Notice2023-00345
Notice of Availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Alaska LNG Project
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 11, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Alaska LNG Project (DOE/EIS-0512-S1). The Final SEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with Alaska LNG Project LLC's (Alaska LNG) existing authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Alaska Gasline Development Corporation's (AGDC) proposed Alaska LNG Project to non-free trade agreement countries. DOE prepared the Final SEIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to inform its decision on rehearing under the Natural Gas Act (NGA).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1571-1572]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00345]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. 14-96-LNG]
Notice of Availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement for the Alaska LNG Project
AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of
the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the
Alaska LNG Project (DOE/EIS-0512-S1). The Final SEIS evaluates the
potential environmental impacts associated with Alaska LNG Project
LLC's (Alaska LNG) existing authorization to export liquefied natural
gas (LNG) from Alaska Gasline Development Corporation's (AGDC) proposed
Alaska LNG Project to non-free trade agreement countries. DOE prepared
the Final SEIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (NEPA) to inform its decision on rehearing under the Natural
Gas Act (NGA).
ADDRESSES:
Availability of the Final SEIS: DOE mailed notification letters to
announce the Notice of Availability of the Final SEIS to federal,
state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected
officials; environmental and public interest groups; Tribes; other
interested individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the
project area.
An electronic copy of the Final SEIS is available at <a href="https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0512-s1-supplemental-environmental-impact-statement-alaska-lng-project">https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0512-s1-supplemental-environmental-impact-statement-alaska-lng-project</a>.
Paper copies of the Final SEIS will be available for public review
at the following locations: Anchorage Public Library (Z.J. Loussac
Library), 3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, AK 99503; Arctic Interagency
Visitor Center, Mile 175 Dalton Highway, Coldfoot, AK 99701; Charles
Evans Community School Library, 299 Antoski Drive, Galena, AK 99741;
Noel Wien Public Library, 1215 Cowles Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701;
Kenai Community Library, 163 Main Street Loop, Kenai, AK 99611; Trapper
Creek Library, 8901 East Devonshire Drive, Trapper Creek, AK 99683;
Tri-Valley Community Library, Suntrana Road, P.O. Box 518, Healy, AK
99743; and Wasilla Public Library, 500 North Crusey Street, Wasilla, AK
99654. Additional copies of the Final SEIS may be requested from the
point of contact set forth below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Lusk, NEPA Compliance Officer,
National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, (304)
285-4145, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d3beb2a1b8fdbfa6a0b893bdb6a7bffdb7bcb6fdb4bca5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0f626e7d6421637a7c644f616a7b63216b606a21686079">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management \1\ is in the
process of rehearing DOE/FE Order No. 3643-A, issued on August 20,
2020, in Docket No. 14-96-LNG (Alaska LNG Order).\2\ In the Alaska LNG
Order, DOE authorized Alaska LNG to export LNG from AGDC's proposed
Alaska LNG Project to countries that do not have a free trade agreement
(FTA) requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, and with
which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy (non-FTA
countries), under NGA section 3(a).\3\
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\1\ The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) changed its name to the
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) on July 4,
2021.
\2\ See Alaska LNG Project LLC, DOE/FE Order No. 3643-A, Docket
14-96-LNG, Final Opinion and Order Granting Long-Term Authorization
to Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free Trade Agreement Nations
(Aug. 20, 2020), <a href="http://www.energy.gov/fecm/downloads/alaska-lng-project-llc-fe-dkt-no-14-96-lng-0">www.energy.gov/fecm/downloads/alaska-lng-project-llc-fe-dkt-no-14-96-lng-0</a>. For all DOE documents referenced herein,
please see the Alaska LNG docket at <a href="http://www.energy.gov/fecm/articles/alaska-lng-project-llc-fe-dkt-no-14-96-lng">www.energy.gov/fecm/articles/alaska-lng-project-llc-fe-dkt-no-14-96-lng</a>.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 717b(a).
