Deepwater Port License Application: Blue Marlin LLC (BMOP), 70233-70235 [2020-24468]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 4, 2020 / Notices
received will be posted without change
to the docket at www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information
provided. For detailed instructions on
submitting comments, see the section
entitled Public Participation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Russell Haynes, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Maritime
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Room W23–461,
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202–
366–3157, Email Russell.Haynes@
dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As
described by the applicant the intended
service of the vessel MS BRAVEHEART
is:
—Intended Commercial Use of Vessel:
‘‘Intended use of this Vessel is to
provide Yacht cruises on the water
Ways of the San Diego Bay area. They
will be dally and evening passenger
cruisers for sightseeing, and use of the
waterways.
This will be operated exclusively
under bare boat Cruise vessels criteria.
The maximum per Coast Guard will be
12 passengers plus Crew Of three.’’
—Geographic Region Including Base of
Operations: ‘‘California’’ (Base of
Operations: San Diego, CA)
—Vessel Length and Type: 50′ Motor
Yacht
The complete application is available
for review identified in the DOT docket
as MARAD–2020–0145 at https://
www.regulations.gov. Interested parties
may comment on the effect this action
may have on U.S. vessel builders or
businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag
vessels. If MARAD determines, in
accordance with 46 U.S.C. 12121 and
MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR part
388, that the issuance of the waiver will
have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.vessel builder or a business that uses
U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a
waiver will not be granted. Comments
should refer to the vessel name, state the
commenter’s interest in the waiver
application, and address the waiver
criteria given in section 388.4 of
MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR part
388.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Public Participation
How do I submit comments?
Please submit your comments,
including the attachments, following the
instructions provided under the above
heading entitled ADDRESSES. Be advised
that it may take a few hours or even
days for your comment to be reflected
on the docket. In addition, your
comments must be written in English.
We encourage you to provide concise
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70233
comments and you may attach
additional documents as necessary.
There is no limit on the length of the
attachments.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
Where do I go to read public comments,
and find supporting information?
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
Go to the docket online at https://
www.regulations.gov., keyword search
MARAD–2020–0145 or visit the Docket
Management Facility (see ADDRESSES for
hours of operation). We recommend that
you periodically check the Docket for
new submissions and supporting
material.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Will my comments be made available to
the public?
Yes. Be aware that your entire
comment, including your personal
identifying information, will be made
publicly available.
May I submit comments confidentially?
If you wish to submit comments
under a claim of confidentiality, you
should submit three copies of your
complete submission, including the
information you claim to be confidential
business information, to the Department
of Transportation, Maritime
Administration, Office of Legislation
and Regulations, MAR–225, W24–220,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590. Include a cover
letter setting forth with specificity the
basis for any such claim and, if possible,
a summary of your submission that can
be made available to the public.
Privacy Act
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c),
DOT solicits comments from the public
to better inform its rulemaking process.
DOT posts these comments, without
edit, to www.regulations.gov, as
described in the system of records
notice, DOT/ALL–14 FDMS, accessible
through www.dot.gov/privacy. To
facilitate comment tracking and
response, we encourage commenters to
provide their name, or the name of their
organization; however, submission of
names is completely optional. Whether
or not commenters identify themselves,
all timely comments will be fully
considered. If you wish to provide
comments containing proprietary or
confidential information, please contact
the agency for alternate submission
instructions.
(Authority: 49 CFR 1.93(a), 46 U.S.C. 55103,
46 U.S.C. 12121)
*
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Dated: October 30, 2020.
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[FR Doc. 2020–24411 Filed 11–3–20; 8:45 am]
Maritime Administration
[Docket No. MARAD–2020–0127]
Deepwater Port License Application:
Blue Marlin LLC (BMOP)
Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of application.
AGENCY:
The Maritime Administration
(MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard
(USCG) announce they have received an
application for the licensing of a
deepwater port and that the application
contains information sufficient to
commence processing. This notice
summarizes the applicant’s plans and
the procedures that will be followed in
considering the application.
DATES: The Deepwater Port Act of 1974,
as amended, requires at least one public
hearing on this application to be held in
the designated Adjacent Coastal State(s)
not later than 240 days after publication
of this notice, and a decision on the
application not later than 90 days after
the final public hearing(s).
