Quoddy Bay, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Quoddy Bay LNG Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings, 14200-14203 [E6-4041]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 54 / Tuesday, March 21, 2006 / Notices
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 (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 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 https://
www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–4036 Filed 3–20–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF06–11–000]
Quoddy Bay, LLC; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Quoddy
Bay LNG Project, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues
and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
March 14, 2006.
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 Quoddy Bay L.L.C. (Quoddy Bay)
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import and
Regasification Terminal project (the
Project) which involves the construction
and operation of facilities by Quoddy
Bay on the western shore of
Passamaquoddy Bay in Washington
County, Maine. The Project would
consist of an onshore LNG import
terminal located in Pleasant Point, ME
with an approximate eight-mile-long
pipeline connecting to a storage facility
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located in Perry, Maine., and 35-milelong natural gas sendout pipeline
interconnecting with the Maritimes and
Northeast (M&NE) Pipeline system.
As 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
maritime safety and security of the
Project. As explained further in the
Public Participation Section of this
notice, the FERC and Coast Guard will
hold joint public scoping meetings to
allow the public and interested agencies
the opportunity to provide input to
these assessments.
This notice explains the scoping
process that will help us 1 determine
which issues/impacts need to be
evaluated in the EIS. This EIS will be
used by the Commission in its decisionmaking process to determine whether
the Project is in the public convenience
and necessity. Please note that the
scoping period for the Project will close
on April 28, 2006.
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). The Coast Guard; the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers; and
Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian
Affairs will serve as cooperating
agencies during preparation of the EIS.
In addition, we have invited the U.S.
Department of Commerce, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, National Marine
Fisheries Service; the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; the
U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish
and Wildlife Service; the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation, the
Natural Resources Conservation Service;
the Maine Department of Environmental
Protection; the Maine Department of
Marine Resources; and the Maine
Division of Inland Fisheries and
Wildlife.
Comments may be submitted in
written form or verbally. In lieu of or in
addition to sending written comments,
you are invited to attend the public
scoping meetings that have been
scheduled in the Project area. Further
instructions on how to submit written
comments and additional details of the
public scoping meetings are provided in
the public participation section of this
NOI.
The Coast Guard is responsible for
matters related to navigation safety,
vessel engineering and safety standards,
and all matters pertaining to the safety
1 ‘‘We,’’, ‘‘us’’, and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects.
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of facilities or equipment located in or
adjacent to navigable waters up to the
last valve immediately before the
receiving tanks. The Coast Guard also
has authority for LNG facility security
plan review, approval, and compliance
verification as provided in Title 33 CFR
105, and recommendation for siting as
it pertains to the management of vessel
traffic in and around the LNG facility.
Upon receipt of a letter of intent from
an owner or operator intending to build
a new LNG facility, the Coast Guard
Captain of the Port (COTP) conducts an
analysis that results in a letter of
recommendation issued to the owner or
operator and to the state and local
governments having jurisdiction,
addressing the suitability of the
waterway to accommodate LNG vessels.
Specifically the letter of
recommendation addresses the
suitability of the waterway based on:
• The physical location and layout of
the facility and its berthing and mooring
arrangements.
• The LNG vessels’ characteristics
and the frequency of LNG shipments to
the facility.
• Commercial, industrial,
environmentally sensitive, and
residential area in and adjacent to the
waterway used by the LNG vessels en
route to the facility.
• Density and character of the marine
traffic on the waterway.
• Bridges or other manmade
obstructions in the waterway.
• Depth of water.
• Tidal range.
• Natural hazards, including rocks
and sandbars.
• Underwater pipelines and cables.
• Distance of berthed LNG vessels
from the channel, and the width of the
channel.
In addition, the Coast Guard will
review and approve the facility’s
operations manual and emergency
response plan (33 CFR 127.019), as well
as the facility’s security plan (33 CFR
105.410). The Coast Guard will also
provide input to other Federal, state,
and local government agencies
reviewing the project.
In order to complete a thorough
analysis and fulfill the regulatory
mandates cited above, the COTP Sector
Northern New England will be
conducting a formal risk assessment
evaluating the various safety and
security aspects associated with the
Quoddy Bay’s LNG proposed project.
