Deepwater Port License Application: Blue Marlin Offshore Port, LLC (BMOP), 70707-70710 [2020-24550]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 215 / Thursday, November 5, 2020 / Notices
by FRA before final action is taken.
Comments received after that date will
be considered if practicable.
Anyone can search the electronic
form of any written communications
and comments received into any of our
dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the
document, if submitted on behalf of an
association, business, labor union, etc.).
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better
inform its processes. DOT posts these
comments, without edit, including any
personal information the commenter
provides, to www.regulations.gov, as
described in the system of records
notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can
be reviewed at https://
www.transportation.gov/privacy. See
also https://www.regulations.gov/
privacyNotice for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–24558 Filed 11–4–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA–2005–21014]
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Petition for Waiver of Compliance
Under part 211 of title 49 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR), this
document provides the public notice
that on October 1, 2020, Maine Narrow
Gauge Railroad Company and Museum
(MNGR) petitioned the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) for a waiver of
compliance from certain provisions of
the Federal railroad safety regulations
contained at 49 CFR part 230, Steam
Locomotive Inspection and
Maintenance Standards. FRA assigned
the petition Docket Number FRA–2005–
21014.
Specifically, MNGR, a 2-foot gage
tourist and museum railroad, seeks a
renewal of a waiver of compliance from
the requirements of 49 CFR 230.51,
Water glasses and gage cocks, number
and location. MNGR operates two steam
locomotives, No. 3 and No. 4, built in
1913 and 1918, respectively, by Vulcan
Iron Works. The locomotives pull
tourist trains on approximately two
miles of track located within the
waterfront district of Portland, Maine.
MNGR specifically requests that the
minimum reading for the water glasses
on these two locomotives be retained at
inches above the highest part of the
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crown sheet as originally designed,
constructed, and operated since the
early 1900s. Modifying the locomotives
to comply with the regulatory
requirement of a minimum water
reading of 3 inches would result in the
top or full reading of the water glasses
being of equal height with the top of the
boiler. Thus, when the water glass
indicates full, there is very little
remaining volume for steam to
accumulate, and water may carry over
into the dry pipe, creating an unsafe
condition. In addition, the boilers on
these two locomotives are 37–1/8 inches
in diameter, which is significantly
smaller than that found on standard
gage locomotives. MNGR states that due
to the difference in boiler diameters, an
equivalent level of safety exists.
A copy of the petition, as well as any
written communications concerning the
petition, is available for review online at
www.regulations.gov.
Interested parties are invited to
participate in these proceedings by
submitting written views, data, or
comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in
connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a
hearing. If any interested parties desire
an opportunity for oral comment and a
public hearing, they should notify FRA,
in writing, before the end of the
comment period and specify the basis
for their request.
All communications concerning these
proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number and may be
submitted by any of the following
methods:
• Website: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Operations Facility,
U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT), 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, W12–
140, Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey
Ave. SE, Room W12–140, Washington,
DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
Holidays.
Communications received by
December 21, 2020 will be considered
by FRA before final action is taken.
Comments received after that date will
be considered if practicable. Anyone
can search the electronic form of any
written communications and comments
received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the
comment (or signing the document, if
submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). Under 5
U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments
from the public to better inform its
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processes. DOT posts these comments,
without edit, including any personal
information the commenter provides, to
www.regulations.gov, as described in
the system of records notice (DOT/ALL–
14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
See also https://www.regulations.gov/
privacyNotice for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–24559 Filed 11–4–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket No. MARAD–2020–0127]
Deepwater Port License Application:
Blue Marlin Offshore Port, LLC (BMOP)
Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of intent; Notice of
virtual public meeting; Request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG),
in coordination with the Maritime
Administration (MARAD), will prepare
an environmental impact statement
(EIS) as part of the environmental
review of the Blue Marlin Offshore Port,
LLC (BMOP) Deepwater port license
application. The application proposes
the ownership, construction, operation
and eventual decommissioning of an
offshore oil export deepwater port that
would be located within and adjacent to
the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in
West Cameron Lease Blocks (WC) 509
and 508 and East Cameron (EC) Block
263. Following the existing Stingray
pipeline, the deepwater port will be
approximately 99 statute miles off the
coast of Cameron Parish, Louisiana,
with an approximate water depth of 162
feet. The deepwater port would allow
for the loading of Very Large Crude
Carriers (VLCCs) and other sized crude
oil cargo carriers via a Catenary Anchor
Leg Mooring (CALM). This Notice of
Intent (NOI) requests public
participation in the scoping process,
provides information on how to
participate, and announces an
informational (virtual) open house and
two public meetings for the
communities of Cameron Parish,
Louisiana and Jefferson and Orange
County, Texas. Pursuant to the criteria
provided in the Deepwater Port Act of
1974 (the Act), Louisiana and Texas are
SUMMARY:
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the designated Adjacent Coastal States
for this application.
