Texas LNG Brownsville, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Texas LNG Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting, 45520-45522 [2015-18682]
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45520
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 146 / Thursday, July 30, 2015 / Notices
the Commission will not accept requests
for intervenor status at this time. You
must wait until the Commission
receives a formal application for the
project.
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web
site (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., PF15–
20). 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, or for TTY, contact
(202) 502–8659. The eLibrary link also
provides access to the texts of formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission offers a
free service called eSubscription which
allows you to keep track of all formal
issuances and submittals in specific
dockets. This can reduce the amount of
time you spend researching proceedings
by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document
summaries, and direct links to the
documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/esubscription.asp.
Finally, public meetings or site visits
will be posted on the Commission’s
calendar located at www.ferc.gov/
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Dated: July 23, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–18684 Filed 7–29–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
[Docket No. PF15–14–000]
Texas LNG Brownsville, LLC; Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Planned
Texas LNG Project, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues,
and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
examining the potential environmental
effects of the Texas LNG Project
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14:54 Jul 29, 2015
Jkt 235001
(Project), planned by Texas LNG
Brownsville LLC (Texas LNG). The
Project involves the construction and
operation of a liquefied natural gas
(LNG) liquefaction and export terminal
on the Brownsville Ship Channel
located in Cameron County, Texas. The
Project purpose is to liquefy
domestically produced natural gas, store
LNG, and deliver LNG to carriers for
export overseas. The Commission will
use the EIS in its decision-making
process to determine whether to
authorize the Project.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public
and interested agencies about the
Project. You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Project.
Your comments should focus on the
potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to
avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
Your input will help the Commission’s
staff determine what issues need to be
evaluated in the EIS. To ensure that
your comments are timely and properly
recorded, please send your comments so
that the Commission receives them in
Washington, DC on or before August 24,
2015.
If you sent comments on this Project
to the Commission before the opening of
this docket on March 9, 2015, you will
need to file those comments in Docket
No. PF15–14–000 to ensure they are
considered as part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this Project. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of this planned
Project and encourage them to comment
on their areas of concern. If you are a
landowner receiving this notice, a Texas
LNG representative may contact you
about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
planned facilities.
Public Participation
For your convenience, there are four
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. The
Commission will provide equal
consideration to all comments received,
whether filed in written form or
provided verbally. The Commission
encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert staff available
to assist you at (202) 502–8258 or
efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow
these instructions so that your
comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments
electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission’s Web site
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy
method for submitting brief, text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments
electronically by using the eFiling
feature on the Commission’s Web site
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. With eFiling,
you can provide comments in a variety
of formats by attaching them as a file
with your submission. New eFiling
users must first create an account by
clicking on ‘‘eRegister.’’ If you are filing
a comment on a particular project,
please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as
the filing type; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your
comments by mailing them to the
following address. Be sure to reference
the project docket number (PF15–14–
000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or
electronic comments, the Commission
invites you to attend the public scoping
meeting its staff will conduct in the
Project area, scheduled as follows.
FERC Public Scoping Meeting; Tuesday,
August 11, 2015, From 1:00 p.m. to 8:00
p.m.; Port Isabel Event & Cultural
Center, 309 E. Railroad Ave., Port
Isabel, TX 78578
You may attend at any time during
the scoping meeting. There will not be
a formal presentation presented by
Commission staff, but you will be
provided information about the FERC
process. Commission staff will be
available to take verbal comments.
For your convenience, we are
combining the Port Isabel scoping
meetings for the three Brownsville area
LNG projects currently in our pre-filing
process. Representatives of Texas LNG,
as well as those of Annova LNG
Common Infrastructure, LLC for its
planned Annova LNG Brownsville
Project (Docket No. PF15–15–000) and
Rio Grande LNG, LLC for its planned
Rio Grande LNG Export Project and Rio
Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC for its
planned Rio Bravo Pipeline Project
(Docket No. PF15–20–000) will be
present to answer questions about their
respective planned projects.
You may comment on any one, two,
or all three planned projects. Comments
will be recorded by a stenographer and
transcripts will be placed into the
appropriate docket(s) for the project and
made available for public viewing on
FERC’s eLibrary system (see page 8
‘‘Additional Information’’ for
instructions on using eLibrary). We
believe it is important to note that
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 146 / Thursday, July 30, 2015 / Notices
verbal comments hold the same weight
as written or electronically submitted
comments. If a significant number of
people are interested in providing
verbal comments, a time limit of 3 to 5
minutes may be implemented for each
commenter to ensure all those wishing
to comment have the opportunity to do
so within the designated meeting time.
