TORP Terminal LP, Bienville Offshore Energy Terminal Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port License Application; Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement, 31258-31260 [E6-8497]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 105 / Thursday, June 1, 2006 / Notices
Impact Statement (FEIS) for the project,
approved on February 22, 2006, in the
FHWA Record of Decision (ROD) issued
on May 24, 2006 and in other
documents in the FHWA administrative
record. The FEIS, ROD, and other
documents in the FHWA administrative
record file are available by contacting
the FHWA or the Wisconsin Department
of Transportation at the addresses
provided above. The FHWA FEIS and
ROD can be viewed and downloaded
from the project Web site at https://
www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/d2/
wis83/index.htm or viewed at public
libraries in the project area.
This notice applies to all Federal
agency decisions as of the issuance date
of this notice and all laws under which
such actions were taken, including but
not limited to:
1. General: National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321–
4351]; Federal-Aid Highway Act [23
U.S.C. 109].
2. Air: Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7401–
7671(q).
3. Land: Section 4(f) of the
Department of Transportation Act of
1966 [49 U.S.C. 303]; Landscaping and
Scenic Enhancement (Wildflowers), 23
U.S.C. 319.
4. Wildlife: Endangered Species Act
[16 U.S.C. 1531–1544 and section 1536],
Marine Mammal Protection Act [16
U.S.C. 1361], Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act [16 U.S.C. 661–
667(d)], Migratory Bird Treaty Act [16
U.S.C. 703–712].
5. Historic and Cultural Resources:
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended
[16 U.S.C. 470(f) et seq.]; Archeological
Resources Protection Act of 1977 [16
U.S.C. 470(aa)–11]; Archeological and
Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C.
469–469(c)]; Native American Grave
Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA) [25 U.S.C. 3001–3013].
6. Social and Economic: Civil Rights
Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000(d)–
2000(d)(1)]; American Indian Religious
Freedom Act [42 U.S.C. 1996]; Farmland
Protection Policy Act (FPPA) [7 U.S.C.
4201–4209].
7. Wetlands and Water Resources:
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251–1377
(section 404, section 401, section 319);
Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF), 16 U.S.C. 4601–4604; Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 42 U.S.C.
300(f)–300(j)(6); Rivers and Harbors Act
of 1899, 33 U.S.C. 401–406; Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act, 16 U.S.C. 1271–1287;
Emergency Wetlands Resources Act, 16
U.S.C. 3921, 3931; TEA–21 Wetlands
Mitigation, 23 U.S.C. 103(b)(6)(m),
133(b)(11); Flood Disaster Protection
Act, 42 U.S.C. 4001–4128.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:10 May 31, 2006
Jkt 208001
8. Executive Orders: E.O. 11990
Protection of Wetlands; E.O. 11988
Floodplain Management; E.O. 12898,
Federal Actions to Address
Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low Income
Populations; E.O. 11593 Protection and
Enhancement of Cultural Resources;
E.O. 13007 Indian Sacred Sites; E.O.
13287 Preserve America; E.O. 13175
Consultation and Coordination with
Indian Tribal Governments; E.O. 11514
Protection and Enhancement of
Environmental Quality; E.O. 13112
Invasive Species.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning
and Construction. The regulations
implementing Executive Order 12372
regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this
program)
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1).
Issued on: May 25, 2006.
Bruce E. Matzke,
Division Administrator, Madison, Wisconsin.
[FR Doc. E6–8483 Filed 5–31–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[USCG–2006–24644]
TORP Terminal LP, Bienville Offshore
Energy Terminal Liquefied Natural Gas
Deepwater Port License Application;
Preparation of Environmental Impact
Statement
p.m. to 7 p.m. and will be preceded by
an open house from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The public meeting may end earlier or
later than the stated time, depending on
the number of persons wishing to speak.
Material submitted in response to the
request for comments must reach the
Docket Management Facility by June 30,
2006.
ADDRESSES: The open house and public
meeting will be held at: Mobile
Convention Center, One South Water
Street, Room 203, Mobile, Alabama
36602; 251–208–2100.
Address docket submissions for
USCG–2006–24644 to: Docket
Management Facility, U.S. Department
of Transportation,400 Seventh Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001.