DATES: There will be two public scoping
meetings virtually held in connection
with the BMOP deepwater port
application. The meetings will be held
virtually for the communities of
Cameron Parish, Louisiana, and
Jefferson and Orange County, Texas, on
December 2, 2020, and December 3,
2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. central
standard time (CST). The virtual public
meetings will be preceded by an
informational open house via the
website at
www.BlueMarlinNEPAProcess.com,
which will be maintained throughout
the NEPA process.
The virtual public meetings may end
later than the stated time, depending on
the number of persons wishing to speak.
Additionally, materials submitted in
response to this request for comments
on the BMOP deepwater port license
application must reach the Federal
Docket Management Facility as detailed
below by December 3, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Virtual Public Meeting-to
register to attend and/or be a speaker at
one of the virtual scoping meetings, visit
www.BlueMarlinNEPAProcess.com or
call 833–201–3773. Attendees may
attend online or via telephone. Details
will be relayed to you upon registering
for the virtual meeting(s). Registration to
be a speaker will end at 4:00 p.m. CST
on December 2, 2020. Attendees that did
not register to speak will be given the
opportunity to comment at the end of
the virtual meeting(s) after all registered
speakers have been given the
opportunity to comment.
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,
which also provides alternate
instructions for submitting written
comments. Additionally, if you go to the
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online docket and sign up for email
alerts, you will be notified when
comments are posted. Anonymous
comments will be 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:
Virtual Public Meeting and Virtual
Open House
We encourage you to visit the
informational virtual open house
website and attend one of the virtual
public meetings to learn about, and
comment on, the proposed BMOP
deepwater port. You will have the
opportunity to verbally submit
comments during the virtual public
meetings on the scope and significance
of the issues related to the proposed
deepwater port that should be addressed
in the EIS.
Speaker registration is available
online at
www.BlueMarlinNEPAProcess.com or
by calling 833–201–3773. Speakers at
the virtual public scoping meetings will
be recognized in the following order:
elected officials, public agencies,
individuals or groups in the sign-up
order and then anyone else who wishes
to speak.
In order to allow everyone a chance
to speak at any of the virtual public
meetings, we may limit speaker time,
extend the meeting hours, or both. You
must identify yourself, and any
organization you represent by name.
Your remarks will be recorded and/or
transcribed for inclusion in the public
docket.
Public docket materials will be made
available to the public on the Federal
Docket Management Facility website
(www.regulations.gov).
If you plan to attend one of the virtual
public meetings and need special
assistance such as sign language
interpretation, non-English language
translator services or other reasonable
accommodation, please notify the USCG
or MARAD (see FOR FURTHER
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INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 7
business days in advance of the virtual
public meeting. Include your contact
information as well as information
about your specific needs.
Request for Comments
We request public comment on this
proposal. The comments may relate to,
but are not limited to, the
environmental impact of the proposed
action. All comments will be accepted.
The virtual public meetings are not the
only opportunity you have to comment
on the BMOP deepwater port license
application. In addition to, or in place
of, attending one of the virtual meetings,
you may submit comments directly to
the Federal Docket Management Facility
during the public comment period (see
DATES). We will consider all comments
and material received during the 30-day
scoping period.
The license application, comments
and associated documentation, as well
as the draft and final EISs (when
published), are available for viewing at
the Federal Docket Management System
(FDMS) website: https://
www.regulations.gov under docket
number MARAD–2020–0127.
Public comment submissions should
include:
• Docket number MARAD–2020–
0127.
• Your name and address.
