Delfin LNG, LLC; Notice of Scoping for the Proposed Delfin LNG Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 231-233 [2015-33123]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2016 / Notices 231 CHANGES MADE IN RD16–2–000 Number of respondents Annual number of responses per respondent Total number of responses Average burden and cost per response Total annual burden (hours) and cost Total annual cost per respondent (1) Reliability standard (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4) (3) * (4) = (5) ($) FERC–725P (Reduction due to Replacement of PRC–005–3) 10 11 One-time review of existing plant and substation sites to determine which ones fall under PRC–005–3. One-time review and adjustment of existing program. 12 937 ¥1 ¥937 2 hrs.; $146 .......... ¥1,874 hrs.; ¥$136,802 ....... ¥146.00 13 288 ¥1 ¥288 8 hrs.; $584 .......... ¥2,304 hrs.; ¥$168,192 ....... ¥584.00 Total Reduction to FERC–725P ................ ...................... ...................... ¥1,225 ............................... ¥4,178 hrs.; ¥$304,994. Replacement of PRC–005–4 14 15—One-time review of sudden pressure relay maintenance program and adjustment (Burden Reduction). Implementation of PRC–005–6—One-time review of existing plant and substation sites to determine which ones fall under PRC–005–6 (Burden Increase). Implementation of PRC–005–6—One-time review and adjustment of existing program for reclosing relays and associated equipment (Burden Increase). Implementation of PRC–005–6—One-time review and adjustment of existing program for sudden pressure relays (Burden Increase). 1,287 ¥1 ¥1,287 8 hrs.; $522.72 ..... ¥10,296 hrs.; ¥$672,740.64 16 937 1 937 2 hrs.; $145 .......... 1,874 hrs.; $135,397 .............. 144.50 288 1 288 8.5 hrs.; $614 ....... 2,448 hrs.; $176,868 .............. 614.00 1,287 1 1,287 8 hrs.; $531.60 ..... 10,296 hrs.; $684,169.20 ....... 531.60 Total Net Increase to FERC–725P1 .......... ...................... ...................... 2,512 ............................... 4,332 hrs.; $323,693.56 ......... ...................... Total Net Change, due to RD16–2 ............ ...................... ...................... 0 ............................... 144 hrs.; $18,699 ................... ...................... FERC–725P1 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Dated: December 29, 2015. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FR Doc. 2015–33125 Filed 1–4–16; 8:45 am] [Docket No. EL16–21–000] [Docket No. CP15–490–000, CP15–490–001] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P C.P. Crane LLC; Notice of Institution of Section 206 Proceeding and Refund Effective Date asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES ¥522.72 10 The estimates for cost per response are derived using the following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $73 per Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure comes from the average of the salary plus benefits for a manager and an engineer (rounded to the nearest dollar). The figures are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at (https://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm). 11 Implemented in Docket RM14–8. 12 This figure reflects the generator owners and transmission owners identified in the NERC Compliance Registry as of May 28, 2014. 13 This figure is a subset of GOs and TOs, as discussed in Order 803 (Docket No. RM14–8), P 41. 14 Implemented in Docket RM15–9. 15 The estimates for cost per response are derived using the following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $65.34 per Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure comes from the average of the salary plus benefits for an engineer (rounded to the nearest dollar). The figures are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at (https:// bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm). 16 This figure reflects the generator owners and transmission owners identified in the NERC Compliance Registry as of May 28, 2014. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:43 Jan 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 On December 29, 2015, the Commission issued an order in Docket No. EL16–21–000, pursuant to section 206 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 824e (2012), instituting an investigation into the justness and reasonableness of C.P. Crane LLC’s reactive power rate schedule. C.P. Crane LLC, 153 FERC ¶ 61,348 (2015). The refund effective date in Docket No. EL16–21–000, established pursuant to section 206(b) of the FPA, will be the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Dated: December 29, 2015. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–33124 Filed 1–4–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Delfin LNG, LLC; Notice of Scoping for the Proposed Delfin LNG Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) is cooperating with the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard), the lead federal agency for environmental review of the Delfin LNG Project. This proposal involves the construction and operation of an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater port (under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration) and associated pipeline facilities, including about 1.1 mile of onshore pipeline and aboveground facilities under the Commission’s jurisdiction. FERC staff is assisting the Coast Guard in its preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Delfin LNG Project. This cooperative effort is to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which requires the Commission to take into account the E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM 05JAN1 232 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2016 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES environmental impact that could result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA requires the FERC to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals under its review. This process is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ On November 19, 2015, Delfin LNG, LLC (Delfin LNG) amended its application with the FERC regarding the proposed aboveground facilities. Thus, the FERC is opening a scoping period to solicit input from the public and interested agencies limited to the proposed onshore pipeline and related facilities (i.e., those under FERC jurisdiction) in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. You can make a difference by providing us 1 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 determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EIS.2 Please note that the scoping period will close on January 28, 2016, and comments should be limited to the onshore facilities described in this amended docket. Details on how to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice. If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. Delfin LNG would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if the Commission approves the project, that approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, Delfin LNG could initiate condemnation proceedings where compensation would be determined in accordance with state law. This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. State and local government 1 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refers to environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects. 2 For more information on the original and amended Delfin LNG Project or the Coast Guard’s EIS process, see the July 29, 2015 edition of the Federal Register, page 45,270, and the December 24, 2015 edition of the Federal Register, page 80,455 ‘‘Deepwater Port License Application: Delfin LNG LLC, Delfin LNG Deepwater Port’’ under Department of Transportation/Maritime Administration. