Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 121 / Friday, June 22, 2012 / Notices 37661 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Amended Notice of Intent To Prepare 

the Environmental Impact Statement 

for a Proposed Federal Loan 

Guarantee for the Indiana Gasification, 

LLC, Industrial Gasification Facility in 

Rockport, IN, and CO2 Pipeline; 

Conduct Additional Public Scoping 

Meetings; and Issue a Notice of 

Floodplains and Wetlands Involvement 

AGENCY: Loan Programs Office, DOE. 

ACTION: Amended notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) announces its intent to 

expand the scope of an environmental 

impact statement (EIS) (DOE/EIS–0429) 

to analyze the environmental impacts 

for its proposed action of issuing a 

Federal loan guarantee to Indiana 

Gasification, LLC, (IG) for the 

construction and startup of both a 

proposed coal-to-substitute natural gas 

(SNG) gasification facility in Rockport, 

Indiana, and a proposed carbon dioxide 

(CO2) pipeline. On November 12, 2009, 

DOE issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to 

prepare an EIS, titled ‘‘Environmental 

Impact Statement for a Proposed Federal 

Loan Guarantee for the Indiana 

Gasification, LLC, Industrial 

Gasification Facility in Rockport, 

Indiana,’’ to analyze the construction 

and startup of the SNG facility. The NOI 

invited comments on the proposed 

scope and content of the EIS. DOE also 

conducted a scoping meeting in 

Rockport on December 3, 2009. IG 

originally intended to capture and sell 

the CO2 produced during the 

gasification process to a third party, 

Denbury Resources, Inc., (Denbury), 

which would construct a pipeline to 

transport CO2 from the SNG facility in 

Rockport to storage facilities or oil 

fields, where it would be used for 

enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. 

In the event a CO2 pipeline was not 

constructed by Denbury and there was 

no other reasonable alternative to 

sequester the CO2, the CO2 would have 

been released to the atmosphere. 

In October 2011, IG requested an 

increase in the amount of DOE’s loan 

guarantee for the proposed project to 

cover additional costs to incorporate the 

construction and startup of a proposed 

441-mile CO2 pipeline. This pipeline 

would transport as liquefied gas 85% to 

90% of the CO2 generated at the 

proposed SNG facility (approximately 

6.4 million tons annually), from 

Rockport, Indiana, across Kentucky and 

Tennessee, to Tinsley in Yazoo County, 

Mississippi. At Tinsley the pipeline 

would connect to Denbury’s existing 

Delta CO2 Pipeline for distribution of 

CO2 for eventual use by Denbury in EOR 

operations in the Gulf Coast region. 

Accordingly, DOE is issuing this 

Amended NOI to invite Federal 

agencies, state and local governments, 

Native American tribes, other 

organizations, and members of the 

public to submit comments that identify 

environmental issues associated with 

adding the CO2 pipeline to the original 

project (the SNG facility). DOE hereby 

invites public participation in shaping 

the broadened scope of the ongoing EIS, 

now retitled ‘‘Environmental Impact 

Statement for a Proposed Federal Loan 

Guarantee for the Indiana Gasification, 

LLC, Industrial Gasification Facility in 

Rockport, Indiana, and CO2 Pipeline.’’ 

DOE also provides notice of the intent 

to prepare a floodplain and wetland 

assessment. DOE invites those agencies 

with jurisdiction by law, or special 

expertise related to the modified 

proposed action, to request cooperating 

agency status to assist with the 

preparation of the EIS. 

DATES: To ensure that all of the issues 

related to this proposal are addressed, 

DOE invites comments from all 

interested parties on the addition of the 

proposed CO2 pipeline and expanded 

scope of the EIS. Comments must be 

postmarked or emailed by July 23, 2012 

to ensure consideration. Late comments 

will be considered to the extent 

practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Public comments can be 

submitted by mail or email. Written 

comments about the alternatives and 

potential impacts to be considered in 

the expanded scope of the EIS should be 

addressed to: Dr. Alistair Leslie, Loan 

Programs Office (LP–10), U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585. Please submit 

one signed original paper copy. 

