Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P., Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Jordan Cove LNG Terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline Projects, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions, 27473-27476 [2017-12393]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 114 / Thursday, June 15, 2017 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF17–4–000]
Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P.,
Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, L.P.;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Planned Jordan Cove LNG
Terminal and Pacific Connector
Pipeline Projects, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues,
and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
that will discuss the impacts of the
planned Jordan Cove LNG Terminal and
Pacific Connector Pipeline Projects
(collectively referred to as the Project).
The FERC is the lead federal agency for
the preparation of the EIS. The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE), Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation), U.S. Forest
Service (Forest Service), and the
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
are Cooperating Agencies and can adopt
the EIS for their respective purposes and
permitting actions.
Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P.
(JCEP) plans to construct and operate a
liquefied natural gas (LNG) production,
storage, and export facility in Coos
County, Oregon. Pacific Connector Gas
Pipeline, L.P. (PCGP) plans to construct
and operate an interstate natural gas
transmission pipeline and associated
facilities in Coos, Douglas, Jackson, and
Klamath Counties, Oregon. The
Commission will use this EIS in its
decision-making process to determine
whether the Jordan Cove LNG Terminal
is in the public interest and the Pacific
Connector Pipeline is in the public
convenience and necessity. Other
federal agencies may adopt the EIS
when making their respective
determinations or decisions.
This notice announces the opening of
the public comment period, commonly
referred to as scoping. You can make a
difference by providing your comments.
Your comments should focus on
potential environmental impacts,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to
avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
This scoping opportunity is for the
entire Project, including actions and
proposed plan amendments of the
Cooperating Agencies listed above. The
Forest Service also seeks comments
specific to the 2012 planning rule
requirements at §§ 219.8 through 219.11
that are likely to be directly related to
the proposed amendments. 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 July 10, 2017.
If you submitted comments on this
project before February 10, 2017, you
will need to refile those comments in
FERC Docket No. PF17–4–000 to ensure
they are considered as part of this
proceeding. If you sent comments on a
previous iteration of this project, you
will also need to refile those comments
in FERC Docket No. PF17–4–000.
This notice is being sent to the
Commission’s current environmental
mailing list for the Project. State and
local government representatives should
notify their constituents of this project
and encourage them to comment on
their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, a PCGP company representative
may contact you about the acquisition of
an easement to construct, operate, and
maintain the planned pipeline. 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
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Date and time
14:10 Jun 14, 2017
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 four
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 by phone at (202)
502–8258 or via email at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please
carefully follow these instructions so
that your comments are properly
recorded. If you include personal
information along with your comments,
please be aware that this information
(address, phone number, and/or email
address) would become publicly
available in the Commission’s eLibrary.
(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 include
docket number PF17–4–000 with your
submission: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room
1A, Washington, DC 20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or
electronic comments, the Commission
invites you to attend one the public
scoping sessions its staff will conduct in
the project area, scheduled as follows:
Location
Tuesday, June 27, 2017, 4:00 p.m.
to 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 4:00
p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 29, 2017, 4:00 p.m.
to 7:00 p.m.
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Sunset Middle School, Library and Commons Rooms, 245 South Cammann Street, Coos Bay, OR 97420
Umpqua Community College, Jackson Hall, Rooms 11 & 12, 1140 Umpqua College Road, Roseburg, OR
97470
Oregon Institute of Technology, College Union Building, Mt. Bailey and Mt. Theilsen Rooms, 3201 Campus
Drive, Klamath Falls, OR 97601
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 114 / Thursday, June 15, 2017 / Notices
The primary goal of these scoping
sessions is to have you identify the
specific environmental issues and
concerns that should be considered in
the EIS to be prepared for this project.
Individual verbal comments will be
taken on a one-on-one basis with a court
reporter. This format is designed to
receive the maximum amount of verbal
comments in a convenient way during
the timeframe allotted.
Each scoping session is scheduled
from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific
Daylight Time. There will be no formal
presentation by Commission staff when
the session opens. If you wish to
provide comments, the Commission
staff will issue numbers in the order of
your arrival. Please see Appendix 2 1 for
additional information on the session
format and conduct expectations.
