Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2023 / Notices 65161 

13NFE Altamira FLNG, S. de R.L. de C.V., DOE/ 

FECM Order No. 4960, Docket No. 22–110–LNG, 

Order Granting Long-Term Authorization to Export 

Natural Gas to Mexico and to Other Free Trade 

Agreement Nations (Mar. 3, 2023). 

14See id. at 4, 15–16. 

15 Id. at 1 & n.5, 6. 

16 Id. at 5–6, 8–9. 

17 Id. at 5–7. 

18 DOE finds that the requirement for public 

notice of applications, as well as other hearing-type 

procedures in 10 CFR part 590, will apply only to 

applications seeking to export natural gas, 

including LNG, to non-FTA countries. 

19See NFE Altamira FLNG, S. de R.L. de C.V.; 

Application for Long-Term, Multi-Contract 

Authorization To Export Domestically Produced 

Natural Gas to Mexico and To Re-Export Liquefied 

Natural Gas From Mexico to Non-Free Trade 

Agreement Countries; Notice of Application, 87 FR 

60667 (Oct. 6, 2022) [hereinafter Notice of App.]. 

20 Id. at 87 FR 60668. 

21Sierra Club, Motion to Intervene and Protest of 

NFE Altamira FLNG’s Request for Export and ReExport Authorization, Docket No. 22–110–LNG 

(Dec. 5, 2022). 

22NFE Altamira FLNG, S. de R.L. de C.V., Answer 

in Opposition to Protest of Sierra Club, Docket No. 

22–110–LNG (Dec. 20, 2022). 

23 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. 

24E.O. 14008 sets forth policies to address climate 

change, specifically to ‘‘organize and deploy the full 

capacity of [Federal] agencies to combat the climate 

crisis.’’ Exec. Order No. 14008 of Jan. 27, 2021, 

Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, 

86 FR 7619 (Feb. 1, 2021), https://

www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/ 

2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisisat-home-andabroad. E.O. 14008 further requires the ‘‘Federal 

Government [to] drive assessment, disclosure, and 

mitigation of climate pollution and climate-related 

risks in every sector’’ of the U.S. economy. Id. 

25See Council on Envtl. Quality, National 

Environmental Policy Act Implementing 

Regulations Revisions; Final Rule, 87 FR 23453 

(Apr. 20, 2022). 

26NFE Altamira FLNG, S. De R.L. de C.V., Notice 

of Environmental Assessment, Docket No. 22–110– 

LNG (June 27, 2023). 

On March 3, 2023, in Order No. 4960, 

DOE granted the FTA portion of the 

Application, as required by NGA section 

3(c).13 NFE Altamira is thus authorized 

to export natural gas to Mexico in the 

total requested volume of 158 Bcf/yr of 

natural gas—which includes export by 

pipeline (13 Bcf/yr) and re-export after 

liquefaction in Mexico to FTA countries 

(145 Bcf/yr equivalent).14 The requested 

non-FTA volume, if approved, would 

not be additive to this FTA volume. 

