Deepwater Port License Application: Liberty Natural Gas LLC, Port Ambrose Deepwater Port, 37878-37880 [2013-15008]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
37878
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 121 / Monday, June 24, 2013 / Notices
knowledgeable of trends or issues
related to rail transit and bus transit
safety. Along with their experience in
the bus transit or rail transit industry,
nominees will also be evaluated on
factors including leadership and
organizational skills, region of country
represented, diversity characteristics,
and balance of industry representation.
Each nomination should include the
nominee’s name and organizational
affiliation, a cover letter describing the
nominee’s qualifications and interest in
serving on the committee, a curriculum
vitae or resume of the nominee’s
qualifications, and contact information
including the nominee’s name, address,
phone number, fax number, and email
address. Self-nominations are
acceptable. FTA prefers electronic
submissions for all applications to
TRACS@dot.gov. Applications will also
be accepted via U.S. mail at the address
identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
notice.
In the near-term, FTA expects to
nominate up to five (5) representatives
from the transit bus safety community
for immediate TRACS membership. In
order to be considered for this round of
appointments, applications should be
submitted by August 30, 2013.
Additionally, in order to fill any future
vacancy that may arise, nominations
from persons representing key
constituencies affected by rail transit or
bus transit safety requirements, as noted
in section I above, will continue to be
accepted after August 30, 2013.
The Secretary, in consultation with
the FTA Administrator, will make the
final decision regarding committee
membership selections.
Issued on: June 19, 2013.
Peter Rogoff,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013–15053 Filed 6–21–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket No. USCG–2013–0363]
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Deepwater Port License Application:
Liberty Natural Gas LLC, Port Ambrose
Deepwater Port
Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of Intent; Notice of
Public Meeting; Request for Comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration
(MarAd), in coordination with the U.S.
Coast Guard (USCG), will prepare an
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:13 Jun 21, 2013
Jkt 229001
environmental impact statement (EIS) as
part of the environmental review of the
Port Ambrose Deepwater Port License
Application. The application describes
an offshore natural gas deepwater port
facility that would be located
approximately 17 nautical miles
southeast of Jones Beach, New York, 24
nautical miles east of Long Branch, New
Jersey, and about 27 nautical miles from
the entrance to New York Harbor in a
water depth of approximately 103 feet.
Publication of this notice begins a 30
day 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,
provides information on how to
participate, and announces
informational open houses and public
meetings in New York and New Jersey.
Pursuant to the criteria provided in the
Deepwater Port Act of 1974, as
amended, 33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq. (the
Act), both New Jersey and New York are
the Adjacent Coastal States for this
application.
DATES: There will be two public scoping
meetings held in connection with the
application. The first public meeting
will be held in Long Beach, New York
on July 9, 2013 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The second public meeting will be held
in Edison, New Jersey on July 10, 2013
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both public
meetings will be preceded by an open
house from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Each of the public meetings may end
later than the stated time, depending on
the number of persons wishing to speak.
Additionally, materials submitted in
response to the request for comments on
the license application must reach the
Docket Management Facility as detailed
below, by July 14, 2013.
ADDRESSES: The open house and public
meeting in Long Beach, New York will
be held at the Allegria Hotel, 80 West
Broadway, Long Beach, New York
11561, phone 516–889–1300. Free street
parking is available and the parking lot
at the Long Island Railroad Long Beach
Train Station near Park Place and Park
Avenue approximately 1200 feet from
the hotel is available from 5 p.m. to 5
a.m. In addition, there is free valet
parking at the hotel for those that want
and/or need to use this service. The
open house and public meeting in
Edison, New Jersey will be held at the
New Jersey Convention and Exposition
Center, 97 Sunfield Avenue, Edison,
New Jersey 08837, phone 732–417–
1400. Free parking is available at the
center.
The license application, comments
and associated documentation, and
PO 00000
Frm 00104
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Draft and Final EISs (when published)
are available for viewing at the Federal
Docket Management System (FDMS)
Web site: https://www.regulations.gov
under docket number USCG–2013–
0363.
Docket submissions for USCG–2013–
0363 should be addressed to:
Department of Transportation, Docket
Management Facility, West Building,
Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington,
DC 20590–0001.
