Freeport LNG Development, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Freeport LNG Train 4 Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 51548-51550 [2015-20990]

Download as PDF 51548 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 164 / Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Notices 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. This filing is accessible on-line at https://www.ferc.gov, using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is available for electronic review in the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an ‘‘eSubscription’’ link on the Web site that enables subscribers to receive email notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service, please email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 1, 2015. Dated: August 19, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–20984 Filed 8–24–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PF15–25–000] asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Freeport LNG Development, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Freeport LNG Train 4 Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Freeport LNG Train 4 Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Freeport LNG Development, L.P. (Freeport LNG) in Brazoria, Texas. The Commission will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether the planned project is in the public interest. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on 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 staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so that the Commission receives them in VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:10 Aug 24, 2015 Jkt 235001 Washington, DC on or before September 18, 2015. If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on June 3, 2015, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. PF15–25–000 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. A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’ is available for viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including how to participate in the Commission’s proceedings. Public Participation For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. 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 (PF15–25– 000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Summary of the Planned Project Freeport LNG intends to add a fourth liquefaction unit to Freeport LNG’s natural gas liquefaction facilities on Quintana Island in Brazoria County, PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Texas. The Freeport LNG Train 4 Project (Train 4 Project) would be located west and adjacent to the facilities authorized and currently under construction for the Phase II Modification Project (Docket No. CP12–29–000) and Liquefaction Project (Docket No. CP12–509–000), which comprises three liquefaction trains and related facilities. Train 4 would be within the existing Freeport LNG site boundary. Freeport LNG indicates that the Train 4 Project would provide additional liquefaction capacity of approximately 5.1 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for export, which equates to a natural gas throughput capacity of approximately 0.72 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). This would enable Freeport LNG to respond favorably and proactively to short- and longer-term fluctuations in domestic and global gas markets. The Freeport LNG Train 4 Project would consist of the following facilities: • A propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant liquefaction unit; • a feed gas receiving and metering station; • utility, auxiliary, and control systems, including common utilities, spill containment systems, fire and safety systems, one electric substation, security systems, and plant roads. The general location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 1.1 Land Requirements for Construction The Train 4 Project liquefaction facilities would be entirely within the Freeport LNG’s existing site boundary on Quintana Island in Brazoria County, Texas. Construction of the liquefaction facilities would be within areas approved as temporary work space for the Phase II Modification Project and Liquefaction Project. Construction of the Train 4 Project liquefaction facilities is expected to affect about 87 acres of land. Following construction, Freeport LNG would maintain about 21 acres for permanent operation of the Train 4 Project’s facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. Non-jurisdictional Facilities The facility will receive natural gas from a 2,000-foot-long intrastate natural gas pipeline (feed gas pipeline) and power from a five-mile-long electric line 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. E:\FR\FM\25AUN1.SGM 25AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 164 / Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES to be provided by CenterPoint Energy. These facilities would extend beyond the existing site boundary. Although FERC doesn’t have the regulatory authority to modify 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 EA. The EA 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 natural gas facilities under Section 3 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 EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We will consider all comments filed during the preparation of the EA. In the EA 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; • water resources, fisheries, and wetlands; • cultural resources; • vegetation and wildlife, including endangered and threatened species; • socioeconomics; • visual impacts; • air quality and noise; • public safety; 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 EA. 2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:10 Aug 24, 2015 Jkt 235001 The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA will be available in the public record through eLibrary. If we publish and distribute the EA to the public there will be an allotted comment period. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations to the Commission. 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. With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law and/ or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA.3 Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the Public Participation section of this notice. 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 the Texas State Historic Preservation Office, 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 projectspecific 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 right-of-way, contractor/ pipe storage yards, compressor stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of consultations under section 106. Currently Identified Environmental Issues We have already identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the 3 The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1501.6. 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 of Historic Places. PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 51549 planned facilities and the environmental information provided by Freeport LNG. This preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis. • visual impacts • noise and air emissions • traffic • cumulative impacts 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 all 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. We will update the environmental mailing list as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the planned project. If we publish and distribute the EA, copies of the EA 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 2). Becoming an Intervenor Once Freeport 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. Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/ how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in the ‘‘Document-less Intervention Guide’’ under the ‘‘e-filing’’ link on the Commission’s Web site. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission E:\FR\FM\25AUN1.SGM 25AUN1 51550 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 164 / Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Notices 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– 25). 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: August 19, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–20990 Filed 8–24–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Dated: August 19, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [Docket No. ER15–2473–000] asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES HIC Energy, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding of HIC Energy, LLC’s application for marketbased rate authority, with an accompanying rate tariff, noting that such application includes a request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest should file with the Federal VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:10 Aug 24, 2015 Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214). Anyone filing a motion to intervene or protest must serve a copy of that document on the Applicant. Notice is hereby given that the deadline for filing protests with regard to the applicant’s request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability, is September 8, 2015. The Commission encourages electronic submission of protests and interventions in lieu of paper, using the FERC Online links at https:// www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic service, persons with Internet access who will eFile a document and/or be listed as a contact for an intervenor must create and validate an eRegistration account using the eRegistration link. Select the eFiling link to log on and submit the intervention or protests. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and 5 copies of the intervention or protest to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The filings in the above-referenced proceeding are accessible in the Commission’s eLibrary system by clicking on the appropriate link in the above list. They are also available for electronic review in the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an eSubscription link on the Web site that enables subscribers to receive email notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service, please email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Jkt 235001 [FR Doc. 2015–20987 Filed 8–24–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP15–542–000] WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization Take notice that on August 10, 2015, WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. (WBI), PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 1250 West Century Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota 58503, filed in Docket No. CP15–542–000 a prior notice request pursuant to sections 157.205 and 157.210 of the Commission’s regulations under the Natural Gas Act (NGA), as amended, requesting authorization to install and operate new mainline natural gas facilities in North Dakota (Project). Specifically, WBI proposes to: (i) Install a new 1,380 horsepower compressor unit at the Charbonneau Compressor Station in McKenzie County; (ii) retrofit the existing compressor unit at the Williston Compressor Station in Williams County; (iii) install an additional regulator at the Minot Transfer Station in Ward County; and (iv) install various appurtenances. WBI states that the Project will make available an additional 18,200 dekatherms per day of firm transportation capacity from the Bakken Shale to an existing interconnect with Northern Border Pipeline Company at an estimated cost of $3,650,000, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. The filing may also be viewed on the Web at https://www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. Any questions concerning this application may be directed to Keith A. Tiggelaar, Director of Regulatory Affairs, WBI Energy Transmission, Inc., 1250 West Century Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota 58503, by telephone at (701) 530–1560 or by email at keith.tiggelaar@ wbienergy.com. Any person or the Commission’s staff may, within 60 days after issuance of the instant notice by the Commission, file pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission’s Procedural Rules (18 CFR 385.214) a motion to intervene or notice of intervention and pursuant to section 157.205 of the regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.205), a protest to the request. If no protest is filed within the time allowed therefore, the proposed activity shall be deemed to be authorized effective the day after the time allowed for filing a protest. If a protest is filed and not withdrawn within 30 days after the allowed time for filing a protest, the instant request shall be treated as an application for authorization pursuant to section 7 of the NGA. Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Commission’s rules, 18 CFR 157.9, E:\FR\FM\25AUN1.SGM 25AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 164 (Tuesday, August 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51548-51550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20990]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF15-25-000]