According to NFE Altamira, the U.S.- 

sourced natural gas for which it has 

acquired title in the United States 

would be exported to Mexico at the 

United States-Mexico border via the 

existing border-crossing facilities of 

Valley Crossing Pipeline, LLC (Valley 

Crossing Pipeline), and potentially, 

cross-border natural gas pipelines that 

may be constructed in the future and 

that interconnect with the Sur de 

Texas–Tuxpan Pipeline offshore natural 

gas pipeline system in Mexican 

waters.15 Additionally, NFE Altamira 

states that it may purchase U.S.-sourced 

natural gas in Mexico from upstream 

suppliers who have exported the natural 

gas from the United States (under the 

supplier’s own FTA export 

authorization or under this requested 

authorization), with NFE Altamira 

acting as agent.16 Once constructed, the 

Project would be capable of receiving, 

processing, and liquefying the U.S.- 

sourced natural gas, storing the resulting 

LNG, and loading the LNG onto oceangoing LNG vessels for delivery to export 

destinations.17

For the non-FTA portion of NFE 

Altamira’s request,18 DOE published a 

notice of the Application in the Federal 

Register (Notice of Application) on 

October 6, 2022.19 The Notice of 

Application called on interested persons 

to submit protests, motions to intervene, 

notices of intervention, and comments 

by December 5, 2022.20 On December 5, 

2022, Sierra Club filed a Motion to 

Intervene and Protest, with 

accompanying exhibits, opposing the 

non-FTA portion of NFE Altamira’s 

Application.21 Sierra Club 

supplemented its filing on December 9, 

2022, with electronic copies of 

documents that were hyperlinked in its 

initial filing. NFE Altamira filed an 

Answer in Opposition to Sierra Club’s 

Protest on December 20, 2022.22

Before reaching a final decision on a 

non-FTA application under NGA 

section 3(a), DOE must also comply 

with NEPA.23 In evaluating applications 

for re-export authorization similar to 

NFE Altamira’s Application, DOE has 

used recent guidance to inform its 

environmental analysis. On January 27, 

2021, the President issued Executive 

Order (E.O.) No. 14008, Tackling the 

Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.24

Additionally, on April 20, 2022, the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) issued a final rule for 

implementing CEQ’s NEPA regulations, 

including the definition of 

environmental ‘‘effects.’’ 25 DOE has 

determined that, consistent with E.O. 

14008 and its obligations under NEPA, 

it is appropriate to evaluate the 

potential environmental impacts— 

including the greenhouse gas 

emissions—of exporting (or reexporting) U.S.-sourced LNG from the 

proposed Project to non-FTA countries. 

Therefore, on June 27, 2023, DOE issued 

a ‘‘Notice of Environmental 

Assessment’’ announcing that it is 

undertaking an EA under NEPA to 

analyze NFE Altamira’s requested 

exports of U.S.-sourced natural gas as 

LNG to non-FTA countries.26

The Draft EA examined the potential 

environmental impacts associated with 

unconventional natural gas exploration 

and production activities in the lower48 states; the utilization of the crossborder pipeline facilities in Texas 

named in the Application that 

interconnect the United States and 

Mexico and that NFE Altamira may 

utilize for its U.S. natural gas supply; 

descriptions of Mexico’s environmental 

review process for the construction and 

operation of liquefaction terminals and 

related facilities; marine transport of 

LNG exported from the proposed 

Project; and the global nature of GHG 

emissions associated with re-exporting 

U.S.-sourced natural gas as LNG from 

Mexico from a life cycle perspective. 

NEPA Process and Public Involvement 

DOE prepared the Draft EA in 

accordance with the CEQ regulations at 

Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, 

parts 1500–1508 (40 CFR parts 1500– 

1508) and DOE NEPA implementing 

procedures at 10 CFR part 1021. DOE 

published a Notice of Environmental 

Assessment to Docket No. 22–110–LNG 

on June 27, 2023, announcing its intent 

to prepare an EA. DOE is providing 

opportunities for public review and 

comments on this Draft EA (see DATES

and ADDRESSES sections of this notice). 

Signed in Washington, DC, on September 

15, 2023. 

Amy Sweeney, 

Director, Office of Regulation, Analysis, and 

Engagement, Office of Resource 

Sustainability. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20427 Filed 9–20–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP22–503–000; Docket No. 

CP22–502–000] 

Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC, 

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 

Company, LLC; Notice of Availability 

of the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement for the Proposed Virginia 

Reliability Project Commonwealth 

Energy Connector Project 

The staff of the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (FERC or 

Commission) has prepared a final 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

for the Virginia Reliability Project 

(VRP), proposed by Columbia Gas 

Transmission, LLC (Columbia), and the 

Commonwealth Energy Connector 

Project (CEC Project) proposed by 

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 

Company, LLC (Transco) in the abovereferenced dockets. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
65162 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2023 / Notices 

1A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed 

parallel to an existing pipeline to increase capacity. 

Columbia requests authorization to 

construct and operate its VRP in 

Greensville, Prince George, Sussex, 

Surry, Southampton, and Isle of Wight 

Counties, Virginia, and in the cities of 

Suffolk and Chesapeake, Virginia. The 

VRP is designed to provide an 

additional 100,000 Dekatherms per day 

(Dth/d) of firm transportation service for 

Virginia Natural Gas, Inc. (VNG), from 

the existing interconnection between 

Transco and Columbia in Greensville 

County, Virginia to VNG’s existing 

delivery point in Chesapeake County, 

Virginia. 

Transco requests authorization to 

construct, operate, and maintain its CEC 

Project in Mecklenburg, Brunswick, and 

Greensville Counties, Virginia. The CEC 

Project is designed to provide an 

additional 105,000 Dth/d of firm 

transportation service for VNG from 

Transco’s existing Station 165 Zone 5 

Pooling Point in Pittsylvania County, 

Virginia, to the existing interconnection 

between Transco and Columbia in 

Greensville County, Virginia, where 

VNG has contracted with Columbia for 

further firm transportation service. 