Your comments will be recorded by
the court reporter (with FERC staff or
representative present) and become part
of the public record for this proceeding.
Transcripts will be publicly available
through the FERC’s eLibrary system (see
below for instructions on using
eLibrary). If a significant number of
people are interested in providing
verbal comments, a time limit of 5
minutes may be implemented for each
commenter.
Verbal comments hold the same
weight as written or electronically
submitted comments. Although there
will not be a formal presentation,
Commission staff will be available
throughout the comment session to
answer your questions about the
environmental review process.
The submission of timely and specific
comments, whether submitted in
writing or orally at a scoping session,
can affect a reviewer’s ability to
participate in a subsequent
administrative or judicial review of
BLM and/or Forest Service decisions.
Comments concerning BLM and Forest
Service actions submitted anonymously
will be accepted and considered;
however such anonymous submittals
would not provide the commenters with
standing to participate in administrative
or judicial review of BLM and Forest
Service decisions.
Summary of the Planned Project
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JCEP plans to construct and operate
an LNG export terminal on the North
1 The appendices referenced in this notice will
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:10 Jun 14, 2017
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Spit of Coos Bay in Coos County,
Oregon. The terminal would include gas
inlet facilities, a metering station, a gas
conditioning plant, five liquefaction
trains and associated equipment, two
full-containment LNG storage tanks, an
LNG transfer line, LNG ship loading
facilities, a marine slip, a marine
offloading facility, a new access channel
between the Coos Bay Navigation
Channel and the new marine slip, and
enhancements to the existing Coos Bay
Navigation Channel at four turns. In
addition, the terminal would include
emergency and hazard, electrical,
security, control, and support systems,
administrative buildings, and a
temporary workforce housing facility.
The LNG terminal would be designed to
liquefy about 1.04 billion cubic feet per
day of LNG for export to markets across
the Pacific Rim.
PCGP plans to construct and operate
an approximately 235-mile-long, 36inch-diameter interstate natural gas
transmission pipeline and associated
aboveground facilities. The pipeline
would originate near Malin in Klamath
County, Oregon, traverse Douglas and
Jackson Counties, and terminate (at the
LNG Terminal) in Coos County, Oregon.
The pipeline would be capable of
transporting about 1.2 billion cubic feet
per day of natural gas. The associated
aboveground facilities would include
the new Klamath Compressor Station
(61,500 horsepower) near Malin,
Oregon; 3 new meter stations; 5 new pig
launchers and receivers; 17 mainline
block valves; and a gas control
communication system.
The general locations of the Project
facilities are shown on maps included
in Appendix 1. In addition, PCGP
provides detailed mapping of its
pipeline route on its Web page at https://
pacificconnectorgp.com/projectoverview/.
Land Requirements for Construction
About 530 acres of land would be
disturbed by construction of the LNG
Terminal. JCEP owns about 300 acres of
this land, and the remaining 230 acres
would be leased from private
landowners. Following construction,
about 170 acres would be retained for
operation of the LNG terminal facilities.
About 5,060 acres of land would be
disturbed by construction of the Pacific
Connector Pipeline Project. Following
construction, a 50-foot-wide easement,
totaling about 1,415 acres, would be
permanently maintained for operation
of the pipeline. The majority of the
remaining 3,620 acres disturbed by
pipeline construction would be restored
and returned to previous use, while
about 25 acres would be maintained for
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a new compressor station and other new
aboveground facilities. Land ownership
of the approximately 235 miles of
permanent pipeline operational
easement is approximately 162 miles
private land, 40 miles BLM, 31 miles
Forest Service, and 2 miles Reclamation.
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action
whenever it considers the authorization
of LNG facilities under Section 3 of the
Natural Gas Act and pipeline facilities
under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
NEPA also requires the Commission to
discover and address concerns the
public may have about proposals. This
process is commonly referred to as
scoping. The main goal of the scoping
process is to identify the important
environmental issues the Commission’s
staff should focus on in the EIS. By this
notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of issues to be
addressed in the EIS. The FERC and the
Cooperating Agencies will consider all
filed comments during the preparation
of the EIS.
