Clearwater Port Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port License Application; Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report, 53283-53286 [E7-18323]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 18, 2007 / Notices
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts
1500–1508, and 23 CFR Part 771), the
project-level air quality conformity
regulation of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR part
93), the section 404(b)(1) guidelines of
EPA (40 CFR part 230), the regulation
implementing section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (36
CFR Part 800), the regulation
implementing section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act (50 CFR part
402), section 4(f) of the DOT Act (23
CFR 771.135), and Executive Orders
12898 on environmental justice, 11988
on floodplain management, and 11990
on wetlands.
participation in the scoping process,
provides information on how to
participate, and serves as a notice of
preparation (NOP) for the purposes of
compliance with CEQA.
DATES: Material submitted in response
to the request for comments must be
received by the Docket Management
Facility or the CSLC by October 18,
2007 by 2 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
(see Request for Comments and
ADDRESSES for the address and
instructions on how to submit
comments). Public meeting dates are
October 3, 2007 in Oxnard, California,
and October 4, 2007 in Santa Clarita,
California.
Issued on: September 12, 2007.
R.F. Krochalis,
Regional Administrator, Region 10, Federal
Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–18339 Filed 9–17–07; 8:45 am]
ADDRESSES:
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
Performing Arts and Convention
Center, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard,
California 93030, Telephone: (805) 486–
2424.
Public Scoping Meetings: 1:30 p.m. to
3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.;
Open House: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
and 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[USCG–2007–28676]
Clearwater Port Liquefied Natural Gas
Deepwater Port License Application;
Preparation of Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact
Report
Maritime Administration, DOT.
Notice of intent; notice of public
meeting; request for comments.
AGENCY:
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ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration
and the U.S. Coast Guard, in
coordination with the California State
Lands Commission (CSLC), announce
their intent to prepare an environmental
impact statement/environmental impact
report (EIS/EIR), in connection with this
application for a proposed liquefied
natural gas (LNG) deepwater port (DWP)
that would be located in the Pacific
Ocean approximately 10.5 miles
offshore of Ventura County, California.
The EIS/EIR will be prepared in
coordination with the CSLC because the
applicant has filed a land lease
application with the CSLC for the
construction, use and maintenance of a
36-inch diameter subsea pipeline on
submerged lands in State waters to
deliver natural gas onshore. The EIS/EIR
will meet the requirements of both the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Publication of this notice begins a
scoping process that will help identify
and determine the scope of
environmental issues addressed in the
EIS/EIR. This notice requests public
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The public meetings and
informational open houses will be held
at the following times and places:
October 3, 2007
October 4, 2007
Santa Clarita Activities Center, Santa
Clarita Room, 20880 Centre Pointe
Parkway, Santa Clarita, California
91350, Telephone: (661) 250–3701.
Public Scoping Meeting: 6 p.m. to 8
p.m.; Open House: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The public docket for USCG–2007–
28676 is maintained by the Department
of Transportation Docket Management
Facility. You may submit comments by
any of the following methods:
If filing comments by September 27,
2007, please use:
• Web Site: https://dms.dot.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting
comments on the Department of
Transportation Docket Management
System electronic docket site. No
electronic submissions will be accepted
between September 28, 2007, and
October 1, 2007.
If filing comments on or after October
1, 2007, use:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
Alternatively, you can file comments
using the following methods:
• Mail: Docket Management Facility:
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590–0001.
• Hand Delivery or Courier: West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
PO 00000
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53283
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
Instructions: Note that all comments
received will be posted without change
to https://dms.dot.gov or https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. Please
see the Privacy Act heading below.
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 (65 FR
19477–78).
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
dms.dot.gov until September 27, 2007,
or the street address listed above. The
DOT docket may be offline at times
between September 28 through
September 30 to migrate to the Federal
Docket Management System (FDMS).
On October 1, 2007, the internet access
to the docket will be https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for accessing the dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Contact Ray Martin, U.S. Coast Guard, at
(202) 372–1449 or e-mail at
Raymond.W.Martin@uscg.mil; Kevin
Tone, U.S. Coast Guard, at (202) 372–
1441 or Kevin.P.Tone@uscg.mil; Mr.
Scott Davies, U.S. Maritime
Administration, at (202) 366–2763 or
Scott.Davies@dot.gov; or contact Crystal
Spurr, located in the Sacramento, CA
office of the California State Lands
Commission, at (916) 574–0748 or email at spurrc@slc.ca.gov.
This public notice may be requested
in an alternative format, such as
Spanish translation, audiotape, large
print, or Braille by contacting Crystal
Spurr, CSLC, (916) 574–0748
(spurrc@slc.ca.gov).