The Federal Docket Management
Facility accepts hand-delivered
submissions, and makes docket contents
available for public inspection and
copying at the above address between
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
The Facility telephone number is 202–
366–9329, the fax number is 202–493–
2251, and the Web site for electronic
submissions or for electronic access to
docket contents is https://
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Roddy Bachman, U.S. Coast Guard,
telephone: 202–372–1451, email:
Roddy.C.Bachman@uscg.mil, or Tracey
Ford, Maritime Administration,
telephone: 202–366–0321, email:
Tracey.Ford@dot.gov. For questions
regarding viewing the Docket, call
Barbara Hairston, Program Manager,
Docket Operations, telephone 202–366–
9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Meeting and Open House
You are invited to learn about the
proposed deepwater port at any of the
above informational open houses, and to
comment at any of the above public
meetings 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.
Speaker registration will be available
at the door. Speakers at the public
scoping meeting will be recognized in
the following order: Elected officials,
public agencies, individuals or groups
in the sign-up order, and anyone else
who wishes to speak.
In order to allow everyone a chance
to speak at a public meeting, speaker
time may be limited, meeting hours may
be extended, 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 a
public meeting, either in lieu of or in
addition to speaking. Written material
E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM
24JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 121 / Monday, June 24, 2013 / Notices
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 Federal
Docket Management Facility (see
Request for Comments).
Public meeting locations are
wheelchair-accessible. If you plan to
attend an open house or public meeting,
and need special assistance such as sign
language interpretation or other
reasonable accommodation, please
notify the USCG (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 3
business days in advance. Include your
contact information as well as
information about your specific needs.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Request for Comments
We request public comments or other
relevant information on environmental
issues related to the proposed
deepwater port. Note that the public
meeting is not the only opportunity you
have to comment. In addition to, or in
lieu of attending a meeting, you can
submit comments to the Federal 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–2013–0363.
• Your name and address.
Submit comments or material using
only one of the following methods:
• Electronic submission to the
Federal Docket Management Facility,
https://www.regulations.gov.
• Fax, mail, or hand delivery to the
Federal 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 confirm 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 FDMS Web site (https://
www.regulations.gov), and will include
any personal information you provide.
Therefore, submitting this information
makes it public. You may wish to read
the Privacy and Use Notice that is
available on the FDMS Web site, and the
Department of Transportation Privacy
Act Notice that appeared in the Federal
Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR
19477), see PRIVACY ACT. You may
view docket submissions at the
Department of Transportation Docket
Management Facility or electronically
on the FDMS Web site (see ADDRESSES).
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:13 Jun 21, 2013
Jkt 229001
Background
Information about deepwater ports,
the statutes, and regulations governing
their licensing including the application
review process, and the receipt of the
current application for the proposed
Port Ambrose liquefied natural gas
(LNG) Deepwater Port appears in the
Federal Register on June 14, 2013, 78
FR 36014. 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
USCG is the lead agency for determining
the scope of this review, and in this case
USCG has determined that review must
include preparation of an EIS. This
notice of intent is required by 40 CFR
1501.7, and briefly describes the
proposed action, possible alternatives,
and our proposed scoping process. You
can address any questions about the
proposed action, the scoping process, or
the EIS to the U.S. Coast Guard project
manager 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), or (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
USCG 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;
PO 00000
Frm 00105
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
37879
• 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 USCG will prepare a draft EIS in
conjunction with MarAd. Also, MarAd
will publish a Federal Register notice
announcing public availability of the
draft EIS. (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 USCG
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
and include final public hearings as
required by the Act.
Summary of the Application
Liberty Natural Gas, LLC is proposing
to construct, own, and operate a
liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater
port, known as Port Ambrose, located in
the New York Bight. The Port Ambrose
facility will be located at a different
proposed location and include a
different design than the previous
deepwater port license application
submitted by Liberty Natural Gas, LLC
in 2010. Port Ambrose would consist of
two Submerged Turret Loading Buoys
(STL Buoys) in Federal waters
approximately 17 nautical miles
southeast of Jones Beach, New York,
approximately 24 nautical miles east of
Long Branch, New Jersey, and about 27
nautical miles from the entrance to New
York Harbor, in a water depth of
approximately 103 feet.