The Docket Management Facility
accepts hand-delivered submissions and
makes docket contents available for
public inspection and copying at this
address, in room PL–401, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The
Facility’s telephone number is 202–366–
9329; the fax number is 202–493–2251;
and its website for electronic
submissions or for electronic access to
docket contents is https://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary K. Jager, U.S. Coast Guard,
telephone: 202–372–1454, e-mail:
MJager@comdt.uscg.mil. If you have
questions on viewing the docket, call
Renee V. Wright, Program Manager,
Docket Operations, telephone: 202–493–
0402.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
AGENCY:
Public Meeting and Open House
ACTION:
We invite you to learn about the
proposed deepwater port at an
informational open house and to
comment at a public meeting on
environmental issues related to the
proposed deepwater port. Your
comments will help us identify and
refine the scope of the environmental
issues to be addressed in the EIS.
In order to allow everyone a chance
to speak at the public meeting, we may
limit speaker time or extend the meeting
hours or both. You must identify
yourself and any organization you
represent by name. Your remarks will be
recorded or transcribed for inclusion in
the public docket.
You may submit written material at
the public meeting, either in place of or
in addition to speaking. Written
material must include your name and
address and will be included in the
public docket.
Public docket materials will be made
available to the public on the Docket
Management Facility’s Docket
Maritime Administration, DOT.
Notice of intent; notice of public
meeting; request for comments.
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard and the
Maritime Administration (MARAD)
announce that the Coast Guard intends
to prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) as part of the
environmental review of this license
application. The application describes a
project that would be located in the Gulf
of Mexico, in Main Pass block MP 258,
approximately 63 miles south of Mobile
Point, Alabama. Publication of this
notice begins a scoping process that will
help identify and determine the scope of
environmental issues to be addressed in
the EIS. This notice requests public
participation in the scoping process and
provides information on how to
participate. This notice announces
public meetings and a public comment
period to facilitate public participation.
DATES: The public meeting in Mobile,
Alabama will be held on June 14, 2006.
The public meeting will be held from 5
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 105 / Thursday, June 1, 2006 / Notices
Management System (DMS). See
‘‘Request for Comments’’ for
information about DMS and your rights
under the Privacy Act.
All our public meeting locations are
wheelchair-accessible. If you plan to
attend the open house or public meeting
and need special assistance such as sign
language interpretation or other
reasonable accommodation, please
notify the Coast Guard (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 3
business days in advance. Include your
contact information as well as
information about your specific needs.
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Request for Comments
We request public comments or other
relevant information on environmental
issues related to the proposed
deepwater port. The public meeting is
not the only opportunity you have to
comment. In addition to or in place of
attending a meeting, you can submit
comments to the Docket Management
Facility during the public comment
period (see DATES). We will consider all
comments and material received during
the comment period.
Submissions should include:
• Docket number USCG–2006–24644.
• Your name and address.
• Your reasons for making each
comment or for bringing information to
our attention.
Submit comments or material using
only one of the following methods:
• Electronic submission to DMS at
https://dms.dot.gov.
• Fax, mail, or hand delivery to the
Docket Management Facility (see
ADDRESSES). Faxed or hand-delivered
submissions must be unbound, no larger
than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, and suitable for
copying and electronic scanning. If you
mail your submission and want to know
when it reaches the Facility, include a
stamped, self-addressed postcard or
envelope.
Regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or material, all
submissions will be posted, without
change, to the DMS Web site (https://
dms.dot.gov) and will include any
personal information you provide.
Therefore, submitting this information
makes it public. You may wish to read
the Privacy Act notice that is available
on the DMS website or the Department
of Transportation Privacy Act Statement
that appeared in the Federal Register on
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477).
You may view docket submissions at
the Docket Management Facility (see
ADDRESSES) or electronically on the
DMS Web site.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:10 May 31, 2006
Jkt 208001
Background
Information about deepwater ports,
the statutes and regulations governing
their licensing, and the receipt of the
current application for the proposed
Bienville Offshore Energy Terminal
deepwater port appeared in the Federal
Register on May 5, 2006 (71 FR 26605).
The ‘‘Summary of the Application’’
from that publication is reprinted below
for your convenience.
