Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review of the Rio Grande LNG, LLC and Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC Rio Grande LNG Project, 45427-45428 [2018-19398]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 174 / Friday, September 7, 2018 / Notices
The U.S. Department of
Transportation, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, and U.S. Department
of Energy are cooperating agencies in
the preparation of the EA.
Additional Information
In order to receive notification of the
issuance of the EA and to keep track of
all formal issuances and submittals in
specific dockets, the Commission offers
a free service called eSubscription. 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.
Additional information about the
Project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs
at (866) 208–FERC or on the FERC
website (www.ferc.gov). Using the
eLibrary link, select General Search
from the eLibrary menu, enter the
selected date range and Docket Number
excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
CP17–470), and follow the instructions.
For assistance with access to eLibrary,
the helpline can be reached at (866)
208–3676, TTY (202) 502–8659, or at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov.
The eLibrary link on the FERC
website also provides access to the texts
of formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices,
and rule makings.
Dated: August 31, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
NGA to construct, operate, and maintain
certain natural gas pipeline facilities.
The combined projects, collectively
referred to as the Rio Grande LNG
Project, would provide gas and
processing to produce up to 27 million
tons per annum of LNG for export. On
August 17, 2016, in Order No. 3869, the
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of
Fossil Energy, granted to RG LNG a
long-term, multi-contract authorization
to export LNG to Free Trade Agreement
nations.
On May 19, 2016, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) issued its Notice of
Application for the project. Among
other things, that notice alerted other
agencies issuing federal authorizations
of the requirement to complete all
necessary reviews and to reach a final
decision on the request for a federal
authorization within 90 days of the date
of issuance of the Commission staff’s
final Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Rio Grande LNG Project.
This instant notice identifies the FERC
staff’s planned schedule for completion
of the final EIS for the project, which is
based on an issuance of the draft EIS in
October 2018. The forecasted schedule
for both the draft and final EIS is based
upon RG LNG and RB Pipeline
providing complete and timely
responses to any future data requests. In
addition, the schedule assumes that the
cooperating agencies will provide input
on their areas of responsibility on a
timely basis.
Schedule for Environmental Review
Issuance of Notice of Availability of the
final EIS—April 26, 2019
90-Day Federal Authorization Decision
Deadline—July 25, 2019
If a schedule change becomes
necessary for the final EIS, an additional
notice will be provided so that the
relevant agencies are kept informed of
the project’s progress.
[FR Doc. 2018–19402 Filed 9–6–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket Nos. CP16–454–000; CP16–455–
000]
Project Description
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Notice of Schedule for Environmental
Review of the Rio Grande LNG, LLC
and Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC
Rio Grande LNG Project
On May 5, 2016, Rio Grande LNG,
LLC (RG LNG) filed an application in
Docket No. CP16–454–000 requesting
authorization pursuant to Section 3(a) of
the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to construct
and operate liquefied natural gas (LNG)
export facilities. On the same day, Rio
Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC (RB
Pipeline) filed an application in Docket
No. CP16–455–000, requesting a
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity pursuant to Section 7(c) of the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:55 Sep 06, 2018
Jkt 244001
RG LNG and RB Pipeline, collectively
the Rio Grande Developers (RG
Developers), propose to construct and
operate natural gas pipelines and
liquefaction facilities in Jim Wells,
Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy, and Cameron
Counties, Texas. The Rio Bravo Pipeline
would include two new parallel 42inch-diameter natural gas pipelines,
each about 135.5 miles long, capable of
transporting 4.5 billion cubic feet per
day of natural gas. In addition, a 2.4mile-long header system at the origin of
the pipelines would interconnect with
existing natural gas transmission
pipelines. The pipeline facilities would
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
45427
include three new compressor stations
in Kleberg, Kenedy, and Cameron
Counties and two new interconnect
booster stations in Kenedy County.
The Rio Grande LNG Terminal would
be located on 750.4 acres of an
approximately 1,000-acre site along the
Brownsville Ship Channel about 5.5
miles inland from the channel entrance,
in Cameron County, Texas. The terminal
would include six liquefaction trains
capable of producing 27 million tons
per annum of LNG; marine facilities,
including two LNG berths, a turning
basin, and a material offloading facility;
truck loading and unloading facilities
for LNG and natural gas liquids; and
four LNG storage tanks. If approved, RG
Developers would construct the project
in stages. Operation of the first
liquefaction train, and one of the two
parallel pipelines, is proposed to begin
during the fourth quarter of 2021;
operation of the full project is proposed
for early 2025.
