[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 221 (Monday, November 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68433-68436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-27053]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP13-483-000; Docket No. CP13-492-000]


Jordan Cove Energy Project LP; Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline LP; 
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Jordan Cove Liquefaction and Pacific Connector Pipeline 
Projects

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the projects proposed by Jordan Cove Energy Project LP (Jordan 
Cove) and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline LP (Pacific Connector) in the 
above-referenced dockets.\1\ We \2\ refer to the combined Jordan Cove 
and Pacific Connector facilities simply as the Project. The Project 
facilities would be located in Coos, Douglas, Jackson, and Klamath 
Counties, Oregon.
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    \1\ Jordan Cove filed its application with the FERC on May 21, 
2013 in Docket No. CP13-483-000, while Pacific Connector filed its 
application with the FERC on June 6, 2013 in Docket No. CP13-492-
000.
    \2\ The pronouns ``we,'' ``us,'' or ``our'' refer to the 
environmental staff of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    Jordan Cove requested Commission authority to construct and operate 
an LNG export terminal on Coos Bay, that would have the capacity to 
produce about six million metric tons per annum of LNG, using feed 
stock of about 0.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcd/f) of natural gas, 
for shipment to either Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or non-FTA nations 
around the Pacific Rim.\3\ Pacific Connector requested a certificate of 
public convenience and necessity from the FERC authorizing the 
construction and operation of a pipeline between the Malin Hub in 
Klamath County, Oregon and the Jordan Cove terminal on Coos Bay in Coos 
County, Oregon. The Pacific Connector pipeline would have the design 
capacity to transport a total about 1.07 Bcf/d of natural gas; with 
about 0.04 Bcf/d reserved for Northwest Pipeline Company's Grants Pass 
Lateral through the newly proposed Clark's Branch Delivery Meter 
Station in Douglas County, Oregon.
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    \3\ The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy issued 
an authorization on December 7, 2011 allowing Jordan Cove to export 
LNG to FTA nations in DOE/FE Order 3041, and authorization to export 
to non-FTA nations on March 24, 2014 in DOE/FE Order 3413. Shipment 
would be by other party LNG vessels.
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    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the

[[Page 68434]]

construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the Project would result in some 
limited adverse environmental impacts. However, if the Project is 
constructed and operated in accordance with applicable laws and 
regulations, and with implementation of Jordan Cove's and Pacific 
Connector's proposed mitigation measures, and the additional mitigation 
measures recommended in this EIS, environmental impacts would be 
substantially reduced.
    The United States (U.S.) Department of Agriculture, Forest Service 
(Forest Service); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Department of 
Energy; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security, Coast Guard; U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and Fish 
and Wildlife Service; and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation participated as 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the 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 cooperating agencies may adopt and use the EIS for 
their regulatory purposes, and to satisfy compliance with the NEPA and 
other related federal environmental laws and regulations. Although the 
cooperating agencies provided input to the conclusions and 
recommendations presented in the EIS, the agencies will present their 
own conclusions and recommendations in their respective Records of 
Decision for the Project.

Actions of the Forest Service, BLM, and Reclamation

    The BLM's identified purpose of and need for the proposed action is 
to respond to a Right-of-Way Grant application submitted by Pacific 
Connector on February 25, 2013. The Secretary of the Interior has 
delegated authority to the BLM to grant a Right-of-Way in response to 
the Pacific Connector application for natural gas transmission on 
federal lands under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. Before issuing the 
Right-of-Way Grant, the BLM must receive the written concurrence of the 
other surface managing federal agencies (i.e., Reclamation and Forest 
Service) in accordance with Title 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
Part 2882.3(i). In addition, there is a need for the BLM and the Forest 
Service to amend affected Land Management Plans (LMP) to make provision 
for the Pacific Connector pipeline. Although Reclamation has facilities 
that would be affected by the Pacific Connector pipeline, it has not 
identified any agency-specific actions for analysis in the draft EIS.
    For the Forest Service, pursuant to 36 CFR 219.17(b) (2012 Planning 
Rule as amended), the responsible official has elected to use the 
procedures of the 1982 planning regulation for the proposed amendments 
to the Rogue River, Umpqua, and Winema National Forest LMPs related to 
the Pacific Connector pipeline. Under the Forest Service planning 
regulations (36 CFR 219.10(f); 1982 Rule) there is a need for the 
Forest Service to determine the significance of the proposed 
amendments. The proposed amendments are specific to the Pacific 
Connector Pipeline Project.
    The following amendments have been proposed by the BLM and/or the 
Forest Service as part of the proposed action in FERC's draft EIS:

Amendment of BLM Coos Bay District, Roseburg District, Medford 
District, and Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District 
Resource Management Plans (RMP) and the Umpqua National Forest, Rogue 
River National Forest, and Winema National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plans (LRMP)

    BLM/FS-1--Applicable BLM and Forest Service LMPs would be amended 
to exempt certain known sites within the area of the proposed Pacific 
Connector pipeline from the Management Recommendations required by the 
2001 ``Record of Decision and Standards and Guidelines for Amendments 
to the Survey and Manage, Protection Buffer, and other Mitigation 
Measures Standards and Guidelines,'' as modified in July 2011.