Freeport LNG Development, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Planned Freeport LNG Train 4 Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Freeport LNG Train 4 Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Freeport LNG 
Development, L.P. (Freeport LNG) in Brazoria, Texas. The Commission 
will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether 
the planned project is in the public interest.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on 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 staff determine what issues they 
need to evaluate in the EA. 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 September 18, 2015.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on June 3, 2015, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. PF15-25-000 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.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses 
a number of typically asked questions, including how to participate in 
the Commission's proceedings.

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. 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 
(PF15-25-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.

Summary of the Planned Project

    Freeport LNG intends to add a fourth liquefaction unit to Freeport 
LNG's natural gas liquefaction facilities on Quintana Island in 
Brazoria County, Texas. The Freeport LNG Train 4 Project (Train 4 
Project) would be located west and adjacent to the facilities 
authorized and currently under construction for the Phase II 
Modification Project (Docket No. CP12-29-000) and Liquefaction Project 
(Docket No. CP12-509-000), which comprises three liquefaction trains 
and related facilities. Train 4 would be within the existing Freeport 
LNG site boundary.
    Freeport LNG indicates that the Train 4 Project would provide 
additional liquefaction capacity of approximately 5.1 million metric 
tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for export, which equates to a natural 
gas throughput capacity of approximately 0.72 billion cubic feet per 
day (Bcf/d). This would enable Freeport LNG to respond favorably and 
proactively to short- and longer-term fluctuations in domestic and 
global gas markets.
    The Freeport LNG Train 4 Project would consist of the following 
facilities:
     A propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant liquefaction unit;
     a feed gas receiving and metering station;
     utility, auxiliary, and control systems, including common 
utilities, spill containment systems, fire and safety systems, one 
electric substation, security systems, and plant roads.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements for Construction

    The Train 4 Project liquefaction facilities would be entirely 
within the Freeport LNG's existing site boundary on Quintana Island in 
Brazoria County, Texas. Construction of the liquefaction facilities 
would be within areas approved as temporary work space for the Phase II 
Modification Project and Liquefaction Project. Construction of the 
Train 4 Project liquefaction facilities is expected to affect about 87 
acres of land.
    Following construction, Freeport LNG would maintain about 21 acres 
for permanent operation of the Train 4 Project's facilities; the 
remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses.

Non-jurisdictional Facilities

    The facility will receive natural gas from a 2,000-foot-long 
intrastate natural gas pipeline (feed gas pipeline) and power from a 
five-mile-long electric line

[[Page 51549]]

to be provided by CenterPoint Energy. These facilities would extend 
beyond the existing site boundary. Although FERC doesn't have the 
regulatory authority to modify 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 EA.

The EA 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 
natural gas facilities under Section 3 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 EA on the 
important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests 
public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We 
will consider all comments filed during the preparation of the EA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the EA 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;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife, including endangered and 
threatened species;
     socioeconomics;
     visual impacts;
     air quality and noise;
     public safety; 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 EA.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. If we publish 
and distribute the EA to the public there will be an allotted comment 
period. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make our 
recommendations to the Commission. 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.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EA.\3\ Agencies that would like to request 
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this 
notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 the Texas State Historic Preservation Office, 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 
right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor stations, and 
access roads). Our EA for this project will document our findings on 
the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of 
consultations under section 106.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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 of Historic 
Places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Freeport LNG. This 
preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our 
analysis.

 visual impacts
 noise and air emissions
 traffic
 cumulative impacts

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 all 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. We will update the environmental mailing list 
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related 
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
planned project.
    If we publish and distribute the EA, copies of the EA 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 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Freeport 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. Motions to intervene are more fully described at 
https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions 
for becoming an intervenor are in the ``Document-less Intervention 
Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site. 
Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor 
status at this time. You must wait until the Commission

[[Page 51550]]

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-
25). 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/docs-filing/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: August 19, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-20990 Filed 8-24-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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