Broadwater Energy; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Broadwater LNG Project; Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Joint Public Meetings, 48698-48701 [E5-4526]
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48698
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 160 / Friday, August 19, 2005 / Notices
Moffat Counties) and 51.9 miles located
in Wyoming (Sweetwater County);
• Additional compression to be
installed at the existing CIG Greasewood
Compressor Station in Colorado;
• Four meter stations at
interconnections with other pipeline
systems (two associated with the CIG
Greasewood Compressor Station, two at
the CIG Wamsutter Compressor Station);
• Three pigging facilities (one
associated with each compressor station
and a new facility at milepost 54.0 near
County Road 4 in Moffat County,
Colorado);
• Nine mainline valves (one valve at
each of the two existing compressor
stations and seven valves along the
pipeline ROW); and
• Other associated facilities, such as
access roads and communication
towers.
The proposed project would be
capable of transporting up to 350,000
dekatherms of natural gas per day
(Dthd) from the CIG Greasewood
Compressor Station to interconnections
at Wamsutter, Wyoming with the CIG
and WIC interstate transmission
pipeline systems that serve markets east
and west of Wamsutter.
The final EIS has been placed in the
public files of the FERC and is available
for public inspection at: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Public
Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE.,
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202)
502–8371.
A limited number of copies are
available from the FERC’s Public
Reference Room identified above. In
addition, copies of the final EIS have
been mailed to Federal, State, and local
agencies; public interest groups;
individuals and affected landowners;
libraries; newspapers; and parties to this
proceeding.
In accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality’s (CEQ)
regulations implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act, no agency
decision on a proposed action may be
made until 30 days after the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes a notice of availability of the
final EIS. However, the CEQ regulations
provide an exception to this rule when
an agency decision is subject to a formal
internal appeal process which allows
other agencies or the public to make
their views known. In such cases, the
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agency decision may be made at the
same time the notice of the final EIS is
published, allowing both periods to run
concurrently. The Commission decision
for this proposed action is subject to a
30-day rehearing period.
Additional information about the
proposed project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at 1–866–208–FERC or on the FERC
Internet Web site (https://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 (CP05–54) 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 on the FERC Internet Web site also
provides access to the texts of formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5–4518 Filed 8–18–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF05–4–000]
Broadwater Energy; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement for the Broadwater LNG
Project; Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Joint Public Meetings
August 11, 2005.
The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC or Commission) and
the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, U.S. Coast Guard (Coast
Guard) are in the process of evaluating
the Broadwater LNG 1 Project planned
by Broadwater Energy (Broadwater), a
joint venture between TCPL
(TransCanada Pipelines Ltd.) USA LNG,
Inc. and Shell U.S. Gas & Power LLC.
The project would be located in Long
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1 Liquefied
Frm 00036
natural gas.
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Island Sound, within New York State
Waters, and would consist of an
offshore LNG import terminal and an
offshore natural gas pipeline that would
connect to an existing offshore natural
gas transmission pipeline.
As a part of this evaluation, FERC
staff will prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) that will address
the environmental impacts of the project
and the Coast Guard will assess the
safety and security of the project. As
described below, the FERC and the
Coast Guard will hold joint public
meetings to allow the public to provide
input to these assessments.
The Commission will use the EIS in
its decisionmaking process to determine
whether or not to authorize the project.
This notice explains the scoping process
we 2 will use to gather information on
the project from the public and
interested agencies and summarizes the
process that the Coast Guard will use.
Your input will help identify the issues
that need to be evaluated in the EIS and
in the Coast Guard’s safety and security
assessment.
The FERC will be the lead Federal
agency in the preparation of an EIS that
will satisfy the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA). Several Federal agencies will
serve as cooperating agencies during
preparation of the EIS: the Coast Guard;
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers; and the U.S. Department of
Commerce, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, National
Marine Fisheries Service. In addition,
we have invited the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation, and the
New York State Department of State to
serve as cooperating agencies in
preparation of the EIS.