Background
On April 13, 2015, the Commission
staff granted the RG Developers’ request
to use the FERC’s Pre-filing
environmental review process. On July
23, 2015, the Commission issued a
Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the
Planned Rio Grande LNG Project and
Rio Bravo Pipeline Project, Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues,
and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
(NOI) in Docket No. PF15–20–000. The
NOI was issued during the pre-filing
review of the project, and was sent to
federal, state, and local government
agencies; elected officials; affected
landowners; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes
and regional organizations; commentors
and other interested parties; and local
libraries and newspapers. Major issues
raised during scoping include impacts
on wildlife and wildlife habitat
(including threatened and endangered
species), aquatic resources, surface
water, wetlands, public lands, visual
resources, local ecotourism, public
health and safety, air and noise quality,
and cumulative impacts.
The U.S Coast Guard, U.S.
Department of Energy, U.S Department
of Transportation, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, National Marine Fisheries
Service, National Park Service, and
Federal Aviation Administration are
cooperating agencies in the preparation
of the EIS.
E:\FR\FM\07SEN1.SGM
07SEN1
45428
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 174 / Friday, September 7, 2018 / Notices
Additional Information
In order to receive notification of the
issuance of the EIS and to keep track of
all formal issuances and submittals in
specific dockets, the Commission offers
a free service called eSubscription. 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.
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs
at (866) 208–FERC or on the FERC
website (www.ferc.gov). Using the
eLibrary link, select General Search
from the eLibrary menu, enter the
selected date range and Docket Number
excluding the last three digits (i.e.,
CP16–454 or CP16–455), and follow the
instructions. For assistance with access
to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached
at (866) 208–3676, TTY (202) 502–8659,
or at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The
eLibrary link on the FERC website also
provides access to the texts of formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and rule
makings.
Dated: August 31, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–19398 Filed 9–6–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP18–525–000]
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Gulf South Pipeline
Company, LP Willis Lateral Project,
and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of
the Willis Lateral Project involving
construction and operation of facilities
by Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP
(Gulf South) in Montgomery and San
Jacinto Counties, Texas. The
Commission will use this EA in its
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:55 Sep 06, 2018
Jkt 244001
decision-making process to determine
whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public
and interested agencies about issues
regarding the project. The National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
requires the Commission to take into
account the environmental impacts that
could result from its action whenever it
considers the issuance of a Certificate of
Public Convenience and Necessity.
NEPA also requires the Commission to
discover concerns the public may have
about proposals. This process is referred
to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis
in the EA on the important
environmental issues. By this notice, the
Commission requests public comments
on the scope of the issues to address in
the EA. To ensure that your comments
are timely and properly recorded, please
submit your comments so that the
Commission receives them in
Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Time on October 1, 2018.
You can make a difference by
submitting your specific comments or
concerns about the project. Your
comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or
lessen environmental impacts. Your
input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to
evaluate in the EA. Commission staff
will consider and address all filed
comments during the preparation of the
EA.
If you sent comments on this project
to the Commission before the opening of
this docket on July 13, 2018, you will
need to file those comments in Docket
No. CP18–525–000 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
proposed project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about
the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the
proposed facilities. The company would
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
easement agreement. You are not
required to enter into an agreement.
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
However, if the Commission approves
the project, that approval conveys with
it the right of eminent domain.
Therefore, if you and the company do
not reach an easement agreement, the
pipeline company could initiate
condemnation proceedings in court. In
such instances, compensation would be
determined by a judge in accordance
with state law.
Gulf South provided landowners with
a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ 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. It is also
available for viewing on the FERC
website (www.ferc.gov).
Public Participation
For your convenience, there are three
methods you can use to submit your
comments to the Commission. The
Commission encourages electronic filing
of comments and has staff available to
assist you at (866) 208–3676 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, which is located on the
Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov)
under the link to Documents and
Filings. Using eComment 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, which is located on the
Commission’s website (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.’’ You will be asked to select
the type of filing you are making; a
comment on a particular project is
considered a ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’; 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 (CP18–525–
000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
E:\FR\FM\07SEN1.SGM
07SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 174 (Friday, September 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45427-45428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19398]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP16-454-000; CP16-455-000]
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review of the Rio Grande
LNG, LLC and Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC Rio Grande LNG Project
On May 5, 2016, Rio Grande LNG, LLC (RG LNG) filed an application
in Docket No. CP16-454-000 requesting authorization pursuant to Section
3(a) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to construct and operate liquefied
natural gas (LNG) export facilities. On the same day, Rio Bravo
Pipeline Company, LLC (RB Pipeline) filed an application in Docket No.