Time limits will be strictly enforced if
they are implemented.
Please note this is not your only
public input opportunity; please refer to
the review process flow chart in
appendix 1.1
Summary of the Planned Project
Texas LNG plans to site, construct,
and operate a natural gas liquefaction
and export terminal at the Port of
Brownsville, on north side of the
Brownsville Ship Channel located in
Cameron County, Texas. The Project
would have the capacity to produce 4.4
million tons of LNG each year for
export.
Texas LNG’s proposed terminal is
composed of multiple LNG facility
components at an approximately 625acre site. The Project would include a
liquefaction plant, two single
containment storage tanks with a
capacity of 210,000 cubic meters (m3) of
LNG each, an LNG carrier berthing
dock, and a materials offloading facility.
As currently planned, the Texas LNG
Project site would consist of the
following facilities:
• Natural Gas Pipeline Receiving
Interface;
• Natural Gas Pretreatment Process;
• LNG Liquefaction Process;
• LNG Loading Marine Terminal;
• LNG Transfer Lines;
• LNG Storage Tanks;
• Vapor Handling System;
• Control Systems, and Safety
Systems; and
• Utilities, Infrastructure, and
Support Systems.
The general location of the planned
facilities is shown in appendix 2.
Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Land Requirements for Construction
The planned Texas LNG Project
would occupy an approximately 625acre property secured via a lease option
and subsequent amendment from the
Brownsville Navigation District by
Texas LNG. Of the approximately 625
acres, approximately 185 acres would
1 The appendices referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:54 Jul 29, 2015
Jkt 235001
support permanent operational
facilities, approximately 75 acres would
be temporarily disturbed during
construction activities, and the
remaining approximately 365 acres
would be undisturbed. Of the
approximately 185 acres supporting
permanent operational facilities,
approximately 46 acres would be
converted to open water through
excavation and dredging to create the
LNG carrier berthing area. An additional
approximately 19 acres of impacts
located outside of the site boundaries
would be associated with dredging of
the turning basin within the
Brownsville Ship Channel.
Non-Jurisdictional Facilities
The LNG facility would receive
natural gas via a non-jurisdictional
intrastate natural gas pipeline to be
constructed from the Agua Dulce
natural gas hub approximately 150
miles north of Brownsville to the
Brownsville market. This pipeline
would provide natural gas to the
planned Project, industrial projects,
power generation facilities, gas utility
companies, and export markets in
Mexico. Texas LNG does not plan to
own or operate the proposed intrastate
pipeline that will provide feed gas
supply to the Texas LNG Project.
Construction of the pipeline would
likely require a construction right-ofway about 100 feet wide and additional
temporary extra workspaces at features
such as road and stream crossings.
The planned Project would also
require the installation of a new nonjurisdictional electric transmission line.
To provide power to the facility,
American Electric Power would build a
new approximately 10 mile long radial
line to the Project site from the existing
Union Carbide Substation located near
the Port of Brownsville.
Although FERC has no regulatory
authority to modify, approve, or deny
the construction of the above-described
facilities, we will disclose available
information regarding the construction
impacts in the cumulative impacts
section of our EIS.
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action
whenever it considers the authorization
of LNG facilities under Section 3a of the
Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires us 2
to discover and address concerns the
‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
PO 00000
2 ‘‘We,’’
Frm 00021
Fmt 4703
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45521
public may have about proposals. This
process is referred to as scoping. The
main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the EIS on the
important environmental issues. By this
notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to
address in the EIS. We will consider all
filed comments during the preparation
of the EIS.
In the EIS, we will discuss impacts
that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the
planned Project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• land use, recreation, and visual
resources;
• water resources and wetlands;
• cultural resources;
• vegetation, fisheries, and wildlife;
• endangered and threatened species;
• socioeconomics;
• air quality and noise;
• public safety and reliability; and
• cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate possible
alternatives to the planned Project or
portions of the Project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
Although no formal application has
been filed, we have already initiated our
NEPA review under the Commission’s
pre-filing process. The purpose of the
pre-filing process is to encourage early
involvement of interested stakeholders
and to identify and resolve issues before
the FERC receives an application. As
part of our pre-filing review, we have
begun to contact some federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in
the scoping process and the preparation
of the EIS.