Submission of comments by email to: 

IG-EIS@hq.doe.gov is encouraged due to 

security processing time required for 

regular mail. All comments submitted 

by mail and email should reference 

Project No. DOE/EIS–0429. 

DOE will also conduct public scoping 

meetings at locations along the 

proposed 441-mile route of the CO2

pipeline as additional opportunities for 

the general public, private-sector 

organizations, and Government agencies 

to provide oral or written comments 

about the alternatives and potential 

impacts to be considered in the 

expanded scope of the EIS. The dates, 

times, and locations of the these public 

scoping meetings will be announced in 

local news media and on the DOE Loan 

Programs Office ‘‘NEPA Public 

Involvement’’ Web site (https:// 

lpo.energy.gov/?page_id=1502) at least 

15 days prior to the date of these 

meetings. Comments submitted by mail, 

email, or at the scoping meetings orally 

or in writing, including any attachments 

and other supporting materials, will 

become part of the public record and 

subject to public disclosure. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

obtain additional information about this 

Amended NOI, the public scoping 

meetings, or to receive a copy of the 

draft EIS when it is issued, contact Dr. 

Alistair Leslie by telephone: 202–287– 

5620; or email: 

alistair.leslie@hq.doe.gov. For general 

information on the DOE NEPA process, 

please contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, 

Director, Office of NEPA Policy and 

Compliance (GC–54), U.S. Department 

of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20585; telephone: 

202–586–4600; facsimile: 202–586– 

7031; email: askNEPA@hq.doe.gov; or 

leave a toll-free message at 800–472– 

2756. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The proposed SNG facility in 

Rockport would use gasification 

technology with Illinois Basin coal as 

feedstock to produce raw synthetic gas 

(syngas), which would be further 

processed to produce pipeline-quality 

SNG. The facility could produce up to 

approximately 145 million standard 

cubic feet of SNG per day. The SNG 

would be transported for sale from the 

SNG facility to one or both of two 

nearby natural gas pipelines, the 

Midwestern Gas Transmission line (3 

miles distant) and/or the ANR Pipeline 

(4.5 miles distant). IG also proposed a 

change in the feedstock in which 

Illinois Basin coal and up to 49% 

petroleum coke would be used as 

feedstock for the SNG facility. 

Approximately 125 individuals 

attended the December 3, 2009, scoping 

meeting in Rockport, with 26 

individuals presenting oral comments 

and 6 submitting written comments. In 

addition, during the public scoping 

period, DOE received 26 comment 

documents via mail and email. 

Commenters requested that DOE 

consider other alternatives, project 

financial and feasibility concerns, as 

well as various local socioeconomic and 

environmental concerns. 

Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 

2005 (EPAct 2005) established a Federal 

loan guarantee program for financing 

energy projects employing innovative 

technologies that ‘‘avoid, reduce, or 

sequester air pollutants or 

anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse 


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37662 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 121 / Friday, June 22, 2012 / Notices 

gases; and employ new or significantly 

improved technologies as compared to 

commercial technologies in service in 

the United States at the time the 

guarantee is issued.’’ The two principal 

goals of the loan guarantee program are 

to encourage commercial use in the 

United States of new or significantly 

improved energy-related technologies 

and to achieve substantial 

environmental benefits. In September 

2008, the DOE Loan Programs Office 

issued a solicitation for coal-based 

power generation and industrial 

gasification facilities. A portion of the 

funds made available in the solicitation 

come under the authority of the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, 

Public Law 110–161, which provides 

loan guarantee support for advanced 

coal gasification projects. The proposed 

project with the addition of the 

proposed CO2 pipeline qualifies under 

this provision of the loan guarantee 

authority. 

Purpose and Need for Agency Action 

The purpose and need for agency 

action is to comply with DOE’s mandate 

under Title XVII of EPAct 2005 by 

identifying and providing loan 

guarantees to projects that meet the 

goals of the Act. DOE has determined 

that the project, comprising the 

construction and startup of the 

proposed SNG facility, meets the two 

principal goals of Title XVII— 

encouraging commercial use of new or 

significantly improved energy-related 

technologies, and achieving substantial 

environmental benefits. 

