[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 156 (Monday, August 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48145-48148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19777]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. PF12-12-000; PF12-13-000]


Cameron Interstate Pipeline, LLC, Cameron LNG, LLC; Notice of 
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned 
Cameron Pipeline Expansion Project and Cameron LNG Liquefaction 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meeting

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will identify and address the environmental impacts that could result 
from the construction and operation of the Cameron Pipeline Expansion 
Project and the Cameron Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Liquefaction 
Project (collectively Cameron Liquefaction Project or Project) planned 
by Cameron Interstate Pipeline, LLC and Cameron LNG, LLC (collectively 
Cameron), respectively. The Commission will use this EIS in its 
decision-making process to determine whether the Project is in the 
public interest.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the Project. Your input will help the Commission staff 
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EIS. Please note 
that the scoping period will close on September 4, 2012.
    You may submit comments in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to 
sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the 
public scoping meeting scheduled as follows: FERC Public Scoping 
Meeting, Cameron Liquefaction Project, August 21, 2012, 6:00 p.m., 
Holiday Inn Express (Indigo Meeting), 330 Arena Road, Sulphur, LA 
70665.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this Project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a company 
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company 
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if 
the Commission approves the Project, that approval conveys with it the 
right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to 
produce an agreement, Cameron could initiate condemnation proceedings 
where compensation would be determined in accordance with state law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet 
addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use of 
eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.

Summary of the Planned Project

    Cameron plans to expand its existing LNG import terminal in Cameron 
Parish, Louisiana to enable the terminal to liquefy natural gas and 
export the LNG. The planned facility would have an export capacity of 
12 million metric tons per year (MTPY) while maintaining the current 
capability to import and re-gasify LNG. The related Cameron Pipeline 
Expansion Project would be constructed and operated to provide natural 
gas to the planned export terminal. The general locations of the 
planned pipeline and LNG export terminal are depicted in the figure 
included as Appendix 1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 
www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Cameron Pipeline Expansion Project would include construction 
and operation of the following facilities:
     Approximately 21 miles of new 42-inch-diameter pipeline 
extending from an interconnection with the Florida Gas Transmission 
Pipeline in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana to a new interconnection with 
the Trunkline Gas Pipeline in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana;
     A new 66,000-horsepower compressor station in Calcasieu 
Parish, Louisiana;
     A new interconnection and metering facilities with the 
Trunkline Gas Pipeline in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana; and
     Modifications to existing interconnections and metering 
facilities in Beauregard, Calcasieu, and Cameron Parishes.

[[Page 48146]]

    Cameron plans to initiate construction of the Cameron Pipeline 
Expansion Project in the first quarter of 2015 and complete 
construction during the second quarter of 2016. The construction 
schedule would be driven by the need to complete construction of the 
pipeline by the planned time for commissioning of the initial 
liquefaction train at the LNG terminal in the fourth quarter of 2016 as 
described below.
    The Cameron LNG Liquefaction Project would include construction and 
operation of the following facilities:
     Three liquefaction trains, with each train including a 
feed gas treatment unit, a heavy hydrocarbon removal unit, and a 
liquefaction unit (with a maximum LNG production capacity of 4 million 
MTPY each);
     A new 160,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tank;
     A new natural gas liquids (NGL) and refrigerant storage 
area;
     A new truck loading/unloading facility to unload 
refrigerants for transport to the storage area and to load NGLs 
produced during the gas liquefaction process;
     A new construction dock designed to receive barges 
transporting large equipment via the Calcasieu Ship Channel; and
     Nine natural gas-fueled combustion turbine generators that 
would generate approximately 200 megawatts of electric power.
    Cameron plans to initiate construction of the Cameron LNG 
Liquefaction Project in the fourth quarter of 2013 and complete 
construction of the first LNG liquefaction train in the fourth quarter 
of 2016. Operations would commence after the commissioning of the first 
LNG liquefaction train. Cameron plans to have the Cameron Liquefaction 
Project fully constructed and operational by the fourth quarter of 
2017.

Land Requirements for Construction

    The Cameron Pipeline Expansion Project would require about 368 
acres for construction, with 140 acres as previously disturbed during 
construction of the existing Cameron pipeline. A 25-acre temporary 
contractor yard would be located adjacent to the Ragley Compressor 
Station in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. The new compressor station 
would require 30 acres for construction and operation. After 
construction, Cameron would maintain about 80 acres as permanent right-
of-way. The remaining 258 acres of temporary workspace (including all 
temporary construction rights-of-way and extra workspaces) would be 
restored and allowed to revert to its former use. Approximately 16 
miles of the new 21-mile-long pipeline would be constructed within 
existing permanent rights-of-way. The remaining 5 miles would be 
adjacent to existing pipeline/utility corridors, but outside of the 
existing permanent rights-of-way.
    The Cameron LNG Liquefaction Project would be constructed adjacent 
to and north of the existing Cameron LNG Terminal on approximately 430 
acres, of which approximately 50 acres is part of the existing 
terminal. All 430 acres would be used for construction (including an 
equipment laydown area) and operation of the terminal.