The EIS will present our independent
analysis of the issues. We will publish
and distribute the draft EIS for public
comment. After the comment period, we
will consider all timely comments and
revise the document, as necessary,
before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we
have the opportunity to consider and
address your comments, please carefully
follow the instructions in the Public
Participation section beginning on page
2 of this notice.
With this notice, we are asking
agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues related to this
Project to formally cooperate with staff
in preparing the EIS.3 Agencies that
would like to request cooperating
3 The Council on Environmental Quality
regulations addressing cooperating agency
responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 146 / Thursday, July 30, 2015 / Notices
agency status should follow the
instructions for filing comments
provided in the Public Participation
section of this notice. Currently, the
U.S. Department of Energy, U.S.
Department of Transportation, U.S.
Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers have expressed their
intention to participate as cooperating
agencies in the preparation of the EIS.
Consultations Under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
In accordance with the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation’s
implementing regulations for Section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this
notice to initiate consultation with
applicable State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views
and those of other government agencies,
interested Indian tribes, and the public
on the Project’s potential effects on
historic properties.4 We will define the
project-specific Area of Potential Effects
(APE) in consultation with the SHPO as
the Project develops. On natural gas
facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground
disturbance (examples include
construction area, contractor storage
yards, and access roads). Our EIS for
this Project will document our findings
on the impacts on historic properties
and summarize the status of
consultations under Section 106.
Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have identified several issues
based on a preliminary review of the
planned facilities and the
environmental information provided by
Texas LNG that we think deserves
attention. This preliminary list of issues
may be changed based on your
comments and our continued analysis.
The issues identified to date include:
• Potential impacts on water quality;
• potential impact on fisheries and
aquatic resources;
• potential impact on federally listed
endangered and threatened species;
• visual effects on surrounding areas,
including Port Isabel, Laguna Vista, and
South Padre Island;
• potential impacts on tourism and
recreational and commercial fisheries,
4 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or object included
in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
for Historic Places.
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14:54 Jul 29, 2015
Jkt 235001
including eco-tourism and the local
shrimp fishery;
• potential for disproportionate
impact on lower income communities;
• potential impacts on air quality,
and associated impacts on human
health and local agricultural areas;
• public safety and hazards
associated with the transport of natural
gas and LNG; and
• cumulative impacts from
construction and operation of multiple
LNG facilities within the Port of
Brownsville, and from the Brownsville
Ship Channel deepening project.
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list
includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries
and newspapers. This list also includes
affected landowners (as defined in the
Commission’s regulations) who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose
property may be used temporarily for
Project purposes, or who own homes
within certain distances of aboveground
facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the Project. Staff will
update the environmental mailing list as
the analysis proceeds to ensure that it
sends the information related to this
environmental review to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities
interested in and/or potentially affected
by the planned Project.
Copies of the completed draft EIS will
be sent to the environmental mailing list
for public review and comment. If you
would prefer to receive a paper copy of
the document instead of the CD version
or would like to remove your name from
the mailing list, please return the
attached Information Request
(appendix 3).
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Texas LNG files its application
with the Commission, you may want to
become an ‘‘intervenor’’ which is an
official party to the Commission’s
proceeding. Intervenors play a more
formal role in the process and are able
to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be
heard by the courts if they choose to
appeal the Commission’s final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in
the proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an
intervenor are in the ‘‘Document-less
Intervention Guide’’ under the ‘‘e-filing’’
link on the Commission’s Web site
(https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/
document-less-intervention.pdf).
Motions to intervene are more fully
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
described at https://www.ferc.gov/
resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
Please note that the Commission will
not accept requests for intervenor status
at this time. You must wait until the
Commission receives a formal
application for the Project.
Additional Information
Additional information about the
Project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs,
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web
site (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., PF15–
14). 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, or for TTY, contact
(202) 502–8659. The eLibrary link also
provides access to the texts of formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission offers a
free service called eSubscription which
allows you to keep track of all formal
issuances and submittals in specific
dockets. This can reduce the amount of
time you spend researching proceedings
by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document
summaries, and direct links to the
documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
FERC public meetings or site visits
will be posted on the Commission’s
calendar located at www.ferc.gov/
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Finally, Texas LNG has established a
Web site at www.txlng.com with further
information about its planned Project.
