[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 207 (Friday, October 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60093-60095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23016]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket No. MARAD-2019-0011]


Deepwater Port License Application: SPOT Terminal Services LLC

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of availability; Notice of public meeting and request 
for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard 
(USCG) announce the availability of the Supplemental Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the SPOT Terminal Services 
LLC (SPOT) Deepwater port license application for the export of oil 
from the United States to nations abroad. A SDEIS was prepared to 
ensure meaningful engagement of identified Limited English Proficient 
(LEP) persons in the environmental impact review process. To provide 
the most current information developed through the environmental review 
process, the SDEIS responds to comments received on the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Additionally, MARAD and USCG 
announce a virtual public meeting for the SDEIS.

DATES: MARAD and USCG will hold one virtual public meeting in 
connection with the SPOT SDEIS. The virtual public meeting will be held 
remotely due to the nationwide impacts of the existing public health 
emergency under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act in 
response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Further, the 
President's declaration of a national emergency due to the COVID-19 
outbreak, and state and local actions in response to COVID-19, have 
impacted the public's ability to assemble and provide feedback on the 
SPOT deepwater port license application through in-person public 
meetings. The public meeting will be held virtually, on November 16, 
2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST). The 
public meeting may end later than the stated time, depending on the 
number of persons who wish to make a comment on the record. Anyone that 
is interested in attending the virtual public meeting or speaking 
during the virtual public meeting must register. Registration 
information is provided in the Virtual Public Meeting and Registration 
sections of this Notice. Additionally, materials submitted in response 
to this request for comments on the SDEIS must be submitted to the 
www.regulations.gov website or the Federal Docket Management Facility 
as detailed in the ADDRESSES section below no later than 45 days after 
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its notice of 
availability of the SDEIS for the SPOT Deepwater Port License 
Application in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: The SPOT Deepwater Port License Application, comments, 
supporting information and the SDEIS are available for viewing at the 
Regulations.gov website: http://www.regulations.gov under docket number 
MARAD-2019-0011. The Final EIS (FEIS), when published, will be 
announced and be available at the Regulations.gov website.
    The public docket for the SPOT Deepwater Port License Application 
is maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Management Facility, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Comments on the SDEIS may 
be submitted to this address and must include the docket number for 
this project, which is MARAD-2019-0011. The Federal Docket Management 
Facility's telephone number is 202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826, the fax 
number is 202-493-2251.
    We encourage you to submit comments electronically through the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If you submit 
your comments electronically, it is not necessary to also submit a hard 
copy by mail. If you cannot submit material using http://www.regulations.gov, please contact either Mr. Matthew Layman, USCG, or 
Dr. Efrain Lopez, MARAD, as listed in the following FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. This section provides 
alternate instructions for submitting written comments. Additionally, 
if you go to the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will 
be notified when comments are posted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Matthew Layman, U.S. Coast Guard,

[[Page 60094]]

telephone: 202-372-1421, email: [email protected], or Dr. 
Efrain Lopez, Maritime Administration, telephone: 202-366-9761, email: 
[email protected]. For questions regarding viewing the Docket, call 
Docket Operations, telephone: 202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Application that summarized the 
SPOT Deepwater Port License Application was published in the Federal 
Register on March 4, 2019 (84 FR 7413). A Notice of Intent to Prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Notice of Public Meetings 
was published in the Federal Register on March 7, 2019 (84 FR 8401). 
This Notice of Availability incorporates the aforementioned Federal 
Register Notices by reference. The application describes a project that 
would be located approximately 27.2 to 30.8 nautical miles off the 
coast of Brazoria County, Texas.
    Publication of this notice begins a 45-day comment period, requests 
public participation in the environmental impact review process, 
provides information on how to participate in the environmental impact 
review process, and announces a virtual public meeting.

Virtual Public Meeting

    The public meeting will be held virtually, on November 16, 2021, 
from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST). The virtual 
platform of choice is Zoom. We encourage you to visit the informational 
virtual open house website (www.SPOTNEPAProcess.com) and to attend the 
virtual public meeting to learn about, and comment on, the proposed 
SPOT deepwater port. You will have the opportunity to verbally submit 
comments during the virtual public meeting on the scope and 
significance of the issues related to the proposed deepwater port that 
should be addressed in the SDEIS.