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:43 Jan 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 representatives are asked to notify their constituents of this proposed project and to encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.3 If you received this notice, you are on the environmental mailing list for this project and will continue to receive project updates including the draft and final EISs. 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 the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission’s proceedings. Summary of the Proposed Project (FERC Jurisdictional Facilities) Delfin LNG proposes to activate the formerly abandoned U–T offshore system (UTOS) pipeline and construct new connecting pipelines, a compressor station, and appurtenant facilities the majority of which would be within the PSI Midstream Partners, L.P. (PSI) Cameron Meadows Gas Plant and adjacent Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line, LLC (Transco) Station 44 in Cameron Parish. The proposed facilities consist of: • 1.1 miles of the existing onshore portion of the 42-inch-diameter UTOS pipeline from the landward side of the mean high water mark along the coast of Cameron Parish to just inside the boundary of Transco Station 44; • a mainline block valve and blowdown site located south of Louisiana Highway 82; • a new meter station and connecting piping within the Transco Station 44 site; • a new 0.25-mile-long 42-inchdiameter pipeline to connect the UTOS line to the new meter station; • new twin 0.6-mile-long 30-inch diameter header pipelines; • a new compressor station consisting of: D four 30,000 horsepower (hp) Solar Tital 250 gas turbine-driven compressors; D four gas coolers; D three 600 kilowatt generators; D two control buildings, office and warehouse buildings; and D pig launcher and check meter. The general location of the proposed onshore pipeline is shown in appendix 1.4 3 Comments submitted during the Coast Guard’s scoping period (July 29–September 28, 2015) for the project as originally proposed do not need to be resubmitted. 4 The appendix referenced in this notice will not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Land Requirements for Construction Approximately 19.4 acres of land would be affected by construction, with about 13.0 acres permanently impacted for operation. The construction right-ofway width for the three adjacent pipelines—the twin 0.6-mile, 30-inchdiameter header pipelines and the 0.25mile 42-inch-diameter pipeline would be 120 feet wide, of which 70 feet would be retained as permanent right-of-way. The majority of aboveground facilities would be constructed within the existing fence lines of the Cameron Meadows Gas Plant and Transco Station 44. Of the land effected by construction, approximately 36.4 percent is classified as industrial land use and approximately 35.9 percent is currently maintained in an herbaceous state. The remaining land comprises intermediate marsh, coastal dune shrub thicket, scrub/shrub swamp, and roads. The EIS Process NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us 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. As mentioned previously, the Coast Guard is the lead federal agency preparing the EIS for the overall Delfin LNG Deepwater Port Project. According to the Maritime Administration’s December 24, 2015 Notice of Receipt of Amended Application and Request for Comments, when a draft EIS is complete and ready for public review, the Maritime Administration will publish a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register to provide for a public comment period that include public meetings in Louisiana and Texas. FERC, as a cooperating agency will play an important role in developing the environmental analysis for the FERCjurisdictional (onshore) facilities in the EIS. Thus, FERC staff will work with Coast Guard staff and contractors to ensure that the onshore facilities are thoroughly evaluated and that all scoping comments received as a result of this notice are addressed, as appendix 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 page 5 of this notice. E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM 05JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2016 / Notices appropriate, in the EIS. Staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on various resource areas. asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 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 (CP15–490) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Becoming an Intervenor In addition to involvement in the EIS scoping process, 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. Motions to intervene are more fully Docket No. 18:43 Jan 04, 2016 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 at 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., CP15–490). 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: December 29, 2015. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–33123 Filed 1–4–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM98–1–000] Records Governing Off-the-Record Communications; Public Notice This constitutes notice, in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2201(b), of the receipt of prohibited and exempt off-the-record communications. Order No. 607 (64 FR 51222, September 22, 1999) requires Commission decisional employees, who File date 1. CP15–554–000 .................................... 2. CP15–554–000 .................................... 3. CP15–17–000 ...................................... VerDate Sep<11>2014 described at https://www.ferc.gov/ resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Jkt 238001 12–14–2015 12–14–2015 12–16–2015 PO 00000 Frm 00015 make or receive a prohibited or exempt off-the-record communication relevant to the merits of a contested proceeding, to deliver to the Secretary of the Commission, a copy of the communication, if written, or a summary of the substance of any oral communication. Prohibited communications are included in a public, non-decisional file associated with, but not a part of, the decisional record of the proceeding. Unless the Commission determines that the prohibited communication and any responses thereto should become a part of the decisional record, the prohibited off-the-record communication will not be considered by the Commission in reaching its decision. Parties to a proceeding may seek the opportunity to respond to any facts or contentions made in a prohibited off-the-record communication, and may request that the Commission place the prohibited communication and responses thereto in the decisional record. The Commission will grant such a request only when it determines that fairness so requires. Any person identified below as having made a prohibited off-the-record communication shall serve the document on all parties listed on the official service list for the applicable proceeding in accordance with Rule 2010, 18 CFR 385.2010. Exempt off-the-record communications are included in the decisional record of the proceeding, unless the communication was with a cooperating agency as described by 40 CFR 1501.6, made under 18 CFR 385.2201(e)(1)(v). The following is a list of off-therecord communications recently received by the Secretary of the Commission. The communications listed are grouped by docket numbers in ascending order. These filings are available for electronic review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission’s Web site 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 for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. Prohibited Presenter or requester Danielle Pollard. Travis Hancock. Angela Rangel. Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 233 E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM 05JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 231-233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-33123]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP15-490-000, CP15-490-001]