The
Maritime Administration and the U.S.
Coast Guard, in coordination with the
California State Lands Commission
(CSLC), announce their intent to prepare
an environmental impact statement/
environmental impact report (EIS/EIR),
in connection with this application for
a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG)
deepwater port (DWP) that would be
located in the Pacific Ocean
approximately 10.5 miles offshore of
Ventura County, California. The EIS/EIR
will be prepared with the CSLC because
the applicant has filed a land lease
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 18, 2007 / Notices
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application with the CSLC for the
construction, use and maintenance of a
36-inch diameter subsea pipeline on
submerged lands in State waters to
deliver natural gas onshore. The EIS/EIR
will meet the requirements of both the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Publication of this notice begins a
scoping process that will help identify
and determine the scope of
environmental review and invites
public participation in the scoping
process, and provides information on
how to participate. This notice also
serves as a notice of preparation (NOP)
for the purposes of CEQA compliance.
Background
Information about deepwater ports,
the statutes and regulations governing
licensing, and the receipt of the current
application for the proposed Clearwater
Port LNG deepwater port appears at 72
FR 50445, August 31, 2007.
Consideration of a deepwater port
license application and CSLC land lease
application includes review of the
proposed environmental impacts. The
U.S. Coast Guard, in coordination with
the Maritime Administration,
determines the scope of this review. In
this case, these Federal agencies have
determined that review must include
preparation of an EIS. The CSLC, as the
State lead agency under the CEQA, has
determined that an EIR is required.
Because of the many similarities
between an EIS and an EIR, the U.S.
Coast Guard (in coordination with the
Maritime Administration) and the CSLC
have agreed to cooperate in preparing a
single document that satisfies both the
NEPA and the CEQA. This notice of
intent is required by 40 CFR 1508.22,
and briefly describes the proposed
action, possible alternatives, and the
proposed scoping process. For the State
of California’s purposes, this notice
serves as a notice of preparation, notice
of public scoping meetings, and request
for comments as described in CEQA
Guidelines Section 15082. Address any
questions about the proposed action, the
scoping process, or the EIS/EIR to the
U.S. Coast Guard and CSLC contact
persons identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section.
Comments need not be submitted to
more than one agency; all comments
received by one agency will be shared
with and entered into the record of the
other agencies.
Proposed Action/ Project Description
Clearwater Port LLC (a subsidiary of
NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc.) is
proposing to construct Clearwater Port,
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an offshore liquefied natural gas
receiving terminal and regasification
facility located in federal waters
approximately 10.5 miles offshore of the
coast of Oxnard, California in Federal
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease
Block OCS–P 0217. Clearwater Port will
be comprised primarily of Platform
Grace; an offset dual berth (ODB)
Satellite Service Platform that would be
installed adjacent to Platform Grace for
docking of the LNG carriers; and a new
36-inch subsea pipeline to transport
vaporized natural gas from the platform
connecting at a junction point onshore
to a Southern California Gas Company
(SoCalGas) pipeline located in Rancho
Santa Clara near Camarillo, California.
The pipeline would come ashore within
the Reliant Energy Mandalay Power
Generating Station and connect with a
new gas receiving and metering facility.
The onshore components of the
project would consist of approximately
63 miles of new pipeline by expanding
the SoCalGas pipeline system as
follows: A 36-inch pipeline extending
12.9 miles from the Reliant Energy
Mandalay Power Generating Station to
the existing Center Road Station; a 36inch pipeline extending 37 miles to loop
the existing Line 324 for transport of
additional capacities from the Center
Road Station to the existing Saugus
Station; an 8.75-mile leg of 36-inch
pipeline to loop the existing Line 225
for transport of additional capacities
from the existing Honor Rancho Station
to the Quigley Station; and, a final 4.5mile leg of 36-inch pipeline to extend
the existing Line 3008 (currently from
the Quigley Valve Station to the
Newhall Valve Station) for transport of
additional capacities from the existing
Quigley Valve Station to the existing
Balboa Station. Contact Crystal Spurr,
CSLC, (916) 574–0748
(spurrc@slc.ca.gov) to obtain a map of
the project location.
