[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 370-371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28321]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP17-117-000; CP17-118-000]


Driftwood LNG LLC and Driftwood Pipeline LLC; Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review of the Driftwood LNG Project

    On March 31, 2017, Driftwood LNG LLC (Driftwood LNG) filed an 
application in Docket No. CP17-117-

[[Page 371]]

000 requesting authorization pursuant to Section 3(a) of the Natural 
Gas Act (NGA) to construct and operate liquefied natural gas (LNG) 
export facilities. On the same day, Driftwood Pipeline, LLC (Driftwood 
Pipeline) filed an application in Docket No. CP17-118-000, requesting a 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to Section 
7(c) of the NGA to construct, operate, and maintain certain natural gas 
pipeline facilities. The combined projects, collectively referred to as 
the Driftwood LNG Project, would provide gas and processing to produce 
up to 26 million tonnes per annum of LNG for export.
    On April 11, 2017, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC 
or Commission) issued its Notice of Application for the project. Among 
other things, that notice alerted other agencies issuing federal 
authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and 
to reach a final decision on the request for a federal authorization 
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Driftwood LNG Project. 
This instant notice identifies the FERC staff's planned schedule for 
completion of the final EIS for the project, which is based on an 
issuance of the draft EIS in June 2018.

Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of Notice of Availability of the final EIS (October 12, 2018)
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline (January 10, 2019)
    If a schedule change becomes necessary for the final EIS, an 
additional notice will be provided so that the relevant agencies are 
kept informed of the project's progress.

Project Description

    Driftwood LNG's proposed facilities would include five LNG 
liquefaction plants, three LNG storage tanks, and three marine berths 
capable of accommodating LNG carriers of up to 216,000 cubic meters 
each. Driftwood LNG's proposed facilities would occupy approximately 
720 acres of an 800-acre site on the west bank of the Calcasieu River 
between river mile markers 22 and 23 in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. 
The Driftwood Pipeline would consist of: About 74 miles of 48-inch-
diameter pipeline, 10.6 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline, and 11.3 
miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline; one 3.4-mile-long, 30-inch-diameter 
lateral pipeline collocated with the main pipeline; three compressor 
stations providing a total of approximately 275,000 horsepower of 
compression; 15 meter stations; 6 pig launchers and receivers; and 17 
mainline valves. These facilities would be located in Calcasieu, 
Jefferson Davis, Acadia, and Evangeline Parishes, Louisiana.

Background

    On June 6, 2016, the Commission staff granted Driftwood LNG's and 
Driftwood Pipeline's request to use the FERC's Pre-filing environmental 
review process. On October 3, 2016, the Commission issued a Notice of 
Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned 
Driftwood LNG Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 
and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings (NOI) in Docket No. PF16-6-000. 
The NOI was issued during the pre-filing review of the project, and was 
sent to federal, state, and local government agencies; elected 
officials; affected landowners; environmental and public interest 
groups; Native American tribes and regional organizations; commentors 
and other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. Major 
issues raised during scoping include impact on landowners, vegetation 
and protected species, visual and noise resources, roadway and marine 
traffic, and safety.
    The U.S Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S Department of 
Transportation, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS.

Additional Information

    In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EIS and to 
keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, 
the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. 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.
    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-FERC or on the 
FERC website (www.ferc.gov). Using the eLibrary link, select General 
Search from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date range and Docket 
Number excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP17-117 or CP17-118), 
and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to eLibrary, 
the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or 
at [email protected]. The eLibrary link on the FERC website 
also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.

    Dated: December 22, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-28321 Filed 1-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P