LNG would be delivered from
purpose-built LNG regasification vessels
(LNGRVs), vaporized on site and
delivered through the STL Buoys,
flexible riser/umbilical, subsea manifold
and lateral pipelines to a buried 19
nautical mile subsea Mainline
connecting to the existing Transco
Lower New York Bay Lateral in New
York State waters approximately 2.2
nautical miles south of Long Beach,
New York and 13 nautical miles east of
New Jersey. The buoys would be
lowered to rest on a landing pad when
not in use and would also include a
pile-anchored mooring array.
STL Buoy 1 is located at Latitude:
40°19′24.61″ N and Longitude:
73°25′45.33″ W. STL Buoy 2 is located
at Latitude: 40°20′09.26″ N and
E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM
24JNN1
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
37880
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 121 / Monday, June 24, 2013 / Notices
Longitude 73°23′51.92″ W. The Port
components would fall in the following
U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
lease blocks:
Buoy 1 (6708, 6709, 6758); Buoy 2
(6709); Lateral 1 (6708); Lateral 2 (6708,
6709); ‘‘Y’’ Assembly (6708); Mainline
Pipeline (6708, 6658, 6657, 6607, 6606,
6556, 6555, 6554, 6504 and 6503).
The 145,000 cubic meter LNGRVs
would have onboard closed-loop
vaporization and metering and odorant
capability. Each vessel will have three
vaporization units capable of maximum
send-out of 750 million standard cubic
feet per day (MMscfd) (maximum
pipeline system flow rate is 660 MMscfd
with two buoys) with annual average
expected to be 400 MMscfd. The
LNGRVs have been designed to utilize
a ballast water cooling system that will
entirely re-circulate onboard the vessel
during Port operations, eliminating
vessel discharges associated with
regasification while at the Port.
Deliveries through Port Ambrose would
be focused during peak demand winter
and summer months and it is
anticipated that approximately 45
deliveries will occur each year.
As proposed, the LNGRVs would
access the port inbound from the
Hudson Canyon to Ambrose Traffic
Lane and depart via the Ambrose to
Nantucket Traffic Lane. MarAd and
USCG are aware that Port Ambrose falls
within the proposed area of interest for
the Long Island—New York City
Offshore Wind Collaborative wind
energy project. This project will be
acknowledged and considered in the
processing of the Port Ambrose
application and National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) analysis.
If approved, the majority of the port
and pipeline construction and
installation would occur in 2015, with
commissioning in December 2015.
In addition, pipelines and structures
such as the STL Buoy moorings may
require permits under Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act which are
administered by the Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE).
Port Ambrose may also require
permits from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) pursuant to the
provisions of the Clean Air Act, as
amended, and the Clean Water Act, as
amended.
The new pipeline will be included in
the NEPA review as part of the
deepwater port application process. The
EPA and the USACE among others, are
cooperating agencies and will assist in
the NEPA process as described in 40
CFR 1501.6; may participate in the
scoping meetings; and will incorporate
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:13 Jun 21, 2013
Jkt 229001
the EIS into their permitting processes.
Comments sent to the EPA or USACE
will also be incorporated into the DOT
docket and EIS to ensure consistency
with the NEPA Process.
Should a license be issued, the
deepwater port would be designed,
fabricated, constructed, commissioned,
maintained, inspected, and operated in
accordance with applicable codes and
standards and with USCG oversight as
regulated under Title 33, Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR), subchapter
NN-Deepwater Ports, parts 148, 149, and
150. This also includes waterways
management and regulated navigation
areas, maritime safety and security
requirements, risk assessment, and
compliance with domestic and
international laws and regulations for
vessels that may call on the port.
Privacy Act
The electronic form of all comments
received into the FDMS can 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.).
The DOT Privacy Act Statement can be
viewed in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume
65, Number 70, pages 19477–78) or by
visiting https://www.regulations.gov.