ADDRESSES: The public docket for the
BMOP deepwater port license
application is maintained by the U.S.
Department of Transportation, Docket
Management Facility, West Building,
Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
20590.
The license application is available
for viewing at the Regulations.gov
website: https://www.regulations.gov
under docket number MARAD–2020–
0127.
We encourage you to submit
comments electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov. If you submit your
comments electronically, it is not
necessary to also submit a hard copy. If
you cannot submit material using https://
www.regulations.gov, please contact
either Mr. William Nabach, USCG or Dr.
Efrain Lopez, MARAD, as listed in the
following FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this document. This
section provides alternate instructions
for submitting written comments.
Additionally, if you go to the online
docket and sign up for email alerts, you
will be notified when comments are
posted. Anonymous comments will be
SUMMARY:
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70234
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 4, 2020 / Notices
accepted. All comments received will be
posted without change to https://
www.regulations.gov and will include
any personal information you have
provided. The Federal Docket
Management Facility’s telephone
number is 202–366–9317 or 202–366–
9826, the fax number is 202–493–2251.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
William Nabach, U.S. Coast Guard,
telephone: 202–372–1437, email:
William.A.Nabach2@uscg.mil, or Dr.
Efrain Lopez, Maritime Administration,
telephone: 202–366–9761, email:
Efrain.Lopez@dot.gov. For questions
regarding viewing the Docket, call
Docket Operations, telephone: 202–366–
9317 or 202–366–9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Receipt of Application
On October 1, 2020, MARAD and
USCG received an application from Blue
Marlin Offshore Port LLC (BMOP) for
Federal authorizations required for a
license to own, construct, and operate a
deepwater port for the export of oil as
authorized by the Deepwater Port Act of
1974, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1501 et
seq. (the Act), and implemented under
33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Parts 148, 149, and 150. After a
coordinated completeness review by
MARAD, the USCG, and other
cooperating Federal agencies, the
application is deemed complete and
contains information sufficient to
initiate processing.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Background
The Act defines a deepwater port as
any fixed or floating manmade structure
other than a vessel, or any group of such
structures, that are located beyond State
seaward boundaries and used or
intended for use as a port or terminal for
the transportation, storage, and further
handling of oil or natural gas for
transportation to, or from, any State. A
deepwater port includes all components
and equipment, including pipelines,
pumping or compressor stations, service
platforms, buoys, mooring lines, and
similar facilities that are proposed as
part of a deepwater port to the extent
they are located seaward of the highwater mark.
The Secretary of Transportation
delegated to the Maritime Administrator
authorities related to licensing
deepwater ports (49 CFR 1.93(h)).
Statutory and regulatory requirements
for processing applications and
licensing appear in 33 U.S.C. 1501 et
seq. and 33 CFR part 148. Under
delegations from, and agreements
between, the Secretary of Transportation
and the Secretary of Homeland Security,
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18:16 Nov 03, 2020
Jkt 253001
applications are jointly processed by
MARAD and USCG. Each application is
considered on its merits.
In accordance with 33 U.S.C. 1504(f)
for all applications, MARAD and the
USCG, working in cooperation with
other involved Federal agencies and
departments, shall comply with the
requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). The
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC), the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE), the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), the Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the
Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement (BSEE), and the Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA), among
others, participate in the processing of
deepwater port applications and assist
in the NEPA process as described in 40
CFR 1500–1508. Each agency may
participate in scoping and/or other
public meeting(s) and may adopt the
MARAD/USCG prepared environmental
impact review for purposes of their
jurisdictional permitting processes, to
the extent applicable. Comments related
to this deepwater port application
addressed to the EPA, USACE, or other
Federal agencies should note the
Federal docket number, MARAD–2020–
0127. Each comment will be
incorporated into the Department of
Transportation (DOT) docket and
considered as the environmental impact
analysis is developed to ensure
consistency with the NEPA process.
All connected actions, permits,
approvals and authorizations will be
considered during the processing of
BMOP’s deepwater port license
application.
MARAD, in issuing this Notice of
Application pursuant to 33 U.S.C.