The deepwater port would be able to
receive approximately 139 LNG carriers
annually and accommodate two LNG
carriers ranging from 70,000 m 3 to
220,000 m 3 in capacity. The carriers
would transfer LNG one carrier at a time
through a conventional marine loading
arm system to the platform via a
cryogenic pipe-in-pipe where it would
be regasified by an ambient air vaporizer
(AAV) system. The AAV would have the
capacity to achieve an average hourly
rate of 2300 m 3, an average daily gas
send-out of 1.2 Bcfd, and a peak sendout
capacity of 1.4 Bcfd. Construction of the
deepwater port could be expected to
take three (3) years; with start-up of
commercial operations following
construction, should a Federal license
and the required California State lease
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and permits 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 30 years.
Public Meeting and Open House
We invite you to learn about the
proposed deepwater port at an
informational open house and comment
at a public meeting on environmental
issues related to the proposed
deepwater port. The comments will
help us identify and refine the scope of
the environmental issues to be
addressed in the EIS/EIR.
Written material may be submitted at
the public meeting, either in place of or
in addition to speaking. Written
material should include your name and
address, and will be included in the
public docket.
All 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 U.S. 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 to comment. In
addition to or in place of attending a
meeting, comments can be submitted to
the Docket Management Facility during
the public comment period (see DATES).
All comments and materials received
during the comment period will be
considered. Address comments/docket
submissions to either of the following
agencies:
Department of Transportation, Docket
Management Facility, West Building,
Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC 20590.
Submit your comments by electronic
submission to DMS, https://dms.dot.gov
(or to https://www.regulations.gov, if
filing comments on or after October 1,
2007) or by fax, mail, or hand delivery
to the Docket Management Facility.
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.
The Docket Management Facility
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accepts hand-delivered submissions,
and makes docket contents available for
public inspection and copying at this
address, in room W12–140, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The
Docket Management Facility’s telephone
is 202–366–9329, and its fax is 202–
493–2251.
California State Lands Commission,
Attn: Crystal Spurr, 100 Howe Avenue,
Suite 100 South, Sacramento, California
95825–8202.
The telephone number at the
California State Lands Commission is
(916) 574–1900, and the fax is (916)
574–1885. You can submit your
comments by electronic submissions to
the CSLC, spurrc@slc.ca.gov; or by fax,
mail, or hand delivery to the CSLC.
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 CSLC, include a
stamped, self-addressed postcard or
envelope.
Submissions should include:
• Docket number USCG–2007–28676.
• Your name and address.
• Your reasons for making each
comment or for bringing information to
our attention.
Regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or materials, all
submissions will be posted, without
change, to the DMS Web site (https://
dms.dot.gov) (or to https://
www.regulations.gov, if filing comments
on or after October 1, 2007), and will
include any personal information you
provide. Therefore, submitting this
information makes it public (see Privacy
Act).
If you have questions on viewing the
docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone:
202–493–0402. Additionally,
information pertaining to the proposed
Clearwater Port is available online at
https://dms.dot.gov or https://
www.slc.ca.gov.
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Scoping Process
Public scoping is an early and open
process for identifying and determining
the scope of issues addressed in the EIS/
EIR. Scoping begins with this notice,
continues through the public comment
period and ends when the Coast Guard,
Maritime Administration and the CSLC
have:
• Invited the participation of Federal,
State, and local agencies, any affected
Indian tribe, the applicant, and other
interested persons;
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• Determined the actions,
alternatives, and impacts described in
40 CFR 1508.25;
• Identified and eliminated from
detailed study those issues that are not
significant or that have been covered
elsewhere;
• Allocated responsibility for
preparing EIS/EIR components;
• Indicated any related
environmental assessments or
environmental impact statements that
are not part of the EIS;
• Identified other relevant
environmental review and consultation
requirements;
• Indicated the relationship between
timing of the environmental review and
other aspects of the application process;
and
• At the Federal agencies’ discretion,
exercised the options provided in 40
CFR 1501.7 (b).
Once the scoping process is complete,
the Maritime Administration and Coast
Guard, in cooperation with CSLC, will
prepare a draft EIS/EIR (DEIS/DEIR),
and publish a Federal Register notice
announcing its public availability. To
receive that notice, please contact those
identified in (FOR FURTHER INFORMATION).
An opportunity to review and comment
on the draft EIS/EIR will be provided.
The Maritime Administration, Coast
Guard, and CSLC will consider those
comments in the preparation of the final
EIS/EIR (FEIS/FEIR). As with the draft
EIS, we will announce the availability of
the FEIS/FEIR and once again provide
an opportunity for review and comment.