Registration

    Speaker and attendee registration are available online at 
www.SPOTNEPAProcess.com. Speakers at the virtual public meeting will be 
recognized in the following order: elected officials, public agencies, 
individuals, or groups in the sign-up order and then anyone else who 
wishes to speak. In order to allow everyone a chance to speak at a 
virtual public meeting, we may limit speaker time, extend the meeting 
hours, or both. You must identify yourself and any organization you 
represent by name. Speakers' transcribed remarks will be included in 
the public docket. You may also submit written material for inclusion 
in the public docket. Written material must include the author's name. 
We ask attendees to respect the meeting procedures in order to ensure a 
constructive information-gathering session. The presiding officer will 
use his/her discretion to conduct the meeting in an orderly manner.
    Public meetings are intended to be accessible to all participants. 
Individuals who require special assistance such as sign language 
interpretation, non-English language translation services or other 
reasonable accommodations, please notify the USCG or MARAD (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 7 business days in advance of the 
virtual public meeting. Include your contact information as well as 
information about your specific needs.

Request for Comments

    We request public comment on this SDEIS. All comments will be 
accepted. The virtual public meeting is not the only opportunity you 
have to comment on the SPOT deepwater port license application. In 
addition to, or in place of, attending a virtual meeting, you may 
submit comments directly to the Federal Docket Management Facility 
during the public comment period (see DATES). We will consider all 
comments and material received during the 45-day public comment period.
    Public comment submissions should include:
     Docket number MARAD-2019-0011.
     Your name and address.
    Submit comments or material using only one of the following 
methods:
     Electronically (preferred for processing) to the Federal 
Docket Management System (FDMS) website: http://www.regulations.gov 
under docket number MARAD-2019-0011.
     By mail to the Federal Docket Management Facility (MARAD-
2019-0011), U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building, Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-
0001.
     By fax to the Federal Docket Management Facility at 202-
493-2251. Faxed, mailed or hand delivered submissions must be unbound, 
no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches and suitable for copying and 
electronic scanning. The format of electronic submissions should also 
be no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches. If you mail your submission and 
want to know when it reaches the Federal Docket Management Facility, 
please include a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.
    Regardless of the method used for submitting comments, all 
submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal Docket 
Management Facility website (http://www.regulations.gov) and will 
include any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting 
this information to the docket makes it public. You may wish to read 
the Privacy and Use Notice that is available on the Federal Docket 
Management Facility website and the Department of Transportation 
Privacy Act Notice that appeared in the Federal Register on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477), see Privacy Act. You may view docket submissions at 
the Federal Docket Management Facility or electronically on the Federal 
Docket Management Facility website.

Background

    On January 31, 2019, MARAD and USCG received a license application 
from SPOT for all Federal authorizations required for a license to 
construct, own, and operate a deepwater port for the export of oil. The 
proposed deepwater port would be located in Federal waters 
approximately 27.2 to 30.8 nautical miles off the coast of Brazoria 
County, Texas. Texas was designated as the Adjacent Coastal State for 
the SPOT license application.
    The Federal agencies involved held a public scoping meeting in 
connection with the evaluation of the SPOT license application. The 
public scoping meeting was held in Lake Jackson, Texas on March 20, 
2019. The transcript of the scoping meeting is included on the public 
docket located at https://www.regulations.gov/document/MARAD-2019-0011-0019. The Federal agencies also held a Draft EIS public comment meeting 
to receive comments on the Draft EIS. The public comment meeting was 
held in Lake Jackson, Texas on February 26, 2020. Publication of that 
notice began a 45-day public comment period, which began on February 7, 
2020 and ended on March 23, 2020. A second 30-day public comment period 
due to COVID began on May 1, 2021 and ended on May 31, 2021. The 
transcripts of the DEIS public comment meetings are also included on 
the public docket at https://www.regulations.gov/document/MARAD-2019-0011-0019-1192.
    The purpose of the SDEIS is to provide language translation for 
Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons in the Project vicinity. This 
action serves as required public engagement with Environmental Justice 
(EJ) communities and LEP persons. The SDEIS is currently available for 
public review at the Federal docket website:

[[Page 60095]]

www.regulations.gov under docket number MARAD-2019-0011.

