[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7985-7988]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02822]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP20-21-000]
Port Arthur Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Louisiana Connector Amendment
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Session
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of
[[Page 7986]]
the Louisiana Connector Amendment Project (Project) involving
construction and operation of facilities by Port Arthur Pipeline, LLC
(PAPL) in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. The Commission will use this EA
in its decision-making process to determine whether the Project 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 about issues regarding the Project. The National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to take into account the
environmental impacts that could result from its action whenever it
considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. NEPA also requires the Commission to discover 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, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of issues
to address in the EA. 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
March 6, 2020.
You can make a difference by submitting your specific comments or
concerns about the Project. 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 EA. Commission
staff will consider all filed comments during the preparation of the
EA.
If you sent comments on this Project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on December 9, 2019, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. CP20-21-000 to ensure they are considered as
part of this proceeding. If you have already filed comments in Docket
No. CP20-21-000, you do not need to file those comments again.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this Project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable easement agreement. You
are not required to enter into an agreement. However, if the Commission
approves the Project, that approval conveys with it the right of
eminent domain. Therefore, if you and the company do not reach an
easement agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation
proceedings in court. In such instances, compensation would be
determined by a judge in accordance with state law.
PAPL provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I
Need To Know?'' This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked
questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate
in the Commission's proceedings. It is also available for viewing on
the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/gas/gas.pdf.
Public Participation
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. To sign up go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic
filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-
3676 or [email protected]. Please carefully follow these
instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
(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 Documents and Filings. 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 Documents and Filings. 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 following address. Be sure to reference the Project docket number
(CP20-21-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426;
(4) Newly affected landowners wishing to obtain legal status by
becoming a party to the proceeding for this project should, on or
before the comment date (March 6, 2020), file with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, a
motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of the
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or
385.211) and the Regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person
obtaining party status will be placed on the service list maintained by
the Secretary of the Commission and will receive copies of all
documents filed by the applicant and by all other parties. A party must
submit 3 copies of filings made with the Commission and must provide a
copy to the applicant and to every other party in the proceeding. Only
parties to the proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders
in the proceeding; or
(5) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you
to attend the public scoping session its staff will conduct in the
Project area, scheduled as follows:
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Date and time Location
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020, 4:00 South Beauregard Recreation District
p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Central Time. Community Center, 6719 Highway 12,
Ragley, LA 70657, 337-725-3717.
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Please note that staff may conclude the session at 6:30 p.m. if all
attendees planning to provide comments have done so.
[[Page 7987]]
The primary goal of the scoping session is to have you identify the
specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in
the EA. Individual verbal comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis
with a court reporter. This format is designed to receive the maximum
amount of verbal comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe
allotted.
The scoping session is scheduled from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Central Time. You may arrive any time at or after 4:00 p.m.. There will
not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when the session
opens. If you wish to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers
in the order of your arrival. Comments will be taken until 7:00 p.m.
However, if no additional numbers have been handed out and all
individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do
so, staff may conclude the session at 6:30 p.m. Please see appendix 1
for additional information on the session format and conduct.\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'' or from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE, Washington,
DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
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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 verbal comments in the one-on-one settings, a
time limit of 3 minutes may be implemented for each commentor.
It is important to note that the Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally at a scoping session. 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. Representatives from PAPL will also be present to answer
Project-specific questions.
Summary of the Proposed Project
PAPL proposes to amend its April 18, 2019 Order Issuing Certificate
for the Louisiana Connector Project (CP18-7-000) by constructing and
operating a compressor station in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana (the
Beauregard Parish Compressor Station or BPCS) in lieu of the compressor
station previously certificated in Allen Parish, Louisiana. The
compressor station proposed for this Project would be constructed as
part of the Louisiana Connector Project.
In its December 9, 2019 Amendment Application, PAPL proposed to
locate the BPCS within the previously certificated Beauregard Parish
Contractor Yard (LYBEA-01) and workspace associated with pipeline
construction at milepost (MP) 72.3. However, on January 31, 2020, PAPL
filed to relocate the new BPCS site approximately 0.75 mile south of
Gaytine Road, to a location adjacent to and west-southwest of Cameron
Interstate Pipeline, LLC's existing Ragley Compressor Station.\2\ The
proposed site would be approximately 2,750 feet directly south of the
initially proposed BPCS location described in PAPL's December 9, 2019
Amendment Application. The new location for the BPCS would be south of
and adjacent to the main pipeline corridor and would use the same
mainline connection and interconnect location points near MP 72.3 as
previously proposed.
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\2\ Newly affected landowners have an opportunity to file for
timely intervention during this scoping period, which ends on March
6, 2020.
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As part of the Project, PAPL would:
Relocate the previously authorized compressor station
consisting of four Solar Titan 130E gas turbine driven compressors in
Allen Parish from MP 96.1, to MP 72.3 in Beauregard Parish, increasing
horsepower from 89,900 to 93,880;
relocate an interconnect with the Texas Eastern
Transmission Company from MP 96.1 to MP 72.3;
relocate pig launcher/receiver facilities from MP 96.1 to
MP 72.3;
construct three new pipeline interconnections with Cameron
Intrastate Pipeline, Transcontinental Gas Pipeline, and Louisiana
Storage at MP 72.3;
construct one new mainline block valve at MP 72.3,
resulting in a total of 10 mainline valves on the Louisiana Connector
Project; and
use the former Allen Parish compressor station site at MP
96.1 as a contractor yard.
The Project facilities would result in a slight increase in the
overall capacity of feed gas to the approved Port Arthur Liquefaction
facility from approximately 1.98 to 2.05 billion cubic feet per day.
The Project would allow gas from additional sources to supply the
liquefaction facility.
The general location of the Project facilities is shown in appendix
2.
Land Requirements for Construction
The Project facilities would disturb approximately 59.9 acres, all
of which would be permanently maintained as aboveground facilities or
right-of-way.
The EA Process
The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the proposed Project under these general
headings:
Geology and soils;
water resources and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
threatened and endangered species;
socioeconomics;
cultural resources;
land use;
air quality and noise;
alternatives;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts
Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable 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.
The EA will present Commission staffs' independent analysis of the
issues. The EA will be available in electronic format in the public
record through eLibrary \3\ and the Commission's website (https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). If eSubscribed, you will
receive instant email notification when the EA is issued. The EA may be
issued for an allotted public comment period. Commission staff will
consider all comments on the EA before making recommendations to the
Commission. To ensure Commission staff have the opportunity to address
your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public
Participation section, beginning on page 2.
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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 to formally cooperate in the
preparation of the EA.\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, Part 1501.6.
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Consultation Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
[[Page 7988]]
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, the Commission is using this notice to initiate
consultation with the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office, and
to solicit its views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the Project's potential effects on
historic properties.\5\ The EA for this Project 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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Currently Identified Environmental Issues
Commission staff have already identified several issues that
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed
facilities; the environmental information provided by PAPL; and
comments already received, as listed below. This preliminary list of
issues may change based on your comments and our analysis.
Alternative compressor station locations
Traffic on Gaytine Road
Impact on property values
Proposed developments near the compressor station
Cumulative impacts
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. 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.
If the Commission issues the EA for an allotted public comment
period, a Notice of Availability of the EA will be sent to the
environmental mailing list and will provide instructions to access the
electronic document on the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov). If you need
to make changes to your name/address, or if you would like to remove
your name from the mailing list, please return the attached ``Mailing
List Update Form'' (appendix 3).
Additional Information
Additional information about the Project 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, excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
CP20-21). 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 www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Dated: February 5, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-02822 Filed 2-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P