This risk assessment will be
accomplished through a series of
workshops focusing on the areas of
waterways safety, port security, and
consequence management, with
involvement from a broad cross-section
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of government and port stakeholders
with expertise in each of the respective
areas. The workshops will be by
invitation only. However, comments
received during the public comment
period will be considered as input in
the risk assessment process.
This notice is being sent to affected
landowners within 0.5 mile of the
proposed LNG Terminal; landowners
within 200 feet of the pipeline route
under consideration; Federal, state, and
local government agencies; elected
officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes;
and local libraries and newspapers; and
other interested parties.
Some affected landowners may be
contacted by a project representative
about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
proposed facilities. If so, Quoddy Bay
and the affected landowners should
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. In the event that the Project
is certificated by the Commission, that
approval conveys the right of eminent
domain for securing easements for the
facilities. Therefore, if easement
negotiations fail to produce an
agreement, Quoddy Bay could initiate
condemnation proceedings in
accordance with state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings. It is available for viewing
on the FERC Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov).
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Summary of the Proposed Project
Quoddy Bay proposes to site,
construct, and operate an LNG terminal
and storage facility, and associated
natural gas sendout pipeline with a
capacity of 2.0 billion cubic feet per
day. More specifically, Quoddy Bay’s
facilities would consist of:
• An LNG import and marine LNG
terminal, including a double, staggered
berth, 1,700-foot-long pier, capable of
handling about 90 LNG tankers per year,
ranging in size from 135,000 to 200,000
cubic meters (m3) per ship;
• An onshore storage and
regasification facility which includes
three full-containment insulated storage
tanks with a capacity of 160,000 m3
each.
• LNG being unloaded from either of
two berths. Each berth has four identical
unloading arms, three in liquid service
and one in vapor service. Each arm is
provided with an emergency release
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system. Tankers can be unloaded at
4,000 to 12,000 cubic meters per hour;
• The platform on the unloading pier
will be equipped with submerged
combustion vaporizers which can
vaporize the LNG on site and send gas
directly to the sendout line bypassing
the shore side storage facility;
• The electrical power distribution,
including power substations,
transformers, switchgear, multiple
voltage distribution, emergency and
UPS power systems;
• Ancillary terminal facilities being
located on the pier, including enclosed
control rooms, and platform firefighting
capability;
• A computer-based distributed
control system, measurement controls
and natural gas metering facilities;
• LNG being pumped via a cryogenic
transfer line approximately 6,000 ft.,
crossing under a state highway, across a
small inlet bay to the storage facility.
• A comprehensive hazard
monitoring system incorporating
flammable gas detectors, high and low
temperature detectors, smoke detectors,
and local emergency shut-down
controls.
• The proposed sendout pipeline
would consist of a 35.1 miles of 36-inch
diameter pipeline that would extend
from the Import Facility through the
Storage Facility and interconnect with
the M&NE Pipeline in Princeton, Maine.
A map depicting the general location
of the Project facilities and pipeline is
shown in Appendix 1.2
Quoddy Bay is requesting approval
such that the pier facilities are
completed and placed into service in
2009 with the storage facilities being
placed into service in 2010.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the project would
disturb about 993 acres of land.
Following construction, about 337 to
340 acres of the total would be retained
for the operation of the LNG Terminal
and Sendout Pipeline.
As proposed, the Import Facility
would be constructed on submerged
lands that extend from mean low water
at Split Rock eastward towards the
United States shore between Pleasant
Point, Maine and Deer Island in New
Brunswick Canada. Construction of this
facility would require approximately
431 acres of land, of this amount, 30
acres consists of submerged lands that
2 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
being printed in the Federal Register. Copies are
available from the Commission’s Public Reference
and Files Maintenance Branch, at (202) 502–8371.
For instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to
the last page of this Notice.
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would be permanently impacted by the
operation of the facility.