Amendment of BLM Coos Bay District and Roseburg District RMPs

    BLM-1--The Coos Bay District and Roseburg District RMPs would be 
amended to waive the requirements to protect occupied, suitable, and 
potential habitat for the marbled murrelet (MAMU), as mapped by the BLM 
within the proposed Pacific Connector pipeline area. An estimated 75 
acres of occupied, suitable, or potential MAMU habitat within the 
proposed Pacific Connector pipeline area would potentially be affected 
by the amendment on the Roseburg District.

Amendments of BLM Roseburg District RMP

    BLM-2--The Roseburg District RMP would be amended to exempt the 
Pacific Connector Pipeline Project from the requirement to retain 
habitat in Known Owl Activity Centers at three locations.
    BLM-3--The Roseburg District RMP would be amended to change the 
designation of approximately 409 acres from the Matrix land allocation 
to the Late Successional Reserve (LSR) land allocation in Sections 32 
and 34, Township (T).29\1/2\ South (S), Range (R).7 West (W).; and 
Section 1, T.30S., R.7W., Willamette Meridian (W.M.) Oregon.

Amendment of BLM Coos Bay District RMP

    BLM-4--The Coos Bay District RMP would be amended to change the 
designation of approximately 387 acres from the Matrix land allocation 
to the LSR land allocation in Sections 19 and 29, T.28S., R.10W., W.M., 
Oregon.

Amendments of the Umpqua National Forest LRMP

    UNF-1--The Umpqua National Forest LRMP would be amended to change 
the Standards and Guidelines for Fisheries to allow the removal of 
effective shading vegetation where perennial streams would be crossed 
by the Pacific Connector pipeline corridor. This change would 
potentially affect an estimated three acres of shading vegetation at 
four perennial stream crossings in the East Fork of Cow Creek from 
pipeline mileposts (MP) 109.0 to 110.0 in Sections 16 and 21, T.32S., 
R.2W., W.M., Oregon.
    UNF-2--The Umpqua National Forest LRMP would be amended to change 
prescriptions C2-II and C2-IV and to allow the Pacific Connector 
pipeline corridor to cross Riparian Areas (i.e., Riparian Reserves) and 
run parallel to the East Fork of Cow Creek for approximately 0.1 mile 
between MPs 109.7 and 109.8 in Section 21, T.32S., R.2W.,W. M., Oregon. 
This change would potentially affect approximately one acre of Riparian 
Reserve along the East Fork of Cow Creek.
    UNF-3--The Umpqua National Forest LRMP would be amended to waive 
limitations on the area affected by detrimental soil conditions from 
displacement and compaction within the proposed Pacific Connector 
pipeline corridor. Standards and Guidelines for Soils requires that not 
more than 20 percent of the project area have detrimental compaction, 
displacement, or puddling after completion of a project.

[[Page 68435]]

    UNF-4--The Umpqua National Forest LRMP would be amended to change 
the designation of approximately 588 acres from the Matrix land 
allocation to the LSR 223 land allocation in Sections 7, 18, and 19, 
T.32S., R.2W., and Sections. 13 and 24, T.32S., R.3W., W.M., Oregon.

