Notice2021-21268
Commonwealth LNG, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Commonwealth LNG Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Revised Schedule for Environmental Review
Primary source
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Published
September 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 187 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 187 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54182-54185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21268]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP19-502-000; CP19-502-001]
Commonwealth LNG, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Commonwealth LNG
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Revised
Schedule for Environmental Review
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
will discuss the environmental impacts of the Commonwealth LNG Project
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by
Commonwealth LNG, LLC (Commonwealth LNG) in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
The Commission will use this EIS in its decision-making process to
determine whether the Project is in the public convenience and
necessity. The schedule for preparation of the EIS is discussed in the
Schedule for Environmental Review section of this notice.
As part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review
process, the Commission takes into account concerns the public may have
about proposals and the environmental impacts that could result
whenever it considers the issuance of an authorization. This gathering
of public input is referred to as ``scoping.'' By notice issued on
February 22, 2018, in Docket No. PF17-8, the Commission opened a
scoping period during the pre-filing review process for the Project;
and staff intends to prepare an EIS that will address the concerns
raised during that previous scoping period as well as comments received
in response to this notice based on Commonwealth LNG's Project
application filing, as supplemented, in Docket No. CP19-502. Therefore,
the Commission requests comments on potential alternatives and impacts,
and any relevant information, studies, or analyses of any kind
concerning impacts affecting the quality of the human environment. To
ensure that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please
submit your comments so that the Commission receives them in
Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 25, 2021.
Further details on how to submit comments are provided in the Public
Participation section of this notice.
As mentioned above, the Commission previously opened a scoping
period which expired on March 26, 2018. All substantive written and
oral comments provided during the previous scoping period will be
addressed in the EIS. Therefore, if you submitted comments on this
Project to the Commission during the previous scoping period, you do
not need to file those comments again.
Commonwealth LNG provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by
the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What
Do I Need To Know?'' which addresses typically asked questions,
including how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. This fact
sheet along with other landowner topics of interest are available for
viewing on the FERC website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) under the Natural Gas
Questions or Landowner Topics link.
Public Participation
There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the
Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and
has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7b3d1e091834151712151e280e0b0b14090f3b1d1e0918551c140d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dc9ab9aebf93b2b0b5b2b98fa9acacb3aea89cbab9aebff2bbb3aa">[email protected]</span></a>. Please carefully follow these instructions
so that your comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>)
under the link to FERC Online. Using eComment is an easy method for
submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is also on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) under
the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a
variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission.
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on
``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you are
making; a comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment on
a Filing''; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the Commission. Be sure to reference the Project docket numbers (CP19-
502-000; CP19-502-001) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S.
Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be
addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription. This service provides automatic notification of filings
made to subscribed dockets, document summaries, and direct links to the
documents. Go to <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to register
for eSubscription.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Commonwealth LNG proposes to construct and operate a new liquefied
natural gas (LNG) export terminal and accompanying natural gas pipeline
on the west side of the Calcasieu Ship Channel at its entrance to the
Gulf of Mexico. The LNG export terminal would consist of six natural
gas liquefaction trains (with nominal liquefaction and production
capacities of 1.4 million metric tonnes per annum each), six LNG
storage tanks (with storage capacities of 50,000 cubic meters each),
and one marine berth capable of accommodating LNG carriers with
capacities up to 216,000 cubic meters. Commonwealth LNG would construct
a
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42-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline from the LNG export terminal,
extending 3.0 miles north to interconnect with existing natural gas
pipelines within Cameron Parish. The proposed Project would require
about 182 acres to construct and would occupy about 107 acres during
operation.
Commonwealth states that the purpose of the proposed Project is to
liquefy and export to foreign markets, domestically produced natural
gas sourced from the existing interstate and intrastate pipeline
systems of Kinetica Partners, LLC and EnLink Bridgeline Holdings LP,
respectively, in southwest Louisiana.
The general location of the Project is shown in appendix 1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a> using the link called ``eLibrary''. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice. At
this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's
Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a National
Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19),
issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact
FERC at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aee8ebfcede1c0c2c7c0cbfddbdedec1dcdaeec8cbdccd80c9c1d8">[email protected]</a> or call toll free, (886) 208-3676
or TTY (202) 502-8659.
