[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 174 (Friday, September 9, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55415-55418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19474]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP22-17-000]


Rio Grande LNG, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments 
on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Carbon Capture and 
Sequestration System Amendment, and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss 
the environmental impacts of the Carbon Capture and Sequestration 
System Amendment (CCS System Amendment) involving construction and 
operation of facilities by Rio Grande LNG, LLC (Rio Grande) in Cameron 
County, Texas. Rio Grande's CCS System Amendment was filed under 
section 3 of the Natural Gas Act as an amendment to its November 22, 
2019 Authorization order for the Rio Grande LNG Terminal.\1\ The 
Commission will use this environmental document in its decision-making 
process to determine whether the CCS System Amendment is consistent 
with the public interest.
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    \1\ Rio Grande LNG, LLC, 169 FERC ] 61,131 (2019), order on 
reh'g, 170 FERC ] 61,046 (2020).
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    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies regarding the project 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 an authorization under Section 3 of the 
Natural Gas Act. 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.

[[Page 55416]]

    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 Monday, October 3, 2022. Comments may 
be submitted in written or oral 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 or oral 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 17, 2021, you 
will need to file those comments in Docket No. CP22-17-000 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 amendment. State and local government 
representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents of this 
proposed project amendment and encourage them to comment on their areas 
of concern.

Public Participation

    There are four 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 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'';
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP22-
17-000) 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, MD 20852.
    (4) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you 
to attend one of 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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Tuesday, September 27, 2022............
    Session 1: 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.      Port Isabel Event and Cultural
    Session 2: 5:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.        Center, 309 E Railroad Avenue,
     (local time).                        Port Isabel, TX 78578, 956-943-
                                          0720.
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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 environmental document. Individual oral comments will 
be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter. This format is 
designed to receive the maximum amount of oral comments in a convenient 
way during the timeframe allotted. Spanish-English translation services 
will be provided.
    Scoping sessions are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 
from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central time. Entrance into the facility 
will begin at the start time of each meeting. There will not be a 
formal or opening presentation by Commission staff for either session. 
If you wish to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the 
order of your arrival. Please see appendix 1 for additional information 
on the session format and conduct.\2\
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    \2\ 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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    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 oral comments in the one-on-one settings, a 
time limit of 3 minutes may be implemented for each commentor. 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.
    It is important to note that the Commission provides equal 
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form 
or provided orally at a scoping session.
    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

    Rio Grande proposes to construct and operate a carbon capture and 
sequestration system (CCS System) for incorporation into the design of 
its Rio Grande LNG Terminal Project that was previously approved by the 
Commission in Docket No. CP16-454-000. According to Rio Grande, the 
proposed CCS System Amendment would enable Rio Grande to capture a 
minimum of 90 percent of the carbon dioxide produced at the Rio Grande 
LNG Terminal, which

[[Page 55417]]

would then be transported via a proposed pipeline (which would not be 
under FERC jurisdiction) to a nearby underground geologic formation for 
sequestration. This pipeline and sequestration of carbon dioxide in the 
geologic formation would require permits from the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and relevant Texas agencies via EPA's 
underground injection control Class VI permitting regime for geologic 
sequestration.
    The CCS System Amendment would consist of the following facility 
modifications, components, and equipment at the approved but as yet 
unbuilt Rio Grande LNG Terminal:
     a post-combustion capture system for the exhaust flue gas 
of the Rio Grande LNG Terminal's main refrigerant gas turbine 
compressors;
     the re-routing of the Rio Grande LNG Terminal's acid gas 
removal unit vent stream from a thermal oxidizer to a sequestration 
compressor;
     the addition of a sequestration compressor to the combined 
gas streams from the post-combustion capture system and acid gas 
removal unit to meet an interface with a carbon dioxide sequestration 
pipeline;
     modifications to the Rio Grande LNG Terminal utility 
design to accommodate CCS System equipment, such as various heat 
exchangers, pumps, compressors, blowers, tanks, filters, and similar 
equipment; and
     a hot oil system, including a waste heat recovery unit and 
distribution components.
    In addition, the CCS System Amendment would consist of a carbon 
sequestration pipeline, which would extend from the Rio Grande LNG 
Terminal site to a geologic sequestration formation. The location of 
the Rio Grande LNG Terminal site, where the FERC-jurisdictional CCS 
System Amendment facilities are proposed, is shown in appendix 2. 
Although Rio Grande has not yet determined the location of the specific 
geological formation it would use, or the exact length and location of 
the sequestration pipeline, Rio Grande has indicated that it may co-
locate the proposed CCS System pipeline along a portion of Rio Bravo 
Pipeline route (shown on the map in appendix 2), which was authorized 
in Docket No. CP16-455-000.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed CCS System Amendment facilities would 
disturb areas within the previously authorized Rio Grande LNG Terminal 
boundary, but would not result in new land requirements beyond that 
required for construction of the LNG Terminal (Docket No. CP16-454-
000). Rio Grande states that it has not finalized the planned non-
jurisdictional CCS System pipeline and the associated land requirements 
along the planned the pipeline's route. FERC staff's environmental 
document will include the most current information about the planned 
non-jurisdictional pipeline based on publicly available information. 
Following construction, Rio Grande would not require any additional 
acreage for permanent operation of the FERC-jurisdictional CCS System 
Amendment facilities.

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 project amendment under the relevant general resource 
areas:
     geology and soils;
     water resources and wetlands;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     threatened and endangered species;
     cultural resources;
     land use;
     socioeconomics and environmental justice;
     air quality and noise;
     reliability and safety; and
     cumulative impacts.
    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. 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 
\3\ 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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    \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 of this project amendment to formally cooperate in 
the preparation of the environmental document.\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, 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.\5\ 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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    \5\ 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

[[Page 55418]]

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 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 CP22-17-000 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 3).

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: September 2, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-19474 Filed 9-8-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P