The Support Facility would be
located on Split Rock within the
Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation in
Pleasant Point, Maine. About 4 acres of
land would be temporarily impacted by
the construction of the Support Facility,
of which about 2.5 acres of land would
be permanently impacted by the
operation of the proposed facility.
Construction of the LNG Transfer
System would temporarily impact about
8 acres of land and would including a
segment of submerged land in Half
Moon Cove. About 6 acres would be
required for operation of the LNG
Transfer System.
The Storage Facility would be located
in the town of Perry, Maine and affect
about 100 acres of land. About 88 acres
would be affected by operation.
The 35.1-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter
sendout pipeline in Washington County,
Maine would temporarily affect about
430 to 450 acres of land during
construction. About 210 to 213 acres
would be required for operations.
Quoddy Bay would use a maximum
100-wide right-of-way for construction,
of this amount 50 feet would consist of
permanent right-of-way and 50 feet
would consist of temporary workspace.
The construction right-of-way near
wetlands and water bodies would be
limited to 75 feet and in residential
areas to 50 feet.
The EIS Process
The Project is currently in the
preliminary stages of design, and at this
time a formal application has not been
filed with the Commission. For this
proposal, the Commission is initiating
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) review prior to receiving the
application. This allows interested
stakeholders to become involved early
in project planning and to identify and
resolve issues before an application is
filed with the FERC. A docket number
(PF06–11–000) has been established to
locate in the public record information
filed by Quoddy Bay and related
documents issued by the Commission.3
Once a formal application is filed with
the FERC, a new docket number will be
established.
NEPA requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action
whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity under Section 7 of the Natural
Gas Act. NEPA also requires us to
3 To view information in the docket, follow the
instructions for using the eLibrary link at the end
of this notice.
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identify and address concerns the
public would 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
important environmental issues and
reasonable alternatives. By this Notice
of Intent, the Commission staff requests
agency and public comments on the
scope of the issues to be addressed in
the EIS. All comments received are
considered during the 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,
• Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation,
• Endangered and Threatened
Species,
• Cultural Resources,
• Land Use, Recreation and Special
Interest Areas, and Visual Resources,
• Socioeconomics,
• Marine Transportation,
• Air Quality and Noise,
• Reliability and Safety, and
• Alternatives.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be included in the draft EIS.
The draft EIS will be published and
mailed to Federal, state, and local
agencies, Native American tribes, 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 of the draft EIS. We will consider
all timely comments on the draft EIS
and revise the document, as necessary,
before issuing a final EIS.
We have already started to meet with
Quoddy Bay, agencies, and other
interested stakeholders to discuss the
Project and identify issues/impacts and
concerns. Between February 13 and 17,
2006, representatives of FERC staff
participated in public open houses
sponsored by Quoddy Bay in the Project
area to explain the NEPA environmental
review process to interested
stakeholders and take comments about
the Project. 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 other
Federal, state, and local agencies with
jurisdiction and/or special expertise
with respect to environmental issues in
the project area to formally cooperate
with us in the preparation of the EIS.
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These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated the
proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Agencies that would
like to request cooperating status should
follow the instructions for filing
comments described later in this notice.
We encourage government
representatives to notify their
constituents of this planned project and
encourage them to comment on their
areas of concern.
To ensure your comments are
considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation
section below.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have identified several issues that
we think deserve attention based on a
preliminary review of the proposed
facilities and the information provided
by Quoddy Bay. This preliminary list of
issues may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis.
• Impact of LNG ship traffic on other
water-body users, including recreational
boaters, tour-boats, and commercial
fishing vessels.
• Potential impacts on regional
aquaculture and commercial fishing
activities.
• Safety and security issues relating
to LNG ship traffic, including transits
through Head Harbor Passage.
• Potential impacts on the residents
of neighboring communities, including
safety issues at the import and storage
facility, noise, air quality, and visual
resources.
• Project impacts on threatened and
endangered species and nearby National
Wildlife Refuges.
• Project impacts on cultural
resources.
We will make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid impacts on the
various resource areas and evaluate
possible alternatives to the proposed
Project or portions of the Project.
