Notice2024-09597
Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Worcester Resiliency Upgrade Project
Primary source
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Published
May 3, 2024
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 87 (Friday, May 3, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 87 (Friday, May 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36806-36808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09597]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP23-536-000]
Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company; Notice of Availability of the
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Worcester Resiliency Upgrade
Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
[[Page 36807]]
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the
Worcester Resiliency Upgrade Project, proposed by Eastern Shore Natural
Gas Company (Eastern Shore) in the above-referenced docket. Eastern
Shore requests authorization to construct and operate facilities in
Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties, Maryland, and Sussex
County, Delaware.
Eastern Shore proposes to install five liquified natural gas (LNG)
storage vessels and LNG vaporizers in Worcester County, Maryland,
approximately 1.1 miles of 10-inch-diameter pipeline looping in Sussex
County, Delaware and Wicomico County, Maryland, upgrades to an existing
pressure control station in Sussex County, Delaware, and upgrades to
three existing meter and regulating stations in Sussex County, Delaware
and Worcester and Somerset Counties, Maryland. The Worcester Resiliency
Upgrade Project would store approximately 475,000 gallons of LNG,
equivalent to 39,627 Dekatherms, and provide 14,000 Dekatherms per day
of corresponding peak firm natural gas transportation service.
According to Eastern Shore, its project would enhance the resiliency of
Eastern Shore's system.
The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the Worcester Resiliency Upgrade Project
in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval of the
proposed project would not constitute a major federal action
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
The Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration participated as a cooperating agency in the
preparation of the EA. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or
special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the
proposal and participate in the NEPA analysis.
Specifically, the proposed Project includes construction and
operation of five new facilities and upgrades to four existing
facilities in Sussex County, Delaware, and Wicomico, Worcester, and
Somerset Counties, Maryland including:
<bullet> Bishopville Facility, Worcester County, Maryland:
construct a 10.6-acre LNG storage and vaporization facility situated
within a rural 135-acre parcel that includes five 100,000-gallon
horizontal storage vessels, with vaporization equipment and pumping
systems to convert LNG to vapor for pipeline transport;
<bullet> Bishopville Tie-in, Worcester County, Maryland: construct
0.4 mile of 8-inch-diameter pipeline to connect the Bishopville
Facility to an Eastern Shore's existing Milford pipeline;
<bullet> Millsboro Controller Upgrade, Sussex County, Delaware:
upgrade existing station to install two new control valve runs to
provide pressure and directional control;
<bullet> Millsboro Tie-in, Sussex County, Delaware: construct 0.4
mile of 10-inch-diameter pipeline extension to connect the upgraded
Millsboro Controller to the Eastern Shore's existing Milford pipeline;
<bullet> Berlin Meter and Regulator (M&R) Upgrade, Worcester
County, Maryland: replace approximately 350 feet of existing
belowground 3-inch tie-in with a new 6-inch tie-in;
<bullet> Thompson M&R Upgrade, Somerset County, Maryland: upgrade
existing M&R station, replacing the existing meters;
<bullet> Selbyville M&R Upgrade, Sussex County, Delaware: replace
existing M&R station with new meter and regulator facilities;
<bullet> Delmar Receiver, Wicomico County, Maryland: install new
aboveground Rupture Mitigation Valve (RMV) and In-line Inspection (ILI)
Receiver and an access road located at the new connection between the
Delmar Loop and the Parkesburg Line at the southern end of the Delmar
Loop collocated east of US Route 13 (US 13); and
<bullet> Delmar Loop, Wicomico County, Maryland and Sussex County,
Delaware: construct 1.1 miles of 10-inch diameter looping natural gas
pipeline collocated with an existing Eastern Shore pipeline and US 13.
The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the
Environmental Assessment for the Worcester Resiliency Upgrade Project
to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies;
elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native
American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested
individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the project
area. The EA is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed
and downloaded from the FERC's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>), on the natural
gas environmental documents 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>). In addition, the EA
may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click
on the eLibrary link (<a href="https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search">https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search</a>),
select ``General Search'' and enter the docket number in the ``Docket
Number'' field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP23-536). Be
sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a4c6f786945646663646f597f7a7a65787e4a6c6f7869246d657c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="387e5d4a5b77565451565d6b4d4848574a4c785e5d4a5b165f574e">[email protected]</span></a> or
toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
The EA is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's
independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to
consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding.
Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments should
focus on the EA's disclosure and discussion of potential environmental
effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. To ensure that the Commission has the opportunity to
consider your comments prior to making its decision on this project, it
is important that we receive your comments in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00pm Eastern Time on May 28, 2024.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file
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#4d0b283f2e0223212423281e383d3d223f390d2b283f2e632a223b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ed8fbecfdd1f0f2f7f0fbcdebeeeef1eceadef8fbecfdb0f9f1e8">[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 on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) under the link to
FERC Online. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You can also file your comments electronically using the
eFiling feature 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 must select the type of filing you are making. If
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select
``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 number (CP23-
536-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service
must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting
[[Page 36808]]
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier
must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland
20852.
Filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status,
but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of
the Commission's decision. At this point in this proceeding, the
timeframe for filing timely intervention requests has expired. Any
person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion
to intervene out-of-time pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and
(d)) and show good cause why the time limitation should be waived.
Motions to intervene are more fully described at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/how-intervene">https://www.ferc.gov/how-intervene</a>.
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) using the eLibrary link. The eLibrary link
also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners,
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#054a555545636077662b626a73"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dc938c8c9cbab9aebff2bbb3aa">[email protected]</span></a>.
In addition, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which 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. Go to <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to
register for eSubscription.
Dated: April 26, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-09597 Filed 5-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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