The EIS will discuss the impacts that
could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the
planned Project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation, fisheries, and wildlife;
• protected species;
• land use;
• socioeconomics;
• cultural resources;
• air quality and noise;
• public safety and reliability; and
• cumulative impacts.
The FERC and the Cooperating
Agencies will also evaluate reasonable
alternatives to the planned project or
portions thereof; and make
recommendations on how to avoid or
minimize impacts on the various
resource areas.
Although no formal application has
been filed with FERC, FERC has already
initiated a review of the project 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 its
pre-filing review, FERC has begun to
contact interested federal and state
agencies to discuss their involvement in
the scoping process and the preparation
of the EIS.
As stated previously, the FERC will be
the lead federal agency for the
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preparation of the EIS. The USACE,
BLM, Reclamation, and Forest Service
all have NEPA responsibilities related to
their respective permitting actions, and
can adopt the EIS for their own agency’s
purposes. The BLM, Reclamation, and
Forest Service intend to adopt this EIS
to evaluate the effects of the pipeline
portion of the Project on lands and
facilities managed by each respective
agency, and to support decision-making
regarding the issuance of and
concurrence with the right-of-way grant
and the associated plan amendments.2
The EIS will present the FERC’s and
the Cooperating Agencies’ independent
analysis of the issues. The FERC will
publish and distribute the draft EIS for
public comment. After the comment
period, the FERC and the Cooperating
Agencies will consider all timely
comments and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To
ensure the FERC and the Cooperating
Agencies have the opportunity to
consider and address your comments,
please carefully follow the instructions
in the Public Participation section.
With this notice, the FERC is asking
agencies with jurisdiction by law and/
or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues related to this
project to formally cooperate with us in
the preparation of the EIS.3 Agencies
that would like to request cooperating
agency status should follow the
instructions for filing comments
provided in the Public Participation
section.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
In accordance with the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation’s
implementing regulations for section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, this notice initiates
consultation with Oregon’s State
Historic Preservation Office (SHPO),
and solicits its views and those of other
government agencies, interested Indian
tribes, and the public on the Project’s
potential effects on historic properties.4
The project-specific Area of Potential
2 BLM land management plans are called
‘‘Resource Management Plans’’ or RMPs. Forest
Service land management plans are called ‘‘Land
and Resource Management Plans’’ or LRMPs. The
term ‘‘land management plan’’ is generic and may
apply to either an RMP or LRMP.
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.
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Effects (APE) will be defined 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 LNG
terminal site, pipeline construction
work area, contractor/equipment storage
yards, and access roads). The EIS for
this Project will document the findings
on the impacts on historic properties
and summarize the status of
consultations under section 106.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
The Commission’s environmental
staff has already identified several
issues that merit attention based on a
preliminary review of the planned
facilities, the environmental information
provided by the applicants, analysis
conducted previously, and early
comments filed with FERC. This
preliminary list of issues may change
based on your comments and further
analysis. Preliminary issues include:
• Reliability and safety of LNG carrier
traffic in Coos Bay, the LNG terminal,
and natural gas pipeline;
• impacts on aquatic resources from
dredging the LNG terminal access
channel and slip, and from multiple
pipeline crossings of surface waters;
• potential impacts on the LNG
Terminal resulting from an earthquake
or tsunami;
• impacts of pipeline construction on
federally listed threatened and
endangered species, including salmon,
marbled murrelet, and northern spotted
owl; and
• impacts of pipeline construction on
private landowners, including use of
eminent domain to obtain right-of-way.
Preliminary Planning Criteria
Identified by the BLM
The BLM Preliminary Planning
Criteria for its proposed land
management plan amendments include:
• Impacts to stand function for listed
species, specifically northern spotted
owl and marbled murrelet in BLMmanaged Late Successional Reserves
(LSR); and
• consent by the Federal surface
managing agencies, Forest Service and
Reclamation.
