[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 114 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27473-27476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12393]



[[Page 27473]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF17-4-000]


Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P., Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, 
L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Planned Jordan Cove LNG Terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline 
Projects, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Sessions

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the impacts of the planned Jordan Cove LNG Terminal and 
Pacific Connector Pipeline Projects (collectively referred to as the 
Project). The FERC is the lead federal agency for the preparation of 
the EIS. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Department of 
Energy (DOE), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation), U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service), and the Bonneville 
Power Administration (BPA) are Cooperating Agencies and can adopt the 
EIS for their respective purposes and permitting actions.
    Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P. (JCEP) plans to construct and 
operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, storage, and export 
facility in Coos County, Oregon. Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, L.P. 
(PCGP) plans to construct and operate an interstate natural gas 
transmission pipeline and associated facilities in Coos, Douglas, 
Jackson, and Klamath Counties, Oregon. The Commission will use this EIS 
in its decision-making process to determine whether the Jordan Cove LNG 
Terminal is in the public interest and the Pacific Connector Pipeline 
is in the public convenience and necessity. Other federal agencies may 
adopt the EIS when making their respective determinations or decisions.
    This notice announces the opening of the public comment period, 
commonly referred to as scoping. You can make a difference by providing 
your comments. Your comments should focus on potential environmental 
impacts, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen 
environmental impacts. This scoping opportunity is for the entire 
Project, including actions and proposed plan amendments of the 
Cooperating Agencies listed above. The Forest Service also seeks 
comments specific to the 2012 planning rule requirements at Sec. Sec.  
219.8 through 219.11 that are likely to be directly related to the 
proposed amendments. 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 July 10, 2017.
    If you submitted comments on this project before February 10, 2017, 
you will need to refile those comments in FERC Docket No. PF17-4-000 to 
ensure they are considered as part of this proceeding. If you sent 
comments on a previous iteration of this project, you will also need to 
refile those comments in FERC Docket No. PF17-4-000.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for the Project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this project and 
encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a PCGP company 
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the planned pipeline. 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.

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic 
filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist you by 
phone at (202) 502-8258 or via email at [email protected]. 
Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are 
properly recorded. If you include personal information along with your 
comments, please be aware that this information (address, phone number, 
and/or email address) would become publicly available in the 
Commission's eLibrary.
    (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. Be sure to include docket number PF17-4-000 with 
your submission: 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 the public scoping sessions its 
staff will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows:

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           Date and time                          Location
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Tuesday, June 27, 2017, 4:00 p.m.   Sunset Middle School, Library and
 to 7:00 p.m.                        Commons Rooms, 245 South Cammann
                                     Street, Coos Bay, OR 97420
Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 4:00      Umpqua Community College, Jackson
 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.                   Hall, Rooms 11 & 12, 1140 Umpqua
                                     College Road, Roseburg, OR 97470
Thursday, June 29, 2017, 4:00 p.m.  Oregon Institute of Technology,
 to 7:00 p.m.                        College Union Building, Mt. Bailey
                                     and Mt. Theilsen Rooms, 3201 Campus
                                     Drive, Klamath Falls, OR 97601
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    The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify 
the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be 
considered in the EIS to be prepared for this project. Individual 
verbal comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court 
reporter. This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of 
verbal comments in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted.
    Each scoping session is scheduled from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 
Pacific Daylight Time. There will be no formal presentation by 
Commission staff when the session opens. If you wish to provide 
comments, the Commission staff will issue numbers in the order of your 
arrival. Please see Appendix 2 \1\ for additional information on the 
session format and conduct expectations.
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    \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.
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    Your comments will be recorded by the court reporter (with FERC 
staff or representative present) and become part of the public record 
for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available through the 
FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary). 
If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal 
comments, a time limit of 5 minutes may be implemented for each 
commenter.
    Verbal comments hold the same weight as written or electronically 
submitted comments. Although there will not be a formal presentation, 
Commission staff will be available throughout the comment session to 
answer your questions about the environmental review process.
    The submission of timely and specific comments, whether submitted 
in writing or orally at a scoping session, can affect a reviewer's 
ability to participate in a subsequent administrative or judicial 
review of BLM and/or Forest Service decisions. Comments concerning BLM 
and Forest Service actions submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered; however such anonymous submittals would not provide the 
commenters with standing to participate in administrative or judicial 
review of BLM and Forest Service decisions.

