[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 214 (Wednesday, November 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70140-70141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24458]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP20-455-000]


Freeport LNG Development, L.P., FLNG Liquefaction, LLC, FLNG 
Liquefaction 2, LLC and FLNG Liquefaction 3, LLC; Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review of the Noble Gas Project

    On May 13, 2020, Freeport LNG Development, L.P., FLNG Liquefaction, 
LLC, FLNG Liquefaction 2, LLC, and FLNG Liquefaction 3, LLC (together 
referred to as Freeport LNG) filed an application in Docket No. CP20-
455-000 requesting authorization pursuant to Section 3 of the Natural 
Gas Act to construct and operate certain modifications to its 
Pretreatment Facility in Brazoria County, Texas. The proposed project 
is known as the Noble Gas Project (Project).
    On May 28, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission or FERC) issued its Notice of Application for the project. 
Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal 
authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and 
to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization 
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project. This instant notice 
identifies the FERC staff's planned schedule for the completion of the 
EA for the project.

Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of EA--December 18, 2020
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline--March 18, 2021

    If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice will be 
provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the 
project's progress.

Project Description

    Freeport LNG requests authorization to construct and operate 
modifications to Freeport LNG's existing Pretreatment Facility in 
Brazoria County, Texas, to allow for the extraction of helium from the 
existing compressed boil-off gas (BOG) pipeline. The Pretreatment 
Facility is part of the Freeport LNG

[[Page 70141]]

Terminal, and is located about 1.5 miles from the liquefaction 
facilities on Quintana Island. The modifications to the Pretreatment 
Facility include tie-ins to the BOG pipeline, a firewater system, and a 
nitrogen utility unit at the Pretreatment Facility. The project also 
requires a non-jurisdictional helium extraction and purification plant 
and associated electric supply tie-in.

Background

    On July 16, 2020, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Noble Gas Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues (NOI). The NOI was 
sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and local government 
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; 
Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries 
and newspapers. The Commission received no comments in response to the 
NOI. The U.S. Department of Transportation--Pipeline and Hazardous 
Materials Safety Administration is a cooperating agency in the 
preparation of the EA.

Additional Information

    In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to 
keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, 
the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. This can 
reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings by 
automatically providing you with notification of these filings, 
document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.
    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, select 
``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date 
range and ``Docket Number'' excluding the last three digits (i.e., 
CP20-455), and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to 
eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-
8659, or at [email protected]. The eLibrary link on the FERC 
website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by 
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.

    Dated: October 29, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-24458 Filed 11-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P