(Authority 49 CFR 1.93)
Dated: June 19, 2013.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Julie P. Agarwal,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013–15008 Filed 6–21–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA–2012–0117; Notice 2]
Mazda North American Operations,
Grant of Petition for Decision of
Inconsequential Noncompliance
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Grant of Petition.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Mazda North American
Operations (MNAO),1 on behalf of
Mazda Motor Corporation of Hiroshima,
Japan (Mazda),2 has determined that
certain Mazda brand motor vehicles
manufactured between 2000 and 2012
1 Mazda North American Operations is a U.S.
company that manufacturers and imports motor
vehicles.
2 Mazda Motor Corporation is a Japanese
company that manufacturers motor vehicles.
PO 00000
Frm 00106
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
for sale or lease in Puerto Rico, do not
fully comply with paragraph S4.1 of
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) No. 225, Child Restraint
Anchorage Systems. MNAO has filed an
appropriate report pursuant to 49 CFR
Part 573, Defect and Noncompliance
Responsibility and Reports, dated June
21, 2012.
Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and
30120(h) and the rule implementing
those provisions at 49 CFR Part 556,
MNAO has petitioned for an exemption
from the notification and remedy
requirements of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301
on the basis that this noncompliance is
inconsequential to motor vehicle safety.
Notice of receipt of MNAO’s petition
was published, with a 30-day public
comment period, on September 28, 2012
in the Federal Register (77 FR 59703).
No comments were received. To view
the petition and all supporting
documents log onto the Federal Docket
Management System (FDMS) Web site
at: https://www.regulations.gov/. Then
follow the online search instructions to
locate docket number ‘‘NHTSA–2012–
0117.’’
Contact Information: For further
information on this decision contact Mr.
Ed Chan, Office of Vehicle Safety
Compliance, the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
telephone (202) 493–0335.
Vehicles involved: Affected are
approximately 60,509 Mazda brand
motor vehicles manufactured between
2000 and 2012 for sale or lease in Puerto
Rico.
Rule Text: Section § 4.1 of FMVSS No.
225 specifically states:
§ 4.1 Each Tether anchorage and each child
restraint anchorage system installed, either
voluntarily or pursuant to this standard, in
any new vehicle manufactured on or after
September 1, 1999, shall comply with the
configuration, location, marking and strength
requirements of this standard. The vehicle
shall be delivered with written information,
in English, on how to appropriately use those
anchorages and systems.
Summary of MNAO’s Analysis:
MNAO explains that the noncompliance
is that certain Mazda brand motor
vehicles sold in Puerto Rico were not
delivered with instructions on the use of
child restraint tether anchorages written
in English. The instructions were only
provided in Spanish as part of the
Spanish language version of the vehicle
owner’s manual provided with the
vehicles at first sale. No English version
owner’s manuals were provided.
MNAO believes that while the
noncompliant motor vehicles were
delivered to Puerto Rico with owner’s
manuals written only in the Spanish
language and did not include a written
E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM
24JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 121 (Monday, June 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37878-37880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15008]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket No. USCG-2013-0363]
Deepwater Port License Application: Liberty Natural Gas LLC, Port
Ambrose Deepwater Port
AGENCY: Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of Intent; Notice of Public Meeting; Request for
Comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration (MarAd), in coordination with the
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), will prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS) as part of the environmental review of the Port Ambrose Deepwater
Port License Application. The application describes an offshore natural
gas deepwater port facility that would be located approximately 17
nautical miles southeast of Jones Beach, New York, 24 nautical miles
east of Long Branch, New Jersey, and about 27 nautical miles from the
entrance to New York Harbor in a water depth of approximately 103 feet.
Publication of this notice begins a 30 day 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, provides information on how to participate, and
announces informational open houses and public meetings in New York and
New Jersey. Pursuant to the criteria provided in the Deepwater Port Act
of 1974, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq. (the Act), both New Jersey
and New York are the Adjacent Coastal States for this application.
DATES: There will be two public scoping meetings held in connection
with the application. The first public meeting will be held in Long
Beach, New York on July 9, 2013 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The second public
meeting will be held in Edison, New Jersey on July 10, 2013 from 6 p.m.
to 8 p.m. Both public meetings will be preceded by an open house from
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Each of the public meetings may end later than the stated time,
depending on the number of persons wishing to speak. Additionally,
materials submitted in response to the request for comments on the
license application must reach the Docket Management Facility as
detailed below, by July 14, 2013.
