Deepwater Port License Application: Texas GulfLink, LLC-Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 59487-59490 [2022-20752]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 189 / Friday, September 30, 2022 / Notices
comments, go to www.regulations.gov at
any time or visit Room W12–140 on the
ground level of the West Building, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington,
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., ET,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
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(202) 366–9826 before visiting Dockets
Operations.
Privacy: In accordance with 49 U.S.C.
31315(b), DOT solicits comments from
the public to better inform its exemption
process. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Richard Clemente, Driver and Carrier
Operations Division; Office of Carrier,
Driver and Vehicle Safety Standards,
FMCSA, at (202) 366–2722 or by email
at MCPSD@dot.gov. If you have
questions on viewing or submitting
material to the docket, contact Dockets
Operations at (202) 366–9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Participation and Request for
Comments
FMCSA encourages you to participate
by submitting comments and related
materials.
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Submitting Comments
If you submit a comment, please
include the docket number for this
notice (FMCSA–2022–0175), indicate
the specific section of this document to
which the comment applies, and
provide a reason for suggestions or
recommendations. You may submit
your comments and material online or
by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but
please use only one of these means.
FMCSA recommends that you include
your name and a mailing address, an
email address, or a phone number in the
body of your document so the Agency
can contact you if it has questions
regarding your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to
www.regulations.gov and put the docket
number (‘‘FMCSA–2022–0175’’) in the
‘‘Keyword’’ box, and click ‘‘Search.’’
When the new screen appears, click on
the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ button and type
your comment into the text box in the
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submit them in an unbound format, no
larger than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, suitable for
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copying and electronic filing. If you
submit comments by mail and would
like to know that they reached the
facility, please enclose a stamped, selfaddressed postcard or envelope. FMCSA
will consider all comments and material
received during the comment period.
II. Legal Basis
FMCSA has authority under 49 U.S.C.
31136(e) and 31315(b) to grant
exemptions from Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). FMCSA
must publish a notice of each exemption
request in the Federal Register (49 CFR
381.315(a)). The Agency must provide
the public an opportunity to inspect the
information relevant to the application,
including any safety analyses that have
been conducted. The Agency must
provide an opportunity for public
comment on the request.
The Agency reviews safety analyses
and public comments submitted and
determines whether granting the
exemption would likely achieve a level
of safety equivalent to, or greater than,
the level that would be achieved by the
current regulation (49 CFR 381.305).
The Agency must publish its decision in
the Federal Register (49 CFR
381.315(b)) with the reasons for denying
or granting the application and, if
granted, the name of the person or class
of persons receiving the exemption and
the regulatory provision from which the
exemption is granted. The notice must
specify the effective period and explain
the terms and conditions of the
exemption. The exemption may be
renewed (49 CFR 381.300(b)).
III. Applicant’s Request
The National Propane Gas Association
(NPGA) requests a five-year exemption
for its member company drivers to
extend the 14-hour duty period in
§ 395.3(a)(2) to no more than 17 hours;
to extend the 11-hour driving period in
§ 395.3(a)(3) to no more than 14 hours,
following 10 consecutive hours off duty;
to waive the 60- and 70-hour rules in
§ 395.3(b) for a period of no more than
six consecutive days; and a period of six
consecutive days may end with the
beginning of an off-duty period of 34 or
more consecutive hours. The exemption
request is made in order to enable the
propane industry to prepare and
respond to peak periods of consumer
demand among residential, agricultural,
and commercial consumers.
NPGA is the national trade
association of the propane industry with
a membership of nearly 2,500
companies and 36 State and regional
associations representing members in all
50 States. Their membership includes
retail marketers of propane gas who
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59487
deliver the fuel to the end user, propane
producers, transporters and wholesalers,
and manufacturers and distributors of
equipment, containers, and appliances.
NPGA’s petition states that, as a result
of various consumer needs, long- and
short-haul propane drivers often reach
the maximum operating hours-of-service
(HOS) ‘‘weekly’’ limits within three or
four days, and subsequently, operations
experience reductions in available
drivers while consumer demand
continues. According to NPGA, the
purpose of their request is to efficiently
and safely prepare and serve residential,
commercial, and agricultural consumers
ahead of and during peak consumption
periods. To clearly define the ‘‘scope’’
in its application, NPGA provides a
brief outline of the terms and conditions
to apply to those individuals providing
propane services for periods of peak
consumer demand.
A copy of NPGA’s application for
exemption is available for review in the
docket for this notice.
IV. Request for Comments
In accordance with 49 U.S.C.
