Aguirre Offshore GasPort, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Aguirre Offshore Gasport Project, 10474 [2015-03999]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 38 (Thursday, February 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 10474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03999]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP13-193-000]


Aguirre Offshore GasPort, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Aguirre Offshore 
Gasport Project

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Aguirre Offshore GasPort Project (Project), proposed by Aguirre 
Offshore GasPort, LLC (Aguirre LLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of 
Excelerate Energy, LP in the above-referenced docket. Aguirre LLC is 
seeking authorization from the FERC to develop, construct, and operate 
a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal off the southern coast of 
Puerto Rico.
    The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Aguirre Offshore GasPort Project in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA). Construction and operation of the Project would result in 
mostly temporary and short-term environmental impacts; however, some 
long-term and permanent environmental impacts would occur. The FERC 
staff concluded that approval of the proposed Project, with the 
mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would result in limited 
adverse environmental impacts.
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Coast Guard, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Puerto Rico Permits Management Office, 
Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, Puerto Rico Planning Board, 
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, and 
Puerto Rico Department of Health participated as cooperating agencies 
in the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction 
by law or special expertise with respect to resources potentially 
affected by the proposal, and participate in the NEPA analysis. In 
addition, other federal, state, and local agencies may use this EIS in 
approving or issuing permits for all or part of the proposed Project. 
Although the cooperating agencies provided input to the conclusions and 
recommendations presented in the final EIS, the agencies will present 
their own conclusions and recommendations in their respective Records 
of Decision for the Project.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine 
Fisheries Service also provided assistance in preparing this EIS as 
permitting and consulting agencies.
    The Project is being developed in cooperation with the Puerto Rico 
Electric Power Authority (PREPA) for the purpose of receiving, storing, 
and regasifying the LNG to be acquired by PREPA; and delivering natural 
gas to PREPA's existing Aguirre Power Complex (Aguirre Plant) in 
Salinas, Puerto Rico. The Project will help diversify Puerto Rico's 
energy sources, allow the Aguirre Plant to meet the EPA's Mercury and 
Air Toxics Standard rule, reduce fuel oil barge traffic in Jobos Bay, 
and contribute to price stabilization for power in the region. The 
final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following Project facilities:
     An offshore berthing platform;
     an offshore marine LNG receiving facility;
     a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit moored at the 
offshore berthing platform;
     visiting LNG carriers; and
     a 4.0-mile-long (6.4 kilometer) subsea pipeline connecting 
the Offshore GasPort to the Aguirre Plant.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the final EIS to federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; other interested individuals 
and groups; newspapers and libraries in the Project area; and parties 
to this proceeding. The final EIS was also translated in Spanish. Paper 
copy versions of this EIS in English were mailed to those specifically 
requesting them; all others received a CD version. To accommodate 
translation, paper copy and CD versions of this EIS in Spanish are 
scheduled to be mailed out about two weeks after the English version. 
In addition, the final EIS is available for public viewing on the 
FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. A limited 
number of copies are available for distribution and public inspection 
at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 
First Street NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
    Additional information about the Project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary 
link, click on ``General Search,'' and enter the docket number 
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP13-
193). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208-3676; for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the 
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, 
notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription that allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and 
submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you 
spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to 
the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.

    Dated: February 20, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-03999 Filed 2-25-15; 8:45 am]
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