ADDRESSES: The open house and public meeting in Long Beach, New York
will be held at the Allegria Hotel, 80 West Broadway, Long Beach, New
York 11561, phone 516-889-1300. Free street parking is available and
the parking lot at the Long Island Railroad Long Beach Train Station
near Park Place and Park Avenue approximately 1200 feet from the hotel
is available from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. In addition, there is free valet
parking at the hotel for those that want and/or need to use this
service. The open house and public meeting in Edison, New Jersey will
be held at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield
Avenue, Edison, New Jersey 08837, phone 732-417-1400. Free parking is
available at the center.
The license application, comments and associated documentation, and
Draft and Final EISs (when published) are available for viewing at the
Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Web site: https://www.regulations.gov under docket number USCG-2013-0363.
Docket submissions for USCG-2013-0363 should be addressed to:
Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, West
Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
The Federal Docket Management Facility accepts hand-delivered
submissions, and makes docket contents available for public inspection
and copying at the above address between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The Facility telephone
number is 202-366-9329, the fax number is 202-493-2251, and the Web
site for electronic submissions or for electronic access to docket
contents is https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roddy Bachman, U.S. Coast Guard,
telephone: 202-372-1451, email: Roddy.C.Bachman@uscg.mil, or Tracey
Ford, Maritime Administration, telephone: 202-366-0321, email:
Tracey.Ford@dot.gov. For questions regarding viewing the Docket, call
Barbara Hairston, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-
366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Meeting and Open House
You are invited to learn about the proposed deepwater port at any
of the above informational open houses, and to comment at any of the
above public meetings 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.
Speaker registration will be available at the door. Speakers at the
public scoping meeting will be recognized in the following order:
Elected officials, public agencies, individuals or groups in the sign-
up order, and anyone else who wishes to speak.
In order to allow everyone a chance to speak at a public meeting,
speaker time may be limited, meeting hours may be extended, 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 a public meeting, either in lieu
of or in addition to speaking. Written material
[[Page 37879]]
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
Federal Docket Management Facility (see Request for Comments).
Public meeting locations are wheelchair-accessible. If you plan to
attend an open house or public meeting, and need special assistance
such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodation,
please notify the USCG (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. Note that
the public meeting is not the only opportunity you have to comment. In
addition to, or in lieu of attending a meeting, you can submit comments
to the Federal 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-2013-0363.
Your name and address.
Submit comments or material using only one of the following
methods:
Electronic submission to the Federal Docket Management
Facility, https://www.regulations.gov.
Fax, mail, or hand delivery to the Federal 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 confirm 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 FDMS Web site
(https://www.regulations.gov), and will include any personal information
you provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public.
You may wish to read the Privacy and Use Notice that is available on
the FDMS Web site, and the Department of Transportation Privacy Act
Notice that appeared in the Federal Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR
19477), see PRIVACY ACT. You may view docket submissions at the
Department of Transportation Docket Management Facility or
electronically on the FDMS Web site (see ADDRESSES).
Background
Information about deepwater ports, the statutes, and regulations
governing their licensing including the application review process, and
the receipt of the current application for the proposed Port Ambrose
liquefied natural gas (LNG) Deepwater Port appears in the Federal
Register on June 14, 2013, 78 FR 36014. 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 USCG is the lead agency for determining the scope of this
review, and in this case USCG has determined that review must include
preparation of an EIS. This notice of intent is required by 40 CFR
1501.7, and briefly describes the proposed action, possible
alternatives, and our proposed scoping process. You can address any
questions about the proposed action, the scoping process, or the EIS to
the U.S. Coast Guard project manager 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), or (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 USCG 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 USCG will prepare a draft
EIS in conjunction with MarAd. Also, MarAd will publish a Federal
Register notice announcing public availability of the draft EIS. (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
USCG 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 and
include final public hearings as required by the Act.