31315(b), FMCSA requests public
comment from all interested persons on
NPGA’s application for an exemption
from various HOS requirements in 49
CFR 395.3 (a)—(c). All comments
received before the close of business on
the comment closing date indicated at
the beginning of this notice will be
considered and will be available for
examination in the docket at the
location listed under the Addresses
section of this notice. Comments
received after the comment closing date
will be filed in the public docket and
will be considered to the extent
practicable. In addition to late
comments, FMCSA will also continue to
file, in the public docket, relevant
information that becomes available after
the comment closing date. Interested
persons should continue to examine the
public docket for new material.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2022–21242 Filed 9–29–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket Number MARAD–2019–0093]
Deepwater Port License Application:
Texas GulfLink, LLC—Supplemental
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation.
AGENCY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 189 / Friday, September 30, 2022 / Notices
Notice of availability; notice of
virtual public meeting; request for
comments.
ACTION:
The Maritime Administration
(MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard
(USCG) announce the availability of the
Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the Texas
GulfLink LLC (GulfLink) deepwater port
license application for the export of
crude oil from the United States to
nations abroad. The GulfLink deepwater
port license application describes a
proposed project that would be located
approximately 26.6 nautical miles off
the coast of Brazoria County, Texas.
Publication of this notice begins a 45day comment period, (1) requests public
participation in the environmental
impact review process, (2) provides
information on how to participate in the
environmental impact review process,
and (3) announces the availability of an
informational Virtual Open House
website (Virtual Room), and a Virtual
Public Meeting that will be held via
Zoom. Registration information is
provided in the Virtual Public Meeting
and Virtual Open House website
(Virtual Room) section of this notice.
DATES: Comments on the SDEIS must be
received on or before 45 days from the
date of publication of this Federal
Register Notice. MARAD and USCG will
hold one Virtual Public Meeting in
connection with the GulfLink SDEIS.
This Virtual Public Meeting will be held
via Zoom on October 18, 2022, from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Daylight Time
(CDT). The Virtual Public Meeting will
end no earlier than 8 p.m. CDT, but it
may end later than the stated time,
depending on the number of persons
who wish to comment on the record.
Anyone interested in attending or
speaking during the Virtual Public
Meeting must register in advance.
Additionally, materials submitted in
response to this request for comments
on the SDEIS must be submitted to the
https://www.regulations.gov website or
the Federal Docket Management Facility
as detailed in the ADDRESSES section
below by the end of the comment
period.
SUMMARY:
You may submit comments
identified by DOT Docket Number
MARAD–2019–0093 by any one of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov, search
MARAD–2019–0093 and follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail or Hand Delivery: The Docket
Management Facility is in the West
Building, Ground Floor of the U.S.
Department of Transportation. The
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ADDRESSES:
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Docket Management Facility location
address is U.S. Department of
Transportation, MARAD–2019–0093,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West
Building, Room W12–140, Washington,
DC 20590. Due to flexible work
schedules in response to COVID–19, call
202–493–0402 to determine facility
hours prior to hand delivery.
Note: If you mail or hand-deliver your
comments, we recommend that you include
your name and a mailing address, an email
address, and/or a telephone number on a
cover page, so that we can contact you if we
have questions regarding your submission.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name and
specific docket number. All comments
received will be posted without change
to the docket at https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. For
detailed instructions on submitting
comments, see the section entitled
‘‘PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.’’
Contact USCG via email at
DeepwaterPorts@uscg.mil and MARAD
via email at GulfLink_EIS@dot.gov.
Include ‘‘MARAD–2019–0093’’ in the
subject line of the message. The purpose
of providing the email contact
information is to offer the public the
opportunity to obtain answers related to
the Virtual Public Meeting. This email
will not be relied on for the intake of
comments on the GulfLink deepwater
port license application. To submit
written comments and other material
submissions, please follow the
directions above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Prior Federal Actions
A Notice of Application that
summarized the GulfLink Deepwater
Port License Application was published
in the Federal Register on June 26, 2019
(84 FR 30298–30300). A Notice of Intent
to Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) and Notice of Public
Scoping Meeting was published in the
Federal Register on July 3, 2019 (84 FR
32008–32010). A Notice of Availability
of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) and Notice of Public
Meeting was published in the Federal
Register on November 27, 2020 (85 FR
76157–76159). A Notice of Availability
and Notice of Virtual Public Meeting
was published in the Federal Register
on September 24, 2021 (86 FR 53144–
53147).