Preliminary Issues and Planning
Criteria Identified by the Forest Service
The Forest Service has identified
preliminary issues for its proposed land
and resource management plan (LRMP)
amendments. The issues include:
• Effects of proposed amendments on
Survey and Manage species and their
habitat;
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27475
• effects of the proposed amendments
on LSRs; and
• effects of the proposed amendments
on Riparian Reserves, detrimental soil
conditions, and Visual Quality
Objectives.
Planning Rule Requirements for LRMP
Amendments
The Forest Service seeks public input
on issues and planning rule
requirements on proposed amendments
of their Forest land management plans
related to the Pacific Connector Pipeline
Project. Additional information
regarding the proposed amendments is
included at the end of this NOI.
Proposed Actions of the BLM
The purpose of and need for the
proposed action by the BLM is to
respond to a right-of-way grant
application originally submitted by
Pacific Connector L.P. to construct,
operate, maintain, and eventually
decommission a natural gas pipeline
that crosses lands and facilities
administered by the BLM, Reclamation,
and Forest Service. In addition, there is
a need for the BLM to consider
amending affected District land
management plans to make provision
for the Pacific Connector right-of-way.
Additional detail on proposed actions
by the BLM is provided at the end of
this NOI.
Proposed Actions of the Forest Service
The purpose of and need for the
proposed action by the Forest Service is
to consider amending affected National
Forest land management plans to make
provision for the Pacific Connector
right-of-way. The Responsible Official
for amendment of Forest Service LRMPs
is the Forest Supervisor of the Umpqua
National Forest. If the Forest Service
adopts the FERC EIS for the Pacific
Connector Pipeline Project (in FERC
Docket No. PF17–4–000), the Forest
Supervisor of the Umpqua National
Forest will make the following decisions
and determinations:
• Decide whether to amend the
LRMPs of the Umpqua, Rogue River,
and Winema National Forests as
proposed or as described in an
alternative.
Additional detail on proposed actions
by the Forest Service is provided at the
end of this NOI.
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
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 114 / Thursday, June 15, 2017 / Notices
interested parties; and local libraries
and newspapers. This list also includes
all affected landowners (as defined in
the Commission’s regulations), 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. The FERC will
update the environmental mailing list as
the analysis proceeds to ensure that the
information related to this
environmental review is sent to all
individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or
potentially affected by the planned
project.
Copies of the 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 a compact disc
or would like to remove your name from
the mailing list, please return the
attached Information Request
(Appendix 2).
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Becoming an Intervenor
Once JCEP and PCGP file applications
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 receives a formal
application for the project.
BLM Administrative Remedy Process
Under the provisions of 43 CFR
1610.5–2, proposed decision(s) of the
BLM to amend land management plans
are subject to protest with the Director
of the BLM following publication of the
Final EIS. In accordance with 43 CFR,
Part 4, the BLM’s decision on the
application for a right-of-way grant will
be subject to appeal to the Interior Board
of Land Appeals.
Administrative Review of Forest
Service Decisions To Amend Land
Management Plans
The proposed Forest Service plan
amendments are being developed in
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14:10 Jun 14, 2017
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accordance with the planning
regulations at 36 CFR 219 (2012).
Decisions by the Forest Service to
approve ‘‘plan level’’ amendments to
Land Management Plans (proposed
amendments UNF–4 and RRNF–7 in
this Notice) are subject to the PreDecisional Administrative Review
Process Regulations at 36 CFR 219
Subpart B. The term ‘‘plan level’’ refers
to plan amendments that would apply
to future management actions.
Decisions by the Forest Service to
approve ‘‘project-specific’’ plan
amendments (proposed amendments
UNF–1 thru 3, RRNF–2 thru 6, and
WNF–1 thru 5 in this Notice) are subject
to the Administrative Review Process of
36 CFR 218 Subpart A and B, in
accordance with 36 CFR 219.59 (b). The
term ‘‘project specific’’ refers to
amendments that would only apply to
the proposed project and would not
apply to any future management
actions.
The Forest Service concurrence to
BLM to issue a right-of-way grant would
not be a decision subject to the NEPA
and, therefore, would not be subject to
the Forest Service administrative review
procedures.
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., PF17–
4). 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.