1504(c), must designate as an ‘‘Adjacent
Coastal State’’ any coastal state which
(A) would be directly connected by
pipeline to a deepwater port as
proposed in an application, or (B)
would be located within 15 nautical
miles of any such proposed deepwater
port (see 33 U.S.C. 1508(a)(1)). Pursuant
to the criteria provided in the Act,
Louisiana and Texas are the designated
Adjacent Coastal States for this
application. Other states may request
from the Maritime Administrator
designation as an Adjacent Coastal State
in accordance with 33 U.S.C. 1508(a)(2).
The Act directs that at least one
public hearing take place for each
Adjacent Coastal State, in this case,
Louisiana and Texas. Additional public
meetings may be conducted to solicit
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comments for the environmental
analysis to include public scoping
meetings, or meetings to discuss the
Draft and Final environmental impact
documents prepared in accordance with
NEPA.
MARAD, in coordination with the
USCG, will publish additional Federal
Register notices with information
regarding these public meeting(s) and
hearing(s) and other procedural
milestones, including the NEPA
environmental impact review. The
Maritime Administrator’s decision, and
other key documents, will be filed in the
public docket at docket number
MARAD–2020–0127.
The Deepwater Port Act imposes a
strict timeline for processing an
application. When MARAD and USCG
determine that an application is
complete (i.e., contains information
sufficient to commence processing), the
Act directs that all public hearings on
the application be concluded within 240
days from the date the Notice of
Application is published.
Within 45 days after the final hearing,
the Governors of the Adjacent Coastal
States, in this case the Governors of
Louisiana and Texas, may notify
MARAD of their approval, approval
with conditions, or disapproval of the
application. If such approval, approval
with conditions, or disapproval is not
provided to the Maritime Administrator
by that time, approval shall be
conclusively presumed. MARAD may
not issue a license without the explicit
or presumptive approval of the
Governors of the Adjacent Coastal
States. During this 45-day period, the
Governors may also notify MARAD of
inconsistencies between the application
and States programs relating to
environmental protection, land and
water use, and coastal zone
management. In this case, MARAD may
condition the license to make it
consistent with such state programs (33
U.S.C. 1508(b)(1)). MARAD will not
consider written approvals or
disapprovals of the application from the
Governors of the Adjacent Coastal States
until after the final public hearing is
complete and the 45-day period
commences.
The Maritime Administrator must
render a decision on the application
within 90 days after the final hearing.
In accordance with section 33 U.S.C.
1504(d), MARAD is required to
designate an application area for a
deepwater port application intended to
transport oil. Section 1504(d)(2)
provides MARAD the discretion to
establish a reasonable application area
constituting the geographic area in
which only one deepwater port may be
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 4, 2020 / Notices
constructed and operated. MARAD has
consulted with USCG in developing
BMOP’s application area and designates
an application area encompassing the
deepwater port that is a circle having a
radius of no less than three-and-threetenths (3.30) nautical miles centered at
BMOP’s existing WC 509 platform,
latitude N 28°26′00.01″ and longitude W
93°00′15.23″. Any person interested in
applying for the ownership,
construction, and operation of a
deepwater port within this designated
application area must file with MARAD
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT)
a notice of intent to file an application
for the construction and operation of a
deepwater port not later than 60 days
after the date of publication of this
notice, and shall submit a completed
application no later than 90 days after
publication of this notice.
Should a favorable record of decision
be rendered and license be issued,
MARAD may include specific
conditions related to design,
construction, operations, environmental
permitting, monitoring and mitigations,
and financial responsibilities. If a
license is issued, USCG in coordination
with other agencies as appropriate,
would review and approve the
deepwater port’s engineering, design,
and construction; operations/security
procedures; waterways management and
regulated navigation areas; maritime
safety and security requirements; risk
assessment; and compliance with
domestic and international laws and
regulations for vessels that may call on
the port. The deepwater port would be
designed, constructed and operated in
accordance with applicable codes and
standards.
In addition, installation of pipelines
and other structures may require
permits under Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers
and Harbors Act, which are
administered by the USACE.