Public Participation
You are encouraged to become
involved in this process and provide
your specific comments or concerns
about Quoddy Bay’s proposal. Your
comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or
lessen environmental impacts. The more
specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. Please carefully follow
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
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Commission, 888 First St. NE.; Room
1A, Washington, DC 20426.
• Label one copy of the comments for
the attention of Gas Branch 1.
• Reference Docket No. PF06–11–000
on the original and both copies.
• Mail your comments so that they
will be received in Washington, DC on
or before April 28, 2006 (Applicable
copies will be provided to the Coast
Guard).
Please note that 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 https://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.’’
In addition to or in lieu of sending
written comments, we invite you to
attend the public scoping meetings we
will conduct in the Project area.4 The
locations for these meetings are listed
below. All meetings are scheduled to
begin at 7 p.m.:
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 7 p.m.
Pleasant Point Recreational Dept./
Sipayik Boy’s and Girl’s Club,
Passamaquoddy Drive, Perry, ME
04667, 207–853–6161.
Thursday, April 6, 2006, 7 p.m.
Perry School, 1587 U.S. Route 1,
Perry, ME 04667, 207–853–2522.
The scoping meetings listed above
will be combined with the Coast
Guard’s public meeting regarding the
safety and security of the project. At the
meetings, the Coast Guard will discuss
(1) the waterway safety assessment that
it will conduct to determine whether or
not the waterway can safely
accommodate the LNG carrier traffic
and operation of the planned LNG
marine terminal, and (2) the security
assessment it will conduct in
accordance with the requirements of the
Maritime Transportation Security Act.
The Coast Guard will not be issuing a
separate meeting notice for the maritime
safety and security aspects of the
project.
The joint public scoping meetings are
designed to provide state and local
agencies, interested groups, affected
4 The Quoddy Bay scoping meetings were
originally scheduled for March 28 and 29, 2006.
However, due to scheduling conflicts for the FERC
staff, the meetings were moved as noted above.
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landowners, and the general public with
another opportunity to offer your
comments on the Project. Interested
groups and individuals are encouraged
to attend the meetings and to present
comments on the environmental issues
they believe should be addressed in the
EIS and LNG vessel transit safety
concerns for consideration by the Coast
Guard. A transcript of each meeting will
be made so that your comments will be
accurately recorded.
All public meetings will be posted on
the Commission’s calendar located at
https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx along with other related
information.
When Quoddy Bay submits its
application for authorization to
construct and operate the project, the
Commission will publish a Notice of
Application in the Federal Register and
will establish a deadline for interested
persons to intervene in the proceeding.
Because the Commission’s Pre-Filing
Process occurs before an application to
begin a proceeding is officially filed,
petitions to intervene during this
process are premature and will not be
accepted by the Commission.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Environmental Mailing List
If you received this notice, you are on
the environmental mailing list for this
Project and will continue to receive
Project updates including the draft and
final EISs. If you want your contact
information corrected or you do not
want to remain on our mailing list,
please return the Correct or Remove
From Mailing List Form included as
Appendix 3.
To reduce printing and mailing costs,
the draft and final EISs will be issued
in both CD–ROM and hard copy
formats. The FERC strongly encourages
the use of the CD–ROM format in its
publication of large documents. If you
wish to receive a paper copy of the draft
EIS instead of a CD–ROM, you must
indicate that choice on the return
postcard (Appendix 3).
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 (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 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
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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 https://
www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, Quoddy Bay L.L.C. LNG has
established an Internet Web site for this
project at https://www.quoddylng.com.
The website includes a project
overview, status, and answers to
frequently asked questions. You can
also request additional information by
calling Quoddy Bay LNG at 207–853–
6631, or by e-mail at
ABarstow@quoddylng.com.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–4041 Filed 3–20–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Notice of Application for Non-Project
Use of Project Lands and Waters and
Soliciting Comments, Motions To
Intervene, and Protests
March 13, 2006.
