[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 174 (Friday, September 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45436-45437]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19394]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP17-66-000; CP17-67-000]


Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review of the Venture Global 
Plaquemines LNG, LLC and Venture Global Gator Express, LLC Plaquemines 
LNG and Gator Express Pipeline Project

    On February 28, 2017, Venture Global Plaquemines LNG, LLC 
(Plaquemines LNG) filed an application in Docket No. CP17-66-000 
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, Venture Global Gator Express, LLC (Gator 
Express Pipeline) filed an application in Docket No. CP17-67-000, 
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. Combined, the proposed project is 
known as the Plaquemines LNG and Gator Express Pipeline Project 
(Project) and would provide gas and processing to produce up to 20.0 
million tonnes per annum of LNG for export. On July 21, 2016, in Order 
No. 3866, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, 
granted to Plaquemines LNG authorization to export LNG to Free Trade 
Agreement nations.
    On March 13, 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 Plaquemines LNG and Gator 
Express Pipeline Project. This

[[Page 45437]]

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 November 2018. The forecasted schedule for 
both the draft and final EIS is based upon Plaquemines LNG and Gator 
Express Pipeline 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--May 3, 2019
90-Day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline--August 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 Project's progress.

Project Description

    Plaquemines LNG plans to construct an LNG terminal on a 632-acre 
site on the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Gator 
Express Pipeline plans to construct two parallel 42-inch-diameter gas 
lateral pipelines totaling approximately 26.8 miles, also in 
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. These pipelines would connect the LNG 
terminal to the existing interstate natural gas grid. Each pipeline 
would have a nominal gas supply capability of 1.97 standard billion 
cubic feet per day. The Project would consist of a liquefaction plant, 
aboveground storage tanks, marine loading berthing docks, a utility 
dock, and air-cooled electric power generation facilities, in addition 
to the two lateral pipelines.

Background

    On July 2, 2015, the Commission staff granted Plaquemines LNG and 
Gator Express Pipeline's request to use the FERC's pre-filing 
environmental review process and assigned the Plaquemines LNG and Gator 
Express Pipeline Project Docket No. PF15-27-000. On October 5, 2015, 
the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Proposed Plaquemines LNG and Gator Express 
Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and 
Notice of Public Scoping Meetings (NOI). On September 14, 2016, the 
FERC sent a letter to potentially-affected landowners informing them of 
changes that Plaquemines LNG and Gator Express Pipeline had made to the 
planned pipelines since the initiation of the pre-filing process.
    The NOI and pipeline modification letter were issued during the 
pre-filing review of the Project in Docket No. PF15-27-000 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 potential impacts to the river floodway 
and the flood protection levee from terminal construction, construction 
and wetland fill in the Coastal Zone, saltwater intrusion from marsh 
pipeline construction, impacts on productivity of Barataria Bay 
estuary, greenhouse gas emissions from project operation, and noise and 
light pollution impacts on nearby sensitive areas.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department 
of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous 
Materials Safety Administration, 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., CP17-66 and CP17-67), 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. 2018-19394 Filed 9-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P