Fourchon LNG LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for The Planned Fourchon Lng Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Session, 51234-51236 [2017-23943]

Download as PDF ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES 51234 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 212 / Friday, November 3, 2017 / Notices and the Regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party status will be placed on the service list maintained by the Secretary of the Commission and will receive copies of all documents filed by the applicant and by all other parties. A party must submit five copies of filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the proceeding. However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. The Commission will consider these comments in determining the appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission’s rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly involved in the protest. Persons who wish to comment only on the environmental review of this project should submit an original and two copies of their comments to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commenters will be placed on the Commission’s environmental mailing list, will receive copies of the environmental documents, and will be notified of meetings associated with the Commission’s environmental review process. Environmental commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed documents on all other parties. However, the non-party commenters will not receive copies of all documents filed by other parties or issued by the Commission (except for the mailing of environmental documents issued by the Commission) and will not have the right to seek court review of the Commission’s final order. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the eFiling link at https://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and five copies of the protest or intervention to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 20, 2017. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:18 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 244001 Dated: October 30, 2017. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–23940 Filed 11–2–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including how to participate in the Commission’s proceedings. Public Participation DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PF17–9–000] Fourchon LNG LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for The Planned Fourchon Lng Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Session The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Fourchon LNG Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Fourchon LNG LLC (Fourchon LNG)] in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. The Commission will use this EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the public interest. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the project. You can make a difference by providing us with your specific comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the 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 December 6, 2017. If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on August 3, 2017, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. PF17–9–000 to ensure they are considered as part of this proceeding. This notice is being sent to the Commission’s current environmental mailing list for this project. State and local government representatives should notify their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know? is available for viewing on PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502–8258 or FercOnlineSupport@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 (PF17–9–000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the Commission invites you to attend the public scoping session its staff will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows: Date and time Location Thursday, November 16, 2017, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. South LaFourche High School, 16911 E Main Street, Cut Off, LA 70345, 985–632–5721. The primary goal of the scoping session is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the EIS to be prepared by FERC for this project. Individual verbal comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with E:\FR\FM\03NON1.SGM 03NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 212 / Friday, November 3, 2017 / Notices a court reporter. This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of verbal comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted. The scoping session is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Central time). You may arrive at any time after 4:30 p.m. If you wish to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. Comments will be taken in the order of the numbers handed out until 8:00 p.m.; unless all numbers have been distributed before 7:00 p.m., and all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do so by that time, in which case staff may conclude the session at 7:00 p.m. Please see appendix 1 for additional information on the session format and conduct.1 Your scoping 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 on FERC’s eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary). If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 minutes per speaker may be implemented. There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when the session opens. Commission staff will be available throughout the session to answer your questions about the FERC’s environmental review process. Representatives from Fourchon LNG will also be present to answer projectspecific questions. It is important to note that verbal comments hold the same weight as written or electronically submitted comments. Likewise, the session is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to the review process flow chart in appendix 2. Summary of the Planned Project ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Fourchon LNG plans to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on Belle Pass, within Port Fourchon, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. The terminal would be located on land leased from the Greater Laforche Port Commission. Fourchon LNG intends to use the terminal to liquefy, store, and deliver LNG to domestic LNG fueled 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 16:18 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 244001 marine vessels and LNG carriers for export to overseas markets. The terminal would have a peak capacity of five million metric tonnes of LNG per annum (MTPA). Fourchon LNG would also dredge a ship berth and turning basin at the terminal. The Fourchon LNG Project would consist of the following facilities: • Two 0.7-mile-long, parallel 16-inchdiameter natural gas receiving pipelines extending from existing pipelines operated by Kinetica Partners LLC to the terminal; • five 1.0 MTPA gas pre-treatment trains; • ten liquefaction trains, with a maximum LNG production capacity of approximately 0.5 MTPA each; • two LNG storage tanks, each with a capacity of 88,000 cubic meters (m3); • electric plant powered by a 20megawatt gas turbine; • boil-off gas handling system, utilities, and communications system; and • one marine berth sized to accommodate LNG carriers up to about 180,000 m3 in capacity. The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 3. Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 55 acres of land for the planned upland terminal and pipelines. About 40.6 acres would be affected in the Belle Pass Channel for the creation of the turning basin. Following construction, Fourchon LNG would maintain about 53 acres for permanent operation of the upland terminal and pipeline rights-of-way. Temporary construction areas would be restored and revert to former uses. 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 an Order under Sections 3 or 7 of the Natural Gas Act for authorization to construct, install, and operate LNG facilities. 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 2 We, us, and our refer to the environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 51235 filed comments during the preparation of the EIS. In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the planned project under these general headings: • Geology and soils; • water resources and wetlands; • vegetation and wildlife; • cultural resources; • socioeconomics; • land use, recreation, and visual resources; • air quality and noise; • public safety; and • cumulative impacts. We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Although no formal application has been filed, we have already initiated our NEPA review under the Commission’s pre-filing process. The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we have begun to contact some other federal and state resources agencies to discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EIS. With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law and/ or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS.3 Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the Public Participation section of this notice. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, and Lafourche Parish have expressed an interest in participating as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS to satisfy their NEPA responsibilities related to this project. The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section of this notice, above. 3 The Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA addresses cooperating agency responsibilities at Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1501.6. E:\FR\FM\03NON1.SGM 03NON1 51236 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 212 / Friday, November 3, 2017 / Notices Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s regulations for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultations with the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested Indian Tribes, and the public on the project’s potential effects on historic properties.4 We will define the projectspecific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the project develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance. Our EIS for this project will document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of consultations under Section 106. ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Currently Identified Environmental Issues We have already identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and the environmental information provided by Fourchon LNG. This preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our analysis. • Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands and the development of appropriate mitigation; • potential impacts to fish and wildlife habitat, including potential impacts to federally listed threatened and endangered species; • potential visual effects of the aboveground facilities; • potential impacts of the construction workforce on local housing, infrastructure, public services, transportation, and economy; • impacts on air quality and noise associated with construction and operation of the Fourchon LNG Project; and • public safety and hazards associated with LNG facilities. Environmental Mailing List The environmental mailing list compiled by Commission staff includes federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental groups and non-government organizations; Native 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. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:18 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 244001 Americans and Indian Tribes; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission’s regulations) who are potential right-ofway grantors, whose property may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who are directly adjacent to facilities. 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, and anyone who submits comments on the 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 compact disc version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return the attached Information Request (appendix 4). Becoming an Intervenor Once Fourchon LNG files its application with the Commission, you may want to become an intervenor which is an official party to the Commission’s proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission’s final ruling. An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a request to intervene. Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/ how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in the ‘‘Document-less Intervention Guide’’ under the e-filing link on the Commission’s Web site. Please note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status at this time. You must wait until the Commission 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., PF17– 9). 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 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 sessions 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: October 30, 2017. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2017–23943 Filed 11–2–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP18–8–000] Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Application Take notice that on October 16, 2017, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco), P.O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251 filed in Docket No. CP17–10–000 an abbreviated application pursuant to section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Part 157 of the Commission’s Regulations, requesting retroactive authorization to abandon certain natural gas facilities, including gas supply metering and regulating facilities and pipeline laterals, that are located in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, New Jersey, and offshore Louisiana and are no longer in service. Transco is requesting this abandonment authorization to clarify the regulatory status of facilities that were previously erroneously abandoned pursuant to Transco’s automatic blanket certificate authority, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. The filing may also be viewed on the web at https://www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at E:\FR\FM\03NON1.SGM 03NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 212 (Friday, November 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51234-51236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-23943]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF17-9-000]