Permits from the EPA may also be
required pursuant to the provisions of
the Clean Air Act, as amended, and the
Clean Water Act, as amended.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Summary of the Application
BMOP is proposing to construct, own,
and operate a deepwater port terminal
in the Gulf of Mexico to export
domestically produced crude oil. Use of
the deepwater port would include the
loading of various grades of crude oil at
flow rates of up to 80,000 barrels per
hour (bph). The BMOP deepwater port
would allow for up to one (1) Very Large
Crude Carrier (VLCC) or other crude oil
carrier per catenary anchor leg mooring
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18:16 Nov 03, 2020
Jkt 253001
(CALM) and connect with the
deepwater port via floating connecting
crude oil hoses. The maximum
frequency of loading VLCCs or other
crude oil carriers would be
approximately 2 million barrels per day
(1,920,000), 365 days per year.
The overall project would consist of
offshore and marine components as well
as onshore components as described
below.
The BMOP deepwater port offshore
and marine components would consist
of the following:
• Two (2) new CALM Buoys
installed, one in WC 508 (CALM Buoy
No. 1) and the other in EC 263(CALM
Buoy No. 2). The CALM Buoys will be
anchored to the seafloor via an
engineered mooring system capable of
accommodating mooring forces exerted
by a VLCC or other large seafaring
vessels during loading operations. Two
24-inch diameter floating hoses will be
connected to each CALM Buoy. The
hoses will be approximately 1,500 feet
long and used for loading operations.
• Two new PLEMs installed and
anchored on the seafloor. Two 24-inch
undersea flexible hoses will be
connected to each PLEM and associated
CALM Buoy.
• Two Crude Oil Loading Pipelines,
approximately 4,710 feet long to PLEM/
CALM Buoy No. 1 and 6,085 feet long
to PLEM/CALM Buoy No. 2, installed
from the WC 509 Platform Complex to
the PLEM and CALM locations, one for
each PLEM and CALM Buoy. The
pipelines will be installed with the top
of pipe at least three feet below the
natural seafloor.
• New MLV on WC 148 Platform;
• Two new 36-inch risers connected
to the Crude Oil Loading Pipelines on
WC 509B Platform;
• New control room on WC 509B
Platform;
• Three new pig barrels, one on the
WC 509A Platform and two on WC 509B
Platform;
• Meter station for crude oil on the
WC 509B Platform;
• New living quarters (LQ) and
heliport on the WC 509C Platform;
• Surge valves and tank on the WC
509B Platform; and
• New ancillary equipment for the
509 Platform (e.g., power generators,
instrument/utility air system, fuel tanks,
ac units, freshwater makers, firewater
system, seawater and freshwater system,
sewage treatment unit, fuel gas system,
diesel system, closed drain system, open
drain system, hydraulic power unit,
hypochlorite system, cranes,
communications tower and system,
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Fmt 4703
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70235
radar) to support operation of the
offshore facilities.
• Safety Zone—The Applicant is
requesting that the USCG Captain of the
Port establish a Safety Zone around the
entire DWP operations area. The Safety
Zone will only be open to entry for
VLCCs or other crude oil carriers
prepared for connection for loading of
crude oil, and the necessary service
vessels supporting that process.
• Anchorage area—Existing USCGdesignated anchorage areas will be
utilized for VLCCs (or other crude
carriers) awaiting mooring at a CALM
Buoy or if they must disconnect from
the CALM Buoys for safety reasons.
• Support vessel mooring area—A
designated Service Vessel Mooring Area
will be established in proximity to the
offshore WC 509 facilities.
The BMOP deepwater port onshore
storage and supply components would
consist of the following:
• Temporary pre-fabrication yards—
Component fabrication will occur at
multiple existing fabrication facilities
within the GOM coastal region.
• Support facilities—Facilities within
the GOM coastal region providing
support for offshore operations and
maintenance activities (e.g., helicopters,
supply vessels, work boats, equipment
suppliers, and maintenance workers).
For more information on the BMOP
deepwater port project, you can visit the
Regulations.gov website: https://
www.regulations.gov under docket
number MARAD–2020–0127.
Privacy Act
The electronic form of all comments
received into the Federal Docket
Management System can be searched by
the name of the individual submitting
the comment (or signing the comment,
if submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). The DOT
Privacy Act Statement can be viewed in
the Federal Register published on April
11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70, pages
19477–78) or by visiting https://
www.regulations.gov.
