45426 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 174 / Friday, September 7, 2018 / Notices 

time on the specified comment date. 

Protests may be considered, but 

intervention is necessary to become a 

party to the proceeding. 

eFiling is encouraged. More detailed 

information relating to filing 

requirements, interventions, protests, 

service, and qualifying facilities filings 

can be found at: http://www.ferc.gov/ 

docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For 

other information, call (866) 208–3676 

(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. 

Dated: August 31, 2018. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19409 Filed 9–6–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket Nos. CP17–495–000; CP17–494– 

000] 

Notice of Anticipated Schedule of Final 

Order for the Jordan Cove Project: 

Jordan Cove Energy Project, LP; 

Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, LP 

On September 21, 2017, Jordan Cove 

Energy Project, L.P. filed an application 

in Docket No. CP17–495–000, pursuant 

to section 3 of the Natural Gas Act 

(NGA) and Part 153 of the Commission’s 

regulations, for authorization to site, 

construct and operate a liquefied natural 

gas export terminal and associated 

facilities on the bay side of the North 

Spit of Coos Bay in unincorporated Coos 

County, Oregon. On the same day, 

Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, LP filed 

an application in Docket No. CP17–494– 

000 requesting a Certificate of Public 

Convenience and Necessity, pursuant to 

section 7(c) of the NGA and Parts 157 

and 284 of the Commission’s 

regulations, to construct, operate, and 

maintain an approximately 220-milelong natural gas pipeline to be located 

in Klamath, Jackson, Douglas, and Coos 

Counties, Oregon. The combined 

proposed projects, known as the Jordan 

Cove Project (Project), would liquefy 

and export about 7.8 million metric tons 

of natural gas per annum. 

In accordance with Title 41 of the 

Fixing America’s Surface Transportation 

Act, enacted on December 4, 2015, 

agencies are to publish completion dates 

for all federal environmental reviews 

and authorizations. This notice 

identifies the Commission’s anticipated 

schedule for issuance of the final order 

for the Project, which is based on the 

anticipated date of issuance of the final 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

Accordingly, we currently anticipate 

issuing a final order for the Project no 

later than: 

Issuance of Final Order—November 29, 

2019 

If a schedule change becomes 

necessary for the final order, an 

additional notice will be provided so 

that interested parties and government 

agencies are kept informed of the 

Project’s progress. 

Dated: August 31, 2018. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19404 Filed 9–6–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP17–470–000] 

Freeport LNG Development, L.P.; 

Notice of Schedule for Environmental 

Review of the Train 4 Project 

On June 29, 2017, Freeport LNG 

Development, L.P. (Freeport LNG) filed 

an application in Docket No. CP17–470– 

000 requesting an Authorization for 

siting, construction, and operation of a 

liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility 

pursuant to Section 3 of the Natural Gas 

Act. The proposed project is known as 

the Train 4 Project (Project), and would 

increase Freeport LNG’s ability to 

liquefy and export by 5.1 million metric 

tonnes per annum of natural gas at the 

existing Freeport LNG terminal. 

On July 14, 2017, the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (Commission or 

FERC) issued its Notice of Application 

for the Project. Among other things, that 

notice alerted agencies issuing federal 

authorizations of the requirement to 

complete all necessary reviews and to 

reach a final decision on a request for 

a federal authorization within 90 days of 

the date of issuance of the Commission 

staff’s Environmental Assessment (EA) 

for the Project. This instant notice 

identifies the FERC staff’s planned 

schedule for the completion of the EA 

for the Project. 

Schedule for Environmental Review 

Issuance of the EA—November 2, 2018 

90-day Federal Authorization Decision 

Deadline—January 31, 2019 

If a schedule change becomes 

necessary, additional notice will be 

provided so that the relevant agencies 

are kept informed of the Project’s 

progress. 

Project Description 

The Project would add a fourth 

liquefaction unit (Train 4) and 

associated infrastructure and utilities to 

Freeport LNG’s terminal on Quintana 

Island in Brazoria County, Texas. The 

Project would also expand the 

Pretreatment Plant located about 4 miles 

north of the terminal in Freeport, Texas 

and includes a new pipeline to connect 

various facilities. The Project would be 

located adjacent to the facilities 

authorized and currently under 

construction for the Phase II 

Modification Project (Docket No. CP12– 

29–000) and Liquefaction Project 

(Docket No. CP12–509–000), which 

comprises three liquefaction trains and 

related facilities. The proposed fourth 

liquefaction train would be within the 

existing Freeport LNG Terminal site and 

the additions to the Pretreatment Plant 

would be within the current 

construction footprint. The proposed 

10.6-mile-long, 42-inch-diameter 

pipeline would connect the existing 

Stratton Ridge meter station, the 

Pretreatment Plant, and the Freeport 

LNG Liquefaction Plant. 

Background 

On August 19, 2015 the Commission 

issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Assessment for the 

Planned Train 4 Project and Request for 

Comments on Environmental Issues 

(NOI). A subsequent change to the 

Project resulted in the Commission 

issuing the Supplemental Notice of 

Intent to Prepare an Environmental 

Assessment for the Planned Freeport 

LNG Train 4 Project and Request for 

Comments on Environmental Issues 

(Supplemental NOI) on August 31, 

2016. The NOI and the Supplemental 

NOI were issued during the pre-filing 

review of the Project in Docket No. 

