Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, BP Alaska LNG LLC, Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG Company, ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC; Supplemental Notice Requesting Comments on the Denali National Park and Preserve Alterative for the Planned Alaska LNG Project, 51874-51876 [2016-18580]
Download as PDF
51874
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 151 / Friday, August 5, 2016 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 14793–000]
The Domestic and Foreign Missionary
Society of the Protestant Episcopal
Diocese of Alabama; Notice of
Application Tendered for Filing With
the Commission and Establishing
Procedural Schedule for Licensing and
Deadline for Submission of Final
Amendments
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: 10 Megawatt
Exemption.
b. Project No.: 14793–000.
c. Date filed: July 12, 2016.
d. Applicant: The Domestic and
Foreign Missionary Society of the
Protestant Episcopal Diocese of
Alabama.
e. Name of Project: Camp McDowell
Project.
f. Location: On Clear Creek, near
Nauvoo in Winston County, Alabama.
The project does not affect federal lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Frazier Christy,
3621 Kingshill Road, Birmingham,
Alabama 35223.
i. FERC Contact: Michael Spencer,
(202) 502–6093, michael.spencer@
ferc.gov.
j. This application is not ready for
environmental analysis at this time.
k. The proposed project would consist
of: (1) an Archimedean Screw installed
in the spillway of the dam; (2) a 10 acre
reservoir; (3) a powerhouse containing a
generator with a total installed capacity
of 140 kilowatts; and (4) a transmission
line. The project is estimated to generate
an average of 950 megawatt-hours
annually.
l. Locations of the Application: A
copy of the application is available for
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, (866) 208–3676 (toll free), or
(202) 502–8659 (TTY). A copy is also
available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item (h)
above.
m. You may also register online at
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via
email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
n. Procedural schedule: The
application will be processed according
to the following preliminary Hydro
Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the
schedule will be made as appropriate.
Milestone
Target date
Notice of Acceptance/Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis ................................................................................................
Filing of recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and fishway prescriptions ..............................................................
Commission issues EA .....................................................................................................................................................................
Comments on EA .............................................................................................................................................................................
October 2016.
December 2016.
June 2017.
July 2017.
o. Final amendments to the
application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from
the issuance date of the notice of ready
for environmental analysis.
Dated: July 27, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–18579 Filed 8–4–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
[Docket No. PF14–21–000]
Alaska Gasline Development
Corporation, BP Alaska LNG LLC,
Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG Company,
ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC;
Supplemental Notice Requesting
Comments on the Denali National Park
and Preserve Alterative for the Planned
Alaska LNG Project
As previously noticed on March 4,
2015, the staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) is preparing an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
that will discuss the environmental
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:42 Aug 04, 2016
Jkt 238001
impacts of the Alaska LNG Project that
could result from construction and
operation of facilities by Alaska Gasline
Development Corporation; BP Alaska
LNG LLC; Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG
Company; and ExxonMobil Alaska LNG
LLC (Applicants) in Alaska. This notice
explains the additional scoping process
that will be used to gather input from
the public and interested agencies on a
route alternative to be evaluated for
crossing the Denali National Park and
Preserve (DNPP).
The route currently planned by
Alaska LNG is closely aligned with the
Parks Highway, but deviates from the
highway where the Parks Highway
passes through the DNPP entrance area
(see figure in appendix 1.1) In response
to scoping comments, and in working
with federal and state regulating
agencies, as well as the local
communities, Alaska LNG has identified
an alternative route (the DNPP
Alternative) that passes directly through
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.
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the DNPP entrance area and is closely
aligned with the Parks Highway (see
figure in appendix 1). In this general
area, the planned route would be 8.05
miles long and not enter the DNPP,
while the corresponding segment of the
DNPP Alternative would be 8.50 miles
long (6.16 miles of which would pass
through the DNPP).
This Supplemental Notice announces
the opening of a limited scoping period
to gather input from the public and
interested agencies on the DNPP
Alternative route. You can make a
difference by providing us with your
specific comments or concerns about
the DNPP Alternative route. 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 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 September
25, 2016.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and
local government representatives should
E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM
05AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 151 / Friday, August 5, 2016 / Notices
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
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 pipeline company
representative may contact you about
the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
planned facilities. The company 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, the pipeline company could
initiate condemnation proceedings
where compensation would be
determined in accordance with state
law.
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.
Public Participation
For your convenience, there are three
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. In all
instances, please reference the project
docket number (PF14–21–000) with
your submission. 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 (PF14–21–
000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:42 Aug 04, 2016
Jkt 238001
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
In addition, if you have questions
regarding the FERC process and our
review of the alternative, FERC staff will
be available to answer questions on
Tuesday, August 23, 2016, between 4:00
and 6:00 p.m. at the Murie Dining Hall
within Denali National Park (next to the
Murie Science and Learning Center),
Please note this is not your only
public input opportunity; please refer to
the review process flow chart in
appendix 2.