Fourchon LNG LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for The Planned Fourchon Lng Project, Request for 
Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Session

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of the Fourchon LNG Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Fourchon LNG LLC 
(Fourchon LNG)] in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. The Commission will use 
this EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether the 
project is in the public interest.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the project. You can make a difference by providing us with 
your specific comments or concerns about the project. Your comments 
should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable 
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. 
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they 
need to evaluate in the 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 December 6, 2017.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on August 3, 2017, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. PF17-9-000 to ensure they are considered as part 
of this proceeding.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know? is available for 
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses 
a number of typically asked questions, including how to participate in 
the Commission's proceedings.

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal 
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form 
or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of 
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 
or FercOnlineSupport@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 
(PF17-9-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the 
Commission invites you to attend the public scoping session its staff 
will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date and time                           Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, November 16, 2017, 5:00 to     South LaFourche High School,
 8:00 p.m.                                16911 E Main Street, Cut Off,
                                          LA 70345, 985-632-5721.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The primary goal of the scoping session is to have you identify the 
specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in 
the EIS to be prepared by FERC for this project. Individual verbal 
comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with

[[Page 51235]]

a court reporter. This format is designed to receive the maximum amount 
of verbal comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted.
    The scoping session is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 
(Central time). You may arrive at any time after 4:30 p.m. If you wish 
to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of 
your arrival. Comments will be taken in the order of the numbers handed 
out until 8:00 p.m.; unless all numbers have been distributed before 
7:00 p.m., and all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an 
opportunity to do so by that time, in which case staff may conclude the 
session at 7:00 p.m. Please see appendix 1 for additional information 
on the session format and conduct.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 
www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the 
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on 
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Your scoping 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 on 
FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary). 
If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal 
comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 minutes per 
speaker may be implemented.
    There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when 
the session opens. Commission staff will be available throughout the 
session to answer your questions about the FERC's environmental review 
process. Representatives from Fourchon LNG will also be present to 
answer project-specific questions.
    It is important to note that verbal comments hold the same weight 
as written or electronically submitted comments. Likewise, the session 
is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to the review 
process flow chart in appendix 2.