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Based on the previous pre-filing review and a review of
Commonwealth LNG's filed proposal, Commission staff have identified a
few expected impacts that deserve attention in the EIS. These include
wetland impacts, associated threatened and endangered species impacts,
and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
The NEPA Process and the EIS
The EIS issued by the Commission will discuss impacts that could
occur as a result of the construction and operation of the proposed
Project under the relevant general resource areas:
<bullet> Geology and soils;
<bullet> water resources and wetlands;
<bullet> vegetation and wildlife;
<bullet> threatened and endangered species;
<bullet> cultural resources;
<bullet> land use;
<bullet> socioeconomics and environmental justice;
<bullet> air quality and noise;
<bullet> public safety; and
<bullet> cumulative impacts.
Commission staff will also make recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Your comments will help
Commission staff focus its analysis on the issues that may have a
significant effect on the human environment.
The EIS will present Commission staff's independent analysis of the
issues. Staff will prepare a draft EIS which will be issued for public
comment. Commission staff will consider all timely comments received
during the comment period on the draft EIS and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any draft and final EIS will be
available in electronic format in the public record through eLibrary
\2\ and the Commission's natural gas environmental documents web page
(<a href="https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents">https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents</a>). If eSubscribed, you will receive instant
email notification when the environmental document is issued.
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\2\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
last page of this notice.
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Alternatives Under Consideration
The EIS will evaluate reasonable alternatives that are technically
and economically feasible and meet the purpose and need for the
proposed action. Alternatives currently under consideration include:
<bullet> The no-action alternative, meaning the Project is not
implemented;
<bullet> use of other existing and proposed LNG terminals to
provide the liquefaction capabilities proposed by Commonwealth LNG; and
<bullet> alternative locations to construct the Project.
With this notice, the Commission requests specific comments
regarding any additional potential alternatives to the proposed action
or segments of the proposed action. Please focus your comments on
reasonable alternatives (including alternative facility sites and
pipeline routes) that meet the Project purpose, are technically and
economically feasible, and avoid or lessen environmental impact.
Consultation Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, the Commission initiated section 106 consultation for
the Project in the notice issued on February 22, 2018, with the
applicable State Historic Preservation Officer, and other government
agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the public to solicit their
views and concerns regarding the Project's potential effects on
historic properties.\3\ This current notice is a continuation of
section 106 consultation for the Project. The Project EIS will document
findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status
of consultations under section 106.
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\3\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
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Schedule for Environmental Review
On September 3, 2019, the Commission issued its Notice of
Application for the Project. Among other things, that notice alerted
other agencies issuing federal authorizations of the requirement to
complete all necessary reviews and to reach a final decision on the
request for a federal authorization within 90 days of the date of
issuance of the Commission staff's final EIS for the Project. On
October 15, 2019, the Commission issued a notice of schedule for
environmental review of the Project, which identified October 2, 2020
as the final EIS issuance date. However, the Commission suspended the
environmental review schedule for the Project on March 16, 2020,
pending adequate responses from Commonwealth LNG to Commission staff
data requests and an official interpretation from the U.S. Department
of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety
Administration (PHMSA) pertaining to Commonwealth LNG's proposed LNG
storage tank design. On June 8, 2021, Commonwealth LNG filed a limited
amendment to its Natural Gas Act Section 3 Application to modify the
proposed LNG storage tank designs and capacities so as not to require
an interpretation from PHMSA. Commonwealth LNG has filed the majority
of responses to the Commission staff's data requests to-date and have
stated that all outstanding responses will be filed in 2021. As a
result, Commission staff have revised the schedule for issuance of the
final EIS, based on an issuance of the draft EIS in March 2022.
Issuance of Notice of Availability of the final EIS: September 9, 2022
90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline: December 8, 2022
If a schedule change becomes necessary for the final EIS, an
additional notice will be provided so that the relevant agencies are
kept informed of the Project's progress.
Permits and Authorizations
The table below lists the anticipated permits and authorizations
for the Project required under federal law. This list may not be all-
inclusive and does not preclude any permit or
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authorization if it is not listed here. Agencies with jurisdiction by
law and/or special expertise may formally cooperate in the preparation
of the Commission's EIS and may adopt the EIS to satisfy their NEPA
responsibilities related to this Project. Agencies that would like to
request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for
filing comments provided under the Public Participation section of this
notice.