Comments on the project may be
submitted in written form or verbally.
Further details on how to submit
written comments are provided in the
Public Participation section of this
notice. In lieu of sending written
comments, we invite you to attend the
public scoping meetings that we have
scheduled as follows:
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the FERC’s Office of Energy
Projects.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 160 / Friday, August 19, 2005 / Notices
48699
SCHEDULE AND LOCATIONS FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS
Date and time
Location
Tuesday, September 13, 2005: 7 p.m. to
p.m. (e.s.t.).
Wednesday, September 14, 2005: 7 p.m. to
p.m. (e.s.t.).
Tuesday, September 20, 2005: 7 p.m. to
p.m. (e.s.t.).
Wednesday, September 21, 2005: 7 p.m. to
p.m. (e.s.t.).
10
10
10
10
The EIS scoping meetings listed above
will be combined with the Coast
Guard’s public meetings regarding the
safety and security of the project. At the
meetings, the Coast Guard will discuss
its ongoing analysis of (1) the suitability
of Long Island Sound to accommodate
LNG carriers, and (2) the facility’s
operations manual, emergency response
plan, and security plan. The Coast
Guard has issued a separate meeting
notice for the safety and security aspects
of the project.
This Notice of Intent is being sent to
Federal, State, and local government
agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American tribes;
commentors and other interested
parties; and local libraries and
newspapers. We encourage government
representatives to notify their
constituents of this planned project and
encourage them to comment on their
areas of concern.
Summary of the Planned Project
Broadwater plans to construct and
operate an LNG terminal and natural gas
transmission pipeline in Long Island
Sound within New York State waters.
The general location of the project is
shown on Figure 1. The Broadwater
LNG Project would include a floating
storage and regasification unit (FSRU)
that would receive LNG from LNG
carrier vessels, store the LNG in onboard
storage tanks, and vaporize the LNG to
natural gas. The natural gas would be
sent out to the existing interstate natural
gas pipeline system via a new offshore
pipeline (described below). The FSRU
would be approximately 1,250 feet long
and 200 feet wide, have a draft of
approximately 40 feet, and would be
shaped like a marine vessel. The deck
of the FSRU would be approximately 80
feet above the water line, and some
structures and equipment would extend
above the deck.
The FSRU would be moored to a yoke
mooring system that would consist of a
fixed, tower-like structure secured to the
seafloor by multiple legs attached to
piles driven into the sediments. The
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Stony Brook University, Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook, NY 11794 (across from parking garage on campus), Phone: (631) 632–6320.
Shoreham-Wading River Middle School Auditorium, 100 Randall Road, Shoreham, NY 11786,
Phone: (631) 821–8268.
East Lyme High School Auditorium, 30 Chesterfield Road, East Lyme, CT 06333, Phone:
(860) 739–6946.
Branford High School Auditorium, 185 East Main Street, Branford, CT 06405, Phone: (203)
488–7291.
FSRU would pivot around the mooring
tower in response to wind, tide, and
current conditions.
The FSRU would be moored at a
water depth of approximately 90 feet at
a distance of approximately 9 miles
from the nearest Long Island shoreline
and approximately 10 miles from the
nearest Connecticut shoreline. After a
review of safety and security issues
related to the project, the Coast Guard
would establish a safety zone around
the FSRU, and all marine traffic not
related to operation of the project would
be prohibited from entering the safety
zone.
Operation of the FSRU would involve
the following basic activities:
• Receipt of LNG from two to three
LNG carriers per week, each with a
capacity of 125,000 to 250,000 cubic
meters. Support tugs would assist the
LNG carriers in berthing, with only one
LNG carrier berthed at the FSRU at any
one time.
• Temporary storage of up to 8 billion
cubic feet (350,000 cubic meters) of LNG
in onboard storage tanks.