Submit comments or material using
only one of the following methods:
• Electronically (preferred for
processing) to the Federal Docket
Management System (FDMS) website:
https://www.regulations.gov under
docket number MARAD–2020–0127.
• By mail to the Federal Docket
Management Facility (MARAD–2020–
0127), U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building, Ground
Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590–
0001.
• By personal delivery to the room
and address listed above between 9:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
• By fax to the Federal Docket
Management Facility at 202–493–2251.
Faxed, mailed or hand delivered
submissions must be unbound, no larger
than 81⁄2 by 11 inches and suitable for
copying and electronic scanning. The
format of electronic submissions should
also be no larger than 81⁄2 by 11 inches.
If you mail your submission and want
to know when it reaches the Federal
Docket Management Facility, please
include a stamped, self-addressed
postcard or envelope.
Regardless of the method used for
submitting comments, all submissions
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will be posted, without change, to the
Federal Docket Management Facility
website (https://www.regulations.gov)
and will include any personal
information you provide. Therefore,
submitting this information to the
docket makes it public. You may wish
to read the Privacy and Use Notice that
is available on the Federal Docket
Management Facility website and the
Department of Transportation Privacy
Act Notice that appeared in the Federal
Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR
19477), see Privacy Act. You may view
docket submissions at the Federal
Docket Management Facility or
electronically on the Federal Docket
Management Facility website.
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Background
Information about deepwater ports,
the statutes, and regulations governing
their licensing, including the
application review process, and the
receipt of the current application for the
proposed BMOP deepwater port appears
in the BMOP Notice of Application,
previously published in the Federal
Register and available for review by
going to www.regulations.gov and
searching docket number ‘‘MARAD–
2020–0127.’’ The ‘‘Summary of the
Application’’ from that publication is
reprinted below for your convenience.
Consideration of a deepwater port
license application includes review of
the proposed deepwater port’s impact
on the natural and human environment.
For the proposed deepwater port, USCG
and MARAD are the co-lead Federal
agencies for determining the scope of
this review, and in this case, it has been
determined that review must include
preparation of an EIS. This NOI is
required by 40 CFR 1501.9. It briefly
describes the proposed action, possible
alternatives and our proposed scoping
process. You can address any questions
about the proposed action, the scoping
process or the EIS to the USCG or
MARAD project managers identified in
this notice (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed action requiring
environmental review is the Federal
licensing of the proposed deepwater
port described in ‘‘Summary of the
Application’’ below. The alternatives to
licensing the proposed port are: (1)
Licensing with conditions (including
conditions designed to mitigate
environmental impact), (2) evaluation of
deepwater port and onshore site/
pipeline route alternatives or (3)
denying the application, which for
purposes of environmental review is the
‘‘no-action’’ alternative.
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Scoping Process
Public scoping is an early and open
process for identifying and determining
the scope of issues to be addressed in
the EIS. Scoping begins with this notice,
continues through the public comment
period (see Dates), and ends when
USCG and MARAD have completed the
following actions:
• Invites the participation of Federal,
state, and local agencies, any affected
Tribe, the applicant, in this case BMOP,
and other interested persons;
• Determines the actions, alternatives
and impacts described in 40 CFR
1501.9;
• Identifies and eliminates from
detailed study, those issues that are not
significant or that have been covered
elsewhere;
• Identifies other relevant permitting,
environmental review and consultation
requirements;
• Indicates the relationship between
timing of the environmental review and
other aspects of the application process;
and
• At its discretion, exercises the
options provided in 40 CFR 1500.4 and
40 CFR 1500.5
Once the scoping process is complete,
USCG and MARAD will prepare a draft
EIS. When complete, MARAD will
publish a Federal Register notice
announcing public availability of the
Draft EIS. (If you want that notice to be
sent to you, please contact the USCG or
MARAD project manager identified in
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You
will have an opportunity to review and
comment on the Draft EIS. The USCG,
MARAD and other appropriate
cooperating agencies will consider the
received comments and then prepare
the Final EIS. As with the Draft EIS, we
will announce the availability of the
Final EIS and give you an opportunity
for review and comment. The Act
requires a final public hearing to be held
in the Adjacent Coastal State. Its
purpose is to receive comments on
matters related to whether or not an
operating license should be issued. The
final public hearing will be held after
the Final EIS is made available for
public review and comment.
