[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 49 (Monday, March 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11094-11096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5559]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP09-59-000]
Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Pipeline Compressor Addition Project and Request for Comments
on Environmental Issues
March 9, 2009.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Pipeline Compressor Addition
Project (Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP (Cove Point) in Calvert County,
Maryland.\1\ This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-
making process to determine whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
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\1\ On February 3, 2009, Cove Point filed its application with
the Commission under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157
of the Commission's regulations. The Commission issued its Notice of
Application on February 18, 2009.
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This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we will
use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the
project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine which
issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping
period will close on April 8, 2009.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State,
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. State and local
government representatives are asked to notify their constituents of
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
A brochure prepared by the FERC entitled ``A Guide to LNG--What All
Citizens Should Know'' is available for viewing on the FERC Internet
Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). This brochure addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including what is LNG and how is it
transported.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Cove Point is proposing to construct, install and operate on land
owned by Cove Point:
One 3,500 horsepower (HP) electric motor driven
reciprocating compressor unit;
Associated compressor piping;
Electrical connections for power;
System controls;
Approximately 900 feet of 6-inch pipeline to replace
existing 4-inch 108J discharge pipeline;
Coalescing separator to replace existing coalescing
separator; and
Boil-off gas (BOG) turbine meter to replace existing BOG
turbine meter.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix
1.\2\
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\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices are
available on the Commission's Web site at the ``eLibrary'' link or
from the Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail.
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If approved, Cove Point proposes to commence construction of the
proposed facilities in the beginning of May 2009 in order to meet an
in-service date of early fourth quarter 2009.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the project would occur entirely on previously
developed property inside the existing 136 acre fenced area for
terminal operations and within the existing 1,017 acre Cove Point
terminal site. The temporary footprint of the project construction area
would take place on approximately 2 acres or less of previously
disturbed land. The permanent footprint of the project area would
affect less than 0.1 acre of previously disturbed land currently
covered in stone.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to
[[Page 11095]]
take into account the environmental impacts that could result from an
action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us to discover and
address concerns the public may have about proposals. This process is
referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By
this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff requests public comments on
the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments received are
considered during the preparation of the EA. State and local government
representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents of this
proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
In the EA we \3\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
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\3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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Geology and soils.
Land use.
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
Cultural resources.
Vegetation and wildlife.
Air quality and noise.
Endangered and threatened species.
Public safety.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to federal, state, and local agencies, public
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make
our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure your comments are
considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the public
participation section below.
With this NOI, we are asking Federal, state, and local agencies
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation
of the EA. These agencies may choose to participate once they have
evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities. Additional
agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should
follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the Public
Participation section of this NOI.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by Cove Point. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
The operation of the proposed compressor would contribute
to noise generated by the existing Cove Point facility.
No impacts would occur to water resources, fisheries,
wetlands, vegetation or wildlife. Other than air quality and noise, all
impacts would occur within existing Cove Point property.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send in your comments
so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before April 8,
2009.
For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please
reference the project docket number CP09-59-000 with your submission.
The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has
dedicated eFiling expert staff available to assist you at 202-502-8258
or [email protected].
(1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick
Comment feature, which is located on the Commission's internet Web site
at&fnl; http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. A
Quick Comment is an easy method for interested persons to submit text-
only comments on a project;
(2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's internet Web site at
http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. eFiling
involves preparing your submission in the same manner as you would if
filing on paper, and then saving the file on your computer's hard
drive. You will attach that file as your submission. New eFiling users
must first create an account by clicking on ``Sign up'' or
``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you are
making. A comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment on
a Filing''; or
(3) You may file your comments via mail to the Commission by
sending an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly 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 3, PJ11.3.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily
for project purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the
Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities.
If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request
(Appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be
taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to the
proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and are
able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts if
they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site.
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
docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number
field. Be sure you have selected
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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.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-5559 Filed 3-13-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P