Summary of the Planned Project

    Fourchon LNG plans to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) terminal on Belle Pass, within Port Fourchon, Lafourche Parish, 
Louisiana. The terminal would be located on land leased from the 
Greater Laforche Port Commission. Fourchon LNG intends to use the 
terminal to liquefy, store, and deliver LNG to domestic LNG fueled 
marine vessels and LNG carriers for export to overseas markets. The 
terminal would have a peak capacity of five million metric tonnes of 
LNG per annum (MTPA). Fourchon LNG would also dredge a ship berth and 
turning basin at the terminal.
    The Fourchon LNG Project would consist of the following facilities:
     Two 0.7-mile-long, parallel 16-inch-diameter natural gas 
receiving pipelines extending from existing pipelines operated by 
Kinetica Partners LLC to the terminal;
     five 1.0 MTPA gas pre-treatment trains;
     ten liquefaction trains, with a maximum LNG production 
capacity of approximately 0.5 MTPA each;
     two LNG storage tanks, each with a capacity of 88,000 
cubic meters (m\3\);
     electric plant powered by a 20-megawatt gas turbine;
     boil-off gas handling system, utilities, and 
communications system; and
     one marine berth sized to accommodate LNG carriers up to 
about 180,000 m\3\ in capacity.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
3.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 55 acres 
of land for the planned upland terminal and pipelines. About 40.6 acres 
would be affected in the Belle Pass Channel for the creation of the 
turning basin. Following construction, Fourchon LNG would maintain 
about 53 acres for permanent operation of the upland terminal and 
pipeline rights-of-way. Temporary construction areas would be restored 
and revert to former uses.

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 an Order 
under Sections 3 or 7 of the Natural Gas Act for authorization to 
construct, install, and operate LNG facilities. 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:
     Geology and soils;
     water resources and wetlands;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     cultural resources;
     socioeconomics;
     land use, recreation, and visual resources;
     air quality and noise;
     public safety; and
     cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project 
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before 
FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we have 
begun to contact some other federal and state resources agencies to 
discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of 
the EIS.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EIS.\3\ Agencies that would like to request 
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this 
notice. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, 
and Lafourche Parish have expressed an interest in participating as 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS to satisfy their 
NEPA responsibilities related to this project.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

    The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We 
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the 
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the 
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we have 
the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully 
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section of this 
notice, above.

[[Page 51236]]

Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
regulations for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, 
we are using this notice to initiate consultations with the Louisiana 
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views 
and those of other government agencies, interested Indian Tribes, and 
the public on the project's potential effects on historic 
properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of Potential 
Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the project develops. On 
natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum encompasses all 
areas subject to ground disturbance. Our EIS for this project will 
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and 
summarize the status of consultations under Section 106.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations 
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic 
Places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Fourchon LNG. This 
preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our 
analysis.
     Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands 
and the development of appropriate mitigation;
     potential impacts to fish and wildlife habitat, including 
potential impacts to federally listed threatened and endangered 
species;
     potential visual effects of the aboveground facilities;
     potential impacts of the construction workforce on local 
housing, infrastructure, public services, transportation, and economy;
     impacts on air quality and noise associated with 
construction and operation of the Fourchon LNG Project; and
     public safety and hazards associated with LNG facilities.

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list compiled by Commission staff 
includes federal, state, and local government representatives and 
agencies; elected officials; environmental groups and non-government 
organizations; Native Americans and Indian Tribes; 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 are directly adjacent to facilities. 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, and anyone who submits 
comments on the 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 compact disc 
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please 
return the attached Information Request (appendix 4).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Fourchon LNG files its application with the Commission, you 
may want to become an intervenor which is an official party to the 
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the 
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard 
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. 
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a 
request to intervene. Motions to intervene are more fully described at 
https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions 
for becoming an intervenor are in the ``Document-less Intervention 
Guide'' under the e-filing link on the Commission's Web site. Please 
note that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status 
at this time. You must wait until the Commission 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., PF17-
9). 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 sessions 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: October 30, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

 Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-23943 Filed 11-2-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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