[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38621-38624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16861]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF19-4-000]


Venture Global Delta LNG, LLC and Venture Global Delta Express, 
LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Planned Delta LNG and Delta Express Pipeline 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 Delta LNG and Delta 
Express Pipeline Project (Project) involving construction and operation 
of facilities by Venture Global Delta LNG, LLC and Venture Global Delta 
Express, LLC (collectively referred to as Delta LNG) in Plaquemines, 
Richland, Franklin, Catahoula, Concordia, Avoyelles, St. Landry, Pointe 
Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, Assumption, Lafourche, 
and Jefferson Parishes, Louisiana. The Commission will use this EIS in 
its decision-making process to determine whether the Project is in the 
public interest and public convenience and necessity.
    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 an 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 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 August 29, 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 comments received during the 
preparation of the EIS.
    If you sent comments on this Project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on April 30, 2019 you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. PF19-4-000 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 pipeline easement 
agreement. You are not required to enter into an agreement. However, if 
the Commission approves the pipeline, 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 document 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 document 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 
(PF19-4-000) 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 one of the public scoping

[[Page 38622]]

sessions its staff will conduct in the Project area, scheduled as 
follows:

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            Date and time                           Location
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Monday, August 12, 2019, 4:30-7:30     Belle Chasse High School, 8346
 p.m.                                   Highway 23, Belle Chasse, LA.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 4:30-7:30    Donaldsonville High School, 100
 p.m.                                   Tiger Drive, Donaldsonville, LA.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019, 4:30-7:30  Pointe Coupee Historical Society,
 p.m.                                   Poydras Center, 500 West Main
                                        Street, New Roads, LA.
Thursday, August 15, 2019, 4:30-7:30   Jack Hammons Community Center,
 p.m.                                   810 Adams Street, Winnsboro, LA.
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    The primary goal of these scoping sessions 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.
    Each scoping session is scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 
Central Time. You may arrive at any time after 4:30 p.m. There will not 
be a formal presentation by Commission staff when 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 7:30 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\
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    \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.
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    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 the last page of this notice 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 written comments mailed to the 
Commission and those submitted electronically are reviewed by staff 
with the same scrutiny and consideration as the verbal comments given 
at the public comment session. Therefore, you do not need to attend a 
meeting in order for your comments to be considered.
    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 
Delta LNG will also be present to answer Project-specific questions.
    Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; please 
refer to the review process flow chart in appendix 2.

Summary of the Planned Project

    The Project would involve the construction of a liquefied natural 
gas (LNG) export terminal in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana and two 
parallel, 42-inch-diameter pipelines in a single approximately 283-
mile-long right-of-way in 14 parishes in Louisiana. Domestically 
sourced natural gas would be transported by the Delta Express Pipeline 
to the Delta LNG terminal which would produce, store, and deliver up to 
24 million tons per annum of LNG to LNG carriers for export overseas. 
More specifically, the Project would include the following facilities:
     The Delta LNG export terminal, consisting of:
    [cir] Pretreatment facilities;
    [cir] a liquefaction plant with 18 integrated single-mixed 
refrigerant blocks and supporting facilities;
    [cir] four 200,000-cubic-meter aboveground full-containment LNG 
storage tanks;
    [cir] three LNG carrier loading docks within a common LNG carrier 
berthing area; and
    [cir] two 720-megawatt air-cooled electric power generation 
facilities;
     the Delta Express Pipeline, consisting of:
    [cir] Two approximately 283-mile-long, 42-inch-diameter pipelines 
beginning in Richland Parish and ending at the Delta LNG export 
terminal;
    [cir] 4 natural gas-fired compressor stations in Richland, 
Concordia, Pointe Coupee, and Lafourche Parishes;
    [cir] 16 mainline block valves;
    [cir] 4 pig launchers and receiver facilities; \2\
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    \2\ A pig is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into and 
pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, conducting 
internal inspections, or other purposes.
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    [cir] 2 metering and regulation stations; and
    [cir] other pipeline-related facilities (e.g., access roads, 
contractor and pipe yards).
    Delta LNG plans to construct the Project in two phases. Phase 1 at 
the LNG export terminal site would generally include one-half of the 
LNG processing and storage facilities, one-half of the electric power 
generation facilities, and two LNG carrier loading docks. Phase 1 of 
the Delta Express Pipeline would generally include one of the two 
planned natural gas transmission pipelines and all four planned 
compressor stations. Phase 2 of the Project would be based on market 
conditions and would include construction of the remaining facilities 
at the LNG export terminal, the second of the two planned natural gas 
transmission pipelines, and modifications to the four planned 
compressor stations. The EIS will disclose the environmental impacts of 
each phase of the Project as well as the total impacts of the Project 
at completion.
    The general location of the Project facilities is shown in appendix 
3.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction and operation of the planned LNG terminal facilities 
would disturb about 500 acres. Construction of the planned pipeline 
facilities, including aboveground facilities, would disturb about 6,000 
acres. Following construction of the pipeline facilities, Delta LNG 
would maintain about 2,744 acres for permanent operation of the 
pipeline Project; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to 
former uses.

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, fisheries, and wildlife;

[[Page 38623]]

     threatened and endangered species;
     cultural resources;
     land use;
     socioeconomics;
     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.
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    \3\ 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 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.
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    \4\ 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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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 tribes, and the public on the Project's potential 
effects on historic properties.\5\ The EIS for this Project will 
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and 
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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    \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.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    Commission staff have already identified several issues that 
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the planned 
facilities and the environmental information provided by Delta LNG. 
This preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and 
our analysis.
     impacts on wetlands including coastal marsh and forested 
wetlands;
     cumulative impacts on air quality, noise, wetlands, 
socioeconomic systems and other resources associated with construction 
and operation of the planned Delta LNG export terminal and the nearby 
proposed Plaquemines LNG export terminal and other large projects at 
various stages of planning in the region;
     LNG terminal site alternatives;
     Delta Express Pipeline route alternatives; and
     alternative construction methods and workspace 
configurations that would avoid or reduce impacts.

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 4).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Delta 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., PF19-
4). 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.

[[Page 38624]]

    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: July 30, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-16861 Filed 8-6-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P