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: Non-Project
Use of Project Lands and Waters.
b. Project No.: 516–418.
c. Date filed: February 21, 2006.
d. Applicant: South Carolina Electric
and Gas Company.
e. Name of Project: Saluda
Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Saluda River, near
the Town of Delmar, Saluda County,
South Carolina.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act, 16 U.S.C. 791 (a) 825(r) and
sections 799 and 801.
h. Applicant Contact: Beth Trump,
South Carolina Gas and Electric Co.,
Land Management (MZ6), Columbia, SC
29218, telephone (803) 217–7912, fax
(803) 933–7520, e-mail
btrump@scana.com.
i. FERC Contact: Brandi Sangunett;
telephone (202) 502–8393, e-mail
brandi.sangunett@ferc.gov.
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14203
j. Deadline for filing comments and or
motions: April 14, 2006.
k. Description of Proposal: South
Carolina Electric and Gas Company is
requesting Commission approval to
authorize the use by Saluda County
Water and Sewer Authority (SCWSA) of
project lands for the withdrawal of up
to 15 million gallons per day of water
from the project reservoir for public
drinking water, and to convey 0.23 acres
of project property along with a 40-foot
wide ingress and egress easement for the
purpose of constructing a raw water
pumping station and associated
facilities. The water withdrawal would
involve an inter-basin transfer from the
Saluda River basin for use and discharge
into the Lower Savannah River basin
and the Edisto River basin. No lands
presently reserved for public recreation
will affected.
l. Locations of the Application: A
copy of the application is available for
inspection and reproduction at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room,
located at 888 First Street, NE, Room
2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling
(202) 502–8371. This filing may also be
viewed on the Commission’s Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket
number excluding the last three digits in
the docket number field (p–516) to
access the document. You may also
register online at https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be
notified via e-mail of new filings and
issuances related to this or other
pending projects. For assistance, call 1–
866–208–3676 or e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for TTY,
call (202) 502–8659. A copy is also
available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item (h)
above.
m. Individuals desiring to be included
on the Commission’s mailing list should
so indicate by writing to the Secretary
of the Commission.
n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to
Intervene—Anyone may submit
comments, a protest, or a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
requirements of Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214.
In determining the appropriate action to
take, the Commission will consider all
protests or other comments filed, but
only those who file a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
Commission’s Rules may become a
party to the proceeding. Any comments,
protests, or motions to intervene must
be received on or before the specified
comment date for the particular
application.
o. Filing and Service of Responsive
Documents—Any filings must bear in
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 21, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14200-14203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4041]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF06-11-000]
Quoddy Bay, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Proposed Quoddy Bay LNG Project, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
March 14, 2006.
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 Quoddy Bay L.L.C. (Quoddy
Bay) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import and Regasification Terminal
project (the Project) which involves the construction and operation of
facilities by Quoddy Bay on the western shore of Passamaquoddy Bay in
Washington County, Maine. The Project would consist of an onshore LNG
import terminal located in Pleasant Point, ME with an approximate
eight-mile-long pipeline connecting to a storage facility located in
Perry, Maine., and 35-mile-long natural gas sendout pipeline
interconnecting with the Maritimes and Northeast (M&NE) Pipeline
system.
As 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 maritime safety and security of the Project. As explained further
in the Public Participation Section of this notice, the FERC and Coast
Guard will hold joint public scoping meetings to allow the public and
interested agencies the opportunity to provide input to these
assessments.
This notice explains the scoping process that will help us \1\
determine which issues/impacts need to be evaluated in the EIS. This
EIS will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to
determine whether the Project is in the public convenience and
necessity. Please note that the scoping period for the Project will
close on April 28, 2006.
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\1\ ``We,'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental
staff of the 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). The Coast Guard; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
and Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs will serve as
cooperating agencies during preparation of the EIS. In addition, we
have invited the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service; the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Department of the Interior,
Fish and Wildlife Service; the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service; the Maine
Department of Environmental Protection; the Maine Department of Marine
Resources; and the Maine Division of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. In lieu of
or in addition to sending written comments, you are invited to attend
the public scoping meetings that have been scheduled in the Project
area. Further instructions on how to submit written comments and
additional details of the public scoping meetings are provided in the
public participation section of this NOI.
