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5 May 2008
[Federal Register: May 5, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 87)]
[Notices]
[Page 24585-24587]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05my08-464]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF07-10-000]
LNG Development Company, LLC and Oregon Pipeline Company;
Supplemental Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Oregon LNG Terminal and Pipeline Project,
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of Public
Meetings
April 28, 2008.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) is in the process of evaluating the Oregon LNG Terminal and
Pipeline Project involving the construction and operation of facilities
proposed by LNG Development Company, LLC and Oregon Pipeline Company
(collectively referred to as Oregon LNG). The facilities would be
located in northern Oregon and consist of a liquefied natural gas (LNG)
import terminal in Warrenton, Oregon, and an associated 121-mile-long
natural gas pipeline from the LNG import terminal southeastward across
Clatsop, Tillamook, Columbia, Washington, Yamhill, Marion, and
Clackamas Counties, Oregon, to an interconnection with existing natural
gas pipelines systems near Molalla in Clackamas County, Oregon.
As a part of this evaluation, FERC staff will prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) that will address the
environmental impacts of the project. The Commission will use the EIS
in its decision-making process to determine whether or not to authorize
the project. Although the FERC will be the lead federal agency in the
preparation of an EIS that will satisfy the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers will serve as cooperating agencies during
preparation of the EIS.
Oregon LNG has not yet filed a formal application with the FERC.
However, we \1\ have initiated a NEPA review under the FERC's Pre-
Filing Process. The purpose of the Pre-Filing Process is to encourage
the early involvement of interested stakeholders and to identify and
resolve issues before an application is filed with the FERC. As part of
this process, the FERC issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Oregon LNG Terminal and
Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and
Notice of Public Meetings (NOI) on August 24, 2007. Since that NOI was
issued, Oregon LNG has changed its proposed project. Specifically, the
routing of the pipeline route has changed and the project now includes
a 9.4-mile-long pipeline lateral as well as an electric compressor
station. Because of these changes, the FERC issued this supplemental
NOI. Through the original and supplemental NOIs, we are seeking input
from the public in preparing the EIS for the project.
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\1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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This supplemental NOI explains the scoping process we will use to
gather information on the project from the public and interested
agencies. Your input will help identify the issues that need to be
evaluated in the EIS. Comments on the project may be submitted in
written form or verbally. Further details on how to submit written
comments are provided in the Public Participation section of this NOI.
[[Page 24586]]
Please note that comments on this NOI are requested by June 12, 2008.
In lieu of sending written comments, we invite you to attend the
public scoping meetings scheduled as follows:
Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 7 p.m. Banks High School Gymnasium, 450 S. Main
St., Banks, OR 97106.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 7 p.m. Warrenton High School Gymnasium, 1700
SE Main St., Warrenton, OR 97146.
Thursday, May 22, 2008, 7 p.m. Woodburn High School Lectorium, 1785 N.
Front Street, Woodburn, OR 97071.
This supplemental NOI is being sent to Federal, state, and local
government agencies; elected officials; potentially affected
landowners; environmental and public interest groups; Indian tribes and
regional Native American organizations; commentors and other interested
parties; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage government
representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project
and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Oregon LNG proposes to construct and operate an LNG import terminal
and storage facility, and associated natural gas sendout pipeline with
a capacity to deliver up to 1.5 billion cubic feet per day.
Specifically, Oregon LNG proposes the following primary project
components:
A marine facility, including LNG unloading equipment and
one ship berth capable of handling an average of 100 LNG carrier ships
per year (the capacity of the ships would range from 70,000 up to
260,000 cubic meters (m\3\) per ship);
Interconnecting facilities including piping, electrical,
and control systems;
A LNG spill containment and collection system;
Three full containment LNG storage tanks, each with a
nominal usable storage capacity of 160,000 m3;
Vapor handling, re-gasification, and sendout systems;
Utilities, telecommunications, and other supporting
systems;
Administrative, control room, warehouse, security, and
other buildings and enclosures;
Interconnecting roadways and civil works;
A 121-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter natural gas sendout
pipeline extending from the LNG terminal to interconnections at Molalla
Gate Station, in Clackamas County, Oregon, with other existing natural
gas pipelines including the interstate natural gas pipeline system
operated by Williams Northwest Pipeline Company (Williams) and the
intrastate South Mist Pipeline Extension operated by Northwest Natural
Gas Company (NW Natural);
A 9.4-mile-long, 24-inch-diameter natural gas lateral
pipeline extending from Oregon LNG's pipeline to pipeline facilities
operated by NW Natural in northern Washington County, Oregon (the 24-
inch-diameter South Mist Pipeline Extension and the 16-inch-diameter
South Mist Feeder); and
An electric compressor station located along Oregon LNG's
36-inch-diameter pipeline about 0.7 mile south of State Highway 26.
A location map depicting Oregon LNG's proposed facilities is
attached to this NOI as Appendix 1.\2\ These facilities and the
possible environmental impacts from their construction and operation
were described in detail in draft resource reports filed with the FERC
between December 2007 and March 2008.
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\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the
Commission's Web site (excluding maps) at the ``e-Library'' link or
from the Commission's Public Reference Room or call (202) 502-8371.
For instructions on connecting to e-Library refer to the end of this
notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving
this notice in the mail.
