[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64195-64197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25080]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP14-517-001]


Golden Pass Terminal, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting 
Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Golden Pass LNG 
Export Variance Request No. 15 Amendment

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental document, that will discuss 
the environmental impacts of the Golden Pass LNG Export Variance 
Request No. 15 Amendment (Amendment), involving an increase to traffic 
volumes and work week and work hour limits by Golden Pass Terminal, LLC 
(Golden Pass), in Jefferson County, Texas. If authorized, the Amendment 
would increase the workforce numbers, amount of traffic volume, and 
work week/hour limits that were not reviewed during preparation of the 
final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Golden Pass LNG 
Export Project (Docket Nos. CP14-517-000 and CP14-518-000), which the 
Commission authorized on December 21, 2016. Golden Pass proposed 
Amendment would increase construction to 24-hour-day and 7 days a week 
at the Golden Pass LNG Export Terminal. The Commission will use this 
environmental document in its decision-making process to determine 
whether the project Amendment 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 regarding the Amendment. As part of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) review process, the Commission takes into account 
concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental 
impacts that could result from its action whenever it considers the 
issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. This 
gathering of public input is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal 
of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the environmental 
document on the important environmental issues. Additional information 
about the Commission's NEPA process is described below in the NEPA 
Process and Environmental Document section of this notice.
    By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the 
scope of issues to address in the environmental document. 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 December 10, 2021. Comments may be 
submitted in written form. Further details on how to submit comments 
are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
    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 environmental document. Commission 
staff will consider all written comments during the preparation of the 
environmental document.
    If you submitted comments on this project Amendment to the 
Commission before the opening of this docket on November 3, 2021, you 
will need to file those comments in Docket No. CP14-517-001 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 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

    There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the 
Commission. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your 
comments are properly recorded. The Commission encourages electronic 
filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 or [email protected].
    (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 FERC Online. 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 FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments 
in a variety of formats by attaching them as

[[Page 64196]]

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 Commission. Be sure to reference the project Amendment docket 
number (CP14-517-001) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. 
Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be 
addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Additionally, 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. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription.

Summary of the Proposed Project Amendment

    Golden Pass identified the need for an increased workforce at the 
Golden Pass LNG Export Terminal site. The final EIS for the Golden Pass 
LNG Export Project reviewed a peak construction workforce of 2,900 
employees; Golden Pass is requesting the authority to increase the 
potential peak workforce to 7700 workers per day. Golden Pass is also 
requesting the authority to increase traffic volumes to accommodate the 
additional workforce, and a 7-day-per-week, 24-hour-per-day, 
construction schedule for the remaining construction period at the 
terminal site; Golden Pass anticipates completing the Golden Pass LNG 
Export Project in 2025.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\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''. For instructions on 
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice. At 
this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's 
Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a National 
Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), 
issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact 
FERC at [email protected] or call toll free, (886) 208-3676 
or TTY (202) 502-8659.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    There are no revisions to land requirements for the Amendment.

NEPA Process and the Environmental Document

    Any environmental document issued by the Commission will discuss 
impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation 
of the proposed Amendment under the relevant general resource areas:
     Environmental Justice
     Air quality and noise; and
     Visual Resources.
    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. Your comments will help Commission staff identify and 
focus on the issues that might have an effect on the human environment 
and potentially eliminate others from further study and discussion in 
the environmental document.
    Following this scoping period, Commission staff will determine 
whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the EIS will present Commission 
staff's independent analysis of the issues. If Commission staff 
prepares an EA, a Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an 
Environmental Assessment will be issued. The EA may be issued for an 
allotted public comment period. The Commission would consider timely 
comments on the EA before making its decision regarding the proposed 
project Amendment. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of 
Intent to Prepare an EIS/Notice of Schedule will be issued, which will 
open up an additional comment period. Staff will then prepare a draft 
EIS which will be issued for public comment. Commission staff will 
consider all timely comments received during the comment period on the 
draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final 
EIS. Any EA or draft and final EIS will be available in electronic 
format in the public record through eLibrary \2\ and the Commission's 
natural gas environmental documents web page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents). If 
eSubscribed, you will receive instant email notification when the 
environmental document is issued.
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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 and/or special expertise with respect to the 
environmental issues of this project Amendment to formally cooperate in 
the preparation of the environmental document.\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.
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    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Section 1501.8.
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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 Amendment's 
potential effects on historic properties.\4\ The environmental document 
for this project Amendment will document findings on the impacts on 
historic properties and summarize the status of consultations under 
section 106.
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    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 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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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 Amendment and includes a mailing address with 
their comments. 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

[[Page 64197]]

potentially affected by the proposed project Amendment.
    If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would 
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please complete one of 
the following steps:
    (1) Send an email to [email protected] stating your 
request. You must include the docket number CP14-517-001 in your 
request. If you are requesting a change to your address, please be sure 
to include your name and the correct address. If you are requesting to 
delete your address from the mailing list, please include your name and 
address as it appeared on this notice. This email address is unable to 
accept comments.

OR

    (2) Return the attached ``Mailing List Update Form'' (appendix 2).

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. 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 https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events along with 
other related information.

    Dated: November 10, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-25080 Filed 11-16-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P