The final EIS assesses the potential 

environmental effects of the 

construction and operation of the VRP 

and the CEC Project (the Projects) in 

accordance with the requirements of the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that 

approval of the proposed Projects, with 

the mitigation measures recommended 

in the EIS, would result in some adverse 

environmental impacts; however, with 

the exception of potential impacts on 

climate change, FERC staff concludes 

that impacts would not be significant. 

Climate change impacts are not 

characterized in the EIS as significant or 

insignificant. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

(USACE), Norfolk District, and the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 

participated as cooperating agencies in 

the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating 

agencies have jurisdiction by law or 

special expertise with respect to 

resources potentially affected by the 

proposal and participate in the NEPA 

analysis. Although these agencies 

provided input to the conclusions and 

recommendations presented in the EIS, 

the agencies may present their own 

conclusions and recommendations in 

any applicable Records of Decision or 

other documentation for the Projects. 

The final EIS addresses the potential 

environmental effects of the 

construction and operation of the 

following VRP facilities, all in Virginia: 

• replacement of about 49.2 miles of 

the existing 12-inch-diameter VM–107 

and VM–108 pipelines with 24-inchdiameter pipeline mostly within 

Columbia’s existing right-of-way, in 

Sussex, Surry, Southampton, and Isle of 

Wight Counties, as well as in the cities 

of Suffolk and Chesapeake; 

• installation of one new 5,500- 

horsepower (HP) dual-drive compressor 

unit at the existing Emporia Compressor 

Station in Greensville County; 

• modification of the existing 

compressor units and an increase in 

power by 2,700 HP at the existing 

Petersburg Compressor Station in Prince 

George County; 

• modification of the Emporia Point 

of Receipt in Greensville County, 

Regulator Station 7423 in Prince George 

County, and MS–831010 Point of 

Delivery in Chesapeake; and 

• replacement of eight mainline 

valves (MLV), installation of one new 

MLV and five new launchers/receivers, 

and replacement or installation of other 

minor appurtenant facilities. 

The final EIS addresses the potential 

environmental effects of the 

construction and operation of the 

following CEC Project facilities, all in 

Virginia: 

• construction of a 6.35-mile-long, 24- 

inch-diameter pipeline loop 1 (referred 

to as the Commonwealth Loop), 

including valve and launcher/receiver 

facilities, in Brunswick and Greensville 

Counties; 

• addition of a 33,000–HP electric 

motor-driven compressor unit at the 

existing Compressor Station 168 in 

Mecklenburg County; and 

• modification of the existing 

Emporia Metering and Regulation 

Station in Greensville County. 

The Commission mailed a copy of the 

Notice of Availability 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 area 

of the Projects. The final EIS is only 

available in electronic format. It may be 

viewed and downloaded from the 

FERC’s website (www.ferc.gov), on the 

natural gas environmental documents 

page (https://www.ferc.gov/industriesdata/natural-gas/environment/ 

environmental-documents). In addition, 

the final EIS may be accessed by using 

the eLibrary link on the FERC’s website. 

Click on the eLibrary link (https://

elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search), select 

‘‘General Search’’, and enter the docket 

number in the ‘‘Docket Number’’ field, 

excluding the last three digits (i.e., 

CP22–503 or CP22–502). Be sure you 

have selected an appropriate date range. 

For assistance, please contact FERC 

Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@

ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or 

for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. 

Additional information about the 

Projects is available from the 

Commission’s Office of External Affairs, 

at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC 

website (www.ferc.gov) 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 OPP@

ferc.gov. 

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 https://www.ferc.gov/ 

ferc-online/overview to register for 

eSubscription. 

Dated: September 15, 2023. 

Kimberly D. Bose 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20458 Filed 9–20–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. ER23–2838–000] 

BCD 2023 Fund 1 Lessee, LLC; 

Supplemental Notice That Initial 

Market-Based Rate Filing Includes 

Request for Blanket Section 204 

Authorization 

This is a supplemental notice in the 

above-referenced proceeding of BCD 

2023 Fund 1 Lessee, LLC’s application 

for market-based rate authority, with an 

accompanying rate tariff, noting that 

such application includes a request for 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1