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Dated: June 9, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–12393 Filed 6–14–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings #1
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric corporate
filings:
Docket Numbers: EC17–128–000.
Applicants: Beech Ridge Energy LLC,
Beech Ridge Energy II LLC, Beech Ridge
Energy Storage LLC, Bishop Hill Energy
III LLC, Bishop Hill Interconnection
LLC, Buckeye Wind Energy LLC,
Forward Energy LLC, Grand Ridge
Energy LLC, Grand Ridge Energy II LLC,
Grand Ridge Energy III LLC, Grand
Ridge Energy IV LLC, Grand Ridge
Energy V LLC, Grand Ridge Energy
Storage LLC, Gratiot County Wind LLC,
Gratiot County Wind II LLC, Invenergy
TN LLC, Judith Gap Energy LLC, Prairie
Breeze Wind Energy II LLC, Prairie
Breeze Wind Energy III LLC, Sheldon
Energy LLC, Spring Canyon Energy LLC,
Stony Creek Energy LLC, Vantage Wind
Energy LLC, Willow Creek Energy LLC,
Wolverine Creek Energy LLC, Wolverine
Creek Goshen Interconnection LLC.
Description: Application for
Authorization Under Section 203 of the
Federal Power Act and Request for
Waivers and Expedited Action of Beech
Ridge Energy LLC, et al.
Filed Date: 6/8/17.
Accession Number: 20170608–5182.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 6/29/17.
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric rate
filings:
Docket Numbers: ER17–1167–001.
Applicants: New York Independent
System Operator, Inc.
Description: Compliance filing:
NYISO filing re: Effective date notice—
MST Attachment K revisions to be
effective 6/22/2017.
Filed Date: 6/8/17.
Accession Number: 20170608–5149.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 6/29/17.
Docket Numbers: ER17–1226–001.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.,
Entergy Services, Inc.
Description: Compliance filing: 2017–
06–08_Filing to update Entergy New
Orleans (ENO) Attachment O to be
effective 6/1/2017.
Filed Date: 6/8/17.
Accession Number: 20170608–5119.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 114 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27473-27476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12393]
[[Page 27473]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF17-4-000]
Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P., Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline,
L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Planned Jordan Cove LNG Terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline
Projects, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Sessions
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
will discuss the impacts of the planned Jordan Cove LNG Terminal and
Pacific Connector Pipeline Projects (collectively referred to as the
Project). The FERC is the lead federal agency for the preparation of
the EIS. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service), and the Bonneville
Power Administration (BPA) are Cooperating Agencies and can adopt the
EIS for their respective purposes and permitting actions.
Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P. (JCEP) plans to construct and
operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, storage, and export
facility in Coos County, Oregon. Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, L.P.
(PCGP) plans to construct and operate an interstate natural gas
transmission pipeline and associated facilities in Coos, Douglas,
Jackson, and Klamath Counties, Oregon. The Commission will use this EIS
in its decision-making process to determine whether the Jordan Cove LNG
Terminal is in the public interest and the Pacific Connector Pipeline
is in the public convenience and necessity. Other federal agencies may
adopt the EIS when making their respective determinations or decisions.
This notice announces the opening of the public comment period,
commonly referred to as scoping. You can make a difference by providing
your comments. Your comments should focus on potential environmental
impacts, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impacts. This scoping opportunity is for the entire
Project, including actions and proposed plan amendments of the
Cooperating Agencies listed above. The Forest Service also seeks
comments specific to the 2012 planning rule requirements at Sec. Sec.
219.8 through 219.11 that are likely to be directly related to the
proposed amendments. 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 July 10, 2017.
If you submitted comments on this project before February 10, 2017,
you will need to refile those comments in FERC Docket No. PF17-4-000 to
ensure they are considered as part of this proceeding. If you sent
comments on a previous iteration of this project, you will also need to
refile those comments in FERC Docket No. PF17-4-000.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for the Project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this project and
encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a PCGP company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the planned pipeline. 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 four 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 by
phone at (202) 502-8258 or via email at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov.
Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are
properly recorded. If you include personal information along with your
comments, please be aware that this information (address, phone number,
and/or email address) would become publicly available in the
Commission's eLibrary.
(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 include docket number PF17-4-000 with
your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the
Commission invites you to attend one the public scoping sessions its
staff will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows:
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Date and time Location
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Tuesday, June 27, 2017, 4:00 p.m. Sunset Middle School, Library and
to 7:00 p.m. Commons Rooms, 245 South Cammann
Street, Coos Bay, OR 97420
Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 4:00 Umpqua Community College, Jackson
p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Hall, Rooms 11 & 12, 1140 Umpqua
College Road, Roseburg, OR 97470
Thursday, June 29, 2017, 4:00 p.m. Oregon Institute of Technology,
to 7:00 p.m. College Union Building, Mt. Bailey
and Mt. Theilsen Rooms, 3201 Campus
Drive, Klamath Falls, OR 97601
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[[Page 27474]]
The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify
the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be
considered in the EIS to be prepared for this project. Individual
verbal comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court
reporter. This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of
verbal comments in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted.
Each scoping session is scheduled from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Pacific Daylight Time. There will be no formal presentation by
Commission staff when the session opens. If you wish to provide
comments, the Commission staff will issue numbers in the order of your
arrival. Please see Appendix 2 \1\ for additional information on the
session format and conduct expectations.
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\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.
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Your comments will be recorded by the court reporter (with FERC
staff or representative present) and become part of the public record
for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available through the
FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary).
If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal
comments, a time limit of 5 minutes may be implemented for each
commenter.
Verbal comments hold the same weight as written or electronically
submitted comments. Although there will not be a formal presentation,
Commission staff will be available throughout the comment session to
answer your questions about the environmental review process.
The submission of timely and specific comments, whether submitted
in writing or orally at a scoping session, can affect a reviewer's
ability to participate in a subsequent administrative or judicial
review of BLM and/or Forest Service decisions. Comments concerning BLM
and Forest Service actions submitted anonymously will be accepted and
considered; however such anonymous submittals would not provide the
commenters with standing to participate in administrative or judicial
review of BLM and Forest Service decisions.
Summary of the Planned Project
JCEP plans to construct and operate an LNG export terminal on the
North Spit of Coos Bay in Coos County, Oregon. The terminal would
include gas inlet facilities, a metering station, a gas conditioning
plant, five liquefaction trains and associated equipment, two full-
containment LNG storage tanks, an LNG transfer line, LNG ship loading
facilities, a marine slip, a marine offloading facility, a new access
channel between the Coos Bay Navigation Channel and the new marine
slip, and enhancements to the existing Coos Bay Navigation Channel at
four turns. In addition, the terminal would include emergency and
hazard, electrical, security, control, and support systems,
administrative buildings, and a temporary workforce housing facility.
The LNG terminal would be designed to liquefy about 1.04 billion cubic
feet per day of LNG for export to markets across the Pacific Rim.
PCGP plans to construct and operate an approximately 235-mile-long,
36-inch-diameter interstate natural gas transmission pipeline and
associated aboveground facilities. The pipeline would originate near
Malin in Klamath County, Oregon, traverse Douglas and Jackson Counties,
and terminate (at the LNG Terminal) in Coos County, Oregon. The
pipeline would be capable of transporting about 1.2 billion cubic feet
per day of natural gas. The associated aboveground facilities would
include the new Klamath Compressor Station (61,500 horsepower) near
Malin, Oregon; 3 new meter stations; 5 new pig launchers and receivers;
17 mainline block valves; and a gas control communication system.
The general locations of the Project facilities are shown on maps
included in Appendix 1. In addition, PCGP provides detailed mapping of
its pipeline route on its Web page at https://pacificconnectorgp.com/project-overview/.
Land Requirements for Construction
About 530 acres of land would be disturbed by construction of the
LNG Terminal. JCEP owns about 300 acres of this land, and the remaining
230 acres would be leased from private landowners. Following
construction, about 170 acres would be retained for operation of the
LNG terminal facilities.