Summary of the Planned Project
The Applicants are planning to
transport and liquefy supplies of natural
gas from the production fields at the
Point Thomson and Prudhoe Bay Units
(PTU and PBU, respectively) on
Alaska’s North Slope for export and
potential in-state deliveries. To do this,
the Alaska LNG Project would consist of
a new Gas Treatment Plant (GTP) on the
North Slope and associated pipelines to
deliver the gas from the PTU and PBU
to the GTP, as well as a pipeline to
deliver natural gas processing
byproducts from the GTP back to the
PBU. The GTP would treat/process the
natural gas for delivery to an
approximately 800-mile-long, 42-inchdiameter pipeline that would transport
the natural gas to a new planned
liquefaction facility on the eastern shore
of Cook Inlet in the Nikiski area of the
Kenai Peninsula. Alaska LNG
anticipates starting construction in late
2019, with construction and startup
taking approximately 8 years. On this
basis, the full planned Project system
would be placed into service about
2027.
As previously described, the
alternative we are scoping involves an
alternative route directly through the
DNPP entrance area and closely aligned
with the Parks Highway (see figure in
appendix 1). We are requesting input
from stakeholders on both the DNPP
Alternative route and the current route
that is located outside the park.
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 issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity. NEPA also requires us 2 to
discover and address concerns the
public may have about proposals. This
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
51875
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:
• Alternatives
• Geology and soils;
• Land use;
• Water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands;
• Cultural resources;
• Vegetation and wildlife;
• Air quality and noise;
• Endangered and threatened species;
• Transportation;
• Socioeconomics;
• 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
already met with the Applicants,
jurisdictional agencies, Alaska Native
tribes, local officials, and other
interested stakeholders to discuss the
project and identify issues/impacts and
concerns before the FERC receives an
application.
In October and November 2016, FERC
conducted a total of 12 scoping
meetings throughout Alaska. During the
scoping meetings, we garnered feedback
from the local communities, including
residents, elected officials, tribal
leaders, community leaders, and other
interested stakeholders.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be presented in the EIS. The
draft EIS will be published and
distributed for public review and
comment. We will consider all timely
comments and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To
ensure your comments are considered,
please carefully follow the instructions
in the Public Participation section of
this notice.
E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM
05AUN1
51876
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 151 / Friday, August 5, 2016 / Notices
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.
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
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
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., PF14–
21). Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance,
17:42 Aug 04, 2016
Dated: July 27, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–18580 Filed 8–4–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Once the Applicants file their
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 User’s
Guide under the ‘‘efiling’’ 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
receives a formal application for the
project.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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.
Further, 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,
additional information about the project
can be seen from the Applicant’s Web
site at https://ak-lng.com.
Jkt 238001
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 13318–003]
Swan Lake North Pumped Storage
Project; Notice of Meeting
Commission staff will meet with
representatives of the Klamath Tribes
(Tribes), the Oregon State Historic
Preservation Officer and other state and
federal agencies (to the extent they wish
to participate), and Swan Lake North
Hydro LLC regarding the proposed
Swan Lake North Pumped Storage
Project (Project No. 13318–003). The
meeting will be held at the location and
time listed below: Klamath Tribes,
Tribal Administration Building, 501
Chiloquin Blvd., Chiloquin, OR 97624,
Phone: (541) 783–2219, Thursday,
August 11, 2016, 9:00 a.m. PDT.
Members of the public and
intervenors in the referenced proceeding
may attend this meeting; however,
participation will be limited to tribal
representatives and agency personnel. If
the Tribes decide to disclose
information about a specific location
which could create a risk or harm to an
archeological site or Native American
cultural resource, the public will be
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
excused for that portion of the meeting.1
If you plan to attend this meeting,
please contact Dr. Frank Winchell at the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
He can be reached at (202) 502–6104.
Dated: July 27, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–18577 Filed 8–4–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP15–558–000]
PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC;
Notice of Motion
On June 15, 2016, the New Jersey
Conservation Foundation and Stony
Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
(Movants), filed with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission) a
pleading styled as a Rule 206 Complaint
and Rule 212 Motion against PennEast
Pipeline Company, LLC (PennEast),
alleging that PennEast’s application for
a Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity does not contain substantial
evidence of public benefit, as required
by the Natural Gas Act.1 The pleading
further requests the Commission initiate
an evidentiary hearing to ‘‘garner
substantial evidence’’ and develop the
record upon which the Commission
would rely in making its ‘‘ultimate
determination regarding PennEast’s
certificate of public convenience and
necessity.’’
While styled as a complaint under
Rule 206, the pleading, filed in the
PennEast certificate proceeding, Docket
No. CP15–558–000, seeks resolution of
the issue pending before the
Commission in that proceeding, i.e.,
whether PennEast’s request for a
certificate of convenience and necessity
is supported by substantial evidence.