PF15–25–000 and were sent to affected 

landowners; federal, state, and local 

government agencies; elected officials; 

environmental and public interest 

groups; Native American tribes; other 

interested parties; and local libraries 

and newspapers. In response to the NOI 

and Supplemental NOI; the Commission 

received comments from the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency, U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, 

Texas Historical Commission, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and 

Wildlife, Sierra Club, and eight 

members of the public. The primary 

issues raised by the commentors are 

alternative pipeline routes, and impacts 

on land use, wetlands, protected 

species, visual landscape, noise 

environment, air quality, road traffic, 

marine traffic, and safety. 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 174 / Friday, September 7, 2018 / Notices 45427 

The U.S. Department of 

Transportation, U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, and U.S. Department 

of Energy are cooperating agencies in 

the preparation of the EA. 

Additional Information 

In order to receive notification of the 

issuance of the EA and to keep track of 

all formal issuances and submittals in 

specific dockets, the Commission offers 

a free service called eSubscription. 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 www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/esubscription.asp. 

Additional information about the 

Project 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, select General Search 

from the eLibrary menu, enter the 

selected date range and Docket Number 

excluding the last three digits (i.e., 

CP17–470), and follow the instructions. 

For assistance with access to eLibrary, 

the helpline can be reached at (866) 

208–3676, TTY (202) 502–8659, or 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. 

Dated: August 31, 2018. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19402 Filed 9–6–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket Nos. CP16–454–000; CP16–455– 

000] 

Notice of Schedule for Environmental 

Review of the Rio Grande LNG, LLC 

and Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC 

Rio Grande LNG Project 

On May 5, 2016, Rio Grande LNG, 

LLC (RG LNG) filed an application in 

Docket No. CP16–454–000 requesting 

authorization pursuant to Section 3(a) of 

the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to construct 

and operate liquefied natural gas (LNG) 

export facilities. On the same day, Rio 

Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC (RB 

Pipeline) filed an application in Docket 

No. CP16–455–000, requesting a 

Certificate of Public Convenience and 

Necessity pursuant to Section 7(c) of the 

NGA to construct, operate, and maintain 

certain natural gas pipeline facilities. 

The combined projects, collectively 

referred to as the Rio Grande LNG 

Project, would provide gas and 

processing to produce up to 27 million 

tons per annum of LNG for export. On 

August 17, 2016, in Order No. 3869, the 

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 

Fossil Energy, granted to RG LNG a 

long-term, multi-contract authorization 

to export LNG to Free Trade Agreement 

nations. 

On May 19, 2016, the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (FERC or 

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 Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) for the Rio Grande LNG Project. 

This instant notice identifies the FERC 

staff’s planned schedule for completion 

of the final EIS for the project, which is 

based on an issuance of the draft EIS in 

October 2018. The forecasted schedule 

for both the draft and final EIS is based 

upon RG LNG and RB Pipeline 

providing complete and timely 

responses to any future data requests. In 

addition, the schedule assumes that the 

cooperating agencies will provide input 

on their areas of responsibility on a 

timely basis. 

Schedule for Environmental Review 

Issuance of Notice of Availability of the 

final EIS—April 26, 2019 

90-Day Federal Authorization Decision 

Deadline—July 25, 2019 

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. 

Project Description 

RG LNG and RB Pipeline, collectively 

the Rio Grande Developers (RG 

Developers), propose to construct and 

operate natural gas pipelines and 

liquefaction facilities in Jim Wells, 

Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy, and Cameron 

Counties, Texas. The Rio Bravo Pipeline 

would include two new parallel 42- 

inch-diameter natural gas pipelines, 

each about 135.5 miles long, capable of 

transporting 4.5 billion cubic feet per 

day of natural gas. In addition, a 2.4- 

mile-long header system at the origin of 

the pipelines would interconnect with 

existing natural gas transmission 

pipelines. The pipeline facilities would 

include three new compressor stations 

in Kleberg, Kenedy, and Cameron 

Counties and two new interconnect 

booster stations in Kenedy County. 

The Rio Grande LNG Terminal would 

be located on 750.4 acres of an 

approximately 1,000-acre site along the 

Brownsville Ship Channel about 5.5 

miles inland from the channel entrance, 

in Cameron County, Texas. The terminal 

would include six liquefaction trains 

capable of producing 27 million tons 

per annum of LNG; marine facilities, 

including two LNG berths, a turning 

basin, and a material offloading facility; 

truck loading and unloading facilities 

for LNG and natural gas liquids; and 

four LNG storage tanks. If approved, RG 

Developers would construct the project 

in stages. Operation of the first 

liquefaction train, and one of the two 

parallel pipelines, is proposed to begin 

during the fourth quarter of 2021; 

operation of the full project is proposed 

for early 2025. 

Background 

On April 13, 2015, the Commission 

staff granted the RG Developers’ request 

to use the FERC’s Pre-filing 

environmental review process. On July 

23, 2015, the Commission issued a 

Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

Planned Rio Grande LNG Project and 

Rio Bravo Pipeline Project, Request for 

Comments on Environmental Issues, 

and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings 

(NOI) in Docket No. PF15–20–000. The 

NOI was issued during the pre-filing 

review of the project, and was sent to 

federal, state, and local government 

agencies; elected officials; affected 

landowners; environmental and public 

interest groups; Native American tribes 

and regional organizations; commentors 

and other interested parties; and local 

libraries and newspapers. Major issues 

raised during scoping include impacts 

on wildlife and wildlife habitat 

(including threatened and endangered 

species), aquatic resources, surface 

water, wetlands, public lands, visual 

resources, local ecotourism, public 

health and safety, air and noise quality, 

and cumulative impacts. 

The U.S Coast Guard, U.S. 

Department of Energy, U.S Department 

of Transportation, U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, National Marine Fisheries 

Service, National Park Service, and 

Federal Aviation Administration are 

cooperating agencies in the preparation 

of the EIS. 


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