• Vaporization of the stored LNG
would be accomplished using a closedloop, shell-and-tube vaporization
system that would not require seawater
intakes or discharges.
In addition to the LNG storage and
vaporization equipment, the FSRU
would also house the following major
items:
• Power generation turbines fueled by
natural gas.
• Equipment for gas and fire
detection, fire protection, fire-fighting,
life-saving, and other safety concerns.
• LNG unloading arms, cranes,
piping, and manifolds.
• Crew quarters.
After vaporization of the LNG, natural
gas would be sent out from the FSRU
into a new 30-inch-diameter offshore
pipeline that would extend
approximately 22 miles from the FSRU
to an offshore connection with an
existing pipeline owned by the Iroquois
Gas Transmission System (IGTS). The
existing IGTS pipeline extends across
Long Island Sound in an approximately
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
northeast to southwest direction.
Broadwater plans to bury the new
pipeline beneath the seafloor. The
project would deliver an average of
about one billion cubic feet of natural
gas per day to the IGTS pipeline, with
a peak delivery rate of 1.25 billion cubic
feet per day. IGTS would deliver the
natural gas from the Broadwater LNG
Project to its existing and future
customers. Broadwater plans to have the
project in operation by 2010.
Both the FSRU and the new pipeline
would be located in offshore waters
within Suffolk County, New York.
Broadwater would be required to obtain
a right-of-way lease from the New York
State Office of General Services for the
FSRU and the pipeline.
The EIS Process
NEPA requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action
when it considers whether or not an
LNG import terminal or an interstate
natural gas pipeline should be
approved. The FERC will use the EIS to
consider the environmental impacts that
could result if it issues project
authorizations to Broadwater under
Sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
NEPA also requires us 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 EIS on the important
environmental issues. With this Notice
of Intent, the Commission staff is
requesting public comments on the
scope of the issues to be addressed in
the EIS. All comments received will be
considered during preparation of the
EIS.
In the EIS we will discuss impacts
that could occur as a result of the
construction, operation, maintenance,
and abandonment of the proposed
project under these general headings:
• Geology and soils
• Water resources
• Aquatic resources
• Vegetation and wildlife
• Threatened and endangered species
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 160 / Friday, August 19, 2005 / Notices
• Land use, recreation, and visual
resources
• Cultural resources
• Socioeconomics
• Marine transportation
• Air quality and noise
• Reliability and safety
• Cumulative impacts
In the EIS, 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 affected
resources.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be included in a draft EIS.
The draft EIS will be mailed to Federal,
State, and local government agencies;
elected officials; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American
tribes; commentors; other interested
parties; local libraries and newspapers;
and the FERC’s official service list for
this proceeding. A 45-day comment
period will be allotted for review of the
draft EIS. We will consider all
comments on the draft EIS and revise
the document, as necessary, before
issuing a final EIS. We will consider all
comments on the final EIS before we
make our recommendations to the
Commission. To ensure that your
comments are considered, please follow
the instructions in the Public
Participation section of this Notice of
Intent.
Although no formal application has
been filed, the FERC staff has already
initiated its NEPA review under its Prefiling Process. The purpose of the Prefiling Process is to encourage early
involvement of interested stakeholders
and to identify and resolve issues before
an application is filed with the FERC. In
addition, the Coast Guard, which would
be responsible for reviewing the safety
and security aspects of the planned
project and regulating safety and
security if the project is approved, has
initiated its review of the project as
well.
With this notice, we are asking
Federal, State, and local agencies with
jurisdiction and/or special expertise
with respect to environmental issues, in
addition to those agencies that have
already agreed to serve as cooperating
agencies (as noted above), to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of
the EIS. These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated the
proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Additional 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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Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have already identified issues that
we think deserve attention based on
comment letters received during our
NEPA Pre-filing Process, a preliminary
review of the project area, and the
planned facility information provided
by Broadwater. This preliminary list of
issues, which is presented below, may
be revised based on your comments and
our continuing analyses.
