[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 119 (Friday, June 20, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35345-35346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14465]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP12-509-000; CP12-29-000]


Freeport LNG Development, L.P., FLNG Liquefaction, LLC, FLNG 
Liquefaction 2, LLC, FLNG Liquefaction 3, LLC; Notice of Availability 
of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Phase II 
Modification and Liquefaction Projects

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the Freeport LNG Phase II Modification Project and the Liquefaction 
Project (Projects) proposed by Freeport LNG Development, L.P., FLNG 
Liquefaction LLC, FLNG Liquefaction 2, LLC, and FLNG Liquefaction 3, 
LLC (collectively referred to as Freeport LNG) in the above-referenced 
dockets. Freeport LNG requests authorization to export up to 13.2 
million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year from its proposed 
Liquefaction Plant and associated facilities in Brazoria County, Texas 
and modify its previously approved Phase II Project facilities within 
the Town of Quintana.
    The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Projects in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the Projects would have some adverse 
impacts; however, most of these impacts would be reduced to less than 
significant levels with the implementation of Freeport LNG's proposed 
mitigation and the additional measures recommended by the FERC staff in 
the final EIS.
    The United States Department of Energy (USDOE), United States 
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), United States Department of 
Transportation (USDOT), the United States Army Corps of Engineers 
(USACE), and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 
Fisheries participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of 
the final EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the 
proposal and participate in the NEPA analysis. The USACE, USEPA, and 
USDOE can adopt and use the EIS to support their respective permit 
decisions after an independent review of the document. The USDOT and 
NOAA Fisheries cooperated in the preparation of this final EIS because 
of their special expertise with respect to resources potentially 
affected by the proposal. Although the cooperating agencies provided 
input on the conclusions and recommendations presented in the final 
EIS, the agencies will present their own conclusions and 
recommendations in their respective Records of Decision or other 
determinations for the Projects.
    The proposed Phase II Modification Project includes modification to 
the previously authorized, but not constructed, LNG vessel berthing 
dock, LNG transfer pipelines, LNG unloading arms; and the access road 
system. In addition, Freeport LNG would either eliminate or modify 
components of the previously authorized facility.
    The Liquefaction Project consists of multiple components, including 
facilities at and adjacent to the existing Quintana Island terminal and 
facilities located beyond Quintana Island. The Liquefaction Plant, 
located at and adjacent to the existing Quintana Island terminal, would 
consist of three propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant liquefaction 
trains, each capable of producing a nominal 4.4 million metric tons per 
annum of LNG for export, which equates to a total liquefaction capacity 
of approximately 1.8 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas.
    To support the Liquefaction Plant, Freeport LNG proposes to 
construct a natural gas Pretreatment Plant located about 2.5 miles 
north of the existing Quintana Island terminal. The Pretreatment Plant 
would process the gas for liquefaction. In addition several 
interconnecting pipelines and utility lines including a five-mile-long, 
12-inch-diameter boil-off gas feed pipeline from the Quintana Island 
terminal to the Pretreatment Plant (referred together as the Pipeline/
Utility Line System). The Liquefaction Plant, the Pretreatment Plant, 
and the Pipeline/Utility Line System, together with the associated 
appurtenant structures, are collectively referred to as the 
Liquefaction Project.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the EIS to federal, state, and 
local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; 
potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and 
groups; newspapers and libraries in the project area; and parties to 
this proceeding. Paper copy versions of this EIS were mailed to those 
specifically requesting them; all others received a CD version. In 
addition, the EIS is available for public viewing on the FERC's Web 
site

[[Page 35346]]

(www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies are 
available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., 
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    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., CP12-
509, CP12-29). 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; 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/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.

    Dated: June 16, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-14465 Filed 6-19-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P