Delfin LNG, LLC; Notice of Scoping for the Proposed Delfin LNG 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) is 
cooperating with the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard), the lead federal 
agency for environmental review of the Delfin LNG Project. This 
proposal involves the construction and operation of an offshore 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater port (under the jurisdiction of 
the Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration) and associated 
pipeline facilities, including about 1.1 mile of onshore pipeline and 
aboveground facilities under the Commission's jurisdiction. FERC staff 
is assisting the Coast Guard in its preparation of an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) that will discuss the environmental impacts of 
the Delfin LNG Project. This cooperative effort is to comply with the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which requires the 
Commission to take into account the

[[Page 232]]

environmental impact that could result from an action whenever it 
considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and 
Necessity under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
    NEPA requires the FERC to discover and address concerns the public 
may have about proposals under its review. This process is referred to 
as ``scoping.'' On November 19, 2015, Delfin LNG, LLC (Delfin LNG) 
amended its application with the FERC regarding the proposed 
aboveground facilities. Thus, the FERC is opening a scoping period to 
solicit input from the public and interested agencies limited to the 
proposed onshore pipeline and related facilities (i.e., those under 
FERC jurisdiction) in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. You can make a 
difference by providing us \1\ 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 determine which 
issues need to be evaluated in the EIS.\2\ Please note that the scoping 
period will close on January 28, 2016, and comments should be limited 
to the onshore facilities described in this amended docket. Details on 
how to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section 
of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refers to environmental staff of 
the Office of Energy Projects.
    \2\ For more information on the original and amended Delfin LNG 
Project or the Coast Guard's EIS process, see the July 29, 2015 
edition of the Federal Register, page 45,270, and the December 24, 
2015 edition of the Federal Register, page 80,455 ``Deepwater Port 
License Application: Delfin LNG LLC, Delfin LNG Deepwater Port'' 
under Department of Transportation/Maritime Administration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company 
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. Delfin LNG 
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if 
the Commission approves the project, that approval conveys with it the 
right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to 
produce an agreement, Delfin LNG could initiate condemnation 
proceedings where compensation would be determined in accordance with 
state law.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries 
and newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to 
notify their constituents of this proposed project and to encourage 
them to comment on their areas of concern.\3\ If you received this 
notice, you are on the environmental mailing list for this project and 
will continue to receive project updates including the draft and final 
EISs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Comments submitted during the Coast Guard's scoping period 
(July 29-September 28, 2015) for the project as originally proposed 
do not need to be resubmitted.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 the use of eminent 
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project (FERC Jurisdictional Facilities)

