[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 189 (Friday, September 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59601-59603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23933]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF12-16-000]


Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Planned Cove Point Liquefaction 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, Notice of On-
Site Environmental Review, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

    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 Cove Point Liquefaction 
Project (Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP (Dominion) in Maryland and Virginia. This 
EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to 
determine whether the construction and operation of the proposed 
facilities is in the public convenience and necessity.
    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 during the scoping process will 
help the Commission staff determine what issues need to be evaluated in 
the EA. The Commission staff will also use the scoping process to help 
determine whether preparation of an environmental impact statement is 
more appropriate for this Project based upon the potential significance 
of the anticipated levels of impact. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on October 24, 2012. This is not your only public 
input opportunity; please refer to the Environmental Review Process 
flow chart in Appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of 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.
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    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to 
sending written comments, you are invited to attend the public scoping 
meetings listed below.

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             Date and time                           Location
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Tuesday, October 9, 2012 7:00 p.m.       Patuxent High School
 Eastern.                                 Auditorium, 12485 Southern
                                          Connector Boulevard, Lusby, MD
                                          20657, (410) 535-7865.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 7:00 p.m.    Creighton's Corner Elementary
 Eastern.                                 School, Multi-Purpose Room,
                                          23171 Minerva Drive, Ashburn,
                                          VA 20148, (703) 957-4480.
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    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this Project. State and local government officials are 
asked to notify their constituents of this planned Project and 
encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.

On-Site Environmental Review

    In addition to the public scoping meetings noticed above, the FERC 
staff will conduct an on-site review of environmental issues associated 
with the potential addition of compression at two existing compressor 
stations in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, Virginia. You are invited to 
attend the on-site environmental review at the location listed below.

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             Date and time                           Location
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012 1:00 p.m.    Greene Mill Preserve Community
 Eastern.                                 Center, 41080 Solti Way,
                                          Leesburg, VA 20175.
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Involvement of the U.S. Department of Energy

    The FERC is the lead federal agency in preparing the EA to satisfy 
the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The 
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy (DOE) has agreed to 
participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA to 
satisfy its NEPA responsibilities.
    Under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act of 1938, as amended (NGA), 
15 USC 717b, DOE would authorize the export of natural gas, including 
liquefied natural gas (LNG), to countries with which the United States 
has not entered into a free trade agreement providing for national 
treatment for trade in natural gas, unless it finds that the proposed 
export will not be consistent with the public interest. For the 
Project, the purpose and need for DOE action is to respond to 
Dominion's application filed with DOE on October 3, 2011 (FE Docket No. 
11-128-LNG) seeking authorization to export domestic natural gas as LNG 
for a 25-year period commencing the earlier of the date of first export 
or six years from the date that the requested authorization is issued. 
DOE authorization of Dominion's application would allow the export of 
LNG to any country with the capacity to import LNG and with which trade 
is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy.

Summary of the Planned Project Before FERC

    Dominion plans to add natural gas liquefaction and exportation 
capabilities to its existing Cove Point LNG Terminal located on the 
Chesapeake Bay in Lusby, Maryland. The liquefaction facilities would 
consist of new natural gas-fired turbines to drive the main refrigerant 
compressors, one or two LNG drive trains, and associated new and 
modified processing facilities. The Project would be capable of 
processing an average of 750 million standard cubic feet of natural gas 
per day for a nominal LNG train capacity of approximately 4.5

[[Page 59602]]