Amendments of the Rogue River National Forest LRMP

    RRNF-2--The Rogue River National Forest LRMP would be amended to 
change the Visual Quality Objective (VQO) in the area where the Pacific 
Connector pipeline corridor would cross Big Elk Road, at MP 161.4 in 
Section 16, T.37S., R.4E., W.M., Oregon, from Foreground Retention to 
Foreground Partial Retention and allow more time for the amended VQO to 
be attained.
    RRNF-3--The Rogue River National Forest LRMP would be amended to 
change the VQO in the vicinity of where the Pacific Connector pipeline 
corridor would cross the Pacific Crest Trail at MP 168.0 in Section 32, 
T.37S., R.5E.,W.M., Oregon, from Foreground Partial Retention to 
Modification and allow more time for the amended VQO to be attained.
    RRNF-4--The Rogue River National Forest LRMP would be amended to 
allow more time to meet the VQO along the Pacific Connector pipeline 
corridor between MPs 156.3 to 156.8 and 157.2 to 157.5 in Sections 11 
and 12, T.37S., R.3E., W.M., Oregon. Standards and Guidelines for 
Middleground Partial Retention require that VQOs for a given location 
be achieved within one year of completion of the project. Approximately 
0.8 mile or 9 acres of Middleground Partial Retention VQO visible at 
distances of 0.75 to 5 miles from State Highway 140 would be affected 
by this amendment.
    RRNF-5--The Rogue River National Forest LRMP would be amended to 
allow the Pacific Connector pipeline corridor to cross lands subject to 
the Restricted Riparian Management Strategy standards and guidelines. 
This would potentially affect approximately 2.5 acres associated with 
one perennial stream crossing of the South Fork of Little Butte Creek 
at MP 162.45 in Section 16, T.37S., R.4E.,W.M., Oregon.
    RRNF-6--The Rogue River National Forest LRMP would be amended to 
waive limitations on areas affected by detrimental soil conditions from 
displacement and compaction within the proposed Pacific Connector 
pipeline corridor in all affected Management Strategies.
    RRNR-7--The Rogue River National Forest LRMP would be amended to 
change the designation of approximately 512 acres from the Matrix land 
allocation to the LSR land allocation in Sections 32, T.36S., R.3E., 
W.M., Oregon.

Amendments of the Winema National Forest LRMP

    WNF-1--The Winema National Forest LRMP would be amended to change 
the Standards and Guidelines for Management Area 3 (MA-3) to allow for 
development of the Pacific Connector pipeline corridor in MA-3 from the 
Forest Boundary in Section 32, T.37S., R.5E., W.M., Oregon, to Clover 
Creek Road in Section 4, T.38S, R.5. E, W.M., Oregon. Standards and 
Guidelines for MA-3 state that it is currently an avoidance area for 
new utility corridors. This amendment would apply to a portion of the 
proposed Pacific Connector pipeline corridor that would be 
approximately 1.5 miles long and occupy approximately 17 acres.
    WNF-2--The Winema National Forest LRMP would be amended to allow 
more time to achieve the VQO where the Pacific Connector pipeline 
corridor would cross the Dead Indian Memorial Highway at MP 168.8 in 
Section 33, T.37S., R.5E., W. M., Oregon.
    WNF-3--The Winema National Forest LRMP would be amended to allow 
more time to meet the VQO for Scenic Management, Foreground Partial 
Retention, where the Pacific Connector pipeline corridor would be 
adjacent to Clover Creek Road from MPs 170.0 to 175.0 in Sections 2, 3, 
4, 11, and 12, T.38S., R.5E.,W.M., Oregon, and Sections 7 and 18, 
T.38S., R.6E., W.M., Oregon. This amendment would be applicable to 
approximately 50 acres of the proposed Pacific Connector pipeline 
corridor.
    WNF-4--The Winema National Forest LRMP would be amended to waive 
restrictions on detrimental soil conditions from displacement and 
compaction within the proposed Pacific Connector pipeline corridor in 
all affected management areas.
    WNF-5--The Winema National Forest LRMP would be amended to waive 
restrictions on detrimental soil conditions from displacement and 
compaction within the proposed Pacific Connector pipeline corridor 
within Management Area 8, Riparian Area (MA-8). This amendment would be 
applicable to approximately 0.5 mile or an estimated 9.6 acres of MA-8. 
Standards and Guidelines for Soil and Water within MA-8 require that 
not more than 10 percent of the total riparian zone in an activity area 
be in a detrimental soil condition upon the completion of a project.

Proposed Project Facilities

    The EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following major Project facilities:

Jordan Cove

     access channel, marine slip, and LNG vessel and tug boat 
berths;
     LNG loading platform and cryogenic transfer pipeline;
     two LNG storage tanks (each with a capacity of 160,000 
cubic meters);
     four liquefaction trains (each with a capacity of 1.5 
MMTPA);
     one-mile-long utility corridor and access road between the 
LNG terminal and the power plant;
     pipeline gas conditioning plant (consisting of two feed 
gas and dehydration trains with a combined throughput of 1.0 Bcf/d of 
natural gas); and
     420-megawatt South Dunes Power Plant.