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1501, et seq.; 49 CFR
1.93(h).
Dated: October 30, 2020.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020–24468 Filed 11–3–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 214 (Wednesday, November 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70233-70235]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24468]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket No. MARAD-2020-0127]
Deepwater Port License Application: Blue Marlin LLC (BMOP)
AGENCY: Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of application.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard
(USCG) announce they have received an application for the licensing of
a deepwater port and that the application contains information
sufficient to commence processing. This notice summarizes the
applicant's plans and the procedures that will be followed in
considering the application.
DATES: The Deepwater Port Act of 1974, as amended, requires at least
one public hearing on this application to be held in the designated
Adjacent Coastal State(s) not later than 240 days after publication of
this notice, and a decision on the application not later than 90 days
after the final public hearing(s).
ADDRESSES: The public docket for the BMOP deepwater port license
application is maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation,
Docket Management Facility, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
The license application is available for viewing at the
Regulations.gov website: https://www.regulations.gov under docket number
MARAD-2020-0127.
We encourage you to submit comments electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. If you submit
your comments electronically, it is not necessary to also submit a hard
copy. If you cannot submit material using https://www.regulations.gov,
please contact either Mr. William Nabach, USCG or Dr. Efrain Lopez,
MARAD, as listed in the following FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section of this document. This section provides alternate instructions
for submitting written comments. Additionally, if you go to the online
docket and sign up for email alerts, you will be notified when comments
are posted. Anonymous comments will be
[[Page 70234]]
accepted. All comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have
provided. The Federal Docket Management Facility's telephone number is
202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826, the fax number is 202-493-2251.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William Nabach, U.S. Coast Guard,
telephone: 202-372-1437, email: [email protected], or Dr.
Efrain Lopez, Maritime Administration, telephone: 202-366-9761, email:
[email protected]. For questions regarding viewing the Docket, call
Docket Operations, telephone: 202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Receipt of Application
On October 1, 2020, MARAD and USCG received an application from
Blue Marlin Offshore Port LLC (BMOP) for Federal authorizations
required for a license to own, construct, and operate a deepwater port
for the export of oil as authorized by the Deepwater Port Act of 1974,
as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq. (the Act), and implemented under 33
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 148, 149, and 150. After a
coordinated completeness review by MARAD, the USCG, and other
cooperating Federal agencies, the application is deemed complete and
contains information sufficient to initiate processing.
Background
The Act defines a deepwater port as any fixed or floating manmade
structure other than a vessel, or any group of such structures, that
are located beyond State seaward boundaries and used or intended for
use as a port or terminal for the transportation, storage, and further
handling of oil or natural gas for transportation to, or from, any
State. A deepwater port includes all components and equipment,
including pipelines, pumping or compressor stations, service platforms,
buoys, mooring lines, and similar facilities that are proposed as part
of a deepwater port to the extent they are located seaward of the high-
water mark.
The Secretary of Transportation delegated to the Maritime
Administrator authorities related to licensing deepwater ports (49 CFR
1.93(h)). Statutory and regulatory requirements for processing
applications and licensing appear in 33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq. and 33 CFR
part 148. Under delegations from, and agreements between, the Secretary
of Transportation and the Secretary of Homeland Security, applications
are jointly processed by MARAD and USCG. Each application is considered
on its merits.
In accordance with 33 U.S.C. 1504(f) for all applications, MARAD
and the USCG, working in cooperation with other involved Federal
agencies and departments, shall comply with the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), among others, participate in
the processing of deepwater port applications and assist in the NEPA
process as described in 40 CFR 1500-1508. Each agency may participate
in scoping and/or other public meeting(s) and may adopt the MARAD/USCG
prepared environmental impact review for purposes of their
jurisdictional permitting processes, to the extent applicable. Comments
related to this deepwater port application addressed to the EPA, USACE,
or other Federal agencies should note the Federal docket number, MARAD-
2020-0127. Each comment will be incorporated into the Department of
Transportation (DOT) docket and considered as the environmental impact
analysis is developed to ensure consistency with the NEPA process.