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As approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on
May 21, 2020, the Alaska LNG Project involves producing natural gas
from resources on the North Slope of Alaska, transporting the natural
gas on a proposed 806.9-mile-long pipeline, and exporting the natural
gas in the form of LNG by vessel from a liquefaction facility to be
constructed in the Nikiski area of the Kenai Peninsula in south-central
Alaska.\4\ Under the Alaska LNG Order, Alaska LNG is currently
authorized to export this LNG in a volume equivalent to 929 billion
cubic feet (Bcf) per year of natural gas (2.55 Bcf per day), for a term
of 30 years.
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\4\ See Alaska Gasline Dev. Corp., Order Granting Authorization
Under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, FERC Docket No. CP17-178-
000, 171 FERC ] 61,134 (2020). AGDC, an independent, public
corporation of the State of Alaska, holds the authorization from
FERC to site, construct, and operate the proposed Alaska LNG
Project.
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On April 15, 2021, in Order No. 3643-B, DOE announced that it was
granting rehearing of the Alaska LNG Order under the NGA for the
purpose of conducting additional environmental analysis.\5\ DOE stated
that, based on findings from this additional analysis, DOE intended to
issue an order under NGA section 3(a) in which DOE may exercise its
authority to reaffirm, modify, or set aside the Alaska LNG Order, in
whole or in part.
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\5\ See Alaska LNG Project LLC, DOE/FE Order No. 3643-B, Docket
14-96-LNG, Order on Rehearing (Apr. 15, 2021), <a href="http://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/ord3643b.pdf">www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/ord3643b.pdf</a>. DOE's Order on Rehearing granted
a Request for Rehearing filed by Sierra Club. See id. at 1-2, 5-6.
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Subsequently, on July 2, 2021, DOE published a ``Notice of Intent
to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Alaska
LNG Project'' \6\ under NEPA.\7\ The SEIS was to include analysis from
two environmental studies, and DOE's National Energy Technology
Laboratory (NETL) was tasked with conducting both studies.\8\
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\6\ See U.S. Dep't of Energy, Notice of Intent to Prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Alaska LNG
Project, 86 FR 35280 (July 2, 2021); see also <a href="http://www.energy.gov/nepa/articles/doeeis-0512-s1-notice-intent-july-2-2021">www.energy.gov/nepa/articles/doeeis-0512-s1-notice-intent-july-2-2021</a>.
\7\ 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
\8\ 86 FR 35281.
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The Final SEIS being issued today supplements the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Alaska LNG Project
published by FERC on March 6, 2020, and adopted by DOE on March 16,
2020 (DOE/EIS-0512). Specifically, the Final SEIS (1) examines the
potential upstream environmental effects associated with incremental
natural gas production on the North Slope of Alaska to support Alaska
LNG's authorized exports of LNG, and (2) includes a life cycle analysis
calculating the greenhouse gas emissions associated with exporting LNG
by vessel from the proposed Alaska LNG Project to import markets in
Asia (the markets targeted for exports from Alaska) and potentially in
other regions.
NEPA Process and Public Involvement
DOE prepared the SEIS in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations at title 40,
[[Page 1572]]
Code of Federal Regulations, parts 1500-1508 (40 CFR part 1500-1508)
and DOE's NEPA implementing procedures at 10 CFR part 1021. DOE
announced a Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft SEIS on June 24,
2022, and published the NOA in the Federal Register on June 29,
2022.\9\ DOE invited public comments on the Draft SEIS during a 45-day
period that began on July 1, 2022, and extended through August 15,
2022. During the public comment period, a virtual public meeting was
held on July 20, 2022. DOE collected verbal and written comments during
the public meeting and throughout the public comment period. All
comments received during the 45-day comment period were considered
during the preparation of the Final SEIS.
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\9\ 87 FR 38730 (June 29, 2022).
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DOE Action
DOE will consider the information provided in the Final SEIS, among
other factors, as part of the Record of Decision (ROD) to reaffirm,
modify, or set aside the Alaska LNG Order. The ROD will be issued no
sooner than 30 days from the date that a Notice of Availability is
published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in the
Federal Register. In particular, DOE has announced that it will issue
the final order and ROD on or before March 30, 2023.\10\
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\10\ See Alaska LNG Project LLC, Docket 14-96-LNG, Second Notice
of Amended Schedule for Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
(Oct. 28, 2022).
Signed in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2023.
Amy Sweeney,
Director, Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of
Resource Sustainability.
[FR Doc. 2023-00345 Filed 1-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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