Consideration of a deepwater port
license application includes review of
the proposed deepwater port’s natural
and human environmental impacts. The
Coast Guard is the lead agency for
determining the scope of this review,
and in this case the Coast Guard has
determined that review must include
preparation of an EIS. This notice of
intent is required by 40 CFR 1508.22
and briefly describes the proposed
action and possible alternatives and our
proposed scoping process. You can
address any questions about the
proposed action, the scoping process, or
the EIS to the Coast Guard contact
person identified in FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed action requiring
environmental review is the Federal
licensing of the proposed deepwater
port described in ‘‘Summary of the
Application’’ below. The alternatives to
licensing the proposed port are: (1)
Licensing with conditions (including
conditions designed to mitigate
environmental impact) and (2) denying
the application, which for purposes of
environmental review is the ‘‘no-action’’
alternative.
Scoping Process
Public scoping is an early and open
process for identifying and determining
the scope of issues to be addressed in
the EIS. Scoping begins with this notice,
continues through the public comment
period (see DATES), and ends when the
Coast Guard has completed the
following actions:
• Invites the participation of Federal,
State, and local agencies, any affected
Indian tribe, the applicant, and other
interested persons;
• Determines the actions, alternatives,
and impacts described in 40 CFR
1508.25;
• Identifies and eliminates from
detailed study those issues that are not
significant or that have been covered
elsewhere;
• Allocates responsibility for
preparing EIS components;
• Indicates any related environmental
assessments or environmental impact
statements that are not part of the EIS;
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• Identifies other relevant
environmental review and consultation
requirements;
• Indicates the relationship between
timing of the environmental review and
other aspects of the application process;
and
• At its discretion, exercises the
options provided in 40 CFR 1501.7 (b).
Once the scoping process is complete,
the Coast Guard will prepare a draft EIS
and we will publish a Federal Register
notice announcing its public
availability. (If you want that notice to
be sent to you, please contact the Coast
Guard project manager identified in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.) You
will have an opportunity to review and
comment on the draft EIS. The Coast
Guard will consider those comments
and then prepare the final EIS. As with
the draft EIS, we will announce the
availability of the final EIS and once
again give you an opportunity for
review and comment.
Summary of the Application
TORP Terminal LP, proposes to own,
construct, and operate a deepwater port,
named Bienville Offshore Energy
Terminal (BOET), in the Federal waters
of the Outer Continental Shelf on Main
Pass block MP 258, approximately 63
miles south of Mobile Point, Alabama,
in a water depth of approximately 425
feet. The BOET Deepwater Port would
be capable of mooring two LNG carriers
of up to approximately 250,000 cubic
meter capacity by means of two Single
Anchor Leg Moorings (SALMs).
The LNG carriers would be off loaded
one at a time to HiLoad floating regasification facilities, which use four
submerged shell-and-tube heat
exchangers to vaporize the LNG before
sending it via 14-inch diameter flexible
risers to a Pipeline End Manifold
(PLEM) on the seafloor, then through
30-inch diameter pipeline to the support
platform, where the gas will be metered
and further sent out via interconnecting
pipelines to four existing pipelines
(Dauphin Island Gathering System
Feedline, Transco Feedline, Destin
Feedline, and Viosca Knoll Gathering
System Feedline).
The major fixed components of the
proposed deepwater port would be the
Support Platform, two PLEMs with
ancillary risers and terminal pipelines,
HiLoad parking line pilings, and
approximately 25 miles of new pipeline.
BOET will have an average
throughput capacity of 1.2 billion
standard cubic feet per day (Bscfd). No
onshore pipelines or LNG storage
facilities are associated with the
proposed deepwater port application. A
shore based facility will be used to
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 105 / Thursday, June 1, 2006 / Notices
facilitate movement of personnel,
equipment, supplies, and disposable
materials between the Terminal and
shore.
Construction of the deepwater port
would be expected to take 30 months;
with startup of commercial operations
in the latter half of 2009, should a
license be issued. The deepwater port
would be designed, constructed and
operated in accordance with applicable
codes and standards and would have an
expected operating life of approximately
25 years.
Privacy Act
Anyone is able to search the
electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the
comment (or signing the comment, if
submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). You may
review DOT’s complete Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume
65, Number 70, pages 19477–78) or you
may visit https://dms.dot.gov.