Availability of EIS/EIR
In addition to the Federal Register
notice announcing the availability of the
DEIS/DEIR, the CSLC will file a notice
of completion with the California State
Clearinghouse. The DEIS/DEIR in
hardcopy or electronic format will be
distributed to agencies, local public
libraries and interested parties that have
requested copies. Comments received
during the DEIS/DEIR review period
will be available in the public docket
and responded to in the FEIS/FEIR. An
NOA of the FEIS/FEIR will be published
in the Federal Register, and the CSLC
will issue notices of availability and
completion. Additional public meetings
will be held after the draft and final
documents are published.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
The EIS/EIR for Clearwater Port will
discuss, among other issues: The
purpose and need for this LNG project;
project alternatives; the no action/no
project alternative; the affected
environment/baseline; the
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53285
environmental impacts of the proposed
action/project and alternatives; and
proposed mitigation measures. The EIS/
EIR will assess the impacts of the
project and alternatives on the
environment, including approving or
not approving (no action/no project
alternative) the state lease and the
federal license to construct and operate
the DWP.
Environmental issues that will require
detailed analysis include, but are not
necessarily limited to:
• Aesthetics—alter the onshore and
offshore viewsheds; light and glare;
• Air Quality—onshore and offshore
impacts on regional air quality; impacts
of greenhouse gas emissions;
• Geological Resources and Soils—
impacts from seismic hazards, erosion,
and loss of unique paleontological
resources;
• Hazardous Materials—impacts from
hazardous material spills or pipeline
rupture;
• Marine Transportation—impacts on
marine traffic;
• Onshore Transportation—impacts
from construction traffic and temporary
lane closures;
• Marine Biology—impacts on sea
turtles, marine mammals, benthic
communities, or other special status
species;
• Recreation—impacts on boating and
commercial and recreational fishing,
and impacts on public beach access;
• Hazards and Risk/Safety—impacts
from LNG/gas release (The EIS/EIR will
include an independent, site-specific
risk assessment);
• Noise and Vibration—impacts of
noise on local residents, boaters,
passengers on marine vessels, fish, sea
turtles, and marine mammals;
• Terrestrial Biology—impacts from
construction, operation and
maintenance activities on biological
resources;
• Water Quality—impacts from spills,
releases of LNG, erosion;
• Environmental Justice—potential
disproportionate effects on minority and
low income populations within the
Project area;
• Agricultural Resources—impacts on
farmland and crops;
• Cultural Resources—impacts on
shipwrecks and Native American,
archaeological, and historic resources;
• Energy and Mineral Resources—
Restriction on the future availability of
exploitable oil and gas resources;
• Land Use—potential conflicts with
existing land uses;
• Socioeconomics—impacts on
community character, population,
housing, public services, employment;
• Cumulative Impacts—The EIS/EIR
will evaluate the cumulative effects of
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the project, if any, associated with each
environmental issue area;
• Alternatives—The EIS/EIR will
evaluate the No Action/No Project
Alternative. Other alternatives that may
be analyzed include: Alternative
Offshore Locations; Alternative Onshore
Locations; Alternative Capacity;
Alternative Onshore and Offshore
Pipeline Routes; Alternative
Methodologies; Alternative
Technologies and Design Concepts.
Agency Involvement
The major Federal and State permit,
approval, and consultation requirements
for Clearwater Port include, but are not
necessarily limited to, the following:
Federal:
• DOT/Maritime Administration–
DWP license.
• DHS/U.S. Coast Guard–DWP design
and operational requirements.
• U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Clean Air Act and Clean
Water Act (CWA) permits.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE)–Clean Water Act Section 404
and Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10
permits
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service–
Section 7, Endangered Species Act
(ESA) consultation.
• U.S. Department of Defense.
• U.S. State Department.
• U.S. Department of Interior,
Minerals Management Service (MMS).
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Section 7, ESA
consultation requirements.
• NOAA Fisheries-Magnuson-Stevens
Fisheries Management and Conservation
Act consultation.
• NOAA Fisheries-Marine Mammal
Protection Act consultation.
California
• California Coastal Commission
Compliance with California Coastal Act
Application
No.
Docket
No.
and consistency with California Coastal
Management Program.
• California State Historic
Preservation Officer (SHPO), National
Historic Preservation Act Section 106
and California historic preservation
consultation and compliance.
Privacy Act
The electronic form of all comments
received into the DOT docket are
available to any person and may be
searched 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)
Dated: September 12, 2007.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Daron T. Threet,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–18323 Filed 9–17–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety;
Notice of Application for Special
Permits
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION: List of Applications for Special
Permits.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
procedures governing the application
for, and the processing of, special
Applicant
Regulation(s) affected
permits from the Department of
Transportation’s Hazardous Material
Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart
B), notice is hereby given that the Office
of Hazardous Materials Safety has
received the application described
herein. Each mode of transportation for
which a particular special permit is
requested is indicated by a number in
the ‘‘Nature of Application’’ portion of
the table below as follows: 1—Motor
vehicle, 2—Rail freight, 3—Cargo vessel,
4—Cargo aircraft only, 5—Passengercarrying aircraft.