to 5 million tons per annum. As discussed below, all of the proposed 
liquefaction facilities would be located within the fenced, operating 
industrial area of the existing LNG terminal. Work at the LNG terminal 
would also include additional on-site power generation and minor 
modifications to the existing off-shore pier. The Project would not 
include new LNG storage tanks or an increase in the size and/or 
frequency of LNG marine traffic currently authorized for the Cove Point 
LNG Terminal.
    To support construction of the liquefaction facilities, Dominion 
would utilize two nearby properties, referred to as Offsite Area A and 
Offsite Area B. Dominion is also considering relocating its 
administrative functions, currently located at the Cove Point LNG 
Terminal, to a nearby business park referred to as the Interrelated 
Area. The need to relocate the administrative functions and the 
location of the new administrative building within the business park 
remain under evaluation by Dominion.
    The Cove Point Liquefaction Project would also include installing 
approximately 29,000 to 34,000 total horsepower of additional 
compression at its existing Loudoun Compressor Station in Loudoun 
County, Virginia and/or its existing Pleasant Valley Compressor Station 
in Fairfax County, Virginia. The amount and location of the additional 
compression would be based on customer requirements, which are being 
finalized.
    Dominion plans to begin construction at the Cove Point LNG Terminal 
in March 2014, with compressor station expansion proposed to begin in 
March, 2016.
    A map depicting the general location of the Project facilities and 
a detailed drawing depicting proposed activities near the Cove Point 
LNG Terminal are included in Appendix 2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Dominion is still in the planning phase for the Project and 
workspace requirements have not been finalized at this time. Excluding 
a conveyance to Calvert County Parks, the Cove Point LNG Terminal 
property encompasses approximately 925 acres, but Dominion would 
construct and operate the proposed liquefaction facilities on 40 to 60 
acres within the fenceline of the 130-acre operating industrial area. 
Construction of the liquefaction facilities would also require the 
temporary use of 100 to 200 acres of land at Offsite Areas A and B, and 
construction of a new administration building would impact 
approximately 5 acres within the Interrelated Area. Construction at the 
existing Loudoun and/or Pleasant Valley Compressor Station sites would 
disturb up to approximately 40 acres of land within Dominion's property 
lines at each facility. In addition, Dominion would utilize up to 
approximately 75 acres of land at its nearby Leesburg Compressor 
Station to support construction at the Loudoun Compressor Station, if 
required.

The EA Process

    The 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. 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 the analysis 
in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the 
Commission requests public comments on the scope of the issues to 
address in the EA. All comments received will be considered during the 
preparation of the EA.
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    \2\ ``Us,'' ``we,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned Project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Vegetation, wildlife, and endangered and threatened 
species;
     Socioeconomics;
     Cultural resources;
     Land use and cumulative impacts;
     Air quality and noise; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the planned 
Project or portions of the Project, including the no action 
alternative, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts 
on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's Pre-filing Process. 
The purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an 
application is filed with the FERC. 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 EA. 
In addition, representatives from FERC participated in the public open 
houses sponsored by Dominion in the Project area in July, 2012 to 
explain the environmental review process to interested stakeholders.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
If the Commission staff determines the preparation of an EA is 
appropriate, the EA will be placed in the public record and be 
published and distributed to the public. A comment period will be 
allotted when the EA is noticed. 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 beginning on page 6.
    With this notice, we are asking 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. 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 DOE has expressed its intention to participate as a 
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA to satisfy its NEPA 
responsibilities related to this Project.

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 applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), and to 
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested 
Indian tribes, and the public on the Project's potential effects on 
historic properties.\3\ We will define the Project-specific Area of 
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the Project 
is further developed. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a 
minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples 
include construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, 
compressor stations,

[[Page 59603]]

and access roads). Our EA for this Project will document our findings 
on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of 
consultations under section 106.
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    \3\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. 
Historic properties are defined in those regulations as any 
prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or 
object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National 
Register for Historic Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities, the 
environmental information provided by Dominion, and comments received 
by the public. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on 
your comments and our analysis:
     Construction and operational impacts on nearby residences 
in proximity to the existing LNG terminal and compressor stations;
     Impacts on forested land;
     Impacts on air quality and noise;
     Impacts on threatened and endangered species; and
     Public safety.

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 they will be received in Washington, DC on or before October 24, 
2012.
    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
Project docket number (PF12-16-000) with your submission. The 
Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert 
eFiling staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or 
[email protected].
    1. You can file your comments electronically by using the eComment 
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at 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 by using the eFiling 
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at 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'';
    3. You can attend and provide either oral or written comments at a 
public scoping meeting. A transcript of each meeting will be made so 
that your comments will be accurately recorded and included in the 
public record; or
    4. 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.
    When an EA is published for distribution, copies 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 Dominion files its application 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 
included 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 a 
formal application for the Project is filed with the Commission.

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 the docket number, 
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF12-
16). 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 
text 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, Dominion has established a Web site for this Project at 
https://www.dom.com/business/gas-transmission/cove-point/liquefaction.jsp. The Web site includes a Project overview, 
environmental information, and information for affected stakeholders.

    Dated: September 24, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-23933 Filed 9-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P