(Authority 49 CFR 1.66)
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Dated: May 26, 2006.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. E6–8497 Filed 5–31–06; 8:45 am]
Docket No. 34855, must be filed with
the Surface Transportation Board, 1925
K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–
0001. In addition, one copy of all
pleadings must be served on IAIS’s
representative, Edward J. Krug, Krug
Law Firm, P.L.C., 401 First Street, SE.,
Suite 330, P.O. Box 186, Cedar Rapids,
IA 52406–0186.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Melissa Ziembicki, (202) 565–1604.
[Assistance for the hearing impaired is
available through the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Additional information is contained in
the Board’s decision. To purchase a
copy of the full decision, write to, email, or call: ASAP Document
Solutions, 9332 Annapolis Rd., Suite
103, Lanham, MD 20706; e-mail:
asapdc@verizon.net; telephone: (202)
306–4004. [Assistance for the hearing
impaired is available through FIRS at 1–
800–877–8339.]
Board decisions and notices are
available on our Web site at https://
www.stb.dot.gov.
Decided: May 25, 2006.
By the Board, Chairman Buttrey and Vice
Chairman Mulvey.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–8508 Filed 5–31–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
[STB Finance Docket No. 34855]
Internal Revenue Service
Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd.—
Acquisition Exemption—Great Western
Railway Company of Iowa, L.L.C.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)
Program Availability of Application
Packages
Surface Transportation Board.
Notice of exemption.
AGENCY:
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Board grants an
exemption, under 49 U.S.C. 10502, from
the prior approval requirements of 49
U.S.C. 10902 for Iowa Interstate
Railroad, Ltd. (IAIS), a Class II rail
carrier, to acquire by purchase a rail
yard owned by Great Western Railway
Company of Iowa, L.L.C., subject to
employee protective conditions. The rail
yard consists of approximately 55 acres
and 15 tracks, and extends from
milepost 0 at 18th Street to milepost 1.6,
at Council Bluffs, IA.
DATES: The exemption will be effective
on July 1, 2006. Petitions to stay must
be filed by June 16, 2006. Petitions to
reopen must be filed by June 26, 2006.
ADDRESSES: An original and 10 copies of
all pleadings, referring to STB Finance
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:10 May 31, 2006
Jkt 208001
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This document provides
notice of the availability of Application
Packages for the 2007 Tax Counseling
for the Elderly (TCE) Program.
DATES: Application Packages are
available from the IRS at this time. The
deadline for submitting an application
package to the IRS for the 2007 Tax
Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)
Program is August 1, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Application Packages may
be requested by contacting: Internal
Revenue Service, 5000 Ellin Road,
Lanham, MD 20706, Attention: Program
Manager, Tax Counseling for the Elderly
Program, SE:W:CAR:SPEC:FO:OA,
Building C–4, Room 168. Applications
can also be submitted electronically
through the IRS E-grants System by
logging on to https://www.egrants.irs.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs.
Lynn Tyler, SE:W:CAR:SPEC:FO:OA,
Building C–4, Room 168, Internal
Revenue Service, 5000 Ellin Road,
Lanham, MD 20706. The non-toll-free
telephone number is (202) 283–0189.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority
for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly
(TCE) Program is contained in section
163 of the Revenue Act of 1978, Public
Law 95–600, (92 Stat. 12810), November
6, 1978. Regulations were published in
the Federal Register at 44 FR 72113 on
December 13, 1979. Section 163 gives
the IRS authority to enter into
cooperative agreements with private or
public non-profit agencies or
organizations to establish a network of
trained volunteers to provide free tax
information and return preparation
assistance to elderly individuals.
Elderly individuals are defined as
individuals age 60 and over at the close
of their taxable year.
Cooperative agreements will be
entered into based upon competition
among eligible agencies and
organizations. Because applications are
being solicited before the FY 2007
budget has been approved, cooperative
agreements will be entered into subject
to the appropriation of funds. Once
funded, sponsoring agencies and
organizations will receive a grant from
the IRS for administrative expenses and
to reimburse volunteers for expenses
incurred in training and in providing
tax return assistance. The Tax
Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)
Program is referenced in the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance in Section
21.006.
Dated: May 19, 2006.
Elizabeth Blair,
Chief, Oversight & Analysis.