Summary of the Application
Liberty Natural Gas, LLC is proposing to construct, own, and
operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater port, known as Port
Ambrose, located in the New York Bight. The Port Ambrose facility will
be located at a different proposed location and include a different
design than the previous deepwater port license application submitted
by Liberty Natural Gas, LLC in 2010. Port Ambrose would consist of two
Submerged Turret Loading Buoys (STL Buoys) in Federal waters
approximately 17 nautical miles southeast of Jones Beach, New York,
approximately 24 nautical miles east of Long Branch, New Jersey, and
about 27 nautical miles from the entrance to New York Harbor, in a
water depth of approximately 103 feet.
LNG would be delivered from purpose-built LNG regasification
vessels (LNGRVs), vaporized on site and delivered through the STL
Buoys, flexible riser/umbilical, subsea manifold and lateral pipelines
to a buried 19 nautical mile subsea Mainline connecting to the existing
Transco Lower New York Bay Lateral in New York State waters
approximately 2.2 nautical miles south of Long Beach, New York and 13
nautical miles east of New Jersey. The buoys would be lowered to rest
on a landing pad when not in use and would also include a pile-anchored
mooring array.
STL Buoy 1 is located at Latitude: 40[deg]19'24.61'' N and
Longitude: 73[deg]25'45.33'' W. STL Buoy 2 is located at Latitude:
40[deg]20'09.26'' N and
[[Page 37880]]
Longitude 73[deg]23'51.92'' W. The Port components would fall in the
following U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease blocks:
Buoy 1 (6708, 6709, 6758); Buoy 2 (6709); Lateral 1 (6708); Lateral
2 (6708, 6709); ``Y'' Assembly (6708); Mainline Pipeline (6708, 6658,
6657, 6607, 6606, 6556, 6555, 6554, 6504 and 6503).
The 145,000 cubic meter LNGRVs would have onboard closed-loop
vaporization and metering and odorant capability. Each vessel will have
three vaporization units capable of maximum send-out of 750 million
standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) (maximum pipeline system flow rate
is 660 MMscfd with two buoys) with annual average expected to be 400
MMscfd. The LNGRVs have been designed to utilize a ballast water
cooling system that will entirely re-circulate onboard the vessel
during Port operations, eliminating vessel discharges associated with
regasification while at the Port. Deliveries through Port Ambrose would
be focused during peak demand winter and summer months and it is
anticipated that approximately 45 deliveries will occur each year.
As proposed, the LNGRVs would access the port inbound from the
Hudson Canyon to Ambrose Traffic Lane and depart via the Ambrose to
Nantucket Traffic Lane. MarAd and USCG are aware that Port Ambrose
falls within the proposed area of interest for the Long Island--New
York City Offshore Wind Collaborative wind energy project. This project
will be acknowledged and considered in the processing of the Port
Ambrose application and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
analysis.
If approved, the majority of the port and pipeline construction and
installation would occur in 2015, with commissioning in December 2015.
In addition, pipelines and structures such as the STL Buoy moorings
may require permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and
Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act which are administered by the
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
Port Ambrose may also require permits from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) pursuant to the provisions of the Clean Air
Act, as amended, and the Clean Water Act, as amended.
The new pipeline will be included in the NEPA review as part of the
deepwater port application process. The EPA and the USACE among others,
are cooperating agencies and will assist in the NEPA process as
described in 40 CFR 1501.6; may participate in the scoping meetings;
and will incorporate the EIS into their permitting processes. Comments
sent to the EPA or USACE will also be incorporated into the DOT docket
and EIS to ensure consistency with the NEPA Process.
Should a license be issued, the deepwater port would be designed,
fabricated, constructed, commissioned, maintained, inspected, and
operated in accordance with applicable codes and standards and with
USCG oversight as regulated under Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR), subchapter NN-Deepwater Ports, parts 148, 149, and 150. This
also includes waterways management and regulated navigation areas,
maritime safety and security requirements, risk assessment, and
compliance with domestic and international laws and regulations for
vessels that may call on the port.
Privacy Act
The electronic form of all comments received into the FDMS can 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.). The DOT Privacy Act Statement can be
viewed in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65,
Number 70, pages 19477-78) or by visiting https://www.regulations.gov.
(Authority 49 CFR 1.93)
Dated: June 19, 2013.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Julie P. Agarwal,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-15008 Filed 6-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