• Conversion of the project area from
open water to an energy facility
(‘‘industrialization’’ of Long Island
Sound);
• Potential impacts to the marine
environment from construction
activities, including habitats, water
quality, and aquatic life;
• Potential impacts on essential fish
habitat and State and/or Federally-listed
threatened and endangered species;
• Consistency with New York State
and Long Island Sound Coastal Zone
Management programs;
• Potential impacts due to air
emissions from the FSRU and the LNG
carriers;
• Potential visual impacts due to the
presence of the FSRU and the LNG
carriers;
• Potential impacts of ballast water
intake by the FSRU and the LNG
carriers;
• Potential impacts to public use
resulting from creation of a safety zone
around the FSRU;
• Potential impacts of increased boat
traffic associated with construction in
nearshore marine waters;
• Potential impacts of increased boat
traffic associated with LNG carrier
traffic and associated support vessels;
• Potential impacts on cultural
resources at the site of the mooring
tower and along the pipeline route;
• Potential noise impacts due to
construction and operation;
• Risks associated with the transport
and storage of LNG and the transport of
natural gas;
• Alternative locations and
alignments for the LNG terminal and
offshore pipeline route, respectively;
and
• Assessment of the cumulative
effects of the project when combined
with other past, present, or reasonably
foreseeable future actions in the project
area.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the
planned project. By becoming a
commentor, your concerns will be
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
addressed in the EIS and considered by
the Commission. Your comments
should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives (including alternative
facility sites and pipeline routes), and
measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impacts. The more
specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly
recorded, please follow these
instructions:
• Send an original and two copies of
your letter to: Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First St., NE., Room
1A, Washington, DC 20426.
• Label one copy of your comments
for the attention of Gas Branch 3, DG2E.
• Reference Docket No. PF05–4–000
on the original and both copies.
• Mail your comments so that they
will be received in Washington, DC on
or before October 7, 2005.
The Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing of any comments in
response to this Notice of Intent. For
information on electronically filing
comments, please see the instructions
on the Commission’s Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov under the ‘‘eFiling’’ link and the link to the User’s
Guide as well as information in 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii). Before you can file
comments you will need to create a free
account, which can be accomplished
on-line.
The public scoping meetings (dates,
times, and locations are listed above) are
designed to provide another opportunity
to offer comments on the proposed
project. Interested groups and
individuals are encouraged to attend the
meetings and to present comments on
the environmental issues that they
believe should be addressed in the EIS.
A transcript of each meeting will be
generated so that your comments will be
accurately recorded.
Once Broadwater formally files its
application with the Commission, you
may want to become an ‘‘intervenor,’’
which is an official party to the
proceeding. Intervenors play a more
formal role in the process and are able
to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be
heard by the courts if they choose to
appeal the Commission’s final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in a
Commission proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for
becoming an intervenor are included in
the User’s Guide under the ‘‘e-filing’’
link on the Commission’s Web site.
Please note that you may not request
intervenor status at this time. You must
wait until a formal application is filed
with the Commission.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 160 / Friday, August 19, 2005 / Notices
Environmental Mailing List
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
If you wish to remain on the
environmental mailing list, please
return the attached Mailing List Form. If
you do not return this form, we will
remove your name from our mailing list.
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at 1–866–208–FERC (3372) or on the
FERC Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary link.’’
Click on the eLibrary link, select
‘‘General Search’’ and enter the project
docket number excluding the last three
digits (i.e., PF05–4) in the ‘‘Docket
Number’’ field. Be sure you have
selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance with eLibrary, the eLibrary
helpline can be reached at 1–866–208–
3676, TTY (202) 502–8659, or by e-mail
at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The
eLibrary link on the FERC Internet Web
site also provides access to the texts of
formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices,
and rule makings.
