[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3438-3440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02000]
[[Page 3438]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF18-8-000]
Pointe LNG, LLC and Pointe Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned
Pointe LNG Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and
Notice of Public Scoping Session
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
will discuss the environmental impacts of the Pointe LNG Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by Pointe
LNG, LLC and Pointe Pipeline Company, LLC (collectively Pointe LNG) in
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The Commission will use this EIS in its
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the
public interest.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies about issues regarding the project. The National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to take into account the
environmental impacts that could result from its action whenever it
considers the issuance of authorization. NEPA also requires the
Commission to discover concerns the public may have about proposals.
This process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on the important
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EIS. To ensure
that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please submit your
comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 7, 2019.
You can make a difference by submitting your specific comments or
concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid
or lessen environmental impacts. Your input will help the Commission
staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EIS.
Commission staff will consider all filed comments during the
preparation of the EIS.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on September 14, 2018, you will need to file
those comments in Docket No. PF18-8-000 to ensure they are considered
as part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable easement agreement. You
are not required to enter into an agreement. However, if the Commission
approves the project, that approval conveys with it the right of
eminent domain. Therefore, if you and the company do not reach an
easement agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation
proceedings in court. In such instances, compensation would be
determined by a judge 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 website (www.ferc.gov) at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/gas/gas.pdf. 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
The Commission offers a free service called eSubscription which
makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances and submittals
regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe. These instant
email notifications are the fastest way to receive notification and
provide a link to the document files which can reduce the amount of
time you spend researching proceedings. To sign up go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
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 staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 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, which is located on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to Documents and Filings. Using eComment 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, which is located on the Commission's website (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.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you
are making; a comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment
on a Filing''; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number
(PF18-8-000) 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 comments, the Commission invites you
to attend the public scoping session its staff will conduct in the
project area, scheduled as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date and time Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 19, 2019, Percy Griffin Community Center, 15577
5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Highway 15, Davant, Louisiana 70040,
(504) 934-6285.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The primary goal of the scoping session is to have you identify the
specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in
the EIS. 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.
The scoping session is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Central Time. You may arrive at any time after 5:00 p.m. There will not
be a formal presentation by Commission staff when
[[Page 3439]]
the session opens. If you wish to speak, the Commission staff will hand
out numbers in the order of your arrival. Comments will be taken until
8:00 p.m. However, if no additional numbers have been handed out and
all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to
do so, staff may conclude the session at 7:00 p.m. Please see appendix
1 for additional information on the session format and conduct.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your scoping comments will be recorded by a court reporter (with
FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the public
record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on
FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary).
If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal
comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 minutes may be
implemented for each commentor.
It is important to note that the Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally at a scoping session. Although there will not be a
formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the
scoping session to answer your questions about the environmental review
process. Representatives from Pointe LNG will also be present to answer
project-specific questions.
Summary of the Planned Project
Pointe LNG plans to construct a liquefied natural gas (LNG)
facility on the east bank (left descending bank) of the Mississippi
River near river mile 46 in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The site
covers an area of approximately 600 acres, with approximately 6,500
feet of frontage on the Mississippi River. Pointe LNG has acquired this
property under long-term leases with options to purchase. The Pointe
LNG Project would also include two gas supply pipeline laterals for a
total of approximately 6.6 miles of supply pipeline. The Project would
be developed to liquefy domestic natural gas for export to foreign
markets as LNG.
The Project would be sited, constructed and operated pursuant to
Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15 United States Code 717b). The
Project would consist of three liquefaction trains, with each train
having a capacity of 2.0 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA). The total
annual capacity of the Project would be approximately 6.0 MTPA. The
Pointe LNG Project would consist of the following facilities:
Natural gas pre-treatment systems;
a liquefaction facility;
a mixed refrigerant system;
a boil-off gas recovery system;
a propane refrigeration compressor;
a nitrogen system;
LNG storage;
LNG storage tank protection systems;
a marine loading terminal;
electric power generation; and
approximately 6.6 miles of 36-inch-diameter natural gas supply
laterals (the Northern and Southern Pipelines).
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
2.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
The LNG export terminal would be constructed on the 600 acre site,
of which approximately 195 acres would be developed with terminal
facilities and about 1,640 feet of river frontage would be used for
marine berth and loading facilities. The planned Northern and Southern
Pipelines would be 3.2 and 3.4 miles long, respectively. Pointe LNG
currently plans to use a 150-foot-wide or less construction right-of-
way to install the pipelines, and would maintain a permanent easement
of 50 feet centered on each pipeline. The remaining acreage would be
restored and would revert to former usage.
The EIS Process
The EIS will discuss 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 and wildlife;
threatened and endangered species;
cultural resources;
socioeconomics;
land use;
air quality and noise;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts.
Commission staff will also evaluate possible alternatives to the
planned project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Although no formal application has been filed, Commission staff
have already initiated a NEPA review 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 Commission receives an application. As part of the
pre-filing review, Commission staff will contact federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the
preparation of the EIS.
The EIS will present Commission staffs' independent analysis of the
issues. The draft EIS will be available in electronic format in the
public record through eLibrary \3\ and the Commission's website
(https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). If eSubscribed,
you will receive instant email notification when the draft EIS is
issued. The draft EIS will be issued for an allotted public comment
period. After the comment period on the draft EIS, Commission staff
will consider all timely comments and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure Commission staff have
the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section, beginning
on page 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With this notice, the Commission is asking agencies with
jurisdiction by law and/or special expertise with respect to the
environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate in
the preparation of the EIS.\4\ Agencies that would like to request
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this
notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consultation 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, the Commission is using this notice to initiate
consultation with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s),
and to solicit their views and those of other government agencies,
interested Indian
[[Page 3440]]
tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on historic
properties.\5\ Commission staff will define the project-specific Area
of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO(s) as the
project develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a
minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples
include construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards,
compressor stations, and access roads). The EIS for this project will
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, 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. Commission staff will update the environmental
mailing list as the analysis proceeds to ensure that Commission notices
related to this environmental review are sent to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the planned project.
A Notice of Availability of the draft EIS will be sent to the
environmental mailing list and will provide instructions to access the
electronic document on the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov). If you need
to make changes to your name/address, or if you would like to remove
your name from the mailing list, please return the attached ``Mailing
List Update Form'' (appendix 3).
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Pointe LNG files its application with the Commission, you may
want to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Only intervenors have the right to seek
rehearing of the Commission's decision 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 pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice
and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Motions to intervene are more fully
described at http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
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, after which the Commission will
issue a public notice that establishes an intervention deadline.
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 website (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number
in the ``Docket Number'' field, excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
PF18-8). 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 all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
Public sessions 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: February 5, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-02000 Filed 2-11-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P