Comments must be received on
or before October 18, 2007.
DATES:
ADDRESS COMMENTS TO: Record Center,
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Washington, DC 20590.
Comments should refer to the
application number and be submitted in
triplicate. If confirmation of receipt of
comments is desired, include a selfaddressed stamped postcard showing
the special permit number.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Copies of the applications are available
for inspection in the Records Center,
East Building, PHH–30, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue Southeast, Washington,
DC or at https://dms.dot.gov.
This notice of receipt of applications
for special permit is published in
accordance with Part 107 of the Federal
hazardous materials transportation law
(49 U.S.C. 5117(b); 49 CFR 1.53(b)).
Issued in Washington, DC, on September
12, 2007.
Delmer F. Billings,
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials,
Special Permits and Approvals.
Nature of special permits thereof
New Special Permits
Nantog CIMC Tank Equipment Co. Ltd.
49 CFR 178.276(a)(1) ......
14569–N ......
Marine Exchange of Alaska, Juneau, AK.
49 CFR 176.83 .................
14570–N ......
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14566–N ......
DuPont SHE Excellence
Center, Wilmington, DE,
DE.
49 CFR 179.13 .................
14571–N ......
Dynetek Industries Ltd.,
19 CFR 178.276(a)(1) ......
Calgary Alberta, Canada.
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19:28 Sep 17, 2007
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To authorize the manufacture, marking, sale and use
of certain UN T50 steel portable tanks manufactured in accordance with Section VIII, Division 1 of
the ASME Code. (modes 1, 2, 3).
To authorize the transportation of certain explosives
by cargo vessel in alternative stowage configurations. (mode 3).
To authorize the transportation in commerce of Titanium tetrachloride in DOT specification 105J600W
tank car tanks that exceed the maximum allowable
gross weight on rail (263,000 lbs.). (mode 2).
To authorize the manufacture, marking, sale and use
of DOT–CFFC specification fully wrapped carbon
fiber reinforced aluminum lined cylinders mounted
in protective framework for use in transporting Division 2.1 and 2.2 hazardous materials. (modes 1, 2,
3, 4, 5).
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53283-53286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18323]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[USCG-2007-28676]
Clearwater Port Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port License
Application; Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of public meeting; request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard, in
coordination with the California State Lands Commission (CSLC),
announce their intent to prepare an environmental impact statement/
environmental impact report (EIS/EIR), in connection with this
application for a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater port
(DWP) that would be located in the Pacific Ocean approximately 10.5
miles offshore of Ventura County, California.
The EIS/EIR will be prepared in coordination with the CSLC because
the applicant has filed a land lease application with the CSLC for the
construction, use and maintenance of a 36-inch diameter subsea pipeline
on submerged lands in State waters to deliver natural gas onshore. The
EIS/EIR will meet the requirements of both the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Publication of this notice begins a scoping process that will help
identify and determine the scope of environmental issues addressed in
the EIS/EIR. This notice requests public participation in the scoping
process, provides information on how to participate, and serves as a
notice of preparation (NOP) for the purposes of compliance with CEQA.
DATES: Material submitted in response to the request for comments must
be received by the Docket Management Facility or the CSLC by October
18, 2007 by 2 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (see Request for Comments and
Addresses for the address and instructions on how to submit comments).
Public meeting dates are October 3, 2007 in Oxnard, California, and
October 4, 2007 in Santa Clarita, California.
ADDRESSES: The public meetings and informational open houses will be
held at the following times and places:
October 3, 2007
Performing Arts and Convention Center, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard,
California 93030, Telephone: (805) 486-2424.
Public Scoping Meetings: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to
8:30 p.m.; Open House: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 6:30
p.m.
October 4, 2007
Santa Clarita Activities Center, Santa Clarita Room, 20880 Centre
Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, California 91350, Telephone: (661) 250-
3701.
Public Scoping Meeting: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Open House: 4 p.m. to 6
p.m.
The public docket for USCG-2007-28676 is maintained by the
Department of Transportation Docket Management Facility. You may submit
comments by any of the following methods:
If filing comments by September 27, 2007, please use:
Web Site: https://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for
submitting comments on the Department of Transportation Docket
Management System electronic docket site. No electronic submissions
will be accepted between September 28, 2007, and October 1, 2007.