The Coast Guard is responsible for matters related to navigation
safety, vessel engineering and safety standards, and all matters
pertaining to the safety of facilities or equipment located in or
adjacent to navigable waters up to the last valve immediately before
the receiving tanks. The Coast Guard also has authority for LNG
facility security plan review, approval, and compliance verification as
provided in Title 33 CFR 105, and recommendation for siting as it
pertains to the management of vessel traffic in and around the LNG
facility.
Upon receipt of a letter of intent from an owner or operator
intending to build a new LNG facility, the Coast Guard Captain of the
Port (COTP) conducts an analysis that results in a letter of
recommendation issued to the owner or operator and to the state and
local governments having jurisdiction, addressing the suitability of
the waterway to accommodate LNG vessels. Specifically the letter of
recommendation addresses the suitability of the waterway based on:
The physical location and layout of the facility and its
berthing and mooring arrangements.
The LNG vessels' characteristics and the frequency of LNG
shipments to the facility.
Commercial, industrial, environmentally sensitive, and
residential area in and adjacent to the waterway used by the LNG
vessels en route to the facility.
Density and character of the marine traffic on the
waterway.
Bridges or other manmade obstructions in the waterway.
Depth of water.
Tidal range.
Natural hazards, including rocks and sandbars.
Underwater pipelines and cables.
Distance of berthed LNG vessels from the channel, and the
width of the channel.
In addition, the Coast Guard will review and approve the facility's
operations manual and emergency response plan (33 CFR 127.019), as well
as the facility's security plan (33 CFR 105.410). The Coast Guard will
also provide input to other Federal, state, and local government
agencies reviewing the project.
In order to complete a thorough analysis and fulfill the regulatory
mandates cited above, the COTP Sector Northern New England will be
conducting a formal risk assessment evaluating the various safety and
security aspects associated with the Quoddy Bay's LNG proposed project.
This risk assessment will be accomplished through a series of workshops
focusing on the areas of waterways safety, port security, and
consequence management, with involvement from a broad cross-section
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of government and port stakeholders with expertise in each of the
respective areas. The workshops will be by invitation only. However,
comments received during the public comment period will be considered
as input in the risk assessment process.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners within 0.5 mile of
the proposed LNG Terminal; landowners within 200 feet of the pipeline
route under consideration; Federal, state, and local government
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups;
Native American tribes; and local libraries and newspapers; and other
interested parties.
Some affected landowners may be contacted by a project
representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct,
operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. If so, Quoddy Bay and
the affected landowners should seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. In the event that the Project is certificated by the
Commission, that approval conveys the right of eminent domain for
securing easements for the facilities. Therefore, if easement
negotiations fail to produce an agreement, Quoddy Bay could initiate
condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' addresses a number
of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and
how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is available for
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
Quoddy Bay proposes to site, construct, and operate an LNG terminal
and storage facility, and associated natural gas sendout pipeline with
a capacity of 2.0 billion cubic feet per day. More specifically, Quoddy
Bay's facilities would consist of:
An LNG import and marine LNG terminal, including a double,
staggered berth, 1,700-foot-long pier, capable of handling about 90 LNG
tankers per year, ranging in size from 135,000 to 200,000 cubic meters
(m\3\) per ship;
An onshore storage and regasification facility which
includes three full-containment insulated storage tanks with a capacity
of 160,000 m\3\ each.
LNG being unloaded from either of two berths. Each berth
has four identical unloading arms, three in liquid service and one in
vapor service. Each arm is provided with an emergency release system.
Tankers can be unloaded at 4,000 to 12,000 cubic meters per hour;
The platform on the unloading pier will be equipped with
submerged combustion vaporizers which can vaporize the LNG on site and
send gas directly to the sendout line bypassing the shore side storage
facility;
The electrical power distribution, including power
substations, transformers, switchgear, multiple voltage distribution,
emergency and UPS power systems;
Ancillary terminal facilities being located on the pier,
including enclosed control rooms, and platform firefighting capability;
A computer-based distributed control system, measurement
controls and natural gas metering facilities;
LNG being pumped via a cryogenic transfer line
approximately 6,000 ft., crossing under a state highway, across a small
inlet bay to the storage facility.
