[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27627-27629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12456]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP14-347-000, CP19-19-000]
Magnolia LNG, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Magnolia LNG Production
Capacity Amendment and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement
(supplemental EIS) that will discuss the potential environmental
impacts resulting from Magnolia LNG, LLC's (Magnolia LNG) proposal to
increase the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity at its
authorized LNG facility in Calcasieu, Louisiana from that previously
approved by the Commission in Docket No. CP14-347-000 (Magnolia LNG
Production Capacity Amendment). The Commission will use this
supplemental EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether
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Magnolia LNG's proposed amendment 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 amendment. 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 whether or not to authorize a project. 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 supplemental EIS on
the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission
requests public comments on the scope of issues to address in the
supplemental EIS. Please note that your comments should be specific to
the Production Capacity Amendment, which is described further below.
Comments relating only to non-related aspects of the already approved
Magnolia LNG Project will not be considered in the supplemental 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 July 8, 2019.
You can make a difference by submitting your specific comments or
concerns about the project amendment. 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
supplemental EIS.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project amendment. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
project amendment and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
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 three 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 amendment
docket number (CP19-19-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; a 45-
day public comment period will be established once the draft
supplemental EIS is issued.
Summary of the Proposed Project Amendment
Magnolia LNG requests authorization to increase the previously
authorized LNG production capacity of the Magnolia LNG Project (Docket
No. CP14-347-000) from 8 million tons per annum (MTPA) to 8.8 MTPA.
Magnolia LNG states that the increased LNG production capacity would be
realized through the optimization of its final design and would not
require any increase in the authorized feed gas rates. Magnolia LNG
does not propose any additional construction or new or modified
facilities already considered and approved in Docket No. CP14-347-000
(i.e., the approved LNG terminal site in Lake Charles, Calcasieu
Parish, Louisiana \1\.) Magnolia LNG also affirms that the annual
number of LNG takers (vessel traffic) would not change from that
already reviewed and approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
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\1\ The LNG terminal site location and staff's evaluation of the
original (approved) Magnolia LNG Project are in the Commission's
final EIS for the project, issued on November 13, 2015. That EIS is
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.
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The Supplemental EIS Process and Identified Issues
The supplemental EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a
result of the proposed increase in production capacity described above.
To date, we have identified potential environmental concerns related to
the proposed process conditions for LNG, anhydrous ammonia, and other
process fluids. As a result, Magnolia LNG indicated revised hazard
distances with increased offsite impacts. Therefore, associated hazard
mitigation, such as impoundment designs and other fire protection
systems need to be reevaluated as a result of the higher production
rate. There may also be revisions to air emissions and noise levels; if
so, these will be evaluated and discussed in the supplemental EIS.
Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the
proposed project amendment or portions of the project amendment, and
make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various
resource areas.
The supplemental EIS will present Commission staffs' independent
analysis of the issues. The draft supplemental EIS will be available in
electronic format in the public record through eLibrary \2\ 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 address your comments, please
carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section,
beginning on page 2.
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\2\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
last page of this notice.
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With this notice, the Commission is asking agencies with
jurisdiction by law
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and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of
this project amendment to formally cooperate in the preparation of the
supplemental EIS.\3\ 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. The
U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard will participate as
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the supplemental EIS.
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\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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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) for the original Magnolia LNG Project 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 (including the LNG terminal site), and anyone
who submits comments on the project amendment. 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 proposed project
amendment.
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).\4\
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\4\ The return mailer appendix referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register, but was sent to all those
receiving this notice in the mail.
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Additional Information
Additional information about the project amendment is available
from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or
on the FERC website at 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.,
CP19-19). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
[email protected] or (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: June 7, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-12456 Filed 6-12-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P