    Delfin LNG proposes to activate the formerly abandoned U-T offshore 
system (UTOS) pipeline and construct new connecting pipelines, a 
compressor station, and appurtenant facilities the majority of which 
would be within the PSI Midstream Partners, L.P. (PSI) Cameron Meadows 
Gas Plant and adjacent Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line, LLC (Transco) 
Station 44 in Cameron Parish. The proposed facilities consist of:
     1.1 miles of the existing onshore portion of the 42-inch-
diameter UTOS pipeline from the landward side of the mean high water 
mark along the coast of Cameron Parish to just inside the boundary of 
Transco Station 44;
     a mainline block valve and blowdown site located south of 
Louisiana Highway 82;
     a new meter station and connecting piping within the 
Transco Station 44 site;
     a new 0.25-mile-long 42-inch-diameter pipeline to connect 
the UTOS line to the new meter station;
     new twin 0.6-mile-long 30-inch diameter header pipelines;
     a new compressor station consisting of:
    [ssquf] four 30,000 horsepower (hp) Solar Tital 250 gas turbine-
driven compressors;
    [ssquf] four gas coolers;
    [ssquf] three 600 kilowatt generators;
    [ssquf] two control buildings, office and warehouse buildings; and
    [ssquf] pig launcher and check meter.
    The general location of the proposed onshore pipeline is shown in 
appendix 1.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The appendix referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendix 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 
page 5 of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements for Construction

    Approximately 19.4 acres of land would be affected by construction, 
with about 13.0 acres permanently impacted for operation. The 
construction right-of-way width for the three adjacent pipelines--the 
twin 0.6-mile, 30-inch-diameter header pipelines and the 0.25-mile 42-
inch-diameter pipeline would be 120 feet wide, of which 70 feet would 
be retained as permanent right-of-way. The majority of aboveground 
facilities would be constructed within the existing fence lines of the 
Cameron Meadows Gas Plant and Transco Station 44.
    Of the land effected by construction, approximately 36.4 percent is 
classified as industrial land use and approximately 35.9 percent is 
currently maintained in an herbaceous state. The remaining land 
comprises intermediate marsh, coastal dune shrub thicket, scrub/shrub 
swamp, and roads.

The EIS Process

    NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental 
impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the 
issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA 
also requires us 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.
    As mentioned previously, the Coast Guard is the lead federal agency 
preparing the EIS for the overall Delfin LNG Deepwater Port Project. 
According to the Maritime Administration's December 24, 2015 Notice of 
Receipt of Amended Application and Request for Comments, when a draft 
EIS is complete and ready for public review, the Maritime 
Administration will publish a Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register to provide for a public comment period that include public 
meetings in Louisiana and Texas. FERC, as a cooperating agency will 
play an important role in developing the environmental analysis for the 
FERC-jurisdictional (onshore) facilities in the EIS. Thus, FERC staff 
will work with Coast Guard staff and contractors to ensure that the 
onshore facilities are thoroughly evaluated and that all scoping 
comments received as a result of this notice are addressed, as

[[Page 233]]

appropriate, in the EIS. Staff will also evaluate reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project, and 
make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on various 
resource areas.

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 
(CP15-490) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EIS scoping process, 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. Motions to intervene are more fully 
described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.

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 at 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., CP15-
490). 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: December 29, 2015.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-33123 Filed 1-4-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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