CP16-455-000, requesting a Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity pursuant to Section 7(c) of the NGA to construct, operate,
and maintain certain natural gas pipeline facilities. The combined
projects, collectively referred to as the Rio Grande LNG Project, would
provide gas and processing to produce up to 27 million tons per annum
of LNG for export. On August 17, 2016, in Order No. 3869, the U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, granted to RG LNG a
long-term, multi-contract authorization to export LNG to Free Trade
Agreement nations.
On May 19, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) issued its Notice of Application for the project. Among
other things, that notice alerted other agencies issuing federal
authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and
to reach a final decision on the request for a federal authorization
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rio Grande LNG Project.
This instant notice identifies the FERC staff's planned schedule for
completion of the final EIS for the project, which is based on an
issuance of the draft EIS in October 2018. The forecasted schedule for
both the draft and final EIS is based upon RG LNG and RB Pipeline
providing complete and timely responses to any future data requests. In
addition, the schedule assumes that the cooperating agencies will
provide input on their areas of responsibility on a timely basis.
Schedule for Environmental Review
Issuance of Notice of Availability of the final EIS--April 26, 2019
90-Day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline--July 25, 2019
If a schedule change becomes necessary for the final EIS, an
additional notice will be provided so that the relevant agencies are
kept informed of the project's progress.
Project Description
RG LNG and RB Pipeline, collectively the Rio Grande Developers (RG
Developers), propose to construct and operate natural gas pipelines and
liquefaction facilities in Jim Wells, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy, and
Cameron Counties, Texas. The Rio Bravo Pipeline would include two new
parallel 42-inch-diameter natural gas pipelines, each about 135.5 miles
long, capable of transporting 4.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural
gas. In addition, a 2.4-mile-long header system at the origin of the
pipelines would interconnect with existing natural gas transmission
pipelines. The pipeline facilities would include three new compressor
stations in Kleberg, Kenedy, and Cameron Counties and two new
interconnect booster stations in Kenedy County.
The Rio Grande LNG Terminal would be located on 750.4 acres of an
approximately 1,000-acre site along the Brownsville Ship Channel about
5.5 miles inland from the channel entrance, in Cameron County, Texas.
The terminal would include six liquefaction trains capable of producing
27 million tons per annum of LNG; marine facilities, including two LNG
berths, a turning basin, and a material offloading facility; truck
loading and unloading facilities for LNG and natural gas liquids; and
four LNG storage tanks. If approved, RG Developers would construct the
project in stages. Operation of the first liquefaction train, and one
of the two parallel pipelines, is proposed to begin during the fourth
quarter of 2021; operation of the full project is proposed for early
2025.
Background
On April 13, 2015, the Commission staff granted the RG Developers'
request to use the FERC's Pre-filing environmental review process. On
July 23, 2015, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Rio Grande LNG Project
and Rio Bravo Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings (NOI) in Docket No. PF15-
20-000. The NOI was issued during the pre-filing review of the project,
and was sent to federal, state, and local government agencies; elected
officials; affected landowners; environmental and public interest
groups; Native American tribes and regional organizations; commentors
and other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. Major
issues raised during scoping include impacts on wildlife and wildlife
habitat (including threatened and endangered species), aquatic
resources, surface water, wetlands, public lands, visual resources,
local ecotourism, public health and safety, air and noise quality, and
cumulative impacts.
The U.S Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S Department of
Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries
Service, National Park Service, and Federal Aviation Administration are
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS.
[[Page 45428]]
Additional Information
In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EIS and to
keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets,
the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. 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.
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-FERC or on the
FERC website (www.ferc.gov). Using the eLibrary link, select General
Search from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date range and Docket
Number excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP16-454 or CP16-455),
and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to eLibrary,
the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or
at [email protected]. The eLibrary link on the FERC website
also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.
Dated: August 31, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-19398 Filed 9-6-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