In addition, the FERC now 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. To register for this service,
go to https://www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
Public meetings or site visits will be
posted on the Commission’s calendar
located at https://www.ferc.gov/
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Finally, Broadwater has established
an Internet Web site for this project at
https://www.broadwaterenergy.com. The
Web site includes a description of the
project, additional maps of the project
area, and answers to frequently asked
questions. You can also request
additional information or provide
comments directly to Broadwater at
(800) 798–6379.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5–4526 Filed 8–18–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
[Docket No. RP05–254–000]
Kern River Gas Transmission
Company; Notice of Technical
Conference
August 12, 2005.
The Commission, in its order issued
July 26, 2005,1 directed that a technical
conference be held to investigate Kern
River’s allocation of compressor fuel
between 2003 expansion shippers and
vintage shippers in the General Terms
and Conditions of its tariff and to
address the concerns raised in the
protest of the parties.
Take notice that a technical
conference will be held on Wednesday,
September 21, 2005, at 9 a.m., in a room
to be designated at the office of the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE., Washington DC
20426.
FERC conferences are accessible
under section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. For accessibility
accommodations please send an e-mail
to accessibility@ferc.gov or call toll free
1–866–208–3372 (voice) or 202–208–
1659 (TTY), or send a FAX to 202–208–
2106 with the required
accommodations.
All interested persons and staff are
permitted to attend.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5–4516 Filed 8–18–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–7955–4]
Agency Information Collection
Activities OMB Responses
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This document announces the
Office of Management and Budget’s
(OMB) responses to Agency clearance
requests, in compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.). An agency may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
1 Kern River Gas Transmission Company, 112
FERC ¶ 61,132 (2005).
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48701
The OMB control numbers for EPA’s
regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9
and 48 CFR chapter 15.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Auby (202) 566–1672, or e-mail at
auby.susan@epa.gov and please refer to
the appropriate EPA Information
Collection Request (ICR) Number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Responses to Agency Clearance
Requests
OMB Approvals
EPA ICR No. 2161.01; Region 7 Lead
Education and Awareness Project in St.
Louis, MO.; was approved 07/31/2005;
OMB Number 2020–0029; expires 08/
31/2007.
EPA ICR No. 2179.02; Recordkeeping
and Periodic Reporting of the
Production, Import, Recycling,
Transshipment and Feedstock Use of
Ozone Depleting Substances (Critical
Use Exemption) (Renewal); was
approved 08/04/2005; OMB Number
2060–0564; expires 08/31/2008.
EPA ICR No. 1750.04; National
Volatile Organic Compound Emission
Standards for Architectural Coatings; in
40 CFR part 59, subpart D; was
approved 07/31/2005; OMB Number
2060–0393; expires 07/31/2008.
EPA ICR No. 2167.01; Detroit
Children’s Health Study Health Effects
of Environmental Exposure among
Children Living in the Detroit, MI area
(Renewal); was approved 07/28/2005;
OMB Number 2080–0074; expires 07/
31/2008.
EPA ICR No. 2066.03; NESHAP for
Engine Test Cells/Stands; in 40 CFR part
63, subpart PPPPP; was approved 07/14/
2005; OMB Number 2060–0483; expires
07/31/2008.
EPA ICR No. 1974.04; NESHAP for
Cellulose Products Manufacturing; in 40
CFR part 63, subpart UUUU (Renewal);
was approved 07/14/2005; OMB
Number 2060–0488; expires 07/31/2008.
EPA ICR No. 1679.05; NESHAP for
Marine Tank Vessel Loading Operations
(Renewal); in 40 CFR part 63, subpart Y;
was approved 07/12/2005; OMB
Number 2060–0289; expires 07/31/2008.
EPA ICR No. 1947.03; NESHAP for
Solvent Extraction for Vegetable Oil
Production (Renewal); in 40 CFR part
63, subpart GGGG; was approved 07/12/
2005; OMB Number 2060–0471; expires
07/31/2008.