If filing comments on or after October 1, 2007, use:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Alternatively, you can file comments using the following methods:
Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
Instructions: Note that all comments received will be posted
without change to https://dms.dot.gov or https://www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act
heading below.
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 (65 FR 19477-78).
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://dms.dot.gov until September 27, 2007,
or the street address listed above. The DOT docket may be offline at
times between September 28 through September 30 to migrate to the
Federal Docket Management System (FDMS). On October 1, 2007, the
internet access to the docket will be https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Ray Martin, U.S. Coast Guard,
at (202) 372-1449 or e-mail at Raymond.W.Martin@uscg.mil; Kevin Tone,
U.S. Coast Guard, at (202) 372-1441 or Kevin.P.Tone@uscg.mil; Mr. Scott
Davies, U.S. Maritime Administration, at (202) 366-2763 or
Scott.Davies@dot.gov; or contact Crystal Spurr, located in the
Sacramento, CA office of the California State Lands Commission, at
(916) 574-0748 or e-mail at spurrc@slc.ca.gov.
This public notice may be requested in an alternative format, such
as Spanish translation, audiotape, large print, or Braille by
contacting Crystal Spurr, CSLC, (916) 574-0748 (spurrc@slc.ca.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Maritime Administration and the U.S.
Coast Guard, in coordination with the California State Lands Commission
(CSLC), announce their intent to prepare an environmental impact
statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR), in connection with
this application for a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater
port (DWP) that would be located in the Pacific Ocean approximately
10.5 miles offshore of Ventura County, California. The EIS/EIR will be
prepared with the CSLC because the applicant has filed a land lease
[[Page 53284]]
application with the CSLC for the construction, use and maintenance of
a 36-inch diameter subsea pipeline on submerged lands in State waters
to deliver natural gas onshore. The EIS/EIR will meet the requirements
of both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Publication of this notice begins a
scoping process that will help identify and determine the scope of
environmental review and invites public participation in the scoping
process, and provides information on how to participate. This notice
also serves as a notice of preparation (NOP) for the purposes of CEQA
compliance.
Background
Information about deepwater ports, the statutes and regulations
governing licensing, and the receipt of the current application for the
proposed Clearwater Port LNG deepwater port appears at 72 FR 50445,
August 31, 2007.
Consideration of a deepwater port license application and CSLC land
lease application includes review of the proposed environmental
impacts. The U.S. Coast Guard, in coordination with the Maritime
Administration, determines the scope of this review. In this case,
these Federal agencies have determined that review must include
preparation of an EIS. The CSLC, as the State lead agency under the
CEQA, has determined that an EIR is required. Because of the many
similarities between an EIS and an EIR, the U.S. Coast Guard (in
coordination with the Maritime Administration) and the CSLC have agreed
to cooperate in preparing a single document that satisfies both the
NEPA and the CEQA. This notice of intent is required by 40 CFR 1508.22,
and briefly describes the proposed action, possible alternatives, and
the proposed scoping process. For the State of California's purposes,
this notice serves as a notice of preparation, notice of public scoping
meetings, and request for comments as described in CEQA Guidelines
Section 15082. Address any questions about the proposed action, the
scoping process, or the EIS/EIR to the U.S. Coast Guard and CSLC
contact persons identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section. Comments need not be submitted to more than one agency; all
comments received by one agency will be shared with and entered into
the record of the other agencies.
Proposed Action/ Project Description
Clearwater Port LLC (a subsidiary of NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc.)
is proposing to construct Clearwater Port, an offshore liquefied
natural gas receiving terminal and regasification facility located in
federal waters approximately 10.5 miles offshore of the coast of
Oxnard, California in Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Block
OCS-P 0217. Clearwater Port will be comprised primarily of Platform
Grace; an offset dual berth (ODB) Satellite Service Platform that would
be installed adjacent to Platform Grace for docking of the LNG
carriers; and a new 36-inch subsea pipeline to transport vaporized
natural gas from the platform connecting at a junction point onshore to
a Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) pipeline located in Rancho
Santa Clara near Camarillo, California. The pipeline would come ashore
within the Reliant Energy Mandalay Power Generating Station and connect
with a new gas receiving and metering facility.