Request for Comments
We request public comments or other
relevant information related to the
SDEIS for the proposed GulfLink
deepwater port. These comments will
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inform the environmental review of the
proposed GulfLink project. We
encourage you to review the information
on the website and attend the Virtual
Public Meeting. Also, you may submit
comments electronically. It is preferred
that comments be submitted
electronically. Please see the
information in the ADDRESSES section
above on how to properly submit
comments. All comments submitted to
the docket via https://
www.regulations.gov or delivered to the
Federal Docket Management Facility
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 such information makes it
public. You may view docket
submissions at the DOT Docket
Management Facility or electronically at
the https://www.regulations.gov
website.
Virtual Public Meeting and Virtual
Open House Website
You are invited to learn about the
proposed GulfLink deepwater port via
the informational website https://
tgldwp.consultation.ai. You are also
invited to attend the Virtual Public
Meeting and encouraged to provide
comments to the DOT GulfLink Docket
on the proposed action and the
environmental impact analysis
contained in the SDEIS for the proposed
GulfLink deepwater port. Speakers must
register for the Virtual Public Meeting
via the informational website. When
registering, please indicate if you would
like the opportunity to provide a live
comment during the meeting or if you
are participating to listen only.
If you need help registering, have
questions on how to register, or would
like to register by telephone, please
contact 833–588–1191 and leave a voice
mail message. This line is not a manned
phone line; however, the voice mail box
is checked at regular intervals on
weekdays (between the hours of 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time).
Therefore, if you leave your full name
with the correct spelling and your
phone number after the tone, then a
project team member will return your
call and provide direct assistance.
During the Virtual Public Meeting,
speakers will be recognized in the
following order: elected officials, public
agency representatives, and then
individuals or groups in the order in
which they registered. In order to
accommodate all speakers, speaker time
may be limited, meeting hours may be
extended, or both. Speakers’ transcribed
remarks will be included in the public
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docket. You may also submit written
material for inclusion in the public
docket. Written material must include
the author’s name. We ask attendees to
respect the meeting procedures in order
to ensure a constructive informationgathering session. The presiding officer
will use his/her discretion to conduct
the meeting in an orderly manner.
The Virtual Public Meeting will be
conducted in English; however,
translation services will be provided in
Spanish. Virtual Public Meeting
attendees who require special
assistance, such as translation services
or other reasonable accommodation,
please notify MARAD and USCG (see
ADDRESSES) at least five business days in
advance. Please include contact
information as well as information
about specific needs.
www.regulations.gov/document/
MARAD-2019-2853.
After the publication of the DEIS,
GulfLink revised its deepwater license
application in response to ongoing
consultation with regulatory agencies
and subsequently refined the design of
the proposed deepwater port by adding
a vapor control system into the design
and operation of the proposed GulfLink
deepwater port. The purpose of the
SDEIS is to analyze the direct, indirect,
and cumulative environmental impacts
of the revised proposed action, and to
identify and analyze the environmental
impacts of a reasonable range of
alternatives. The SDEIS is currently
available for public review and
comment at the Federal docket website:
https://www.regulations.gov under
docket number MARAD–2019–0093.
Background
Summary of the License Application
GulfLink is proposing to own,
construct, 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 85,000 barrels per
hour (bph). The GulfLink deepwater
port would allow for up to two Very
Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or other
crude oil carriers to moor at single point
mooring (SPM) buoys and connect with
the deepwater port via floating
connecting crude oil hoses and a
floating vapor recovery hose. Although
two VLCCs can be moored to the DWP
simultaneously, only one can be loaded
at a time. The maximum frequency of
loading VLCCs or other crude oil
carriers would be one million barrels
per day, 365 days per year.
The overall project would consist of
offshore and marine components as well
as onshore components, as described
below.
Offshore and marine components
would consist of the following:
• An Offshore Platform: One fixed
offshore platform with piles in Outer
Continental Shelf Galveston Area Lease
Block GA–423, 26.6 nautical miles off
the coast of Brazoria County, Texas, in
a water depth of approximately 104 feet.
The fixed offshore platform would have
four decks comprised of personal living
space, pipeline metering, a surge
system, a pig receiving station,
generators, lease automatic custody
transfer unit, oil displacement prover
loop, sample system, radar tower,
electrical and instrumentation building,
portal cranes, a hydraulic crane, an
Operations/Traffic Room, and helicopter
deck.
