Rio Grande LNG, LLC, Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rio Grande LNG Project, 52828-52829 [2018-22727]

Download as PDF 52828 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability, is November 1, 2018. The Commission encourages electronic submission of protests and interventions in lieu of paper, using the FERC Online links at https:// www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic service, persons with internet access who will eFile a document and/or be listed as a contact for an intervenor must create and validate an eRegistration account using the eRegistration link. Select the eFiling link to log on and submit the intervention or protests. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and 5 copies of the intervention or protest to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. The filings in the above-referenced proceeding are accessible in the Commission’s eLibrary system by clicking on the appropriate link in the above list. They are also available for electronic review in the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an eSubscription link on the website that enables subscribers to receive email notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service, please email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Dated: October 12, 2018. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–22715 Filed 10–17–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. CP16–454–000] khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES Rio Grande LNG, LLC, Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rio Grande LNG Project The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Rio Grande LNG Project (Project) proposed by Rio Grande LNG, LLC (RG LNG) and Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC (RB Pipeline) (collectively referred to as the RG Developers) in the abovereferenced dockets. RG LNG requests authorization pursuant to section 3(a) of VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:28 Oct 17, 2018 Jkt 247001 the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to construct and operate liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities in Cameron County, Texas, and RB Pipeline requests a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to section 7(c) of the NGA to construct, operate, and maintain a new pipeline system in Jim Wells, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy, and Cameron Counties, Texas. The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that construction and operation of the Rio Grande LNG Project would result in some adverse environmental impacts, but these impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels. However, the Rio Grande LNG Project, combined with other projects within the geographic scope, would result in certain significant cumulative impacts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—National Marine Fisheries Service participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the NEPA analysis. Although the cooperating agencies provided input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in the draft EIS, the agencies will present their own conclusions and recommendations in their respective Records of Decision for the Project. The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the following proposed facilities: • Six liquefaction trains at the Rio Grande LNG Terminal, each with a nominal capacity of 4.5 million tons per annum of LNG for export, resulting in the total nominal capacity of 27.0 million tons per annum; • four LNG storage tanks, each with a net capacity of 180,000 cubic meters; • LNG truck loading facilities with four loading bays, each with the capacity to load 12 to 15 trucks per day; • a refrigerant storage area and truck unloading facilities; PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 • a condensate storage area and truck loading facilities; • a new marine slip with two LNG vessel berths to accommodate simultaneous loading of two LNG vessels, an LNG vessel and support vessel maneuvering area, and an LNG transfer system; • a materials off-loading facility; • 2.4 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline, including 0.8 mile of dual pipeline, to gather gas from existing systems in Kleberg and Jim Wells Counties (referred to as the Header System); • 135.5 miles of parallel 42-inchdiameter pipelines originating in Kleberg County and terminating at the Rio Grande LNG Terminal in Cameron County (referred to as Pipelines 1 and 2); • four stand-alone metering sites along the Header System; • two new interconnect booster compressor stations, each with a metering site; • three new compressor stations (one at the LNG Terminal site); and • other associated utilities, systems, and facilities (yards, access roads, etc.). The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the project area. The draft EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC’s website (www.ferc.gov), on the Environmental Documents page (https:// www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/ eis.asp). In addition, the draft EIS may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC’s website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://www.ferc.gov/ docs-filing/elibrary.asp), click on General Search, and enter the docket number in the Docket Number field, excluding the last three digits (i.e. CP16–454 or CP16–455). 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. Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. Your comments should focus on draft EIS’s disclosure and discussion of potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. To ensure consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that the Commission receive E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 3, 2018. 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 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 on the Commission’s website (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 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. 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 numbers (CP16–454–000, CP16–455– 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 of the public comment sessions its staff will conduct in the Project area to receive comments on the draft EIS, scheduled as follows: Date and time Location Tuesday, November 13, 2018: 5:00–8:00 p.m. local time ....................... Texas A&M, 700 University Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363, 361–593– 4173. La Quinta, 128 N Expressway 77, Raymondville, TX 78750, 956–689– 4000. Port Isabel Convention Center, 309 E. Railroad Ave., Port Isabel, TX 78578, 956–433–7195. Wednesday, November 14, 2018: 5:00–8:00 p.m. local time .................. Thursday, November 15, 2018: 5:00–9:00 p.m. local time ...................... The primary goal of these comment sessions is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns with the draft EIS. 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. The Kingsville and Raymondville scoping sessions are scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, and the Port Isabel scoping session is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time. You may arrive at any time after 5:00 p.m. There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when the session opens. If you wish to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. Comments will be taken until the closing hour for all scoping sessions. However, if no additional numbers have been handed out and all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do so, staff may conclude the session 30 minutes before the closing hour. Please see appendix 1 for additional information on the session format and conduct.1 Your verbal 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 may be implemented for each commentor. khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES 52829 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 17:28 Oct 17, 2018 Jkt 247001 It is important to note that 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. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214). Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/ resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission’s decision. The Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding that no other party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Questions? Additional information about the Projects 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. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 In addition, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription that 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. Dated: October 12, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–22727 Filed 10–17–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER19–91–000] GRP Franklin, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding of GRP Franklin, LLC’s application for marketbased rate authority, with an accompanying rate tariff, noting that such application includes a request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest should file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52828-52829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22727]



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



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY



Federal Energy Regulatory Commission



[Docket Nos. CP16-454-000]




Rio Grande LNG, LLC, Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of 

Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 

Proposed Rio Grande LNG Project



    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 

Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) 

for the Rio Grande LNG Project (Project) proposed by Rio Grande LNG, 

LLC (RG LNG) and Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC (RB Pipeline) 

(collectively referred to as the RG Developers) in the above-referenced 

dockets. RG LNG requests authorization pursuant to section 3(a) of the 

Natural Gas Act (NGA) to construct and operate liquefied natural gas 

(LNG) export facilities in Cameron County, Texas, and RB Pipeline 

requests a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to 

section 7(c) of the NGA to construct, operate, and maintain a new 

pipeline system in Jim Wells, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy, and Cameron 

Counties, Texas.