A comprehensive hazard monitoring system incorporating
flammable gas detectors, high and low temperature detectors, smoke
detectors, and local emergency shut-down controls.
The proposed sendout pipeline would consist of a 35.1
miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline that would extend from the Import
Facility through the Storage Facility and interconnect with the M&NE
Pipeline in Princeton, Maine.
A map depicting the general location of the Project facilities and
pipeline is shown in Appendix 1.\2\
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\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available from the
Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, at (202)
502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to the
last page of this Notice.
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Quoddy Bay is requesting approval such that the pier facilities are
completed and placed into service in 2009 with the storage facilities
being placed into service in 2010.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the project would disturb about 993 acres of land.
Following construction, about 337 to 340 acres of the total would be
retained for the operation of the LNG Terminal and Sendout Pipeline.
As proposed, the Import Facility would be constructed on submerged
lands that extend from mean low water at Split Rock eastward towards
the United States shore between Pleasant Point, Maine and Deer Island
in New Brunswick Canada. Construction of this facility would require
approximately 431 acres of land, of this amount, 30 acres consists of
submerged lands that would be permanently impacted by the operation of
the facility.
The Support Facility would be located on Split Rock within the
Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation in Pleasant Point, Maine. About 4
acres of land would be temporarily impacted by the construction of the
Support Facility, of which about 2.5 acres of land would be permanently
impacted by the operation of the proposed facility.
Construction of the LNG Transfer System would temporarily impact
about 8 acres of land and would including a segment of submerged land
in Half Moon Cove. About 6 acres would be required for operation of the
LNG Transfer System.
The Storage Facility would be located in the town of Perry, Maine
and affect about 100 acres of land. About 88 acres would be affected by
operation.
The 35.1-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter sendout pipeline in Washington
County, Maine would temporarily affect about 430 to 450 acres of land
during construction. About 210 to 213 acres would be required for
operations. Quoddy Bay would use a maximum 100-wide right-of-way for
construction, of this amount 50 feet would consist of permanent right-
of-way and 50 feet would consist of temporary workspace. The
construction right-of-way near wetlands and water bodies would be
limited to 75 feet and in residential areas to 50 feet.
The EIS Process
The Project is currently in the preliminary stages of design, and
at this time a formal application has not been filed with the
Commission. For this proposal, the Commission is initiating the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving the
application. This allows interested stakeholders to become involved
early in project planning and to identify and resolve issues before an
application is filed with the FERC. A docket number (PF06-11-000) has
been established to locate in the public record information filed by
Quoddy Bay and related documents issued by the Commission.\3\ Once a
formal application is filed with the FERC, a new docket number will be
established.
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\3\ To view information in the docket, follow the instructions
for using the eLibrary link at the end of this notice.
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NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the
issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under
Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires us to
[[Page 14202]]
identify and address concerns the public would 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 important
environmental issues and reasonable alternatives. By this Notice of
Intent, the Commission staff requests agency and public comments on the
scope of the issues to be addressed in the EIS. All comments received
are considered during the 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,
Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation,
Endangered and Threatened Species,
Cultural Resources,
Land Use, Recreation and Special Interest Areas, and
Visual Resources,
Socioeconomics,
Marine Transportation,
Air Quality and Noise,
Reliability and Safety, and
Alternatives.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in the
draft EIS. The draft EIS will be published and mailed to Federal,
state, and local agencies, Native American tribes, 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 of the draft
EIS. We will consider all timely comments on the draft EIS and revise
the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS.
We have already started to meet with Quoddy Bay, agencies, and
other interested stakeholders to discuss the Project and identify
issues/impacts and concerns. Between February 13 and 17, 2006,
representatives of FERC staff participated in public open houses
sponsored by Quoddy Bay in the Project area to explain the NEPA
environmental review process to interested stakeholders and take
comments about the Project. 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 other Federal, state, and local
agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues in the project area 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. Agencies that would like to request cooperating
status should follow the instructions for filing comments described
later in this notice. We encourage government representatives to notify
their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have identified several issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the
information provided by Quoddy Bay. This preliminary list of issues may
be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Impact of LNG ship traffic on other water-body users,
including recreational boaters, tour-boats, and commercial fishing
vessels.