EPA ICR No. 2025.03; NESHAP for
Friction Materials Manufacturing; in 40
CFR part 63, subpart QQQQQ
(Renewal); was approved 07/12/2005;
OMB Number 2060–0481; expires 07/
31/2008.
EPA ICR No. 2155.01; Willingness to
Pay Survey: Phase III Cooling Water
E:\FR\FM\19AUN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 160 (Friday, August 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48698-48701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4526]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF05-4-000]
Broadwater Energy; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Broadwater LNG Project; Request for Comments
on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Joint Public Meetings
August 11, 2005.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) and
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard (Coast
Guard) are in the process of evaluating the Broadwater LNG \1\ Project
planned by Broadwater Energy (Broadwater), a joint venture between TCPL
(TransCanada Pipelines Ltd.) USA LNG, Inc. and Shell U.S. Gas & Power
LLC. The project would be located in Long Island Sound, within New York
State Waters, and would consist of an offshore LNG import terminal and
an offshore natural gas pipeline that would connect to an existing
offshore natural gas transmission pipeline.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Liquefied natural gas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a part of this evaluation, FERC staff will prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) that will address the
environmental impacts of the project and the Coast Guard will assess
the safety and security of the project. As described below, the FERC
and the Coast Guard will hold joint public meetings to allow the public
to provide input to these assessments.
The Commission will use the EIS in its decisionmaking process to
determine whether or not to authorize the project. This notice explains
the scoping process we \2\ will use to gather information on the
project from the public and interested agencies and summarizes the
process that the Coast Guard will use. Your input will help identify
the issues that need to be evaluated in the EIS and in the Coast
Guard's safety and security assessment.
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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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The FERC will be the lead Federal agency in the preparation of an
EIS that will satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). Several Federal agencies will serve as cooperating
agencies during preparation of the EIS: the Coast Guard; the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and
the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service. In addition, we have
invited the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation, and the New York State Department of
State to serve as cooperating agencies in preparation of the EIS.
Comments on the project may be submitted in written form or
verbally. Further details on how to submit written comments are
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice. In lieu of
sending written comments, we invite you to attend the public scoping
meetings that we have scheduled as follows:
[[Page 48699]]
Schedule and Locations for Public Meetings
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Date and time Location
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Tuesday, September 13, 2005: Stony Brook University, Charles B. Wang
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (e.s.t.). Center, Stony Brook, NY 11794 (across
from parking garage on campus), Phone:
(631) 632-6320.
Wednesday, September 14, Shoreham-Wading River Middle School
2005: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Auditorium, 100 Randall Road, Shoreham,
(e.s.t.). NY 11786, Phone: (631) 821-8268.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005: East Lyme High School Auditorium, 30
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (e.s.t.). Chesterfield Road, East Lyme, CT 06333,
Phone: (860) 739-6946.
Wednesday, September 21, Branford High School Auditorium, 185 East
2005: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Main Street, Branford, CT 06405, Phone:
(e.s.t.). (203) 488-7291.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EIS scoping meetings listed above will be combined with the
Coast Guard's public meetings regarding the safety and security of the
project. At the meetings, the Coast Guard will discuss its ongoing
analysis of (1) the suitability of Long Island Sound to accommodate LNG
carriers, and (2) the facility's operations manual, emergency response
plan, and security plan. The Coast Guard has issued a separate meeting
notice for the safety and security aspects of the project.
This Notice of Intent is being sent to Federal, State, and local
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes; commentors and other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage
government representatives to notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
Summary of the Planned Project
Broadwater plans to construct and operate an LNG terminal and
natural gas transmission pipeline in Long Island Sound within New York
State waters. The general location of the project is shown on Figure 1.