The onshore components of the project would consist of
approximately 63 miles of new pipeline by expanding the SoCalGas
pipeline system as follows: A 36-inch pipeline extending 12.9 miles
from the Reliant Energy Mandalay Power Generating Station to the
existing Center Road Station; a 36-inch pipeline extending 37 miles to
loop the existing Line 324 for transport of additional capacities from
the Center Road Station to the existing Saugus Station; an 8.75-mile
leg of 36-inch pipeline to loop the existing Line 225 for transport of
additional capacities from the existing Honor Rancho Station to the
Quigley Station; and, a final 4.5-mile leg of 36-inch pipeline to
extend the existing Line 3008 (currently from the Quigley Valve Station
to the Newhall Valve Station) for transport of additional capacities
from the existing Quigley Valve Station to the existing Balboa Station.
Contact Crystal Spurr, CSLC, (916) 574-0748 (spurrc@slc.ca.gov) to
obtain a map of the project location.
The deepwater port would be able to receive approximately 139 LNG
carriers annually and accommodate two LNG carriers ranging from 70,000
m \3\ to 220,000 m \3\ in capacity. The carriers would transfer LNG one
carrier at a time through a conventional marine loading arm system to
the platform via a cryogenic pipe-in-pipe where it would be regasified
by an ambient air vaporizer (AAV) system. The AAV would have the
capacity to achieve an average hourly rate of 2300 m \3\, an average
daily gas send-out of 1.2 Bcfd, and a peak sendout capacity of 1.4
Bcfd. Construction of the deepwater port could be expected to take
three (3) years; with start-up of commercial operations following
construction, should a Federal license and the required California
State lease and permits 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 30 years.
Public Meeting and Open House
We invite you to learn about the proposed deepwater port at an
informational open house and comment at a public meeting on
environmental issues related to the proposed deepwater port. The
comments will help us identify and refine the scope of the
environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS/EIR.
Written material may be submitted at the public meeting, either in
place of or in addition to speaking. Written material should include
your name and address, and will be included in the public docket.
All 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 U.S. 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 to comment. In addition to or in
place of attending a meeting, comments can be submitted to the Docket
Management Facility during the public comment period (see DATES). All
comments and materials received during the comment period will be
considered. Address comments/docket submissions to either of the
following agencies:
Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, West
Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC 20590.
Submit your comments by electronic submission to DMS, https://
dms.dot.gov (or to https://www.regulations.gov, if filing comments on or
after October 1, 2007) or by fax, mail, or hand delivery to the Docket
Management Facility. 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. The Docket Management Facility
[[Page 53285]]
accepts hand-delivered submissions, and makes docket contents available
for public inspection and copying at this address, in room W12-140,
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The Docket Management Facility's telephone is 202-366-9329,
and its fax is 202-493-2251.
California State Lands Commission, Attn: Crystal Spurr, 100 Howe
Avenue, Suite 100 South, Sacramento, California 95825-8202.
The telephone number at the California State Lands Commission is
(916) 574-1900, and the fax is (916) 574-1885. You can submit your
comments by electronic submissions to the CSLC, spurrc@slc.ca.gov; or
by fax, mail, or hand delivery to the CSLC. 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 CSLC, include a
stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.
Submissions should include:
Docket number USCG-2007-28676.
Your name and address.
Your reasons for making each comment or for bringing
information to our attention.
Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or materials,
all submissions will be posted, without change, to the DMS Web site
(https://dms.dot.gov) (or to https://www.regulations.gov, if filing
comments on or after October 1, 2007), and will include any personal
information you provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes
it public (see Privacy Act).
If you have questions on viewing the docket, call Renee V. Wright,
Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone: 202-493-0402.
Additionally, information pertaining to the proposed Clearwater Port is
available online at https://dms.dot.gov or https://www.slc.ca.gov.
Scoping Process
Public scoping is an early and open process for identifying and
determining the scope of issues addressed in the EIS/EIR. Scoping
begins with this notice, continues through the public comment period
and ends when the Coast Guard, Maritime Administration and the CSLC
have:
Invited the participation of Federal, State, and local
agencies, any affected Indian tribe, the applicant, and other
interested persons;
Determined the actions, alternatives, and impacts
described in 40 CFR 1508.25;
Identified and eliminated from detailed study those issues
that are not significant or that have been covered elsewhere;
Allocated responsibility for preparing EIS/EIR components;
Indicated any related environmental assessments or
environmental impact statements that are not part of the EIS;
Identified other relevant environmental review and
consultation requirements;
Indicated the relationship between timing of the
environmental review and other aspects of the application process; and
At the Federal agencies' discretion, exercised the options
provided in 40 CFR 1501.7 (b).