[FR Doc. E6–8436 Filed 5–31–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
SUMMARY:
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
Open Meeting of the Area 6 Taxpayer
Advocacy Panel (Including the States
of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon,
South Dakota, Utah, Washington and
Wyoming)
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Area
6 committee of the Taxpayer Advocacy
Panel will be conducted (via
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31258-31260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8497]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[USCG-2006-24644]
TORP Terminal LP, Bienville Offshore Energy Terminal Liquefied
Natural Gas Deepwater Port License Application; Preparation of
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of public meeting; request for
comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration (MARAD)
announce that the Coast Guard intends to prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) as part of the environmental review of this
license application. The application describes a project that would be
located in the Gulf of Mexico, in Main Pass block MP 258, approximately
63 miles south of Mobile Point, Alabama. Publication of this notice
begins a scoping process that will help identify and determine the
scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS. This notice
requests public participation in the scoping process and provides
information on how to participate. This notice announces public
meetings and a public comment period to facilitate public
participation.
DATES: The public meeting in Mobile, Alabama will be held on June 14,
2006. The public meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will be
preceded by an open house from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The public meeting
may end earlier or later than the stated time, depending on the number
of persons wishing to speak. Material submitted in response to the
request for comments must reach the Docket Management Facility by June
30, 2006.
ADDRESSES: The open house and public meeting will be held at: Mobile
Convention Center, One South Water Street, Room 203, Mobile, Alabama
36602; 251-208-2100.
Address docket submissions for USCG-2006-24644 to: Docket
Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation,400 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
The Docket Management Facility accepts hand-delivered submissions
and makes docket contents available for public inspection and copying
at this address, in room PL-401, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays. The Facility's telephone
number is 202-366-9329; the fax number is 202-493-2251; and its website
for electronic submissions or for electronic access to docket contents
is https://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary K. Jager, U.S. Coast Guard,
telephone: 202-372-1454, e-mail: MJager@comdt.uscg.mil. If you have
questions on viewing the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager,
Docket Operations, telephone: 202-493-0402.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Meeting and Open House
We invite you to learn about the proposed deepwater port at an
informational open house and to comment at a public meeting on
environmental issues related to the proposed deepwater port. Your
comments will help us identify and refine the scope of the
environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS.
In order to allow everyone a chance to speak at the public meeting,
we may limit speaker time or extend the meeting hours or both. You must
identify yourself and any organization you represent by name. Your
remarks will be recorded or transcribed for inclusion in the public
docket.
You may submit written material at the public meeting, either in
place of or in addition to speaking. Written material must include your
name and address and will be included in the public docket.
Public docket materials will be made available to the public on the
Docket Management Facility's Docket
[[Page 31259]]
Management System (DMS). See ``Request for Comments'' for information
about DMS and your rights under the Privacy Act.
All our public meeting locations are wheelchair-accessible. If you
plan to attend the open house or public meeting and need special
assistance such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable
accommodation, please notify the Coast Guard (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 3 business days in advance. Include your
contact information as well as information about your specific needs.
Request for Comments
We request public comments or other relevant information on
environmental issues related to the proposed deepwater port. The public
meeting is not the only opportunity you have to comment. In addition to
or in place of attending a meeting, you can submit comments to the
Docket Management Facility during the public comment period (see
DATES). We will consider all comments and material received during the
comment period.
Submissions should include:
Docket number USCG-2006-24644.
Your name and address.
Your reasons for making each comment or for bringing
information to our attention.
Submit comments or material using only one of the following
methods:
Electronic submission to DMS at https://dms.dot.gov.
Fax, mail, or hand delivery to the Docket Management
Facility (see ADDRESSES). Faxed or hand-delivered submissions must be
unbound, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, and suitable for copying
and electronic scanning. If you mail your submission and want to know
when it reaches the Facility, include a stamped, self-addressed
postcard or envelope.
Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or material,
all submissions will be posted, without change, to the DMS Web site
(https://dms.dot.gov) and will include any personal information you
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You
may wish to read the Privacy Act notice that is available on the DMS
website or the Department of Transportation Privacy Act Statement that
appeared in the Federal Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477).
You may view docket submissions at the Docket Management Facility
(see ADDRESSES) or electronically on the DMS Web site.