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The EIS Process
NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action when it considers whether or
not an LNG import terminal and/or an interstate natural gas pipeline
should be approved. The FERC will use the EIS to consider the
environmental impacts that could result if it issues project
authorizations to Oregon LNG under sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas
Act. NEPA also requires us to discover and address concerns the public
may have about proposals. This process is referred to as ``scoping.''
The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the
EIS on the important environmental issues. With this NOI, the
Commission staff is requesting public comments on the scope of the
issues to be addressed in the EIS. All comments received will be
considered during preparation of the EIS.
In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed project
under these general headings:
Geology and soils;
Water resources;
Aquatic resources;
Vegetation and wildlife;
Threatened and endangered species;
Land use, recreation, and visual resources;
Cultural resources;
Socioeconomics;
Marine transportation;
Air quality and noise;
Reliability and safety;
Cumulative impacts.
In the EIS, we will also evaluate possible alternatives to the
proposed project or portions of the project, and make recommendations
on how to lessen or avoid impacts on affected resources.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to federal, state, and local
government agencies; elected officials; affected landowners;
environmental and public interest groups; Indian tribes and regional
Native American organizations; commentors; other interested parties;
local libraries and newspapers; and the FERC's official service list
for this proceeding. A 45-day comment period will be allotted for
review of the draft EIS. We will consider all comments on the draft EIS
and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. We
will consider all comments on the final EIS before we make our
recommendations to the Commission. To ensure that your comments are
considered, please follow the instructions in the Public Participation
section of this NOI.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified issues that we think deserve attention
based on our previous experience with similar projects in the region
and our review of comments provided in response to the original NOI
that was issued on August 24, 2007. This preliminary list of some of
the major issues, which is presented below, may be revised based on
your comments and our continuing analyses specific to the Oregon LNG
Terminal and Pipeline Project.
Definition of project purpose and need.
Impact of LNG vessel traffic on other users, including
commercial ships, fishing, and recreational boaters on the lower
Columbia River.
Potential impacts of dredging the turning basin and LNG
ship berth on water quality and estuarine fishery resources.
Potential impacts of the LNG terminal on residents in
Warrenton and the surrounding area, including consideration of issues
related to safety, noise, air quality, and visual resources.
[[Page 24587]]
Potential for geological hazards, including seismic
activity, to have impacts on both the proposed LNG import terminal and
pipelines.
Potential impacts of the pipelines on waterbodies and
wetlands.
Potential impacts of the pipeline on vegetation, including
the clearing of forested areas and the potential for increased risk of
wild fires.
Potential impacts of the pipeline on threatened and
endangered species and wildlife habitat.
Potential impacts of the pipeline on cultural resources.
Potential economic impacts of the project, including
potential impacts on property values.
Use of eminent domain for project development.
Potential impacts on high-value croplands and agricultural
practices in the Willamette Valley.
Potential for cumulative impacts resulting from multiple
pipeline projects in the region.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Oregon LNG Terminal and Pipeline
Project. By becoming a commentor, your concerns will be addressed in
the EIS and considered by the Commission. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including
alternative facility sites and pipeline routes), and measures to avoid
or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the
more useful they will be. To ensure that your comments are timely and
properly recorded, please follow these instructions:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of your comments for the attention of OEP/
DG2E/Gas Branch 2, PJ-11.2.
Reference Docket No. PF07-10-000 on the original and both
copies.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC, on or before June 12, 2008.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any
comments in response to this NOI. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Internet
Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to ``Documents and
Filings'' and ``eFiling.'' eFiling is a file attachment process and
requires that you prepare your submission in the same manner as you
would if filing on paper, and save it to a file on your hard drive. New
eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on ``Sign up''
or ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you
are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.'' In
addition, there is a ``Quick Comment'' option available, which is an
easy method for interested persons to submit text only comments on a
project. The Quick-Comment User Guide can be viewed at http://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/quick-comment-guide.pdf. Quick Comment
does not require a FERC eRegistration account; however, you will be
asked to provide a valid e-mail address. All comments submitted under
either eFiling or the Quick Comment option are placed in the public
record for the specified docket or project number(s).
Once Oregon LNG formally files its application with the Commission,
you may want to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to
the proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and
are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts
if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's web site.
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time.
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.
Environmental Mailing List
If you wish to remain on the environmental mailing list, please
return the attached Mailing List Retention Form (Appendix 2 of this
NOI). If you do not return this form, we will remove your name from our
mailing list.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372), or on
the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the ``eLibrary
link.'' Click on the eLibrary link, select ``General Search'' and enter
the project docket number, excluding the last three digits (i.e., PF07-
10) in the ``Docket Number'' field. Be sure you have selected an
appropriate date range. For assistance with eLibrary, the eLibrary
helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or by e-
mail at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The eLibrary link on the FERC
website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.
In addition, the FERC now offers a free service called
eSubscription that allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and
submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you
spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to
the documents. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx
along with other related information.
Finally, Oregon LNG has established a web site for this project at
http://www.oregonlng.com. The Web site includes a project overview,
status, potential impacts and mitigation, and answers to frequently
asked questions. Additionally, you can view the location of the project
facilities online at: http://www.oregonpipelinepropertysearch.com. You
can also request additional information by calling Oregon LNG directly
at (503) 298-4969, or by sending an e-mail to info@OregonLNG.com.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-9806 Filed 5-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P