• One 42-inch outside diameter, 28.1nautical-mile long crude oil pipeline
On May 30, 2019, MARAD and USCG
received a license application from
GulfLink for a license to own, construct,
and operate a deepwater port for the
export of crude oil. The proposed
deepwater port would be located in the
U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone,
approximately 26.6 nautical miles off
the coast of Brazoria County, Texas.
Texas was designated as the Adjacent
Coastal State (ACS) for the GulfLink
license application.
The Federal agencies involved held a
public scoping meeting in connection
with the evaluation of the GulfLink
license application. The public scoping
meeting was held in Lake Jackson,
Texas, on July 17, 2019. The transcript
of the scoping meeting is included on
the public docket at https://
www.regulations.gov/document/
MARAD-2019-0093-0047. The Federal
agencies also held two consecutive
virtual DEIS public meetings to receive
comments on the DEIS. The virtual
public comment meetings were held on
December 16, 2020, and December 17,
2020. The public comment period began
on November 27, 2020, and ended on
January 22, 2021. Transcripts of the
DEIS public comment meetings are
provided on the public docket at https://
www.regulations.gov/document/
MARAD-2019-0093-0318, https://
www.regulations.gov/document/
MARAD-2019-0093-0319, and https://
www.regulations.gov/document/
MARAD-2019-0093-2839.
The Federal agencies also held a third
virtual DEIS public comment meeting to
receive comments on the DEIS. The
public meeting was held virtually on
October 14, 2021. The transcripts of the
DEIS public comment meetings are also
included on the public docket at https://
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would be constructed from the shoreline
crossing in Brazoria County, Texas, to
the GulfLink DWP for crude oil
delivery. This pipeline would connect
the proposed onshore Jones Creek
Terminal described below to the
offshore platform.
• The fixed offshore platform is
connected to VLCC tankers for loading
by two separate 42-inch diameter
departing pipelines. Each pipeline will
depart the fixed offshore platform,
carrying the crude oil to a Pipeline End
Manifold (PLEM) in approximately 104
feet water depth located 1.25 nautical
miles from the fixed offshore platform.
Each PLEM is then connected to a
Single Point Mooring (SPM) Buoy
through two 24-inch cargo hoses. Two
24-inch floating cargo hoses will
connect each SPM Buoy to the VLCC (or
other crude oil carrier type). SPM Buoy
1 is positioned in Outer Continental
Shelf Galveston Area Lease Block GA–
423 and SPM Buoy 2 is positioned in
Outer Continental Shelf Galveston Area
Lease Block GA–A36.
• Use of a dynamically positioned
third-party Offshore Support Vessel,
equipped with a vapor processing
system to control the release of vapor
emissions during the cargo loading
operations of the proposed GulfLink
DWP.
Onshore storage and supply
components for the GulfLink DWP
would consist of the following:
• An Onshore Storage Terminal: The
proposed Jones Creek Terminal would
be located in Brazoria County, Texas, on
approximately 262 acres of land,
consisting of eight above ground storage
tanks, each with a working storage
capacity of 708,168 barrels, for a total
onshore storage capacity of
approximately 5,655,344 million
barrels. The facility can accommodate
four additional tanks, bringing the total
to twelve tanks or 8,498,016 million
barrels of storage capacity.
• The Jones Creek Terminal also
would include: Six electric-driven
mainline crude oil pumps; three electric
driven booster crude oil pumps; one
crude oil pipeline pig launcher; one
crude oil pipeline pig receiver; two
measurement skids for measuring
incoming crude oil—one skid located on
the Department of Energy’s Bryan
Mound facility, and one skid installed
for the outgoing crude oil barrels leaving
the tank storage to be loaded on the
VLCC; and ancillary facilities to include
an operations control center, electrical
substation, offices, and warehouse
building.
• Two onshore crude oil pipelines
would be constructed to support the
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GulfLink DWP and include the
following:
Æ One proposed incoming 9.1-statute
mile long, 36-inch outside diameter
pipeline connected to a leased 40-inch
ExxonMobil pipeline originating at the
Department of Energy’s Bryan Mound
facility with connectivity to the Houston
market.
Æ One proposed outgoing 12.1-statute
mile long, 42-inch outside diameter
pipeline connecting the Jones Creek
Terminal to the shore crossing, where
the offshore portion of this pipeline
begins and supplies the proposed
offshore GulfLink DWP.
As previously stated, the purpose of
this notice is to announce that the
SDEIS is currently available for public
review and a 45-day public comment
period. Comments can be submitted
through the Federal docket website:
https://www.regulations.gov under
docket number MARAD–2019–0093.