    The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 

construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the 

requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC 

staff concludes that construction and operation of the Rio Grande LNG 

Project would result in some adverse environmental impacts, but these 

impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels. However, the 

Rio Grande LNG Project, combined with other projects within the 

geographic scope, would result in certain significant cumulative 

impacts.

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department 

of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration, the DOT's Federal Aviation 

Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park 

Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration--National Marine Fisheries 

Service participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the 

EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise 

with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and 

participate in the NEPA analysis. Although the cooperating agencies 

provided input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in the 

draft EIS, the agencies will present their own conclusions and 

recommendations in their respective Records of Decision for the 

Project.

    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 

construction and operation of the following proposed facilities:

     Six liquefaction trains at the Rio Grande LNG Terminal, 

each with a nominal capacity of 4.5 million tons per annum of LNG for 

export, resulting in the total nominal capacity of 27.0 million tons 

per annum;

     four LNG storage tanks, each with a net capacity of 

180,000 cubic meters;

     LNG truck loading facilities with four loading bays, each 

with the capacity to load 12 to 15 trucks per day;

     a refrigerant storage area and truck unloading facilities;

     a condensate storage area and truck loading facilities;

     a new marine slip with two LNG vessel berths to 

accommodate simultaneous loading of two LNG vessels, an LNG vessel and 

support vessel maneuvering area, and an LNG transfer system;

     a materials off-loading facility;

     2.4 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline, including 0.8 mile 

of dual pipeline, to gather gas from existing systems in Kleberg and 

Jim Wells Counties (referred to as the Header System);

     135.5 miles of parallel 42-inch-diameter pipelines 

originating in Kleberg County and terminating at the Rio Grande LNG 

Terminal in Cameron County (referred to as Pipelines 1 and 2);

     four stand-alone metering sites along the Header System;

     two new interconnect booster compressor stations, each 

with a metering site;

     three new compressor stations (one at the LNG Terminal 

site); and

     other associated utilities, systems, and facilities 

(yards, access roads, etc.).

    The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to 

federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; 

elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native 

American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested 

individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the project 

area. The draft EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be 

viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the 

Environmental Documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). In addition, the draft EIS may be accessed by using 

the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link 

(https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp), click on General 

Search, and enter the docket number in the Docket Number field, 

excluding the last three digits (i.e. CP16-454 or CP16-455). Be sure 

you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please 

contact FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll free 

at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. Your 

comments should focus on draft EIS's disclosure and discussion of 

potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures 

to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. To ensure consideration of 

your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that 

the Commission receive



[[Page 52829]]



your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 3, 2018.

    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 staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or 

[email protected]. 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 website (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 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. 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 

numbers (CP16-454-000, CP16-455-000) 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 of the public comment sessions 

its staff will conduct in the Project area to receive comments on 

the draft EIS, scheduled as follows:



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

             Date and time                           Location

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

Tuesday, November 13, 2018: 5:00-8:00    Texas A&M, 700 University

 p.m. local time.                         Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363,

                                          361-593-4173.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018: 5:00-8:00  La Quinta, 128 N Expressway 77,

 p.m. local time.                         Raymondville, TX 78750, 956-

                                          689-4000.

Thursday, November 15, 2018: 5:00-9:00   Port Isabel Convention Center,

 p.m. local time.                         309 E. Railroad Ave., Port

                                          Isabel, TX 78578, 956-433-

                                          7195.

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



    The primary goal of these comment sessions is to have you 

identify the specific environmental issues and concerns with the 

draft EIS. 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.

    The Kingsville and Raymondville scoping sessions are scheduled 

from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, and the Port Isabel scoping 

session is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time. You may 

arrive at any time after 5:00 p.m. There will not be a formal 

presentation by Commission staff when the session opens. If you wish 

to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of 

your arrival. Comments will be taken until the closing hour for all 

scoping sessions. However, if no additional numbers have been handed 

out and all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an 

opportunity to do so, staff may conclude the session 30 minutes 

before the closing hour. 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 verbal 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 may be implemented for each commentor.

    It is important to note that 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.



    Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a 

motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of 

Practice and Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214). Motions to intervene are 

more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or 

judicial review of the Commission's decision. The Commission grants 

affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor 

status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and 

direct interest in this proceeding that no other party can adequately 

represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you 

intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your 

comments considered.



Questions?



    Additional information about the Projects 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. The eLibrary link 

also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the 

Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 

eSubscription that 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.



    Dated: October 12, 2018.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2018-22727 Filed 10-17-18; 8:45 am]

 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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