All connected actions, permits, approvals and authorizations will
be considered during the processing of BMOP's deepwater port license
application.
MARAD, in issuing this Notice of Application pursuant to 33 U.S.C.
1504(c), must designate as an ``Adjacent Coastal State'' any coastal
state which (A) would be directly connected by pipeline to a deepwater
port as proposed in an application, or (B) would be located within 15
nautical miles of any such proposed deepwater port (see 33 U.S.C.
1508(a)(1)). Pursuant to the criteria provided in the Act, Louisiana
and Texas are the designated Adjacent Coastal States for this
application. Other states may request from the Maritime Administrator
designation as an Adjacent Coastal State in accordance with 33 U.S.C.
1508(a)(2).
The Act directs that at least one public hearing take place for
each Adjacent Coastal State, in this case, Louisiana and Texas.
Additional public meetings may be conducted to solicit comments for the
environmental analysis to include public scoping meetings, or meetings
to discuss the Draft and Final environmental impact documents prepared
in accordance with NEPA.
MARAD, in coordination with the USCG, will publish additional
Federal Register notices with information regarding these public
meeting(s) and hearing(s) and other procedural milestones, including
the NEPA environmental impact review. The Maritime Administrator's
decision, and other key documents, will be filed in the public docket
at docket number MARAD-2020-0127.
The Deepwater Port Act imposes a strict timeline for processing an
application. When MARAD and USCG determine that an application is
complete (i.e., contains information sufficient to commence
processing), the Act directs that all public hearings on the
application be concluded within 240 days from the date the Notice of
Application is published.
Within 45 days after the final hearing, the Governors of the
Adjacent Coastal States, in this case the Governors of Louisiana and
Texas, may notify MARAD of their approval, approval with conditions, or
disapproval of the application. If such approval, approval with
conditions, or disapproval is not provided to the Maritime
Administrator by that time, approval shall be conclusively presumed.
MARAD may not issue a license without the explicit or presumptive
approval of the Governors of the Adjacent Coastal States. During this
45-day period, the Governors may also notify MARAD of inconsistencies
between the application and States programs relating to environmental
protection, land and water use, and coastal zone management. In this
case, MARAD may condition the license to make it consistent with such
state programs (33 U.S.C. 1508(b)(1)). MARAD will not consider written
approvals or disapprovals of the application from the Governors of the
Adjacent Coastal States until after the final public hearing is
complete and the 45-day period commences.
The Maritime Administrator must render a decision on the
application within 90 days after the final hearing.
In accordance with section 33 U.S.C. 1504(d), MARAD is required to
designate an application area for a deepwater port application intended
to transport oil. Section 1504(d)(2) provides MARAD the discretion to
establish a reasonable application area constituting the geographic
area in which only one deepwater port may be
[[Page 70235]]
constructed and operated. MARAD has consulted with USCG in developing
BMOP's application area and designates an application area encompassing
the deepwater port that is a circle having a radius of no less than
three-and-three-tenths (3.30) nautical miles centered at BMOP's
existing WC 509 platform, latitude N 28[deg]26'00.01'' and longitude W
93[deg]00'15.23''. Any person interested in applying for the ownership,
construction, and operation of a deepwater port within this designated
application area must file with MARAD (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT) a notice of intent to file an application for the construction
and operation of a deepwater port not later than 60 days after the date
of publication of this notice, and shall submit a completed application
no later than 90 days after publication of this notice.
Should a favorable record of decision be rendered and license be
issued, MARAD may include specific conditions related to design,
construction, operations, environmental permitting, monitoring and
mitigations, and financial responsibilities. If a license is issued,
USCG in coordination with other agencies as appropriate, would review
and approve the deepwater port's engineering, design, and construction;
operations/security procedures; waterways management and regulated
navigation areas; maritime safety and security requirements; risk
assessment; and compliance with domestic and international laws and
regulations for vessels that may call on the port. The deepwater port
would be designed, constructed and operated in accordance with
applicable codes and standards.
In addition, installation of pipelines and other structures may
require permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10
of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which are administered by the USACE.