The Broadwater LNG Project would include a floating storage and
regasification unit (FSRU) that would receive LNG from LNG carrier
vessels, store the LNG in onboard storage tanks, and vaporize the LNG
to natural gas. The natural gas would be sent out to the existing
interstate natural gas pipeline system via a new offshore pipeline
(described below). The FSRU would be approximately 1,250 feet long and
200 feet wide, have a draft of approximately 40 feet, and would be
shaped like a marine vessel. The deck of the FSRU would be
approximately 80 feet above the water line, and some structures and
equipment would extend above the deck.
The FSRU would be moored to a yoke mooring system that would
consist of a fixed, tower-like structure secured to the seafloor by
multiple legs attached to piles driven into the sediments. The FSRU
would pivot around the mooring tower in response to wind, tide, and
current conditions.
The FSRU would be moored at a water depth of approximately 90 feet
at a distance of approximately 9 miles from the nearest Long Island
shoreline and approximately 10 miles from the nearest Connecticut
shoreline. After a review of safety and security issues related to the
project, the Coast Guard would establish a safety zone around the FSRU,
and all marine traffic not related to operation of the project would be
prohibited from entering the safety zone.
Operation of the FSRU would involve the following basic activities:
Receipt of LNG from two to three LNG carriers per week,
each with a capacity of 125,000 to 250,000 cubic meters. Support tugs
would assist the LNG carriers in berthing, with only one LNG carrier
berthed at the FSRU at any one time.
Temporary storage of up to 8 billion cubic feet (350,000
cubic meters) of LNG in onboard storage tanks.
Vaporization of the stored LNG would be accomplished using
a closed-loop, shell-and-tube vaporization system that would not
require seawater intakes or discharges.
In addition to the LNG storage and vaporization equipment, the FSRU
would also house the following major items:
Power generation turbines fueled by natural gas.
Equipment for gas and fire detection, fire protection,
fire-fighting, life-saving, and other safety concerns.
LNG unloading arms, cranes, piping, and manifolds.
Crew quarters.
After vaporization of the LNG, natural gas would be sent out from
the FSRU into a new 30-inch-diameter offshore pipeline that would
extend approximately 22 miles from the FSRU to an offshore connection
with an existing pipeline owned by the Iroquois Gas Transmission System
(IGTS). The existing IGTS pipeline extends across Long Island Sound in
an approximately northeast to southwest direction. Broadwater plans to
bury the new pipeline beneath the seafloor. The project would deliver
an average of about one billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to
the IGTS pipeline, with a peak delivery rate of 1.25 billion cubic feet
per day. IGTS would deliver the natural gas from the Broadwater LNG
Project to its existing and future customers. Broadwater plans to have
the project in operation by 2010.
Both the FSRU and the new pipeline would be located in offshore
waters within Suffolk County, New York. Broadwater would be required to
obtain a right-of-way lease from the New York State Office of General
Services for the FSRU and the pipeline.
The EIS Process
NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action when it considers whether or
not an LNG import terminal or an interstate natural gas pipeline should
be approved. The FERC will use the EIS to consider the environmental
impacts that could result if it issues project authorizations to
Broadwater under Sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also
requires us 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 EIS on the
important environmental issues. With this Notice of Intent, the
Commission staff is requesting public comments on the scope of the
issues to be addressed in the EIS. All comments received will be
considered during preparation of the EIS.
In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of the
proposed project under these general headings:
Geology and soils
Water resources
Aquatic resources
Vegetation and wildlife
Threatened and endangered species
[[Page 48700]]
Land use, recreation, and visual resources
Cultural resources
Socioeconomics
Marine transportation
Air quality and noise
Reliability and safety
Cumulative impacts
In the EIS, 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 affected resources.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to Federal, State, and local
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes; commentors; other interested
parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the FERC's official
service list for this proceeding. A 45-day comment period will be
allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will consider all comments on
the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a
final EIS. We will consider all comments on the final EIS before we
make our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure that your
comments are considered, please follow the instructions in the Public
Participation section of this Notice of Intent.
Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has
already initiated its NEPA review under its Pre-filing Process. The
purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage early involvement of
interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an
application is filed with the FERC. In addition, the Coast Guard, which
would be responsible for reviewing the safety and security aspects of
the planned project and regulating safety and security if the project
is approved, has initiated its review of the project as well.
With this notice, we are asking Federal, State, and local agencies
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues, in addition to those agencies that have already
agreed to serve as cooperating agencies (as noted above), to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS. These agencies may
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to
their responsibilities. Additional 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.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified issues that we think deserve attention
based on comment letters received during our NEPA Pre-filing Process, a
preliminary review of the project area, and the planned facility
information provided by Broadwater. This preliminary list of issues,
which is presented below, may be revised based on your comments and our
continuing analyses.
Conversion of the project area from open water to an
energy facility (``industrialization'' of Long Island Sound);
Potential impacts to the marine environment from
construction activities, including habitats, water quality, and aquatic
life;
Potential impacts on essential fish habitat and State and/
or Federally-listed threatened and endangered species;
Consistency with New York State and Long Island Sound
Coastal Zone Management programs;
Potential impacts due to air emissions from the FSRU and
the LNG carriers;
Potential visual impacts due to the presence of the FSRU
and the LNG carriers;
Potential impacts of ballast water intake by the FSRU and
the LNG carriers;
Potential impacts to public use resulting from creation of
a safety zone around the FSRU;
Potential impacts of increased boat traffic associated
with construction in nearshore marine waters;
Potential impacts of increased boat traffic associated
with LNG carrier traffic and associated support vessels;
Potential impacts on cultural resources at the site of the
mooring tower and along the pipeline route;
Potential noise impacts due to construction and operation;
Risks associated with the transport and storage of LNG and
the transport of natural gas;
Alternative locations and alignments for the LNG terminal
and offshore pipeline route, respectively; and
Assessment of the cumulative effects of the project when
combined with other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future
actions in the project area.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the planned project. By becoming a
commentor, your concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by
the Commission. Your comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including alternative
facility sites and pipeline routes), and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. To ensure that your comments are timely and properly
recorded, please follow these instructions:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 3, DG2E.
Reference Docket No. PF05-4-000 on the original and both
copies.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before October 7, 2005.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any
comments in response to this Notice of Intent. For information on
electronically filing comments, please see the instructions on the
Commission's Web site at https://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing''
link and the link to the User's Guide as well as information in 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii). Before you can file comments you will need to
create a free account, which can be accomplished on-line.
The public scoping meetings (dates, times, and locations are listed
above) are designed to provide another opportunity to offer comments on
the proposed project. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged
to attend the meetings and to present comments on the environmental
issues that they believe should be addressed in the EIS. A transcript
of each meeting will be generated so that your comments will be
accurately recorded.
Once Broadwater formally files its application with the Commission,
you may want to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to
the proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and
are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts
if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site.
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time.
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.
[[Page 48701]]
Environmental Mailing List
If you wish to remain on the environmental mailing list, please
return the attached Mailing List Form. If you do not return this form,
we will remove your name from our mailing list.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC (3372) or on
the FERC Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov) using the ``eLibrary
link.'' Click on the eLibrary link, select ``General Search'' and enter
the project docket number excluding the last three digits (i.e., PF05-
4) in the ``Docket Number'' field. Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance with eLibrary, the eLibrary
helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or by e-
mail at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The eLibrary link on the FERC
Internet Web site also provides access to the texts of formal documents
issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.
In addition, the FERC now 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. To register for this service, go to https://www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx
along with other related information.
Finally, Broadwater has established an Internet Web site for this
project at https://www.broadwaterenergy.com. The Web site includes a
description of the project, additional maps of the project area, and
answers to frequently asked questions. You can also request additional
information or provide comments directly to Broadwater at (800) 798-
6379.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-4526 Filed 8-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