Summary of the Planned Project

    JCEP plans to construct and operate an LNG export terminal on the 
North Spit of Coos Bay in Coos County, Oregon. The terminal would 
include gas inlet facilities, a metering station, a gas conditioning 
plant, five liquefaction trains and associated equipment, two full-
containment LNG storage tanks, an LNG transfer line, LNG ship loading 
facilities, a marine slip, a marine offloading facility, a new access 
channel between the Coos Bay Navigation Channel and the new marine 
slip, and enhancements to the existing Coos Bay Navigation Channel at 
four turns. In addition, the terminal would include emergency and 
hazard, electrical, security, control, and support systems, 
administrative buildings, and a temporary workforce housing facility. 
The LNG terminal would be designed to liquefy about 1.04 billion cubic 
feet per day of LNG for export to markets across the Pacific Rim.
    PCGP plans to construct and operate an approximately 235-mile-long, 
36-inch-diameter interstate natural gas transmission pipeline and 
associated aboveground facilities. The pipeline would originate near 
Malin in Klamath County, Oregon, traverse Douglas and Jackson Counties, 
and terminate (at the LNG Terminal) in Coos County, Oregon. The 
pipeline would be capable of transporting about 1.2 billion cubic feet 
per day of natural gas. The associated aboveground facilities would 
include the new Klamath Compressor Station (61,500 horsepower) near 
Malin, Oregon; 3 new meter stations; 5 new pig launchers and receivers; 
17 mainline block valves; and a gas control communication system.
    The general locations of the Project facilities are shown on maps 
included in Appendix 1. In addition, PCGP provides detailed mapping of 
its pipeline route on its Web page at http://pacificconnectorgp.com/project-overview/.

Land Requirements for Construction

    About 530 acres of land would be disturbed by construction of the 
LNG Terminal. JCEP owns about 300 acres of this land, and the remaining 
230 acres would be leased from private landowners. Following 
construction, about 170 acres would be retained for operation of the 
LNG terminal facilities.
    About 5,060 acres of land would be disturbed by construction of the 
Pacific Connector Pipeline Project. Following construction, a 50-foot-
wide easement, totaling about 1,415 acres, would be permanently 
maintained for operation of the pipeline. The majority of the remaining 
3,620 acres disturbed by pipeline construction would be restored and 
returned to previous use, while about 25 acres would be maintained for 
a new compressor station and other new aboveground facilities. Land 
ownership of the approximately 235 miles of permanent pipeline 
operational easement is approximately 162 miles private land, 40 miles 
BLM, 31 miles Forest Service, and 2 miles Reclamation.

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 under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act and pipeline 
facilities under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires 
the Commission to discover and address concerns the public may have 
about proposals. This process is commonly referred to as scoping. The 
main goal of the scoping process is to identify the important 
environmental issues the Commission's staff should focus on in the EIS. 
By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of 
issues to be addressed in the EIS. The FERC and the Cooperating 
Agencies will consider all filed comments during the preparation of the 
EIS.
    The EIS will discuss the 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 and wetlands;
     vegetation, fisheries, and wildlife;
     protected species;
     land use;
     socioeconomics;
     cultural resources;
     air quality and noise;
     public safety and reliability; and
     cumulative impacts.
    The FERC and the Cooperating Agencies will also evaluate reasonable 
alternatives to the planned project or portions thereof; and make 
recommendations on how to avoid or minimize impacts on the various 
resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed with FERC, FERC has 
already initiated a review of the project 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 the FERC receives an application. As part of its 
pre-filing review, FERC has begun to contact interested federal and 
state agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and 
the preparation of the EIS.
    As stated previously, the FERC will be the lead federal agency for 
the

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preparation of the EIS. The USACE, BLM, Reclamation, and Forest Service 
all have NEPA responsibilities related to their respective permitting 
actions, and can adopt the EIS for their own agency's purposes. The 
BLM, Reclamation, and Forest Service intend to adopt this EIS to 
evaluate the effects of the pipeline portion of the Project on lands 
and facilities managed by each respective agency, and to support 
decision-making regarding the issuance of and concurrence with the 
right-of-way grant and the associated plan amendments.\2\
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    \2\ BLM land management plans are called ``Resource Management 
Plans'' or RMPs. Forest Service land management plans are called 
``Land and Resource Management Plans'' or LRMPs. The term ``land 
management plan'' is generic and may apply to either an RMP or LRMP.
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    The EIS will present the FERC's and the Cooperating Agencies' 
independent analysis of the issues. The FERC will publish and 
distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the comment period, 
the FERC and the Cooperating Agencies will consider all timely comments 
and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To 
ensure the FERC and the Cooperating Agencies have the opportunity to 
consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the 
instructions in the Public Participation section.
    With this notice, the FERC is asking agencies with jurisdiction by 
law and/or special expertise with respect to 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 in the Public Participation section.
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    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 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, this notice initiates consultation with Oregon's 
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and solicits its views and 
those of other government agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the 
public on the Project's potential effects on historic properties.\4\ 
The project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) will be defined 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 LNG terminal site, pipeline 
construction work area, contractor/equipment storage yards, and access 
roads). The EIS for this Project will document the findings on the 
impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of 
consultations under section 106.
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    \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 of Historic 
Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The Commission's environmental staff has already identified several 
issues that merit attention based on a preliminary review of the 
planned facilities, the environmental information provided by the 
applicants, analysis conducted previously, and early comments filed 
with FERC. This preliminary list of issues may change based on your 
comments and further analysis. Preliminary issues include:
     Reliability and safety of LNG carrier traffic in Coos Bay, 
the LNG terminal, and natural gas pipeline;
     impacts on aquatic resources from dredging the LNG 
terminal access channel and slip, and from multiple pipeline crossings 
of surface waters;
     potential impacts on the LNG Terminal resulting from an 
earthquake or tsunami;
     impacts of pipeline construction on federally listed 
threatened and endangered species, including salmon, marbled murrelet, 
and northern spotted owl; and
     impacts of pipeline construction on private landowners, 
including use of eminent domain to obtain right-of-way.