By order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
I provided MARAD and USCG
comments on the GulfLink SDEIS, orally
or in writing, in another forum. May I
provide comments in response to this
notice as well?
[FR Doc. 2022–20752 Filed 9–29–22; 8:45 am]
Yes, MARAD and USCG encourage
any member of the public to submit
relevant comments for the docket,
including input that has previously
been communicated to the agencies.
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
How can I be sure that my comments
were received?
Public Participation Instructions
If you wish Docket Management to
notify you upon its receipt of your
comments, enclose a self-addressed,
stamped postcard in the envelope
containing your comments. Upon
receiving your comments, Docket
Management will return the postcard by
mail.
How long do I have to submit
comments?
Will the agency consider late
comments?
We are providing a 45-day comment
period.
How do I prepare and submit
comments?
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may be accessed at https://www.bts.gov/
programs/statistical_policy_and_
research/data_quality_guidelines.
To ensure that your comments are
correctly filed in the Docket, please
include the docket number shown at the
beginning of this document in your
comments.
If you are submitting comments
electronically as a PDF (Adobe) File,
MARAD and USCG ask that the
documents be submitted using the
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
process, thus allowing the agencies to
search and copy certain portions of your
submissions. Comments may be
submitted to the docket electronically at
https://www.regulations.gov. Search
using the MARAD docket number in
this notice and follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
You may also submit two copies of
your comments, including the
attachments, to Docket Management at
the address given above under
ADDRESSES.
Please note that pursuant to the Data
Quality Act, for substantive data to be
relied upon and used by the agency, it
must meet the information quality
standards set forth in the OMB and DOT
Data Quality Act guidelines.
Accordingly, we encourage you to
consult the guidelines in preparing your
comments. OMB’s guidelines may be
accessed at https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/
reproducible.html. DOT’s guidelines
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How can I read the comments submitted
by other people?
You may read the comments received
by Docket Management at the address
given above under ADDRESSES. The
hours of the Docket Management Unit
are indicated above in the same
location. You may also see the
comments on the internet. To read the
comments on the internet, go to https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for accessing the dockets.
Please note that even after the
comment closing date, MARAD will
continue to file relevant information in
the Docket as it becomes available.
Accordingly, we recommend that you
periodically check the Docket for new
material.
Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic
form of all comments received into any
of our dockets by the name of the
individual submitting the comment (or
signing the comment if submitted on
behalf of an association, business, labor
union, etc.). For information on DOT’s
compliance with the Privacy Act, please
visit https://www.transportation.gov/
privacy.
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. NHTSA–2022–0042]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Consolidated Child
Restraint System Registration for
Defect Notifications and Labeling
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments on an extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), this notice announces that the
Information Collection Request (ICR)
summarized below will be submitted to
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval. The ICR
describes the nature of the information
collection and its expected burden.
NHTSA is requesting comments on an
extension of the currently approved
collection of information titled
‘‘Consolidated Child Restraint System
Registration for Defect Notifications and
Labeling.’’ A Federal Register Notice
with a 60-day comment period soliciting
comments on the following information
collection was published on July 26,
2022 (87 FR 44494). One comment from
the National Association of Mutual
Insurance Companies (NAMIC) was
received supporting this information
collection.
SUMMARY:
MARAD and USCG will consider all
substantive comments that Docket
Management receives before the close of
business on the comment closing date
indicated above under DATES.
(Authority: 49 CFR 1.93)
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
Comments must be submitted on
or before October 31, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection, including
suggestions for reducing burden, should
be submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget at
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
To find this particular information
collection, select ‘‘Currently under
Review—Open for Public Comment’’ or
use the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information or access to
background documents, contact Cristina
Echemendia, U.S. Department of
DATES:
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59487-59490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20752]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket Number MARAD-2019-0093]
Deepwater Port License Application: Texas GulfLink, LLC--
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.
[[Page 59488]]
ACTION: Notice of availability; notice of virtual public meeting;
request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard
(USCG) announce the availability of the Supplemental Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the Texas GulfLink LLC
(GulfLink) deepwater port license application for the export of crude
oil from the United States to nations abroad. The GulfLink deepwater
port license application describes a proposed project that would be
located approximately 26.6 nautical miles off the coast of Brazoria
County, Texas. Publication of this notice begins a 45-day comment
period, (1) requests public participation in the environmental impact
review process, (2) provides information on how to participate in the
environmental impact review process, and (3) announces the availability
of an informational Virtual Open House website (Virtual Room), and a
Virtual Public Meeting that will be held via Zoom. Registration
information is provided in the Virtual Public Meeting and Virtual Open
House website (Virtual Room) section of this notice.
