[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 178 (Thursday, September 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56639-56640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19983]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP19-502-000; CP19-502-001]


Commonwealth LNG, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Commonwealth LNG 
Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Commonwealth LNG Project, proposed by Commonwealth LNG, LLC 
(Commonwealth) in the above-referenced docket. Commonwealth requests 
authorization to site, construct, and operate a natural gas 
liquefaction and export terminal and an integrated Natural Gas Act 
Section 3 natural gas pipeline, in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
    The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Commonwealth LNG Project in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA). FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed project, 
with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would result in 
some adverse environmental impacts. Most of these impacts on the 
environment would be reduced to less than significant levels; however, 
FERC staff conclude there would be significant impacts on visual 
resources and impacts on environmental justice communities would be 
disproportionately high and adverse. Regarding climate change impacts, 
this EIS is not characterizing the proposed project's greenhouse gas 
emissions as significant or insignificant because the Commission is 
conducting a generic proceeding to determine whether and how the 
Commission will conduct significance determinations going forward.\1\
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    \1\ Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Natural Gas 
Infrastructure Project Reviews, 178 FERC ] 61,108 (2022); 178 FERC ] 
61,197 (2022).
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    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department 
of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous 
Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service participated as 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the final EIS. Cooperating 
agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to 
resources potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the 
NEPA analysis. Although the cooperating agencies provided input to the 
conclusions and recommendations presented in the final EIS, the 
agencies will present their own conclusions and recommendations in 
their respective Records of Decision for the project.
    The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following project facilities:
     six liquefaction trains;
     six gas pre-treatment trains;
     two flare systems (containing a total of four flares);
     six liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks;
     one marine facility consisting of an LNG carrier berth and 
barge dock;
     utilities (e.g., electricity generation, water, plant air, 
nitrogen, hot oil system);
     operation and safety systems (e.g., access and haul roads, 
storm protection structures, stormwater drainage systems, spill 
containment system, fire suppression facilities, facility lighting and 
security, emergency shutdown systems);
     appurtenant facilities (e.g., administrative facilities, 
maintenance and warehouse buildings, marine facility operator 
buildings, equipment enclosures and electrical rooms);
     3.0 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline;
     two interconnection facilities with existing pipelines; 
and
     one metering station.
    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to 
federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; 
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native 
American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested 
individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the project 
area. The final EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be 
viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the 
natural gas environmental documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents). In 
addition, the final EIS may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on 
the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://

[[Page 56640]]

elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search) select ``General Search'' and enter 
the docket number in the ``Docket Number'' field (i.e., CP19-502). 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 final EIS is not a decision document. It presents Commission 
staff's independent analysis of the environmental issues for the 
Commission to consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this 
proceeding.
    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. The eLibrary link 
also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription that allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and 
submittals in specific dockets. 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.

    Dated: September 9, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-19983 Filed 9-14-22; 8:45 am]
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