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 Carriers (VLCCs) or other crude
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oil carriers to moor at the 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,
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 215 / Thursday, November 5, 2020 / Notices
radar) to support operation of the
offshore facilities.
The BMOP deepwater port onshore
storage and supply components would
consist of the following:
• 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.
• 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
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The electronic form of all comments
received into the Federal Docket
Management Facility 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
Department of Transportation 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).
Dated: November 2, 2020.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020–24550 Filed 11–4–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA–2008–0331]
Pipeline Safety: Request for Special
Permit; Columbia Gas Transmission,
L.L.C.
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
PHMSA is publishing this
notice to solicit public comments on a
request for a special permit renewal and
the addition of special permit segments
received from the Columbia Gas
Transmission, L.L.C. (TCO). The special
permit request is seeking relief from
compliance with certain requirements
in the Federal pipeline safety
regulations. At the conclusion of the 30day comment period, PHMSA will
review the comments received from this
notice as part of its evaluation to grant
or deny the special permit request.
DATES: Submit any comments regarding
this special permit request by December
7, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments should reference
the docket number for this specific
special permit request and may be
submitted in the following ways:
• E-Gov Website: https://
www.Regulations.gov. This site allows
the public to enter comments on any
Federal Register notice issued by any
agency.
• Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Management System:
U.S. Department of Transportation,
Docket Operations, M–30, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: Docket Management
System: U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, M–
30, West Building Ground Floor, Room
W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
Instructions: You should identify the
docket number for the special permit
request you are commenting on at the
beginning of your comments. If you
submit your comments by mail, please
submit two (2) copies. To receive
confirmation that PHMSA has received
your comments, please include a selfaddressed stamped postcard. Internet
users may submit comments at https://
www.Regulations.gov.
SUMMARY:
Note: There is a privacy statement
published on https://www.Regulations.gov.
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Comments, including any personal
information provided, are posted without
changes or edits to https://
www.Regulations.gov.
Confidential Business Information:
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
is commercial or financial information
that is both customarily and actually
treated as private by its owner. Under
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
(5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from
public disclosure. If your comments
responsive to this notice contain
commercial or financial information
that is customarily treated as private,
that you actually treat as private, and
that is relevant or responsive to this
notice, it is important that you clearly
designate the submitted comments as
CBI. Pursuant to 49 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) § 190.343, you may
ask PHMSA to give confidential
treatment to information you give to the
agency by taking the following steps: (1)
Mark each page of the original
document submission containing CBI as
‘‘Confidential’’; (2) send PHMSA, along
with the original document, a second
copy of the original document with the
CBI deleted; and (3) explain why the
information you are submitting is CBI.
Unless you are notified otherwise,
PHMSA will treat such marked
submissions as confidential under the
FOIA, and they will not be placed in the
public docket of this notice.
Submissions containing CBI should be
sent to Kay McIver, DOT, PHMSA–
PHP–80, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590–0001. Any
commentary PHMSA receives that is not
specifically designated as CBI will be
placed in the public docket for this
matter.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
General: Ms. Kay McIver by telephone
at 202–366–0113, or by email at
kay.mciver@dot.gov.