DATES: Comments on the SDEIS must be received on or before 45 days from
the date of publication of this Federal Register Notice. MARAD and USCG
will hold one Virtual Public Meeting in connection with the GulfLink
SDEIS. This Virtual Public Meeting will be held via Zoom on October 18,
2022, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT). The Virtual
Public Meeting will end no earlier than 8 p.m. CDT, but it may end
later than the stated time, depending on the number of persons who wish
to comment on the record. Anyone interested in attending or speaking
during the Virtual Public Meeting must register in advance.
Additionally, materials submitted in response to this request for
comments on the SDEIS must be submitted to the https://www.regulations.gov website or the Federal Docket Management Facility
as detailed in the ADDRESSES section below by the end of the comment
period.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Number
MARAD-2019-0093 by any one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov, search MARAD-2019-0093 and follow the instructions
for submitting comments.
Mail or Hand Delivery: The Docket Management Facility is
in the West Building, Ground Floor of the U.S. Department of
Transportation. The Docket Management Facility location address is U.S.
Department of Transportation, MARAD-2019-0093, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. Due to flexible
work schedules in response to COVID-19, call 202-493-0402 to determine
facility hours prior to hand delivery.
Note: If you mail or hand-deliver your comments, we recommend
that you include your name and a mailing address, an email address,
and/or a telephone number on a cover page, so that we can contact
you if we have questions regarding your submission.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and specific docket number. All comments received will be posted
without change to the docket at https://www.regulations.gov, including
any personal information provided. For detailed instructions on
submitting comments, see the section entitled ``PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.''
Contact USCG via email at [email protected] and MARAD via
email at [email protected]. Include ``MARAD-2019-0093'' in the
subject line of the message. The purpose of providing the email contact
information is to offer the public the opportunity to obtain answers
related to the Virtual Public Meeting. This email will not be relied on
for the intake of comments on the GulfLink deepwater port license
application. To submit written comments and other material submissions,
please follow the directions above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Prior Federal Actions
A Notice of Application that summarized the GulfLink Deepwater Port
License Application was published in the Federal Register on June 26,
2019 (84 FR 30298-30300). A Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Notice of Public Scoping
Meeting was published in the Federal Register on July 3, 2019 (84 FR
32008-32010). A Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) and Notice of Public Meeting was published in
the Federal Register on November 27, 2020 (85 FR 76157-76159). A Notice
of Availability and Notice of Virtual Public Meeting was published in
the Federal Register on September 24, 2021 (86 FR 53144-53147).
Request for Comments
We request public comments or other relevant information related to
the SDEIS for the proposed GulfLink deepwater port. These comments will
inform the environmental review of the proposed GulfLink project. We
encourage you to review the information on the website and attend the
Virtual Public Meeting. Also, you may submit comments electronically.
It is preferred that comments be submitted electronically. Please see
the information in the ADDRESSES section above on how to properly
submit comments. All comments submitted to the docket via https://www.regulations.gov or delivered to the Federal Docket Management
Facility 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
such information makes it public. You may view docket submissions at
the DOT Docket Management Facility or electronically at the https://www.regulations.gov website.
Virtual Public Meeting and Virtual Open House Website
You are invited to learn about the proposed GulfLink deepwater port
via the informational website https://tgldwp.consultation.ai. You are
also invited to attend the Virtual Public Meeting and encouraged to
provide comments to the DOT GulfLink Docket on the proposed action and
the environmental impact analysis contained in the SDEIS for the
proposed GulfLink deepwater port. Speakers must register for the
Virtual Public Meeting via the informational website. When registering,
please indicate if you would like the opportunity to provide a live
comment during the meeting or if you are participating to listen only.
If you need help registering, have questions on how to register, or
would like to register by telephone, please contact 833-588-1191 and
leave a voice mail message. This line is not a manned phone line;
however, the voice mail box is checked at regular intervals on weekdays
(between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time).
Therefore, if you leave your full name with the correct spelling and
your phone number after the tone, then a project team member will
return your call and provide direct assistance.
During the Virtual Public Meeting, speakers will be recognized in
the following order: elected officials, public agency representatives,
and then individuals or groups in the order in which they registered.
In order to accommodate all speakers, speaker time may be limited,
meeting hours may be extended, or both. Speakers' transcribed remarks
will be included in the public
[[Page 59489]]
docket. You may also submit written material for inclusion in the
public docket. Written material must include the author's name. We ask
attendees to respect the meeting procedures in order to ensure a
constructive information-gathering session. The presiding officer will
use his/her discretion to conduct the meeting in an orderly manner.