Once the scoping process is complete, the Maritime Administration
and Coast Guard, in cooperation with CSLC, will prepare a draft EIS/EIR
(DEIS/DEIR), and publish a Federal Register notice announcing its
public availability. To receive that notice, please contact those
identified in (FOR FURTHER INFORMATION). An opportunity to review and
comment on the draft EIS/EIR will be provided. The Maritime
Administration, Coast Guard, and CSLC will consider those comments in
the preparation of the final EIS/EIR (FEIS/FEIR). As with the draft
EIS, we will announce the availability of the FEIS/FEIR and once again
provide an opportunity for review and comment.
Availability of EIS/EIR
In addition to the Federal Register notice announcing the
availability of the DEIS/DEIR, the CSLC will file a notice of
completion with the California State Clearinghouse. The DEIS/DEIR in
hardcopy or electronic format will be distributed to agencies, local
public libraries and interested parties that have requested copies.
Comments received during the DEIS/DEIR review period will be available
in the public docket and responded to in the FEIS/FEIR. An NOA of the
FEIS/FEIR will be published in the Federal Register, and the CSLC will
issue notices of availability and completion. Additional public
meetings will be held after the draft and final documents are
published.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
The EIS/EIR for Clearwater Port will discuss, among other issues:
The purpose and need for this LNG project; project alternatives; the no
action/no project alternative; the affected environment/baseline; the
environmental impacts of the proposed action/project and alternatives;
and proposed mitigation measures. The EIS/EIR will assess the impacts
of the project and alternatives on the environment, including approving
or not approving (no action/no project alternative) the state lease and
the federal license to construct and operate the DWP.
Environmental issues that will require detailed analysis include,
but are not necessarily limited to:
Aesthetics--alter the onshore and offshore viewsheds;
light and glare;
Air Quality--onshore and offshore impacts on regional air
quality; impacts of greenhouse gas emissions;
Geological Resources and Soils--impacts from seismic
hazards, erosion, and loss of unique paleontological resources;
Hazardous Materials--impacts from hazardous material
spills or pipeline rupture;
Marine Transportation--impacts on marine traffic;
Onshore Transportation--impacts from construction traffic
and temporary lane closures;
Marine Biology--impacts on sea turtles, marine mammals,
benthic communities, or other special status species;
Recreation--impacts on boating and commercial and
recreational fishing, and impacts on public beach access;
Hazards and Risk/Safety--impacts from LNG/gas release (The
EIS/EIR will include an independent, site-specific risk assessment);
Noise and Vibration--impacts of noise on local residents,
boaters, passengers on marine vessels, fish, sea turtles, and marine
mammals;
Terrestrial Biology--impacts from construction, operation
and maintenance activities on biological resources;
Water Quality--impacts from spills, releases of LNG,
erosion;
Environmental Justice--potential disproportionate effects
on minority and low income populations within the Project area;
Agricultural Resources--impacts on farmland and crops;
Cultural Resources--impacts on shipwrecks and Native
American, archaeological, and historic resources;
Energy and Mineral Resources--Restriction on the future
availability of exploitable oil and gas resources;
Land Use--potential conflicts with existing land uses;
Socioeconomics--impacts on community character,
population, housing, public services, employment;
Cumulative Impacts--The EIS/EIR will evaluate the
cumulative effects of
[[Page 53286]]
the project, if any, associated with each environmental issue area;
Alternatives--The EIS/EIR will evaluate the No Action/No
Project Alternative. Other alternatives that may be analyzed include:
Alternative Offshore Locations; Alternative Onshore Locations;
Alternative Capacity; Alternative Onshore and Offshore Pipeline Routes;
Alternative Methodologies; Alternative Technologies and Design
Concepts.
Agency Involvement
The major Federal and State permit, approval, and consultation
requirements for Clearwater Port include, but are not necessarily
limited to, the following:
Federal:
DOT/Maritime Administration-DWP license.
DHS/U.S. Coast Guard-DWP design and operational
requirements.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air Act
and Clean Water Act (CWA) permits.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)-Clean Water Act
Section 404 and Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 permits
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Section 7, Endangered
Species Act (ESA) consultation.
U.S. Department of Defense.
U.S. State Department.
U.S. Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service
(MMS).
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Section 7, ESA consultation requirements.
NOAA Fisheries-Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Management and
Conservation Act consultation.
NOAA Fisheries-Marine Mammal Protection Act consultation.
California
California Coastal Commission Compliance with California
Coastal Act and consistency with California Coastal Management Program.
California State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO),
National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 and California historic
preservation consultation and compliance.
Privacy Act
The electronic form of all comments received into the DOT docket
are available to any person and may be searched 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)
Dated: September 12, 2007.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Daron T. Threet,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-18323 Filed 9-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