About 5,060 acres of land would be disturbed by construction of the
Pacific Connector Pipeline Project. Following construction, a 50-foot-
wide easement, totaling about 1,415 acres, would be permanently
maintained for operation of the pipeline. The majority of the remaining
3,620 acres disturbed by pipeline construction would be restored and
returned to previous use, while about 25 acres would be maintained for
a new compressor station and other new aboveground facilities. Land
ownership of the approximately 235 miles of permanent pipeline
operational easement is approximately 162 miles private land, 40 miles
BLM, 31 miles Forest Service, and 2 miles Reclamation.
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the authorization of LNG
facilities under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act and pipeline
facilities under Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires
the Commission to discover and address concerns the public may have
about proposals. This process is commonly referred to as scoping. The
main goal of the scoping process is to identify the important
environmental issues the Commission's staff should focus on in the EIS.
By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of
issues to be addressed in the EIS. The FERC and the Cooperating
Agencies will consider all filed comments during the preparation of the
EIS.
The EIS will discuss the impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the planned Project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
water resources and wetlands;
vegetation, fisheries, and wildlife;
protected species;
land use;
socioeconomics;
cultural resources;
air quality and noise;
public safety and reliability; and
cumulative impacts.
The FERC and the Cooperating Agencies will also evaluate reasonable
alternatives to the planned project or portions thereof; and make
recommendations on how to avoid or minimize impacts on the various
resource areas.
Although no formal application has been filed with FERC, FERC has
already initiated a review of the project 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 its
pre-filing review, FERC has begun to contact interested federal and
state agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and
the preparation of the EIS.
As stated previously, the FERC will be the lead federal agency for
the
[[Page 27475]]
preparation of the EIS. The USACE, BLM, Reclamation, and Forest Service
all have NEPA responsibilities related to their respective permitting
actions, and can adopt the EIS for their own agency's purposes. The
BLM, Reclamation, and Forest Service intend to adopt this EIS to
evaluate the effects of the pipeline portion of the Project on lands
and facilities managed by each respective agency, and to support
decision-making regarding the issuance of and concurrence with the
right-of-way grant and the associated plan amendments.\2\
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\2\ BLM land management plans are called ``Resource Management
Plans'' or RMPs. Forest Service land management plans are called
``Land and Resource Management Plans'' or LRMPs. The term ``land
management plan'' is generic and may apply to either an RMP or LRMP.
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The EIS will present the FERC's and the Cooperating Agencies'
independent analysis of the issues. The FERC will publish and
distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the comment period,
the FERC and the Cooperating Agencies will consider all timely comments
and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To
ensure the FERC and the Cooperating Agencies have the opportunity to
consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the
instructions in the Public Participation section.
With this notice, the FERC is asking agencies with jurisdiction by
law and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues
related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the
preparation of the EIS.\3\ Agencies that would like to request
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided in the Public Participation section.
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\3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, this notice initiates consultation with Oregon's
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and solicits its views and
those of other government agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the
public on the Project's potential effects on historic properties.\4\
The project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) will be defined 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 LNG terminal site, pipeline
construction work area, contractor/equipment storage yards, and access
roads). The EIS for this Project will document the findings on the
impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of
consultations under section 106.
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\4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues
The Commission's environmental staff has already identified several
issues that merit attention based on a preliminary review of the
planned facilities, the environmental information provided by the
applicants, analysis conducted previously, and early comments filed
with FERC. This preliminary list of issues may change based on your
comments and further analysis. Preliminary issues include:
Reliability and safety of LNG carrier traffic in Coos Bay,
the LNG terminal, and natural gas pipeline;
impacts on aquatic resources from dredging the LNG
terminal access channel and slip, and from multiple pipeline crossings
of surface waters;
potential impacts on the LNG Terminal resulting from an
earthquake or tsunami;
impacts of pipeline construction on federally listed
threatened and endangered species, including salmon, marbled murrelet,
and northern spotted owl; and
impacts of pipeline construction on private landowners,
including use of eminent domain to obtain right-of-way.