The Virtual Public Meeting will be conducted in English; however,
translation services will be provided in Spanish. Virtual Public
Meeting attendees who require special assistance, such as translation
services or other reasonable accommodation, please notify MARAD and
USCG (see ADDRESSES) at least five business days in advance. Please
include contact information as well as information about specific
needs.
Background
On May 30, 2019, MARAD and USCG received a license application from
GulfLink for a license to own, construct, and operate a deepwater port
for the export of crude oil. The proposed deepwater port would be
located in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, approximately 26.6
nautical miles off the coast of Brazoria County, Texas. Texas was
designated as the Adjacent Coastal State (ACS) for the GulfLink license
application.
The Federal agencies involved held a public scoping meeting in
connection with the evaluation of the GulfLink license application. The
public scoping meeting was held in Lake Jackson, Texas, on July 17,
2019. The transcript of the scoping meeting is included on the public
docket at https://www.regulations.gov/document/MARAD-2019-0093-0047.
The Federal agencies also held two consecutive virtual DEIS public
meetings to receive comments on the DEIS. The virtual public comment
meetings were held on December 16, 2020, and December 17, 2020. The
public comment period began on November 27, 2020, and ended on January
22, 2021. Transcripts of the DEIS public comment meetings are provided
on the public docket at https://www.regulations.gov/document/MARAD-2019-0093-0318, https://www.regulations.gov/document/MARAD-2019-0093-0319, and https://www.regulations.gov/document/MARAD-2019-0093-2839.
The Federal agencies also held a third virtual DEIS public comment
meeting to receive comments on the DEIS. The public meeting was held
virtually on October 14, 2021. The transcripts of the DEIS public
comment meetings are also included on the public docket at https://www.regulations.gov/document/MARAD-2019-2853.
After the publication of the DEIS, GulfLink revised its deepwater
license application in response to ongoing consultation with regulatory
agencies and subsequently refined the design of the proposed deepwater
port by adding a vapor control system into the design and operation of
the proposed GulfLink deepwater port. The purpose of the SDEIS is to
analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of
the revised proposed action, and to identify and analyze the
environmental impacts of a reasonable range of alternatives. The SDEIS
is currently available for public review and comment at the Federal
docket website: https://www.regulations.gov under docket number MARAD-
2019-0093.
Summary of the License Application
GulfLink is proposing to own, construct, 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 85,000 barrels per
hour (bph). The GulfLink deepwater port would allow for up to two Very
Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or other crude oil carriers to moor at
single point mooring (SPM) buoys and connect with the deepwater port
via floating connecting crude oil hoses and a floating vapor recovery
hose. Although two VLCCs can be moored to the DWP simultaneously, only
one can be loaded at a time. The maximum frequency of loading VLCCs or
other crude oil carriers would be one million barrels per day, 365 days
per year.
The overall project would consist of offshore and marine components
as well as onshore components, as described below.
Offshore and marine components would consist of the following:
An Offshore Platform: One fixed offshore platform with
piles in Outer Continental Shelf Galveston Area Lease Block GA-423,
26.6 nautical miles off the coast of Brazoria County, Texas, in a water
depth of approximately 104 feet. The fixed offshore platform would have
four decks comprised of personal living space, pipeline metering, a
surge system, a pig receiving station, generators, lease automatic
custody transfer unit, oil displacement prover loop, sample system,
radar tower, electrical and instrumentation building, portal cranes, a
hydraulic crane, an Operations/Traffic Room, and helicopter deck.
One 42-inch outside diameter, 28.1-nautical-mile long
crude oil pipeline would be constructed from the shoreline crossing in
Brazoria County, Texas, to the GulfLink DWP for crude oil delivery.
This pipeline would connect the proposed onshore Jones Creek Terminal
described below to the offshore platform.
The fixed offshore platform is connected to VLCC tankers
for loading by two separate 42-inch diameter departing pipelines. Each
pipeline will depart the fixed offshore platform, carrying the crude
oil to a Pipeline End Manifold (PLEM) in approximately 104 feet water
depth located 1.25 nautical miles from the fixed offshore platform.
Each PLEM is then connected to a Single Point Mooring (SPM) Buoy
through two 24-inch cargo hoses. Two 24-inch floating cargo hoses will
connect each SPM Buoy to the VLCC (or other crude oil carrier type).
