[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 174 (Friday, September 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45441-45442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19392]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP17-20-000; CP17-21-000; CP17-21-001; CP18-7-000]


Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review of the Port Arthur 
Liquefaction Project, the Texas Connector Project, and the Louisiana 
Connector Project: Port Arthur LNG, LLC; PALNG Common Facilities 
Company, LLC; Port Arthur Pipeline, LLC

    On November 29, 2016, Port Arthur LNG, LLC and PALNG Common 
Facilities Company, LLC (collectively referred to as PALNG) filed an 
application in Docket No. CP17-20-000 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, Port 
Arthur Pipeline, LLC (PAPL) filed an application in Docket No. CP17-21-
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 for its Texas Connector 
Project. On October 16, 2017, PAPL filed an application in Docket No. 
CP18-7-000, 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 for its Louisiana 
Connector Project. The combined projects, collectively referred to as 
the Port Arthur Liquefaction and Pipeline Projects (Projects), would 
provide gas and processing to produce up to 13.5 million tonnes per 
annum of LNG for export. On August 20, 2015, in Order No. 3698, the 
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, granted to Port 
Arthur LNG, LLC a long-term, multi-contract authorization to export LNG 
to Free Trade Agreement nations.
    On December 13, 2016, and October 30, 2017, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) issued its Notices of 
Application for the Projects. Among other things, these notices 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 Projects. This instant notice identifies the FERC staff's 
planned schedule for completion of the final EIS for the Projects, 
which is based on an issuance of the draft EIS in September 2018. The 
forecasted schedule for both the draft and final EIS is based upon 
PALNG and PAPL providing complete and timely responses to any future 
data requests. In addition, the schedule assumes that the cooperating 
agencies will provide input on their areas of responsibility on a 
timely basis.

Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of Notice of Availability of the final EIS--January 31, 2019
90-Day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline--May 1, 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 Projects' progress.

Project Description

    PALNG's proposed facilities consist of an export liquefaction 
termination that includes two LNG liquefaction trains, three LNG 
storage tanks, a refrigerant storage area and truck unloading 
facilities, a condensate storage area and truck loading facilities, a 
construction dock, a marine offloading facility, a pioneer dock, and 
two marine berths capable of accommodating two LNG carriers of up to 
266,000 cubic meters each. PALNG's proposed facilities would occupy 
approximately 898 acres of a 2,900-acre site on the western shore of 
the Port Arthur Canal, about 5 miles south of Port Arthur, Texas and 6 
miles north of Sabine, Texas.
    PAPL's Texas Connector Project would consist of 26.6 miles of 42-
inch-diameter pipeline entering the liquefaction facility from the 
north; 7.6 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline entering the liquefaction 
facility from the south; 4.7 miles of lateral pipelines; two compressor 
stations providing a total of approximately 31,600 horsepower of 
compression; six meter stations; eight pig launchers and receivers; and 
one mainline valve. These facilities would be located in in Jefferson 
and Orange Counties, Texas and Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
    PAPL's Louisiana Connector Project would consist of 130.8 miles of 
42-inch-diameter pipeline; 0.5 mile of lateral pipelines; one 
compressor station providing a total of approximately 89,900 horsepower 
of compression; nine meter stations; nine mainline valves; and four pig 
launchers/receivers in Jefferson and Orange Counties, Texas and 
Cameron, Calcasieu, Beauregard, Allen, Evangeline, and St. Landry 
Parishes, Louisiana.

Background

    On March 31, 2015, the Commission staff granted PALNG's and PAPL's 
requests to use the FERC's Pre-filing environmental review process for 
the Liquefaction and Texas Connector Projects. On June 24, 2015, the 
Commission issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Planned Port Arthur Liquefaction Project and Port 
Arthur Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 
and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting. On March 17, 2017, the Commission 
staff granted PAPL's request to use the FERC's Pre-filing environmental 
review process for the Louisiana Connector Project. On May 25, 2017, 
the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Planned Louisiana Connector Project, Request 
for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping 
Sessions.
    The two referenced Notices of Intent were issued during the 
respective pre-filing review of the Projects, and were 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

[[Page 45442]]

parties; and local libraries and newspapers. Major issues raised during 
scoping included wetland impacts and mitigation, and dredge material 
testing and beneficial reuse.
    The U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Department of Energy; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District; 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 Projects 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., CP17-20, CP17-21, or 
CP18-7), 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: August 31, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-19392 Filed 9-6-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P