Potential impacts on regional aquaculture and commercial
fishing activities.
Safety and security issues relating to LNG ship traffic,
including transits through Head Harbor Passage.
Potential impacts on the residents of neighboring
communities, including safety issues at the import and storage
facility, noise, air quality, and visual resources.
Project impacts on threatened and endangered species and
nearby National Wildlife Refuges.
Project impacts on cultural resources.
We will make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on
the various resource areas and evaluate possible alternatives to the
proposed Project or portions of the Project.
Public Participation
You are encouraged to become involved in this process and provide
your specific comments or concerns about Quoddy Bay's proposal. Your
comments should focus on the potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be.
Please carefully follow 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
St. NE.; Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 1.
Reference Docket No. PF06-11-000 on the original and both
copies.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before April 28, 2006 (Applicable copies will be
provided to the Coast Guard).
Please note that 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 https://
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.''
In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite
you to attend the public scoping meetings we will conduct in the
Project area.\4\ The locations for these meetings are listed below. All
meetings are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.:
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\4\ The Quoddy Bay scoping meetings were originally scheduled
for March 28 and 29, 2006. However, due to scheduling conflicts for
the FERC staff, the meetings were moved as noted above.
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Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 7 p.m.
Pleasant Point Recreational Dept./Sipayik Boy's and Girl's Club,
Passamaquoddy Drive, Perry, ME 04667, 207-853-6161.
Thursday, April 6, 2006, 7 p.m.
Perry School, 1587 U.S. Route 1, Perry, ME 04667, 207-853-2522.
The scoping meetings listed above will be combined with the Coast
Guard's public meeting regarding the safety and security of the
project. At the meetings, the Coast Guard will discuss (1) the waterway
safety assessment that it will conduct to determine whether or not the
waterway can safely accommodate the LNG carrier traffic and operation
of the planned LNG marine terminal, and (2) the security assessment it
will conduct in accordance with the requirements of the Maritime
Transportation Security Act. The Coast Guard will not be issuing a
separate meeting notice for the maritime safety and security aspects of
the project.
The joint public scoping meetings are designed to provide state and
local agencies, interested groups, affected
[[Page 14203]]
landowners, and the general public with another opportunity to offer
your comments on the Project. Interested groups and individuals are
encouraged to attend the meetings and to present comments on the
environmental issues they believe should be addressed in the EIS and
LNG vessel transit safety concerns for consideration by the Coast
Guard. A transcript of each meeting will be made so that your comments
will be accurately recorded.
All public meetings will be posted on the Commission's calendar
located at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with
other related information.
When Quoddy Bay submits its application for authorization to
construct and operate the project, the Commission will publish a Notice
of Application in the Federal Register and will establish a deadline
for interested persons to intervene in the proceeding. Because the
Commission's Pre-Filing Process occurs before an application to begin a
proceeding is officially filed, petitions to intervene during this
process are premature and will not be accepted by the Commission.
Environmental Mailing List
If you received this notice, you are on the environmental mailing
list for this Project and will continue to receive Project updates
including the draft and final EISs. If you want your contact
information corrected or you do not want to remain on our mailing list,
please return the Correct or Remove From Mailing List Form included as
Appendix 3.
To reduce printing and mailing costs, the draft and final EISs will
be issued in both CD-ROM and hard copy formats. The FERC strongly
encourages the use of the CD-ROM format in its publication of large
documents. If you wish to receive a paper copy of the draft EIS instead
of a CD-ROM, you must indicate that choice on the return postcard
(Appendix 3).
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 (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 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 https://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, Quoddy Bay L.L.C. LNG has established an Internet Web site
for this project at https://www.quoddylng.com. The website includes a
project overview, status, and answers to frequently asked questions.
You can also request additional information by calling Quoddy Bay LNG
at 207-853-6631, or by e-mail at ABarstow@quoddylng.com.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-4041 Filed 3-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
