[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 108 (Monday, June 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27229-27231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-13335]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6657]


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

AGENCY: Department of State.

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

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SUMMARY: Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership (``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, which is designed to transport Canadian crude 
oil from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (``WCSB'') to existing 
refinery markets in the Midwest region of the United States. The 
Department of State has prepared a final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the United States portion of the proposed Alberta Clipper 
Pipeline (``Proposed Project'').
    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, and 
maintenance, at the borders of the United States, of facilities for the 
exportation or importation of petroleum, petroleum products, coal, or 
other fuels to or from a foreign country. Any person wishing to comment 
on the final EIS may do so. To ensure consideration prior to a 
Department of State decision on the Enbridge proposal, it is important 
that we receive comments no later than July 3, 2009.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The final EIS was prepared in conformity 
with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
and to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the United 
States portion of the proposed pipeline. 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.

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Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. 
Department of Agriculture--Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources 
Conservation Service; U.S. Department of the Interior, 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 Alberta Clipper pipeline 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 pipeline would be designed to transport an average 
crude oil volume of approximately 450,000 bpd.
    The Proposed Project would consist of approximately 326.9 miles of 
new 36-inch-diameter pipeline and associated facilities installed 
primarily within or adjacent to existing Enbridge pipeline corridors. 
The Proposed Project also would require new construction at existing 
pump stations and construction of delivery facilities and mainline 
valves. The pipeline would have the capacity to deliver an average of 
450,000 barrels per day (bpd) of heavy crude oil from a supply hub near 
Hardisty to an existing terminal in Superior. In Canada, the pipeline 
includes approximately 673 miles of new pipeline and associated 
facilities from Hardisty to the U.S./Canada border near Neche, North 
Dakota. The Canadian portion of the Alberta Clipper pipeline system has 
been approved by the Canadian National Energy Board and other Canadian 
reviewing entities, and is under construction.
    Approximately 82 percent of the proposed pipeline route in the 
United States 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.
    Enbridge proposes to begin construction activities for the Project 
in summer 2009, with a planned in-service date of early 2010, subject 
to receipt of all necessary permits, approvals, and authorizations 
pursuant to DOS regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508 and 22 CFR 161).
    As a separate but connected action to the Proposed 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 DOS and 
would be permitted separately from the Alberta Clipper Project.
    Construction of the Proposed Project 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 Proposed 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 final 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 no later than July 3, 2009.
    Options for submitting comments on the Final 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: http://www.albertaclipper.state.gov.
    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 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

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comments should avoid the use of any special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
    Copies of the final 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 final EIS or 
provided comments during the scoping process; libraries; newspapers; 
and other stakeholders.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Enbridge application for a 
Presidential Permit, including associated maps and drawings, the final 
EIS; a list of libraries where the final 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 final 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.

Daniel Fantozzi,
Director, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and 
Scientific Affairs/Office of Environmental Policy, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E9-13335 Filed 6-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-07-P