[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 177 (Thursday, September 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48133-48135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-19752]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF19-6-000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Planned Louisiana Connector Extension Project, Request for Comments 
on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions: Port 
Arthur Pipeline, LLC

    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 Louisiana Connector 
Extension Project involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Port Arthur Pipeline, LLC (PAPL) in Cameron, Calcasieu, Beauregard, 
Allen, Evangeline, St. Landry, Rapides, Grant, La Salle, Catahoula, 
Franklin, and Richland Parishes, Louisiana and in Jefferson and Orange 
Counties, Texas. The Commission will use this EIS in its decision-
making process to determine whether the project is in the 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 a Certificate of Public Convenience and 
Necessity. 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 
October 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 June 21, 2019, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. PF19-6-000 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'';

[[Page 48134]]

    (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 
(PF19-6-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, 
DC 20426; or
    (4) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you 
to attend the public scoping 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, September 23, 2019, 4:00-   Jack Hammons Community Center, 810
 7:00 p.m \1\.                       Adams Street, Winnsboro, LA, (318)
                                     439-0043.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019, 4:00-  Holiday Inn Lake Charles, Ballrooms
 7:00 p.m \1\.                       1, 2, & 3, 330 Arena Road, Sulphur,
                                     LA 70665, (337) 527-0858.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019,      Coushatta Casino, Resort, and Golf
 4:00-7:00 p.m \1\.                  Course, Veranda Room & Chairman's
                                     Board Room, 777 Koasati Drive,
                                     Kinder, LA 70648, (800) 584-7263.
Thursday, September 26, 2019, 4:00- Alexandria Convention Center,
 7:00 p.m \1\.                       Sapphire Room A&B, 2301 North
                                     MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, LA
                                     71301, (318) 619-3300.
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\1\ Please note that staff may conclude the session at 6:30 p.m. if all
  attendees planning to provide comments have done so.

    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 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 
Central. You may arrive at any time after 4:00 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 7:00 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 6:30 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 end 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 end 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 3 
to 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 PAPL will also be present to answer 
project-specific questions.
    Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; refer 
to the review process flow chart in appendix 2.

Summary of the Planned Project

    PAPL plans to construct and operate a natural gas infrastructure 
project (the Louisiana Connector Extension Project) in Louisiana and 
Texas. The project would provide about 2.5 billion standard cubic feet 
per day of natural gas to supply a previously approved natural gas 
liquefaction and export project in Jefferson County, Texas.\2\
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    \2\ This export project is referred to as the Port Arthur 
Liquefaction Project. It, along with the Port Arthur Texas Connector 
Project and Louisiana Connector Project, have been reviewed by FERC 
under Docket Nos. CP17-20-000, CP17-21-000, and CP18-7-000, and 
approved by the Commission in an Order dated April 18, 2019.
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    The Louisiana Connector Extension Project would consist of the 
following facilities:
     A new 166-mile-long, 48-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline 
in Allen, Evangeline, Rapides, Grant, La Salle, Catahoula, Franklin, 
and Richland Parishes, Louisiana;
     a new header system pipeline totaling 15 miles in length 
with various diameters of pipeline;
     two new compressor stations, one in Allen Parish and one 
in Richland Parish, Louisiana;
     up to eight new interconnects and meter stations in 
Beauregard and Richland Parishes, Louisiana;
     appurtenant underground and aboveground facilities; and
     expansion of the previously approved Louisiana Connector 
Project's pipeline diameter from 42 inches to 48 inches between 
mileposts 0 and 86 in Jefferson County, Texas and Cameron, Calcasieu, 
Beauregard, and Allen Parishes, Louisiana.
    The general location of the planned project facilities is shown in 
appendix 3.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned aboveground and pipeline facilities 
would disturb about 3,000 acres of land. Following construction, PAPL 
would maintain about 1,000 acres for permanent operation of the 
project's facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and 
revert to former uses. About 70 percent of the planned pipeline route 
parallels existing pipeline, utility, or road rights-of-way.

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;
     land use;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     socioeconomics;
     air quality and noise;
     endangered and threatened species;
     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

[[Page 48135]]

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 staff's 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 of this notice.
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    \3\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the end 
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 PAPL. This 
preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our 
analysis.
     Impacts on wetlands;
     construction in and potential impacts on aquatic resources 
in Sabine Lake;
     colocation with existing pipelines; and
     utilization of the same or similar rights-of-way as other 
proposed pipeline projects.

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 PAPL 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-
6). 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: September 5, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-19752 Filed 9-11-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P