[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61633-61635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24296]



[[Page 61633]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF14-17-000]


Louisiana LNG Energy, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Mississippi River Lng 
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 discuss the environmental impacts of the Mississippi River 
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project (Project) involving construction 
and operation of a LNG facility by Louisiana LNG Energy, LLC (LLNGE) in 
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Under the proposed Project, LLNGE would 
construct, own, and operate a liquefaction terminal for the export of 
LNG. The terminal would include four liquefaction trains, each with a 
capacity of 74,380 cubic feet per day; two 100,000 cubic meter (m\3\) 
full containment LNG storage tanks; 1.9 miles of 24-inch-diameter 
pipeline; and 1.6 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline.
    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 November 3, 2014. The Commission 
will use this EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether 
the Project is in the public interest. Details on how to submit 
comments are in the Public Participation section of this notice.
    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 proposed 
Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    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:

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               Date and time                          Location
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October 23, 2014, 6:00 PM (CST)...........  Belle Chasse Auditorium,
                                             8398 Hwy. 23, Belle Chasse,
                                             LA 70037, (504) 208-1320.
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    This public meeting is designed to provide you with more detailed 
information and another opportunity to offer your comments on the 
Project. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the 
meeting and present comments on the issues they believe should be 
addressed in the EIS. A transcript of the meeting will be made so that 
your comments will be accurately recorded.
    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 proposed pipeline 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, the pipeline company 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 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 Proposed Project

    LLNGE plans to construct, own, and operate a liquefaction terminal 
in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana to enable it to liquefy natural gas 
for use along the lower Mississippi River and in offshore Louisiana 
bunker markets, as well as for export to foreign countries. The planned 
facility would have an export capacity of approximately two million 
metric tons per year (MTPY). The Project would use the planned 
facilities to liquefy domestic natural gas delivered via interconnects 
with an existing interstate natural gas pipeline. The LNG would be 
stored in onsite storage tanks before being loaded onto LNG carriers at 
the planned marine berthing and LNG transfer facilities. Construction 
of the Project is planned to begin in February 2016 and operations are 
planned to begin in the second quarter of 2018; however, LLNGE is 
considering a phased construction that would allow operations to 
commence in the second quarter of 2017. Phased construction would allow 
for operations to begin before construction of the storage tanks by 
transferring liquefied natural gas directly into a berthed LNG vessel. 
The Mississippi River LNG Project would include the following 
facilities:
     A natural gas liquefaction terminal located along the east 
bank of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana that 
would include:
    [ssquf] four liquefaction trains, each with a capacity of 74,380 
cubic feet per day;
    [ssquf] two 100,000 cubic meter (m\3\), full-containment LNG 
storage tanks;
    [ssquf] marine loading facilities capable of berthing one LNG 
carrier up to 175,000 m\3\, as well as LNG bunker barges;
    [ssquf] truck loading facilities capable of concurrently loading 
two trucks;
    [ssquf] a 180 megawatt on-site electrical power generation facility 
with 3 gas turbines; and
    [ssquf] ancillary gas treatment and liquefaction systems;
     1.9 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline, with an associated 
meter station, that would deliver gas from the High Point Gas 
Transmission (HPGT) interstate pipeline system to the proposed 
terminal;
     1.6-miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline, with an associated 
meter station, that would extend from the HPGT interconnection to the 
Gulf South Pipeline interstate pipeline system; and
     Construction of one new compressor station located within 
the terminal fenceline.
    A map depicting the general location of the Project facilities is 
included 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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Land Requirements for Construction

    The planned construction would impact a 200-acre site on the east 
bank of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, which 
would include the liquefaction trains, LNG storage tanks, marine and 
truck loading facilities, the electrical power station, and ancillary 
facilities. The full 200-acre site would be fenced and retained for 
operations of the planned Project. Construction of the two pipeline 
segments and associated meter stations would require approximately 42 
acres of land, 22 of which would be

[[Page 61634]]

permanently impacted during operations. LLNGE is still in the planning 
phase for the Project and requirements for construction workspaces, 
access roads, and pipe storage/contractor yards would be determined 
during engineering and design.

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 authorization of LNG 
facilities. 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 EIS on the important environmental issues. By this 
notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of the 
issues to address in the EIS. We will consider all filed comments 
during the preparation of the EIS.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the proposed Project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     water resources;
     wetlands and vegetation;
     fish and wildlife, including migratory birds;
     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 reasonable alternatives to the planned 
Project or portions of the Project, and make recommendations on how to 
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed by LLNGE, we have 
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 below.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of 
this Project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the 
EIS.\3\
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    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Sec.  1501.6.
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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 Louisiana Office of Historic Preservation (State Historic 
Preservation Office [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.\4\ We will 
define the Project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in 
consultation with the SHPO as the Project develops. On natural gas 
facility projects, the APE at a minimum encompasses all areas subject 
to ground disturbance (examples include the terminal plot, construction 
right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor stations, and 
access roads). Our EIS for this Project will document our findings on 
the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of 
consultations with the Louisiana Office of Historic Preservation under 
section 106.
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    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 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 of Historic 
Places.
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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 
November 3, 2014.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please 
reference the Project docket number (PF14-17-000) 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 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 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 
proposed Project.

[[Page 61635]]

    When we publish and distribute the EIS, 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 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once LLNGE 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 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 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 at 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., PF14-
17). 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 now 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.
    Finally, 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.

    Dated: October 3, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-24296 Filed 10-10-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P