Background
Information about deepwater ports, the statutes and regulations
governing their licensing, and the receipt of the current application
for the proposed Bienville Offshore Energy Terminal deepwater port
appeared in the Federal Register on May 5, 2006 (71 FR 26605). The
``Summary of the Application'' from that publication is reprinted below
for your convenience.
Consideration of a deepwater port license application includes
review of the proposed deepwater port's natural and human environmental
impacts. The Coast Guard is the lead agency for determining the scope
of this review, and in this case the Coast Guard has determined that
review must include preparation of an EIS. This notice of intent is
required by 40 CFR 1508.22 and briefly describes the proposed action
and possible alternatives and our proposed scoping process. You can
address any questions about the proposed action, the scoping process,
or the EIS to the Coast Guard contact person identified in FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed action requiring environmental review is the Federal
licensing of the proposed deepwater port described in ``Summary of the
Application'' below. The alternatives to licensing the proposed port
are: (1) Licensing with conditions (including conditions designed to
mitigate environmental impact) and (2) denying the application, which
for purposes of environmental review is the ``no-action'' alternative.
Scoping Process
Public scoping is an early and open process for identifying and
determining the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. Scoping
begins with this notice, continues through the public comment period
(see DATES), and ends when the Coast Guard has completed the following
actions:
Invites the participation of Federal, State, and local
agencies, any affected Indian tribe, the applicant, and other
interested persons;
Determines the actions, alternatives, and impacts
described in 40 CFR 1508.25;
Identifies and eliminates from detailed study those issues
that are not significant or that have been covered elsewhere;
Allocates responsibility for preparing EIS components;
Indicates any related environmental assessments or
environmental impact statements that are not part of the EIS;
Identifies other relevant environmental review and
consultation requirements;
Indicates the relationship between timing of the
environmental review and other aspects of the application process; and
At its discretion, exercises the options provided in 40
CFR 1501.7 (b).
Once the scoping process is complete, the Coast Guard will prepare
a draft EIS and we will publish a Federal Register notice announcing
its public availability. (If you want that notice to be sent to you,
please contact the Coast Guard project manager identified in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.) You will have an opportunity to review
and comment on the draft EIS. The Coast Guard will consider those
comments and then prepare the final EIS. As with the draft EIS, we will
announce the availability of the final EIS and once again give you an
opportunity for review and comment.
Summary of the Application
TORP Terminal LP, proposes to own, construct, and operate a
deepwater port, named Bienville Offshore Energy Terminal (BOET), in the
Federal waters of the Outer Continental Shelf on Main Pass block MP
258, approximately 63 miles south of Mobile Point, Alabama, in a water
depth of approximately 425 feet. The BOET Deepwater Port would be
capable of mooring two LNG carriers of up to approximately 250,000
cubic meter capacity by means of two Single Anchor Leg Moorings
(SALMs).
The LNG carriers would be off loaded one at a time to HiLoad
floating re-gasification facilities, which use four submerged shell-
and-tube heat exchangers to vaporize the LNG before sending it via 14-
inch diameter flexible risers to a Pipeline End Manifold (PLEM) on the
seafloor, then through 30-inch diameter pipeline to the support
platform, where the gas will be metered and further sent out via
interconnecting pipelines to four existing pipelines (Dauphin Island
Gathering System Feedline, Transco Feedline, Destin Feedline, and
Viosca Knoll Gathering System Feedline).
The major fixed components of the proposed deepwater port would be
the Support Platform, two PLEMs with ancillary risers and terminal
pipelines, HiLoad parking line pilings, and approximately 25 miles of
new pipeline.
BOET will have an average throughput capacity of 1.2 billion
standard cubic feet per day (Bscfd). No onshore pipelines or LNG
storage facilities are associated with the proposed deepwater port
application. A shore based facility will be used to
[[Page 31260]]
facilitate movement of personnel, equipment, supplies, and disposable
materials between the Terminal and shore.
Construction of the deepwater port would be expected to take 30
months; with startup of commercial operations in the latter half of
2009, should a license be issued. The deepwater port would be designed,
constructed and operated in accordance with applicable codes and
standards and would have an expected operating life of approximately 25
years.
Privacy Act
Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70, pages 19477-78) or you may visit
https://dms.dot.gov.
(Authority 49 CFR 1.66)
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Dated: May 26, 2006.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-8497 Filed 5-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