Technical: Mr. Steve Nanney by
telephone at 713–272–2855, or by email
at steve.nanney@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA
received a special permit request for the
renewal and addition of pipeline
segments from TCO seeking a waiver
from the requirements of 49 CFR
192.611(a): Change in class location:
Confirmation or revision of maximum
allowable operating pressure. This
special permit is being requested in lieu
of pipe replacement or pressure
reduction for 8 special permit segments
consisting of 2.76 miles in 4 existing
special permit segments and an
additional 1.22 miles in 4 new special
permit segments on the TCO pipeline
system. The 3.98 miles of proposed
special permit segments are located in
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 215 (Thursday, November 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70707-70710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24550]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket No. MARAD-2020-0127]
Deepwater Port License Application: Blue Marlin Offshore Port,
LLC (BMOP)
AGENCY: Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of intent; Notice of virtual public meeting; Request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), in coordination with the Maritime
Administration (MARAD), will prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS) as part of the environmental review of the Blue Marlin Offshore
Port, LLC (BMOP) Deepwater port license application. The application
proposes the ownership, construction, operation and eventual
decommissioning of an offshore oil export deepwater port that would be
located within and adjacent to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in
West Cameron Lease Blocks (WC) 509 and 508 and East Cameron (EC) Block
263. Following the existing Stingray pipeline, the deepwater port will
be approximately 99 statute miles off the coast of Cameron Parish,
Louisiana, with an approximate water depth of 162 feet. The deepwater
port would allow for the loading of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs)
and other sized crude oil cargo carriers via a Catenary Anchor Leg
Mooring (CALM). This Notice of Intent (NOI) requests public
participation in the scoping process, provides information on how to
participate, and announces an informational (virtual) open house and
two public meetings for the communities of Cameron Parish, Louisiana
and Jefferson and Orange County, Texas. Pursuant to the criteria
provided in the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (the Act), Louisiana and
Texas are
[[Page 70708]]
the designated Adjacent Coastal States for this application.
DATES: There will be two public scoping meetings virtually held in
connection with the BMOP deepwater port application. The meetings will
be held virtually for the communities of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, and
Jefferson and Orange County, Texas, on December 2, 2020, and December
3, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. central standard time (CST). The
virtual public meetings will be preceded by an informational open house
via the website at www.BlueMarlinNEPAProcess.com, which will be
maintained throughout the NEPA process.
The virtual public meetings may end later than the stated time,
depending on the number of persons wishing to speak. Additionally,
materials submitted in response to this request for comments on the
BMOP deepwater port license application must reach the Federal Docket
Management Facility as detailed below by December 3, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Virtual Public Meeting-to register to attend and/or be a
speaker at one of the virtual scoping meetings, visit
www.BlueMarlinNEPAProcess.com or call 833-201-3773. Attendees may
attend online or via telephone. Details will be relayed to you upon
registering for the virtual meeting(s). Registration to be a speaker
will end at 4:00 p.m. CST on December 2, 2020. Attendees that did not
register to speak will be given the opportunity to comment at the end
of the virtual meeting(s) after all registered speakers have been given
the opportunity to comment.
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, which also 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 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:
Virtual Public Meeting and Virtual Open House
We encourage you to visit the informational virtual open house
website and attend one of the virtual public meetings to learn about,
and comment on, the proposed BMOP deepwater port. You will have the
opportunity to verbally submit comments during the virtual public
meetings on the scope and significance of the issues related to the
proposed deepwater port that should be addressed in the EIS.
Speaker registration is available online at
www.BlueMarlinNEPAProcess.com or by calling 833-201-3773. Speakers at
the virtual public scoping meetings will be recognized in the following
order: elected officials, public agencies, individuals or groups in the
sign-up order and then anyone else who wishes to speak.
In order to allow everyone a chance to speak at any of the virtual
public meetings, we may limit speaker time, extend the meeting hours,
or both. You must identify yourself, and any organization you represent
by name. Your remarks will be recorded and/or transcribed for inclusion
in the public docket.
Public docket materials will be made available to the public on the
Federal Docket Management Facility website (www.regulations.gov).
If you plan to attend one of the virtual public meetings and need
special assistance such as sign language interpretation, non-English
language translator services or other reasonable accommodation, please
notify the USCG or MARAD (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least
7 business days in advance of the virtual public meeting. Include your
contact information as well as information about your specific needs.
Request for Comments
We request public comment on this proposal. The comments may relate
to, but are not limited to, the environmental impact of the proposed
action. All comments will be accepted. The virtual public meetings are
not the only opportunity you have to comment on the BMOP deepwater port
license application. In addition to, or in place of, attending one of
the virtual meetings, you may submit comments directly to the Federal
Docket Management Facility during the public comment period (see
Dates). We will consider all comments and material received during the
30-day scoping period.
The license application, comments and associated documentation, as
well as the draft and final EISs (when published), are available for
viewing at the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) website: https://www.regulations.gov under docket number MARAD-2020-0127.
Public comment submissions should include:
Docket number MARAD-2020-0127.
Your name and address.
Submit comments or material using only one of the following
methods:
Electronically (preferred for processing) to the Federal
Docket Management System (FDMS) website: https://www.regulations.gov
under docket number MARAD-2020-0127.
