[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 81 (Friday, April 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17824-17825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08380]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP16-480-000]


Annova LNG Common Infrastructure, LLC, Annova LNG Brownsville A, 
LLC, Annova LNG Brownsville B, LLC, Annova LNG Brownsville C, LLC; 
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Annova LNG Brownsville Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Annova LNG Brownsville Project (referred to as the Annova LNG 
Project, or Project). Annova LNG Common Infrastructure LLC, Annova LNG 
Brownsville A LLC, Annova LNG Brownsville B LLC, and Annova LNG 
Brownsville C, LLC (collectively referred to as Annova LNG) request 
authorization to site, construct, and operate liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) export facilities on the Brownsville Ship Channel in Cameron 
County, Texas. The Project would include a new LNG export terminal 
capable of producing up to 6.95 million metric tons per year of LNG for 
export. The LNG terminal would receive natural gas to the export 
facilities from a third party intrastate pipeline.
    The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 
staff concludes that approval of the Project would result in adverse 
environmental impacts. With the mitigation measures recommended in the 
EIS and Annova's proposed mitigation measures, most impacts in the 
Project area would be avoided or minimized and would not be 
significant. However, the Project would have significant construction 
noise impacts during the six months of nighttime pile-driving. In 
addition, the Annova LNG Project combined with other projects within 
the geographic scope, including the Texas LNG and Rio Grande LNG 
Projects, would contribute to potential significant cumulative impacts 
from construction noise during nighttime pile-driving, sediment/
turbidity and shoreline erosion within the Brownsville Ship Channel 
during operations from vessel transits; on the federally listed ocelot 
and jaguarundi from habitat loss in combination with past actions and 
potential for increased vehicular strikes during construction; on the 
federally listed aplomado falcon from habitat loss in combination with 
past actions; and on visual resources from the presence of aboveground 
structures. Construction and operation of the Project would result in 
mostly temporary or short-term environmental impacts; however, some 
long-term and permanent environmental impacts would occur.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Department 
of Transportation; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service; National Parks Service; the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service; Federal 
Aviation Administration; and U.S. Department of Energy participated as 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating 
agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to 
resources potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the 
NEPA analysis.
    The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following Project facilities:
     Pipeline meter station;
     natural gas pretreatment and liquefaction facilities;
     two LNG storage tanks;
     marine and LNG transfer facilities;
     control room, administration/maintenance building;
     site access road; and
     utilities (power, water, and communication systems).
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to 
federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; 
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native 
American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested 
individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the Project 
area. The final EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be 
viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the 
Environmental Documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). In addition, the final EIS may be accessed by using 
the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link 
(https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp), click on General 
Search, and enter the docket number in the Docket Number field, 
excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP16-480). 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.
    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. The eLibrary link 
also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription that 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

[[Page 17825]]

notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to 
the documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.

    Dated: April 19, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-08380 Filed 4-25-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P