Dated: July 23, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–18682 Filed 7–29–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP15–500–000]
Trans-Pecos Pipeline, LLC; Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed Presidio
Border Crossing Project Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
E:\FR\FM\30JYN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45520-45522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18682]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF15-14-000]
Texas LNG Brownsville, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Texas LNG Project,
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public
Scoping Meeting
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS)
examining the potential environmental effects of the Texas LNG Project
(Project), planned by Texas LNG Brownsville LLC (Texas LNG). The
Project involves the construction and operation of a liquefied natural
gas (LNG) liquefaction and export terminal on the Brownsville Ship
Channel located in Cameron County, Texas. The Project purpose is to
liquefy domestically produced natural gas, store LNG, and deliver LNG
to carriers for export overseas. The Commission will use the EIS in its
decision-making process to determine whether to authorize the Project.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies about the Project. You can make a difference by providing us
with your specific comments or concerns about the Project. Your
comments should focus on the potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impacts. Your input will help the Commission's staff determine what
issues need to be evaluated in the EIS. To ensure that your comments
are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so that the
Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before August 24,
2015.
If you sent comments on this Project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on March 9, 2015, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. PF15-14-000 to ensure they are considered as
part of this proceeding.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this Project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned
Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. If you
are a landowner receiving this notice, a Texas LNG representative may
contact you about the acquisition of an easement to construct, operate,
and maintain the planned facilities.
Public Participation
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258
or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that
your comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief,
text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a
variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission.
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on
``eRegister.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project,
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number
(PF15-14-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the
Commission invites you to attend the public scoping meeting its staff
will conduct in the Project area, scheduled as follows.
FERC Public Scoping Meeting; Tuesday, August 11, 2015, From 1:00 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m.; Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center, 309 E. Railroad
Ave., Port Isabel, TX 78578
You may attend at any time during the scoping meeting. There will
not be a formal presentation presented by Commission staff, but you
will be provided information about the FERC process. Commission staff
will be available to take verbal comments.
For your convenience, we are combining the Port Isabel scoping
meetings for the three Brownsville area LNG projects currently in our
pre-filing process. Representatives of Texas LNG, as well as those of
Annova LNG Common Infrastructure, LLC for its planned Annova LNG
Brownsville Project (Docket No. PF15-15-000) and Rio Grande LNG, LLC
for its planned Rio Grande LNG Export Project and Rio Bravo Pipeline
Company, LLC for its planned Rio Bravo Pipeline Project (Docket No.
PF15-20-000) will be present to answer questions about their respective
planned projects.
You may comment on any one, two, or all three planned projects.
Comments will be recorded by a stenographer and transcripts will be
placed into the appropriate docket(s) for the project and made
available for public viewing on FERC's eLibrary system (see page 8
``Additional Information'' for instructions on using eLibrary). We
believe it is important to note that
[[Page 45521]]
verbal comments hold the same weight as written or electronically
submitted comments. If a significant number of people are interested in
providing verbal comments, a time limit of 3 to 5 minutes may be
implemented for each commenter to ensure all those wishing to comment
have the opportunity to do so within the designated meeting time. Time
limits will be strictly enforced if they are implemented.
Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; please
refer to the review process flow chart in appendix 1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary of the Planned Project
Texas LNG plans to site, construct, and operate a natural gas
liquefaction and export terminal at the Port of Brownsville, on north
side of the Brownsville Ship Channel located in Cameron County, Texas.
The Project would have the capacity to produce 4.4 million tons of LNG
each year for export.
Texas LNG's proposed terminal is composed of multiple LNG facility
components at an approximately 625-acre site. The Project would include
a liquefaction plant, two single containment storage tanks with a
capacity of 210,000 cubic meters (m\3\) of LNG each, an LNG carrier
berthing dock, and a materials offloading facility.
As currently planned, the Texas LNG Project site would consist of
the following facilities:
Natural Gas Pipeline Receiving Interface;
Natural Gas Pretreatment Process;
LNG Liquefaction Process;
LNG Loading Marine Terminal;
LNG Transfer Lines;
LNG Storage Tanks;
Vapor Handling System;
Control Systems, and Safety Systems; and
Utilities, Infrastructure, and Support Systems.
The general location of the planned facilities is shown in appendix
2.
