[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44221-44222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18372]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Point Thomson Project, North Slope Borough, 
AK

AGENCY: Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of 
Defense.

ACTION: Notice of Availability--Final EIS.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) the Corps of Engineers, 
Alaska District, advises that the Final EIS for the Point Thomson 
Project, proposed by Exxon Mobil Corporation and PTE Pipeline, is now 
available for public review. The Final EIS evaluated reasonable 
alternative designs and potential impacts to the environment. The 
proposed project includes the construction of structures in navigable 
waters of the United States (U.S.) and the discharge of dredged and/or 
fill materials into waters of the U.S., including wetlands. The 
proposed work requires authorization from the Corps of Engineers under 
Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (RHA) of 1899 and Section 404 
of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Final EIS will be used to evaluate 
the Applicant's Department of the Army (DA) permit application and 
compliance with NEPA.

DATES: The 30-day review period begins on July 27, 2012 and ends on 
August 27, 2012. The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be 
issued after August 27, 2012. The Final EIS is not open for public 
comment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Harry A. Baij Jr., by email 
message at [email protected], by telephone at 800-478-2712 
(toll free within AK), 907-753-2784 (office), or 907-350-5097 (cell).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Authorization: Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 
1344) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 
403); Department of Defense, Corps of Engineers, Department of the 
Army, 33 CFR Parts 320 through 330, Regulatory Program of the Corps of 
Engineers; Final rule; Appendix B of 33 CFR Part 325.
    2. Background Information: The Alaska District, Corps of Engineers 
received the Applicant's complete permit application on November 1, 
2011. The Applicant's project purpose is to initiate commercial liquid 
hydrocarbon production (natural gas condensate) and delineate and 
evaluate hydrocarbon resources in the Point Thomson area. Two natural 
gas production wells have been authorized, drilled, and tested at an 
existing gravel pad at Point Thomson, AK. Other previously authorized 
gravel pads and exploration wells exist in the general area.
    3. Location: The project is located on Alaska's Arctic Coastal 
Plain, Beaufort seacoast, approximately 60 miles east of Prudhoe Bay. 
Most of the Thomson Sand Reservoir is located under the Beaufort Sea. 
The proposed facilities would be located primarily onshore, on State of 
Alaska lands, leased to the Applicant or their working interest 
partners of the oil and gas industry. Kaktovik, AK is located 
approximately 60 miles east. The farthest eastward development 
resulting from this proposed project would be approximately 2 miles 
west of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge boundary.
    4. Proposed Project: The proposed project includes industrial 
development involving gravel fill placement in tundra wetlands and 
waters, construction of marine structures, and dredging. The proposed 
project would construct a large gravel mine; a mile long gravel 
airstrip; 3 hydrocarbon production and/or processing gravel pads; 
several miles of in-field gravel roads; similar length infield above-
ground pipelines; a marine bulkhead, service pier, and mooring 
dolphins; navigational dredging; and other industrial infrastructure. 
Processed liquid hydrocarbons would be transported through a new 23-
mile long elevated pipeline to existing facilities to the west and 
further connections to the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. The proposed 
project would include construction of temporary and permanent camps 
(lodging); offices, warehouses, and shops; electric power generation 
and distribution facilities; fuel, water, and chemical storage; a water 
and wastewater treatment facility; a grind and inject drilling waste 
facility; a solid waste facility; and communications facilities. The 
proposed project would include directional drilling a minimum of five 
wells from three coastal gravel pads: Central, East, and West. The 
Central Pad would be the largest and the primary location for 
construction and operations, processing fluids, locating a gas 
injection well for recycling natural gas, and a wastewater disposal 
well. The East and West Pads would include wells to delineate and 
evaluate the hydrocarbon reservoir for additional oil and gas resources 
and facilitate production.
    5. Alternatives: Four alternatives were developed and evaluated in 
the Final EIS that would meet the Applicant's stated purpose and need. 
The No Action Alternative is used for comparison of the environmental 
effects of the action alternatives and involves long term monitoring 
and maintenance of the existing wells and gravel pads. Three Action 
Alternatives were developed and considered. Two action alternatives 
would minimize impacts to coastal resources by locating infrastructure 
components inland from the coastline and reducing coastal access. These 
2 alternatives consider alternative transportation routes, such as ice 
roads and an all-season gravel road in-lieu of barge access. A third 
alternative was developed to reduce impacts to waters and wetlands by 
minimizing the total gravel fill footprint. A complete description of 
the alternatives development, screening process, and the

[[Page 44222]]

alternatives carried forward for detailed study, is disclosed in 
Chapter 2 of the Final EIS.
    6. Scoping Process: A Notice of Intent to prepare a Draft EIS for 
the Proposed Point Thomson Project was published in the Federal 
Register on December 4, 2009. The Corps of Engineers conducted public 
scoping, Alaska Native Tribal consultations, and resource agency 
meetings in AK prior to preparing the Draft EIS. Over 300 issue-
specific comments were identified. Results from the scoping process 
were summarized a Public Scoping Document and are addressed in the 
Draft EIS.
    7. Draft EIS Review: The Draft EIS comment period began November 
18, 2011 with the publication of the Notice of Availability in the 
Federal Register. It was originally scheduled to end on January 3, 2012 
but was extended until January 18, 2012 after requests for an extension 
were received. Open house and public comment meetings were held between 
December 5-15, 2011 in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, and 
Barrow, AK. The Corps of Engineers received over 240 comment 
submissions during the comment period. Over 660 individual comments 
were recorded and responded to. Based on comments received, errors in 
the Draft EIS were corrected and sections edited for clarity. The Final 
EIS is the result of these changes and additions. Overall impact 
findings did not change between the Draft and Final EIS, although some 
descriptions did change.
    8. Availability of the Final EIS: The Final EIS is electronically 
available for viewing and printing at: www.pointthomsonprojecteis.com.
    A printed Executive Summary, which includes 2 Compact Disks 
containing the entire Final EIS, may be obtained by contacting Mr. Baij 
at the above contact information.
    Printed copies of the Final EIS are available for review at the 
following public libraries and schools: Harold Kaveolook School, 
Kaktovik, Alaska; Nuiqsut Trapper School, Nuiqsut, Alaska; Tuzzy 
Consortium Library, Barrow, Alaska; Noel Wein Library, Fairbanks, 
Alaska; Z.J. Loussac Library, Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Resources 
Library and Information Services, Anchorage, Alaska; and University of 
Alaska, Anchorage Library, Anchorage, Alaska.

    Dated: July 19, 2012.
Harry A. Baij Jr.,
Project Manager, US Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District.
[FR Doc. 2012-18372 Filed 7-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P