Preliminary Planning Criteria Identified by the BLM

    The BLM Preliminary Planning Criteria for its proposed land 
management plan amendments include:
     Impacts to stand function for listed species, specifically 
northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet in BLM-managed Late 
Successional Reserves (LSR); and
     consent by the Federal surface managing agencies, Forest 
Service and Reclamation.

Preliminary Issues and Planning Criteria Identified by the Forest 
Service

    The Forest Service has identified preliminary issues for its 
proposed land and resource management plan (LRMP) amendments. The 
issues include:
     Effects of proposed amendments on Survey and Manage 
species and their habitat;
     effects of the proposed amendments on LSRs; and
     effects of the proposed amendments on Riparian Reserves, 
detrimental soil conditions, and Visual Quality Objectives.

Planning Rule Requirements for LRMP Amendments

    The Forest Service seeks public input on issues and planning rule 
requirements on proposed amendments of their Forest land management 
plans related to the Pacific Connector Pipeline Project. Additional 
information regarding the proposed amendments is included at the end of 
this NOI.

Proposed Actions of the BLM

    The purpose of and need for the proposed action by the BLM is to 
respond to a right-of-way grant application originally submitted by 
Pacific Connector L.P. to construct, operate, maintain, and eventually 
decommission a natural gas pipeline that crosses lands and facilities 
administered by the BLM, Reclamation, and Forest Service. In addition, 
there is a need for the BLM to consider amending affected District land 
management plans to make provision for the Pacific Connector right-of-
way. Additional detail on proposed actions by the BLM is provided at 
the end of this NOI.

Proposed Actions of the Forest Service

    The purpose of and need for the proposed action by the Forest 
Service is to consider amending affected National Forest land 
management plans to make provision for the Pacific Connector right-of-
way. The Responsible Official for amendment of Forest Service LRMPs is 
the Forest Supervisor of the Umpqua National Forest. If the Forest 
Service adopts the FERC EIS for the Pacific Connector Pipeline Project 
(in FERC Docket No. PF17-4-000), the Forest Supervisor of the Umpqua 
National Forest will make the following decisions and determinations:
     Decide whether to amend the LRMPs of the Umpqua, Rogue 
River, and Winema National Forests as proposed or as described in an 
alternative.
    Additional detail on proposed actions by the Forest Service is 
provided at the end of this NOI.

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

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interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also 
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's 
regulations), 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. The FERC 
will update the environmental mailing list as the analysis proceeds to 
ensure that the information related to this environmental review is 
sent to all individuals, organizations, and government entities 
interested in and/or potentially affected by the planned project.
    Copies of the 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 a compact disc or would like to 
remove your name from the mailing list, please return the attached 
Information Request (Appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once JCEP and PCGP file 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. Motions to intervene are more fully described at 
http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions 
for becoming an intervenor are in the ``Document-less Intervention 
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.

BLM Administrative Remedy Process

    Under the provisions of 43 CFR 1610.5-2, proposed decision(s) of 
the BLM to amend land management plans are subject to protest with the 
Director of the BLM following publication of the Final EIS. In 
accordance with 43 CFR, Part 4, the BLM's decision on the application 
for a right-of-way grant will be subject to appeal to the Interior 
Board of Land Appeals.

Administrative Review of Forest Service Decisions To Amend Land 
Management Plans

    The proposed Forest Service plan amendments are being developed in 
accordance with the planning regulations at 36 CFR 219 (2012). 
Decisions by the Forest Service to approve ``plan level'' amendments to 
Land Management Plans (proposed amendments UNF-4 and RRNF-7 in this 
Notice) are subject to the Pre-Decisional Administrative Review Process 
Regulations at 36 CFR 219 Subpart B. The term ``plan level'' refers to 
plan amendments that would apply to future management actions.
    Decisions by the Forest Service to approve ``project-specific'' 
plan amendments (proposed amendments UNF-1 thru 3, RRNF-2 thru 6, and 
WNF-1 thru 5 in this Notice) are subject to the Administrative Review 
Process of 36 CFR 218 Subpart A and B, in accordance with 36 CFR 219.59 
(b). The term ``project specific'' refers to amendments that would only 
apply to the proposed project and would not apply to any future 
management actions.
    The Forest Service concurrence to BLM to issue a right-of-way grant 
would not be a decision subject to the NEPA and, therefore, would not 
be subject to the Forest Service administrative review procedures.

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., PF17-
4). 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/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: June 9, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-12393 Filed 6-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P