Permits from the EPA may also be required pursuant to the
provisions of the Clean Air Act, as amended, and the Clean Water Act,
as amended.
Summary of the Application
BMOP is proposing to construct, own, and operate a deepwater port
terminal in the Gulf of Mexico to export domestically produced crude
oil. Use of the deepwater port would include the loading of various
grades of crude oil at flow rates of up to 80,000 barrels per hour
(bph). The BMOP deepwater port would allow for up to one (1) Very Large
Crude Carrier (VLCC) or other crude oil carrier per catenary anchor leg
mooring (CALM) and connect with the deepwater port via floating
connecting crude oil hoses. The maximum frequency of loading VLCCs or
other crude oil carriers would be approximately 2 million barrels per
day (1,920,000), 365 days per year.
The overall project would consist of offshore and marine components
as well as onshore components as described below.
The BMOP deepwater port offshore and marine components would
consist of the following:
Two (2) new CALM Buoys installed, one in WC 508 (CALM Buoy
No. 1) and the other in EC 263(CALM Buoy No. 2). The CALM Buoys will be
anchored to the seafloor via an engineered mooring system capable of
accommodating mooring forces exerted by a VLCC or other large seafaring
vessels during loading operations. Two 24-inch diameter floating hoses
will be connected to each CALM Buoy. The hoses will be approximately
1,500 feet long and used for loading operations.
Two new PLEMs installed and anchored on the seafloor. Two
24-inch undersea flexible hoses will be connected to each PLEM and
associated CALM Buoy.
Two Crude Oil Loading Pipelines, approximately 4,710 feet
long to PLEM/CALM Buoy No. 1 and 6,085 feet long to PLEM/CALM Buoy No.
2, installed from the WC 509 Platform Complex to the PLEM and CALM
locations, one for each PLEM and CALM Buoy. The pipelines will be
installed with the top of pipe at least three feet below the natural
seafloor.
New MLV on WC 148 Platform;
Two new 36-inch risers connected to the Crude Oil Loading
Pipelines on WC 509B Platform;
New control room on WC 509B Platform;
Three new pig barrels, one on the WC 509A Platform and two
on WC 509B Platform;
Meter station for crude oil on the WC 509B Platform;
New living quarters (LQ) and heliport on the WC 509C
Platform;
Surge valves and tank on the WC 509B Platform; and
New ancillary equipment for the 509 Platform (e.g., power
generators, instrument/utility air system, fuel tanks, ac units,
freshwater makers, firewater system, seawater and freshwater system,
sewage treatment unit, fuel gas system, diesel system, closed drain
system, open drain system, hydraulic power unit, hypochlorite system,
cranes, communications tower and system, radar) to support operation of
the offshore facilities.
Safety Zone--The Applicant is requesting that the USCG
Captain of the Port establish a Safety Zone around the entire DWP
operations area. The Safety Zone will only be open to entry for VLCCs
or other crude oil carriers prepared for connection for loading of
crude oil, and the necessary service vessels supporting that process.
Anchorage area--Existing USCG-designated anchorage areas
will be utilized for VLCCs (or other crude carriers) awaiting mooring
at a CALM Buoy or if they must disconnect from the CALM Buoys for
safety reasons.
Support vessel mooring area--A designated Service Vessel
Mooring Area will be established in proximity to the offshore WC 509
facilities.
The BMOP deepwater port onshore storage and supply components would
consist of the following:
Temporary pre-fabrication yards--Component fabrication
will occur at multiple existing fabrication facilities within the GOM
coastal region.
Support facilities--Facilities within the GOM coastal
region providing support for offshore operations and maintenance
activities (e.g., helicopters, supply vessels, work boats, equipment
suppliers, and maintenance workers).
For more information on the BMOP deepwater port project, you can
visit the Regulations.gov website: https://www.regulations.gov under
docket number MARAD-2020-0127.
Privacy Act
The electronic form of all comments received into the Federal
Docket Management System can be searched by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). The DOT Privacy Act
Statement can be viewed in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (Volume 65, Number 70, pages 19477-78) or by visiting https://www.regulations.gov.
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1501, et seq.; 49 CFR 1.93(h).
Dated: October 30, 2020.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-24468 Filed 11-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