Land Requirements for Construction
The planned Texas LNG Project would occupy an approximately 625-
acre property secured via a lease option and subsequent amendment from
the Brownsville Navigation District by Texas LNG. Of the approximately
625 acres, approximately 185 acres would support permanent operational
facilities, approximately 75 acres would be temporarily disturbed
during construction activities, and the remaining approximately 365
acres would be undisturbed. Of the approximately 185 acres supporting
permanent operational facilities, approximately 46 acres would be
converted to open water through excavation and dredging to create the
LNG carrier berthing area. An additional approximately 19 acres of
impacts located outside of the site boundaries would be associated with
dredging of the turning basin within the Brownsville Ship Channel.
Non-Jurisdictional Facilities
The LNG facility would receive natural gas via a non-jurisdictional
intrastate natural gas pipeline to be constructed from the Agua Dulce
natural gas hub approximately 150 miles north of Brownsville to the
Brownsville market. This pipeline would provide natural gas to the
planned Project, industrial projects, power generation facilities, gas
utility companies, and export markets in Mexico. Texas LNG does not
plan to own or operate the proposed intrastate pipeline that will
provide feed gas supply to the Texas LNG Project. Construction of the
pipeline would likely require a construction right-of-way about 100
feet wide and additional temporary extra workspaces at features such as
road and stream crossings.
The planned Project would also require the installation of a new
non-jurisdictional electric transmission line. To provide power to the
facility, American Electric Power would build a new approximately 10
mile long radial line to the Project site from the existing Union
Carbide Substation located near the Port of Brownsville.
Although FERC has no regulatory authority to modify, approve, or
deny the construction of the above-described facilities, we will
disclose available information regarding the construction impacts in
the cumulative impacts section of our EIS.
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the authorization of LNG
facilities under Section 3a of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires
us \2\ to discover and address concerns the public may have about
proposals. This process is referred to as scoping. The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on the important
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EIS. We will
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EIS.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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In the EIS, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the planned Project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
land use, recreation, and visual resources;
water resources and wetlands;
cultural resources;
vegetation, fisheries, and wildlife;
endangered and threatened species;
socioeconomics;
air quality and noise;
public safety and reliability; and
cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned Project
or portions of the Project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process.
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EIS.
The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we have
the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section beginning
on page 2 of this notice.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues related
to this Project to formally cooperate with staff in preparing the
EIS.\3\ Agencies that would like to request cooperating
[[Page 45522]]
agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice. Currently,
the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S.
Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have expressed
their intention to participate as cooperating agencies in the
preparation of the EIS.
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\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with applicable State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the Project's potential effects on
historic properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the Project
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction area, contractor storage yards, and access roads). Our EIS
for this Project will document our findings on the impacts on historic
properties and summarize the status of consultations under Section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register for Historic
Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have identified several issues based on a preliminary review of
the planned facilities and the environmental information provided by
Texas LNG that we think deserves attention. This preliminary list of
issues may be changed based on your comments and our continued
analysis. The issues identified to date include:
Potential impacts on water quality;
potential impact on fisheries and aquatic resources;
potential impact on federally listed endangered and
threatened species;
visual effects on surrounding areas, including Port
Isabel, Laguna Vista, and South Padre Island;
potential impacts on tourism and recreational and
commercial fisheries, including eco-tourism and the local shrimp
fishery;
potential for disproportionate impact on lower income
communities;
potential impacts on air quality, and associated impacts
on human health and local agricultural areas;
public safety and hazards associated with the transport of
natural gas and LNG; and
cumulative impacts from construction and operation of
multiple LNG facilities within the Port of Brownsville, and from the
Brownsville Ship Channel deepening project.
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property
may be used temporarily for Project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the Project. Staff will update the environmental mailing
list as the analysis proceeds to ensure that it sends the information
related to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations,
and government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by
the planned Project.
Copies of the completed draft EIS will be sent to the environmental
mailing list for public review and comment. If you would prefer to
receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD version or would
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return the
attached Information Request (appendix 3).
Becoming an Intervenor
Once Texas LNG files its application with the Commission, you may
want to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in
the ``Document-less Intervention Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on
the Commission's Web site (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/document-less-intervention.pdf). Motions to intervene are more fully
described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor
status at this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a
formal application for the Project.
Additional Information
Additional information about the Project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site (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., PF15-
14). 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, or for TTY,
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to
the documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
FERC public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Finally, Texas LNG has established a Web site at www.txlng.com with
further information about its planned Project.
Dated: July 23, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-18682 Filed 7-29-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P