Preliminary Planning Criteria Identified by the BLM
The BLM Preliminary Planning Criteria for its proposed land
management plan amendments include:
Impacts to stand function for listed species, specifically
northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet in BLM-managed Late
Successional Reserves (LSR); and
consent by the Federal surface managing agencies, Forest
Service and Reclamation.
Preliminary Issues and Planning Criteria Identified by the Forest
Service
The Forest Service has identified preliminary issues for its
proposed land and resource management plan (LRMP) amendments. The
issues include:
Effects of proposed amendments on Survey and Manage
species and their habitat;
effects of the proposed amendments on LSRs; and
effects of the proposed amendments on Riparian Reserves,
detrimental soil conditions, and Visual Quality Objectives.
Planning Rule Requirements for LRMP Amendments
The Forest Service seeks public input on issues and planning rule
requirements on proposed amendments of their Forest land management
plans related to the Pacific Connector Pipeline Project. Additional
information regarding the proposed amendments is included at the end of
this NOI.
Proposed Actions of the BLM
The purpose of and need for the proposed action by the BLM is to
respond to a right-of-way grant application originally submitted by
Pacific Connector L.P. to construct, operate, maintain, and eventually
decommission a natural gas pipeline that crosses lands and facilities
administered by the BLM, Reclamation, and Forest Service. In addition,
there is a need for the BLM to consider amending affected District land
management plans to make provision for the Pacific Connector right-of-
way. Additional detail on proposed actions by the BLM is provided at
the end of this NOI.
Proposed Actions of the Forest Service
The purpose of and need for the proposed action by the Forest
Service is to consider amending affected National Forest land
management plans to make provision for the Pacific Connector right-of-
way. The Responsible Official for amendment of Forest Service LRMPs is
the Forest Supervisor of the Umpqua National Forest. If the Forest
Service adopts the FERC EIS for the Pacific Connector Pipeline Project
(in FERC Docket No. PF17-4-000), the Forest Supervisor of the Umpqua
National Forest will make the following decisions and determinations:
Decide whether to amend the LRMPs of the Umpqua, Rogue
River, and Winema National Forests as proposed or as described in an
alternative.
Additional detail on proposed actions by the Forest Service is
provided at the end of this NOI.
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
[[Page 27476]]
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations), 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. The FERC
will update the environmental mailing list as the analysis proceeds to
ensure that the information related to this environmental review is
sent to all individuals, organizations, and government entities
interested in and/or potentially affected by the planned project.
Copies of the 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 a compact disc or would like to
remove your name from the mailing list, please return the attached
Information Request (Appendix 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
Once JCEP and PCGP file applications 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 receives a
formal application for the project.
BLM Administrative Remedy Process
Under the provisions of 43 CFR 1610.5-2, proposed decision(s) of
the BLM to amend land management plans are subject to protest with the
Director of the BLM following publication of the Final EIS. In
accordance with 43 CFR, Part 4, the BLM's decision on the application
for a right-of-way grant will be subject to appeal to the Interior
Board of Land Appeals.
Administrative Review of Forest Service Decisions To Amend Land
Management Plans
The proposed Forest Service plan amendments are being developed in
accordance with the planning regulations at 36 CFR 219 (2012).
Decisions by the Forest Service to approve ``plan level'' amendments to
Land Management Plans (proposed amendments UNF-4 and RRNF-7 in this
Notice) are subject to the Pre-Decisional Administrative Review Process
Regulations at 36 CFR 219 Subpart B. The term ``plan level'' refers to
plan amendments that would apply to future management actions.
Decisions by the Forest Service to approve ``project-specific''
plan amendments (proposed amendments UNF-1 thru 3, RRNF-2 thru 6, and
WNF-1 thru 5 in this Notice) are subject to the Administrative Review
Process of 36 CFR 218 Subpart A and B, in accordance with 36 CFR 219.59
(b). The term ``project specific'' refers to amendments that would only
apply to the proposed project and would not apply to any future
management actions.
The Forest Service concurrence to BLM to issue a right-of-way grant
would not be a decision subject to the NEPA and, therefore, would not
be subject to the Forest Service administrative review procedures.
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., PF17-
4). 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: June 9, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-12393 Filed 6-14-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P