By mail to the Federal Docket Management Facility (MARAD-
2020-0127), U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building, Ground
Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-
0001.
By personal delivery to the room and address listed above
between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
By fax to the Federal Docket Management Facility at 202-
493-2251.
Faxed, mailed or hand delivered submissions must be unbound, no
larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches and suitable for copying and electronic
scanning. The format of electronic submissions should also be no larger
than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches. If you mail your submission and want to know
when it reaches the Federal Docket Management Facility, please include
a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.
Regardless of the method used for submitting comments, all
submissions
[[Page 70709]]
will be posted, without change, to the Federal Docket Management
Facility website (https://www.regulations.gov) and will include any
personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this
information to the docket makes it public. You may wish to read the
Privacy and Use Notice that is available on the Federal Docket
Management Facility website and the Department of Transportation
Privacy Act Notice that appeared in the Federal Register on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477), see Privacy Act. You may view docket submissions at
the Federal Docket Management Facility or electronically on the Federal
Docket Management Facility website.
Background
Information about deepwater ports, the statutes, and regulations
governing their licensing, including the application review process,
and the receipt of the current application for the proposed BMOP
deepwater port appears in the BMOP Notice of Application, previously
published in the Federal Register and available for review by going to
www.regulations.gov and searching docket number ``MARAD-2020-0127.''
The ``Summary of the Application'' from that publication is reprinted
below for your convenience.
Consideration of a deepwater port license application includes
review of the proposed deepwater port's impact on the natural and human
environment. For the proposed deepwater port, USCG and MARAD are the
co-lead Federal agencies for determining the scope of this review, and
in this case, it has been determined that review must include
preparation of an EIS. This NOI is required by 40 CFR 1501.9. It
briefly describes the proposed action, possible alternatives and our
proposed scoping process. You can address any questions about the
proposed action, the scoping process or the EIS to the USCG or MARAD
project managers identified in this notice (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT).
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed action requiring environmental review is the Federal
licensing of the proposed deepwater port described in ``Summary of the
Application'' below. The alternatives to licensing the proposed port
are: (1) Licensing with conditions (including conditions designed to
mitigate environmental impact), (2) evaluation of deepwater port and
onshore site/pipeline route alternatives or (3) denying the
application, which for purposes of environmental review is the ``no-
action'' alternative.
Scoping Process
Public scoping is an early and open process for identifying and
determining the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. Scoping
begins with this notice, continues through the public comment period
(see Dates), and ends when USCG and MARAD have completed the following
actions:
Invites the participation of Federal, state, and local
agencies, any affected Tribe, the applicant, in this case BMOP, and
other interested persons;
Determines the actions, alternatives and impacts described
in 40 CFR 1501.9;
Identifies and eliminates from detailed study, those
issues that are not significant or that have been covered elsewhere;
Identifies other relevant permitting, environmental review
and consultation requirements;
Indicates the relationship between timing of the
environmental review and other aspects of the application process; and
At its discretion, exercises the options provided in 40
CFR 1500.4 and 40 CFR 1500.5
Once the scoping process is complete, USCG and MARAD will prepare a
draft EIS. When complete, MARAD will publish a Federal Register notice
announcing public availability of the Draft EIS. (If you want that
notice to be sent to you, please contact the USCG or MARAD project
manager identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You will have
an opportunity to review and comment on the Draft EIS. The USCG, MARAD
and other appropriate cooperating agencies will consider the received
comments and then prepare the Final EIS. As with the Draft EIS, we will
announce the availability of the Final EIS and give you an opportunity
for review and comment. The Act requires a final public hearing to be
held in the Adjacent Coastal State. Its purpose is to receive comments
on matters related to whether or not an operating license should be
issued. The final public hearing will be held after the Final EIS is
made available for public review and comment.
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 Carriers (VLCCs) or other crude oil carriers to moor at the
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,
[[Page 70710]]
radar) to support operation of the offshore facilities.
The BMOP deepwater port onshore storage and supply components would
consist of the following:
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.
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 Facility 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
Department of Transportation 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).
Dated: November 2, 2020.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-24550 Filed 11-4-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