Pacific Connector

     232-mile-long, 36-inch-in-diameter underground welded-
steel pipeline extending from the Klamath Compressor Station near 
Malin, Oregon to the Jordan Cove LNG terminal at Coos Bay;
     41,000-horsepower Klamath Compressor Station at milepost 
(MP) 228.1,\4\ in Klamath County, Oregon;
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    \4\ The total length of the pipeline does not match the MPs, 
which have been retained from the original route proposed for the 
LNG import project in Docket No. CP07-441-000. Where realignments 
have been adopted into the proposed route, the MPs are designated 
with an ``R.'' In addition, the MPs are reversed, numbered from west 
to east, again as a reflection of the original pipeline design. Now, 
in the LNG export project in Docket No. CP13-492-000, the natural 
gas would flow west from the Malin Hub to Coos Bay, with the Pacific 
Connector pipeline beginning at the Klamath Compressor Station at MP 
228.1 and terminating at the Jordan Cove Meter Station at MP 1.5R.
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     two receipt meter stations (Klamath-Beaver and Klamath-
Eagle) at the interconnections with the existing Gas Transmission 
Northwest and Ruby pipelines within the Klamath Compressor Station;
     Clarks Branch Delivery Meter Station at MP 71.5, in 
Douglas County, Oregon, at the interconnection with the existing 
Northwest Pipeline Grants Pass Lateral;
     Jordan Cove Delivery Meter Station at MP 1.5R, in Coos 
County, Oregon, at the interconnection with the Jordan Cove LNG 
terminal;
     17 mainline block valves located within the pipeline 
right-of-way or co-located at aboveground facilities;

[[Page 68436]]

     five pig \5\ launcher or receiver units, co-located with 
other aboveground facilities; and
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    \5\ A pig is an internal pipeline cleaning and inspection tool.
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     gas control communication system, including 11 radio 
towers co-located at other facilities.

Availability of the Draft EIS

    The FERC staff mailed copies of the draft EIS to federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental groups and regional non-government organizations; 
interested Indian tribes; potentially affected landowners; commenters; 
newspapers and libraries in the project area; and parties to the 
proceeding. Paper copy versions of this EIS were mailed to those 
specifically requesting them; all others received a compact disk 
version. In addition, the draft EIS is available for public viewing on 
the FERC's Web site (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.

Commenting on the Draft EIS

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure 
consideration of your comments on the Project in the final EIS, it is 
important that the Commission receive your comments on or before 
February 13, 2015.
    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 numbers (CP13-483-000 and CP13-492-000) 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]. Please carefully follow these instructions so that 
your comments are properly recorded.
    (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 submitting brief, 
text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically by 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.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project, 
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; 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.
    (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the 
Commission invites you to attend one of the public meetings its staff 
will conduct in the project area to receive comments on the draft EIS. 
We encourage interested groups and individuals to attend and present 
oral comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings will be 
available for review in eLibrary under the Project docket numbers. All 
meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. and are scheduled as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Date                               Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, December 8, 2014..........................  Southwest Oregon
                                                     Community College,
                                                     Hales Performing
                                                     Arts Center, 1988
                                                     Newmark Ave., Coos
                                                     Bay, OR 97420, 541-
                                                     888-7250.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014.........................  Umpqua Community
                                                     College, Lang
                                                     Center, 1140 Umpqua
                                                     College Rd.,
                                                     Roseburg, OR 97470,
                                                     541-440-4705.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014......................  Seven Feathers
                                                     Casino-Hotel &
                                                     Convention Center,
                                                     146 Chief Miwaleta
                                                     Ln., Canyonville,
                                                     OR 97417, 800-548-
                                                     8461 ext. 1218.
Thursday, December 11, 2014.......................  Central Medford High
                                                     School, 815 S.
                                                     Oakdale Ave.,
                                                     Medford, OR 97501,
                                                     541-842-3669, 541-
                                                     842-3680.
Friday, December 12, 2014.........................  Oregon Institute of
                                                     Technology, College
                                                     Union Auditorium,
                                                     3201 Campus Dr.,
                                                     Klamath Falls, OR
                                                     97601, 541-895-
                                                     1032.
Saturday, December 13, 2014.......................  Malin Community
                                                     Hall, 2307 Front
                                                     St., Malin, OR
                                                     97632, 541-723-
                                                     4141.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interventions

    Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a 
motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedures (18 CFR Part 385.214).\6\ Only intervenors have 
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. The 
Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental 
concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they 
have a clear and direct interest in these proceedings which no other 
party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments 
will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor 
status to have your comments considered.
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    \6\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing 
comments.
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Questions

    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., CP13-
483 and CP13-492). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. 
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnline 
[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 that 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: November 7, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-27053 Filed 11-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P