SPM Buoy 1 is positioned in Outer Continental Shelf Galveston Area
Lease Block GA-423 and SPM Buoy 2 is positioned in Outer Continental
Shelf Galveston Area Lease Block GA-A36.
Use of a dynamically positioned third-party Offshore
Support Vessel, equipped with a vapor processing system to control the
release of vapor emissions during the cargo loading operations of the
proposed GulfLink DWP.
Onshore storage and supply components for the GulfLink DWP would
consist of the following:
An Onshore Storage Terminal: The proposed Jones Creek
Terminal would be located in Brazoria County, Texas, on approximately
262 acres of land, consisting of eight above ground storage tanks, each
with a working storage capacity of 708,168 barrels, for a total onshore
storage capacity of approximately 5,655,344 million barrels. The
facility can accommodate four additional tanks, bringing the total to
twelve tanks or 8,498,016 million barrels of storage capacity.
The Jones Creek Terminal also would include: Six electric-
driven mainline crude oil pumps; three electric driven booster crude
oil pumps; one crude oil pipeline pig launcher; one crude oil pipeline
pig receiver; two measurement skids for measuring incoming crude oil--
one skid located on the Department of Energy's Bryan Mound facility,
and one skid installed for the outgoing crude oil barrels leaving the
tank storage to be loaded on the VLCC; and ancillary facilities to
include an operations control center, electrical substation, offices,
and warehouse building.
Two onshore crude oil pipelines would be constructed to
support the
[[Page 59490]]
GulfLink DWP and include the following:
[cir] One proposed incoming 9.1-statute mile long, 36-inch outside
diameter pipeline connected to a leased 40-inch ExxonMobil pipeline
originating at the Department of Energy's Bryan Mound facility with
connectivity to the Houston market.
[cir] One proposed outgoing 12.1-statute mile long, 42-inch outside
diameter pipeline connecting the Jones Creek Terminal to the shore
crossing, where the offshore portion of this pipeline begins and
supplies the proposed offshore GulfLink DWP.
As previously stated, the purpose of this notice is to announce
that the SDEIS is currently available for public review and a 45-day
public comment period. Comments can be submitted through the Federal
docket website: https://www.regulations.gov under docket number MARAD-
2019-0093.
Public Participation Instructions
How long do I have to submit comments?
We are providing a 45-day comment period.
How do I prepare and submit comments?
To ensure that your comments are correctly filed in the Docket,
please include the docket number shown at the beginning of this
document in your comments.
If you are submitting comments electronically as a PDF (Adobe)
File, MARAD and USCG ask that the documents be submitted using the
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) process, thus allowing the agencies
to search and copy certain portions of your submissions. Comments may
be submitted to the docket electronically at https://www.regulations.gov. Search using the MARAD docket number in this
notice and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
You may also submit two copies of your comments, including the
attachments, to Docket Management at the address given above under
ADDRESSES.
Please note that pursuant to the Data Quality Act, for substantive
data to be relied upon and used by the agency, it must meet the
information quality standards set forth in the OMB and DOT Data Quality
Act guidelines. Accordingly, we encourage you to consult the guidelines
in preparing your comments. OMB's guidelines may be accessed at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/reproducible.html. DOT's guidelines may
be accessed at https://www.bts.gov/programs/statistical_policy_and_research/data_quality_guidelines.
I provided MARAD and USCG comments on the GulfLink SDEIS, orally or in
writing, in another forum. May I provide comments in response to this
notice as well?
Yes, MARAD and USCG encourage any member of the public to submit
relevant comments for the docket, including input that has previously
been communicated to the agencies.
How can I be sure that my comments were received?
If you wish Docket Management to notify you upon its receipt of
your comments, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard in the
envelope containing your comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket
Management will return the postcard by mail.
Will the agency consider late comments?
MARAD and USCG will consider all substantive comments that Docket
Management receives before the close of business on the comment closing
date indicated above under DATES.
How can I read the comments submitted by other people?
You may read the comments received by Docket Management at the
address given above under ADDRESSES. The hours of the Docket Management
Unit are indicated above in the same location. You may also see the
comments on the internet. To read the comments on the internet, go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for
accessing the dockets.
Please note that even after the comment closing date, MARAD will
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes
available. Accordingly, we recommend that you periodically check the
Docket for new material.
Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into
any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment
(or signing the comment if submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). For information on DOT's compliance with
the Privacy Act, please visit https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
(Authority: 49 CFR 1.93)
By order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-20752 Filed 9-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
