[Federal Register: February 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 21)]
[Notices]
[Page 5435-5437]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02fe05-54]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP02-378-002]
Cameron LNG, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed Cameron LNG Berthing Amendment and Request
for Comments on Environmental Issues
January 25, 2005.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Cameron LNG Berthing Amendment
[[Page 5436]]
involving construction and operation of facilities by Cameron LNG, LLC
(Cameron LNG) in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
On December 20, 2004, the Commission gave notice that Cameron LNG
filed a request under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act for an amendment
to its authorization for import facilities that was previously granted
in Docket No. CP02-378-000. In the order issued on September 11, 2003,
Cameron LNG was authorized to construct and operate facilities to
import liquefied natural gas (LNG) near Hackberry, Louisiana. That
notice gave a deadline of January 12, 2005, for the filing of motions
to intervene, protest, and comment.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Your input will help determine which issues
need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period
will close on February 25, 2005. Details on how to submit comments are
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, state,
and local government agencies; elected officials; Native American
tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers.
State and local government representatives are asked to notify their
constituents of this planned project and to encourage them to comment
on their areas of concern.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Cameron LNG seeks amended authority to make modifications to the
berthing facilities at its LNG terminal to allow a larger variety of
LNG tankers to use the approved terminal. The proposed modifications
will require increased dredging and the addition of soil depositional
areas to accommodate increased dredge material.
The ship unloading slip, as currently approved, would be about
1,250 feet by 1,100 feet. The proposed modification would increase this
to about 2,600 feet (entrance width) tapering to 750 feet at the rear
bulkhead wall. Cameron LNG also proposes to add an 850-foot-radius
turning basin integrated into the slip.
The general location of the berthing area site is shown in Appendix
1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the
Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room at
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to
the end of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Non-Jurisdictional Facilities
The modifications would require either the abandonment in place or
relocation of portions of 4-inch-diameter and 6-inch-diameter pipelines
owned by Hilcorp Energy Company that cross the terminal and berthing
area.
Land Requirements for Construction
The proposed berthing modification would increase the area required
for the LNG ship unloading facilities by 34.2 acres (of which 32.8
acres are open water). As a result of the proposed configuration, some
of the land-based acreages already approved would change (i.e., the
land required for the LNG storage tanks would decrease by 2 acres; the
electrical and flare areas would decrease by 2.7 acres; and the land
for administrative facilities would increase by 0.4 acres). As a
result, the net increase in area requirements for permanent facilities
under the proposed modification would be 29.9 acres. Cameron LNG would
use an additional 4.6 acres for temporary construction areas.
The EA Process
We \2\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the Commission to take
into account the environmental impact that could result if it
authorizes Cameron LNG's proposal. By this notice, we are also asking
Federal, state, and local agencies with jurisdiction and/or special
expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate
with us in the preparation of the EA. Agencies that would like to
request cooperating status should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided below.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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NEPA also requires the FERC to discover and address concerns the
public may have about proposals. This process is referred to as
``scoping.'' The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the
analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this
Notice of Intent, we are requesting public comments on the scope of the
issues to address in the EA. All comments received are considered
during the preparation of the EA.
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed modifications
and the environmental information provided by Cameron LNG. The
following preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis:
Effects of dredging and storage of 4.9 million cubic yards
of sediment (which is 2.5 million cubic yards more than already
approved);
Sedimentation impacts on aquatic resources;
Erosion and other impacts to coastal marsh;
How the alignment of berthing ships affects other use of
the channel; and
Potential impacts from non-jurisdictional facilities,
which could involve a horizontal directional drill of the Calcasieu
River;
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Previously, on October 5, 2004, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
along with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (Office of
Environmental Services) and Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
(Coastal Management Division), issued a joint public notice for Cameron
LNG's request for the respective agency permits that would be required
for the proposed modification.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to Federal, state, and local agencies, public
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make
our recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission.
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the
proposal, alternatives to the proposal including alternative berthing
alignments, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The
more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. Please
carefully follow
[[Page 5437]]
these instructions to ensure that your comments are received in time
and properly recorded:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE.; Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 1.
Reference Docket No. CP02-378-002.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before February 25, 2005.
The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments. See 18
Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on
the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the
``eFiling'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Prepare your
submission in the same manner as you would if filing on paper and save
it to a file on your hard drive. Before you can file comments you will
need to create an account by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then
``New User Account.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing
you are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.''
We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 3). If you do not
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process.
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors.
Likewise, each intervenor must send one electronic copy (using the
Commission's eFiling system) or 14 paper copies of its filings to the
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If
you want to become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene
according to rule 214 of the Commission(s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214) (see Appendix 2). \3\ Only intervenors have
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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\3\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing
comments electronically.
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Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your environmental comments considered.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the
FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the ``eLibrary''
link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter
the docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number
field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202)502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called
eSubscription which 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx
along with other related information.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-394 Filed 2-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P