Summary of the License Application

    SPOT is proposing to construct, own, and operate a deepwater port 
terminal in the Gulf of Mexico to export domestically produced crude 
oil. Use of the deepwater port would include the loading of various 
grades of crude oil at flow rates of up to 85,000 barrels per hour 
(bph). The SPOT deepwater port would allow for up to two (2) Very Large 
Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or other crude oil carriers to moor at single 
point mooring (SPM) buoys and connect with the deepwater port via 
floating connecting crude oil hoses and a floating vapor recovery hose. 
The maximum frequency of loading VLCCs or other crude oil carriers 
would be 2 million barrels per day, 365 days per year.
    The proposed SPOT Deepwater Port (DWP) would be located in Federal 
waters of the Gulf of Mexico, in Galveston Area Outer Continental Shelf 
lease blocks 463 and A-59, approximately 27.2 to 30.8 nautical miles 
off the coast of Brazoria County, Texas, in water depths of 
approximately 115 feet. Onshore components of the proposed Project 
would be located in both Brazoria and Harris counties.
    The overall project would consist of both onshore and offshore 
components. The onshore components would consist of:
     Modifications to the existing Enterprise Crude Houston 
(ECHO) Terminal, including four electric motor-driven mainline crude 
oil pumps, four electric motor-driven booster crude oil pumps, and one 
measurement skid to support delivery of crude oil to the proposed 
Oyster Creek Terminal;
     One 50.1-mile, 36-inch-diameter ECHO to Oyster Creek 
Pipeline;
     One pipeline interconnection from the existing Rancho II 
36-inch-diameter pipeline to the ECHO to Oyster Creek Pipeline (Rancho 
II Junction);
     A new Oyster Creek Terminal on approximately 140 acres of 
land, including six electric motor-driven mainline crude oil pumps with 
the capacity to push crude oil to the offshore pipelines at a rate of 
up to 85,000 bph, four electric motor-driven booster crude oil pumps, 
seven aboveground storage tanks (each with a capacity of 685,000 
barrels [600,000 barrels of working storage]) for a total onshore 
storage capacity of approximately 4.8 million barrels (4.2 million 
barrels working storage) of crude oil, metering equipment, two 
permanent and one portable vapor combustion units, and a firewater 
system;
     Two collocated 12.2-mile, 36-inch-diameter Oyster Creek to 
Shore Pipelines; and
     Ancillary facilities for the onshore pipelines, including 
ten mainline valves, of which six would be along the ECHO to Oyster 
Creek Pipeline and four along the Oyster Creek to Shore Pipelines, pig 
launchers for the ECHO to Oyster Creek Pipeline, and pig launchers and 
receivers for the Oyster Creek to Shore Pipelines.
    The offshore and marine components would consist of:
     Two collocated, bi-directional, 46.9-mile, 36-inch-
diameter crude oil offshore pipelines for crude oil delivery from the 
Oyster Creek Terminal to the platform;
     One fixed offshore platform with eight piles, four decks, 
and three vapor combustion units;
     Two SPM buoys to concurrently moor two VLCCs or other 
crude oil carriers with capacities between 120,000 and 320,000 
deadweight tonnage for loading up to 365 days per year, including 
floating crude oil and vapor recovery hoses;
     Four pipeline end manifolds (PLEMs)--two per SPM buoy--to 
provide the interconnection between the SPOT DWP and the SPM buoys;
     Four 0.66-nautical mile, 30-inch-diameter pipelines (two 
per PLEM) to deliver crude oil from the platform to the PLEMs;
     Four 0.66-nautical mile, 16-inch diameter vapor recovery 
pipelines (two per PLEM) to connect the VLCC or other crude oil carrier 
to the three vapor combustion units on the platform.
     Three service vessel moorings, located in the southwest 
corner of Galveston Area lease block 463; and
     An anchorage area in Galveston Area lease block A-59, 
which would not contain any infrastructure.
    The purpose of this notice is to announce the availability of the 
SDEIS that was prepared to ensure meaningful engagement of identified 
LEP persons in the environmental impact review process. Additionally, 
MARAD and USCG announce a virtual public meeting for the SDEIS.

Privacy Act

    Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or materials, 
all submissions will be posted, without change, to the http://www.regulations.gov website and will include any personal information 
you provide. Therefore, submitting this information to the docket makes 
it public. You may wish to read the Privacy and Security Notice and the 
User Notice that are available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2005/03/24/05-5823/establishment-of-a-new-system-of-records-notice-for-the-federal-docket-management-system. The Privacy Act notice 
regarding the Federal Docket Management System is available in the 
March 24, 2005 issue of the Federal Register (70 FR 15086).

(Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq., 49 CFR 1.93(h)).


    By Order of the Acting Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-23016 Filed 10-28-21; 8:45 am]
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