The EIS Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to 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 under section 7(c) of 
the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and authorization to construct, install, and 
operate LNG facilities under Section 3(a) of the NGA. NEPA also 
requires us \2\ 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 our analysis in the EIS on the 
important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests 
public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. We 
will consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EIS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the EIS, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned Cameron Liquefaction 
Project under the following general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Water resources;
     Wetlands and vegetation;
     Fish and wildlife;
     Threatened and endangered species;
     Land use, recreation, and visual resources;
     Air quality and noise;
     Cultural resources;
     Socioeconomics;
     Reliability and safety;
     Engineering and design material; and
     Cumulative environmental impacts.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned Project 
or portions of the Project in the EIS, and make recommendations on how 
to lessen or avoid impacts on affected resources.
    Although no formal application has been filed by Cameron, we have 
already initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing 
process. The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage the 
early involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and 
resolve issues before the FERC receives an application. As part of our 
pre-filing review, we have begun to contact some federal and state 
agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the 
preparation of the EIS.
    The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We 
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the 
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the 
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we have 
the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully 
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section beginning 
on page 7.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this Project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EIS.\3\ Agencies that would like to request 
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this 
notice. Currently, the Department of Energy has expressed its intention 
to participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS to 
satisfy its NEPA responsibilities related to these projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation 
with the Office of the State of Louisiana Cultural Development, which 
has been given the role of State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), 
and to solicit its views and those of other government agencies, 
interested Indian tribes, and the public on the Project's potential 
effects on historic properties.\4\ We will define the

[[Page 48147]]

project-specific Area of Potential Effects in consultation with the 
SHPO as the Project develops. On natural gas facility projects, the 
Area of Potential Effects at a minimum encompasses all areas subject to 
ground disturbance (examples include construction right-of-way, 
contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor stations, and access roads). 
Our EIS for the Project will document our findings on the impacts on 
historic properties and summarize the status of consultations under 
section 106.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations 
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register for Historic 
Places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified many issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the Project site and 
facilities and information provided by Cameron. The following 
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and 
our analysis:
     Potential impacts on perennial and intermittent 
waterbodies, including waterbodies with federal and/or state 
designations/protections;
     Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands 
and the development of appropriate mitigation;
     Potential impacts to fish and wildlife habitat, including 
potential impacts to federally and state-listed threatened and 
endangered species;
     Potential effects on prime farmland and erodable soils;
     Potential visual effects of the aboveground facilities on 
surrounding areas;
     Potential impacts and potential benefits of construction 
workforce on local housing, infrastructure, public services, and 
economy;
     Impacts on air quality and noise associated with 
construction and operation of the Project; and
     Public safety and hazards associated with the transport of 
natural gas and LNG.

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 your comments so 
that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before 
September 4, 2012. This is not your only public input opportunity; 
please refer to the Environmental Review Process flow chart in Appendix 
2.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference 
either or both Project docket numbers (PF12-12-000 and PF12-13-000) 
with your submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 
or [email protected].
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature located on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the 
link to Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for interested 
persons to submit brief, text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically using the eFiling 
feature located on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the 
link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you can provide comments 
in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your 
submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking 
on ``eRegister.'' You must select the type of filing you are making. If 
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select 
``Comment on a Filing''; or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 
20426.

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes 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. This list also 
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's 
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property 
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within 
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits 
comments on the Project. We will update the environmental mailing list 
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related 
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
planned Project.
    Copies of the completed draft EIS will be sent to the environmental 
mailing list for public review and comment. If you would prefer to 
receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD version or would 
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return the 
attached Information Request (Appendix 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Cameron files its applications with the Commission, you may 
want to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to the 
Commission's 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 the proceeding by filing a 
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in 
the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web 
site. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for 
intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission 
receives a formal application for the planned Project.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the Project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the 
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter one of the docket 
numbers (enter only one docket number per search), excluding the last 
three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF12-13). Be sure you 
have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact 
FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll free at (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 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 www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's 
calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along 
with other related information.
    Finally, Cameron has established an Internet Web site for the 
Project at http://cameron.sempralng.com/liquefaction.html. The Web site 
includes a description of the Project,

[[Page 48148]]

viewing locations for project materials and maps, frequently asked 
questions and responses, and links to related documents. You can also 
request additional information or provide comments directly to Cameron 
at (713) 298-5479.

    Dated: August 6, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-19777 Filed 8-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P