would allow Cove Point to 
receive vessels carrying cargoes of up to 267,000 cubic meters of LNG. 
Cove Point proposes three options for its import shippers to contract 
for this incremental service which are explained in more detail in its 
application, along with applicable proposed revisions to its tariff. 
One of these options includes a cost-based recourse rate and Cove Point 
provided details to support the proposed calculation of this recourse 
rate in its filing.
    Cove Point says that this proposal will not involve an increase in 
the amount of LNG delivered to the LNG Terminal, the amount of storage 
capacity, or the amount of vaporized LNG sent out from the LNG Terminal 
over the levels authorized by the Commission in the Cove Point 
Expansion Project.
    On May 21, 2008, the Commission staff granted Cove Point's request 
to utilize the FERC Pre-Filing Process and assigned Docket No. PF08-20-
000 to staff activities involved in the Pier Reinforcement Project. Now 
as of the filing of Cove Point's application on February 4, 2009, the 
Pre-Filing Process for this project has ended. From this time forward, 
this proceeding will be conducted in Docket No. CP09-60-000, as noted 
in the caption of this Notice.
    Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Commission's rules, 18 CFR 157.9, 
within 90 days of this Notice, the Commission staff will either: 
complete the environmental assessment (EA) and place it into the 
Commission's public record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or issue a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review. If a Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review is issued, it will indicate, among other 
milestones, the anticipated date for the Commission staff's issuance of 
the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) or EA for this 
proposal. The filing of the EA in the Commission's public record for 
this proceeding or the issuance of a Notice of Schedule for 
Environmental

[[Page 8522]]

Review will serve to notify federal and state agencies of the timing 
for the completion of all necessary reviews, and the subsequent need to 
complete all federal authorizations within 90 days of the date of 
issuance of the Commission staff's FEIS or EA.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or 
before the comment date stated below file with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, a 
motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 
385.211) and the Regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person 
obtaining party status will be placed on the service list maintained by 
the Secretary of the Commission and will receive copies of all 
documents filed by the applicant and by all other parties. A party must 
submit 14 copies of filings made in the proceeding with the Commission 
and must mail a copy to the applicant and to every other party. Only 
parties to the proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders 
in the proceeding.
    However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have 
comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with 
the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and 
two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. 
The Commission will consider these comments in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will 
not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission's 
rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project 
provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly 
involved in the protest.
    Persons who wish to comment only on the environmental review of 
this project should submit an original and two copies of their comments 
to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commentors will be 
placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive 
copies of the environmental documents, and will be notified of meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Environmental commentors will not be required to serve copies of filed 
documents on all other parties. However, the non-party commentors will 
not receive copies of all documents filed by other parties or issued by 
the Commission (except for the mailing of environmental documents 
issued by the Commission) and will not have the right to seek court 
review of the Commission's final order.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, 
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the ``eFiling'' link 
at http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should 
submit an original and 14 copies of the protest or intervention to the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Comment Date: March 10, 2009.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-3973 Filed 2-24-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P