Accordingly, action on the Movants’
request for an evidentiary hearing, as
well as consideration of the merits of
the Movants’ allegations, will take place
in that forum.
Dated: July 27, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–18578 Filed 8–4–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
1 Protection from public disclosure involving this
kind of specific information is based upon 18 CFR
4.32(b)(3)(ii) of the Commission’s regulations
implementing the Federal Power Act.
1 15 U.S.C. 717f(e) (2012).
E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM
05AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 151 (Friday, August 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51874-51876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18580]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF14-21-000]
Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, BP Alaska LNG LLC, Conoco
Phillips Alaska LNG Company, ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC; Supplemental
Notice Requesting Comments on the Denali National Park and Preserve
Alterative for the Planned Alaska LNG Project
As previously noticed on March 4, 2015, the staff of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) is preparing an
environmental impact statement (EIS) that will discuss the
environmental impacts of the Alaska LNG Project that could result from
construction and operation of facilities by Alaska Gasline Development
Corporation; BP Alaska LNG LLC; Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG Company; and
ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC (Applicants) in Alaska. This notice explains
the additional scoping process that will be used to gather input from
the public and interested agencies on a route alternative to be
evaluated for crossing the Denali National Park and Preserve (DNPP).
The route currently planned by Alaska LNG is closely aligned with
the Parks Highway, but deviates from the highway where the Parks
Highway passes through the DNPP entrance area (see figure in appendix
1.\1\) In response to scoping comments, and in working with federal and
state regulating agencies, as well as the local communities, Alaska LNG
has identified an alternative route (the DNPP Alternative) that passes
directly through the DNPP entrance area and is closely aligned with the
Parks Highway (see figure in appendix 1). In this general area, the
planned route would be 8.05 miles long and not enter the DNPP, while
the corresponding segment of the DNPP Alternative would be 8.50 miles
long (6.16 miles of which would pass through the DNPP).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Supplemental Notice announces the opening of a limited scoping
period to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the
DNPP Alternative route. You can make a difference by providing us with
your specific comments or concerns about the DNPP Alternative route.
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 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 September 25,
2016.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should
[[Page 51875]]
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 pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. The company
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, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation
proceedings where compensation would be determined in accordance with
state law.
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.
Public Participation
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the
project docket number (PF14-21-000) with your submission. 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
(PF14-21-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.
In addition, if you have questions regarding the FERC process and
our review of the alternative, FERC staff will be available to answer
questions on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. at
the Murie Dining Hall within Denali National Park (next to the Murie
Science and Learning Center),
Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; please
refer to the review process flow chart in appendix 2.
Summary of the Planned Project
The Applicants are planning to transport and liquefy supplies of
natural gas from the production fields at the Point Thomson and Prudhoe
Bay Units (PTU and PBU, respectively) on Alaska's North Slope for
export and potential in-state deliveries. To do this, the Alaska LNG
Project would consist of a new Gas Treatment Plant (GTP) on the North
Slope and associated pipelines to deliver the gas from the PTU and PBU
to the GTP, as well as a pipeline to deliver natural gas processing
byproducts from the GTP back to the PBU. The GTP would treat/process
the natural gas for delivery to an approximately 800-mile-long, 42-
inch-diameter pipeline that would transport the natural gas to a new
planned liquefaction facility on the eastern shore of Cook Inlet in the
Nikiski area of the Kenai Peninsula. Alaska LNG anticipates starting
construction in late 2019, with construction and startup taking
approximately 8 years. On this basis, the full planned Project system
would be placed into service about 2027.
As previously described, the alternative we are scoping involves an
alternative route directly through the DNPP entrance area and closely
aligned with the Parks Highway (see figure in appendix 1). We are
requesting input from stakeholders on both the DNPP Alternative route
and the current route that is located outside the park.
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 issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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:
Alternatives
Geology and soils;
Land use;
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
Cultural resources;
Vegetation and wildlife;
Air quality and noise;
Endangered and threatened species;
Transportation;
Socioeconomics;
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 already met with the Applicants, jurisdictional agencies, Alaska
Native tribes, local officials, and other interested stakeholders to
discuss the project and identify issues/impacts and concerns before the
FERC receives an application.
In October and November 2016, FERC conducted a total of 12 scoping
meetings throughout Alaska. During the scoping meetings, we garnered
feedback from the local communities, including residents, elected
officials, tribal leaders, community leaders, and other interested
stakeholders.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the
EIS. The draft EIS will be published and distributed for public review
and comment. We will consider all timely comments and revise the
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure your
comments are considered, please carefully follow the instructions in
the Public Participation section of this notice.
[[Page 51876]]
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.
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 the Applicants file their 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 User's Guide under the ``efiling'' 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
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., PF14-
21). 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.
Further, 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,
additional information about the project can be seen from the
Applicant's Web site at https://ak-lng.com.
Dated: July 27, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-18580 Filed 8-4-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P