Environmental Permits, Approvals, Clearances, and Consultations
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Permit, approval, or
Agency consultation
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Federal:
Federal Energy Regulatory Natural Gas Act Section 3.
Commission.
U.S. Department of Energy/Office of Natural Gas Act Section 3,
Fossil Energy. Amendment of Free Trade
Agreement Authorization and
Non-Free Trade Agreement
Authorization.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers....... Clean Water Act Section 404/
Rivers & Harbors Act Section
10.
Section 408 (Section 14 Rivers
& Harbors Act).
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers....... Programmatic General Permit--
Category 1 for Geotechnical
Investigation.
U.S. Coast Guard................... Letter of Intent and
Preliminary Waterway
Suitability Assessment.
Follow-on Waterway Suitability
Assessment
Letter of Recommendation.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service....... Section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act.
Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Bald and Golden Eagle
Protection Act.
National Marine Fisheries Service, Section 7 of the Endangered
Protected Resources Division. Species Act.
National Marine Fisheries Service, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Habitat Conservation Division. Management and Conservation
Act Essential Fish Habitat
Consultation.
National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Office of Protected Resources.
Federal Aviation Administration.... Notice of Proposed
Construction.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Permit for floodplain
development.
U.S. Department of Transportation.. Pre-construction Notice.
State of Louisiana:
Louisiana Department of Natural Coastal Use Permit Coastal Zone
Resources, Office of Coastal Management Act Consistency
Management. Determination.
Louisiana Department of Air Emissions Permit (Title V
Environmental Quality--Air Quality and Prevention of Significant
Division. Deterioration).
Louisiana Department of Section 401 Clean Water Act
Environmental Quality--Water Water Quality Certification.
Quality Division.
Louisiana Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System General
Permit LAG670000--Hydrostatic
Test and Vessel Testing
Wastewater.
Louisiana Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System General
Permit LAR050000--Multi-Sector
General Stormwater Permit.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife Threatened and Endangered
and Fisheries. Species Consultation.
License to Dredge.
Oyster lease consultation.
Louisiana Department of Culture Section 106 National Historic
Recreation and Tourism/State Preservation Act Consultation.
Historic Preservation Officer.
Louisiana Department of Review of road easements,
Transportation and Development. modifications to state
highways, traffic safety.
Louisiana Office of State Lands.... State Water Bottom Lease.
Cameron Parish:
Cameron Parish Police Jury......... Development Permit.
Coastal Use Letter of No
Objection.
Coastal Protection and Restoration Letter of No Impact.
Authority.
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Environmental Mailing List
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for the Project which includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; federally recognized Indian
tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers.
This list also includes all affected landowners (as defined in the
Commission's regulations) who own homes within certain distances of
aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits comments on the Project
and includes a mailing address with their comments. Commission staff
will update the environmental mailing list as the analysis proceeds to
ensure that Commission notices related to this environmental review are
sent to all individuals, organizations, and government entities
interested in and/or potentially affected by the proposed Project.
State and local government representatives should notify their
constituents of this proposed project and encourage them to comment on
their areas of concern.
If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please complete one of
the following steps:
(1) Send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3473554764465b5e51574075505046514747775c555a535174525146571a535b42"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="97d0f6e4c7e5f8fdf2f4e3d6f3f3e5f2e4e4d4fff6f9f0f2d7f1f2e5f4b9f0f8e1">[email protected]</span></a> stating your
request. You must include the docket number CP19-502-000 or 001 in your
request. If you are requesting a change to your address, please be sure
to include your name and the correct address. If you are requesting to
delete your address from the mailing list, please include your name and
address as it appeared on this notice. This email address is unable to
accept comments.
OR
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(2) Return the attached ``Mailing List Update Form'' (appendix 2).
Additional Information
Additional information about the Project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC website at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a> using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number
in the ``Docket Number'' field (i.e., CP19-502). Be sure you have
selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC
Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c284a7b0a18dacaeabaca791b7b2b2adb0b682a4a7b0a1eca5adb4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="edab889f8ea28381848388be989d9d829f99ad8b889f8ec38a829b">[email protected]</span></a> or (866) 208-3676, or for
TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to
the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as
orders, notices, and rulemakings.
Public sessions or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events">https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events</a> along with
other related information.
Dated: September 24, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-21268 Filed 9-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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