Proposed Action 

DOE’s proposed action is to issue a 

loan guarantee to IG to support the 

construction and startup of the SNG 

facility and a CO2 pipeline. The 

proposed construction and startup of 

the SNG plant was described in the NOI 

published on November 12, 2009 (74 FR 

58265). The proposed pipeline would 

run approximately south-south-west 

from Rockport, Indiana, across 

Kentucky and Tennessee, to Tinsley in 

Yazoo County, Mississippi. This CO2

pipeline would be known as the 

Denbury Midwest Pipeline. At Tinsley 

the proposed CO2 Pipeline would 

connect to Denbury’s existing Delta 

Pipeline to further transport CO2 to oil 

fields in the Gulf Coast for use in EOR. 

The 20-inch diameter pipeline would 

require a typical right-of-way (ROW) 

width of 95 feet for construction and a 

50-foot wide permanent right-of-way for 

operation. Additional temporary work 

space would be acquired for the 

pipeline construction at crossings (i.e., 

roads, railroads and significant 

waterbodies) and where full ROW width 

topsoil segregation is required in 

agricultural areas. 

A map showing the proposed pipeline 

route can be found on the DOE Loan 

Programs Web site at https:// 

lpo.energy.gov/nepa/ig-pipeline.pdf. 

The proposed pipeline would be colocated alongside existing adjoining 

utility corridors for 428 miles of the 

proposed 441-mile route (i.e., for 97% of 

the route). These adjoining corridors 

comprise sections of the existing BP/ 

Amoco Oil Pipeline, Boardwalk/Texas 

Gas Pipeline, Shell/Capline Oil 

Pipeline, Panhandle/Trunkline Gas 

Pipeline, and Denbury/Delta Tinsley 

CO2 Pipeline. The initial northern 13 

miles of the proposed pipeline would be 

outside of existing adjoining utility 

corridors. The proposed route would 

cross 6.1 miles in Indiana, 137.1 miles 

in Kentucky, 117.5 miles in Tennessee, 

and 180 miles in Mississippi. It would 

pass through the following states and 

counties: Indiana: Spencer; Kentucky: 

Daviess, McLean, Webster, Hopkins, 

Caldwell, Lyon, Livingston, Marshall, 

and Graves; Tennessee: Obion, Weakley, 

Gibson, Dyer, Crockett, Haywood, 

Tipton, and Fayette; and Mississippi: 

Marshall, Tate, Panola, Yalobusha, 

Tallahatchie, Grenada, Carroll, Holmes, 

and Yazoo. The proposed route would 

cross primarily rural land, of which 

52% is classified as agricultural. 

The proposed route would cross three 

federal enclaves: the Clarks River 

National Wildlife Refuge in Kentucky, 

the Obion River Wildlife Management 

Area and the Tigrett Wildlife 

Management Area in Tennessee; one 

state administered enclave: the John W. 

Kyle State Park in Mississippi; and an 

existing conservation easement crossing 

private land and the Wolf River in 

Fayette County, Tennessee. It would 

cross three Interstate Highways, 19 US 

Highways, 89 State Highways, 397 other 

roads, and 17 rail lines. It would cross 

several waterways including the Ohio 

River, Tennessee River, and 

Cumberland River, as well as the 

Hatchie River and Cypress Creek, both 

of which are classified as Kentucky 

Special Use Waters. This proposed IG– 

Denbury route is the preferred 

alternative. The EIS will also evaluate 

other reasonable route alternatives. 

Alternatives 

In determining the range of reasonable 

alternatives to be considered in the EIS, 

DOE identified alternatives that would 

satisfy the underlying purpose and need 

for agency action. DOE currently plans 

to analyze in detail the project as 

proposed by IG. If appropriate, DOE 

would also analyze alternatives to 

portions of the project that mitigate 

impacts to affected resources. Under the 

no action alternative, DOE would not 

provide the loan guarantee for the 

project and, for purposes of analysis, 

DOE assumes the project would not be 

constructed. 

Notice of Floodplain and Wetland 

Involvement 

This NOI serves as a notice of 

proposed floodplain and/or wetland 

action in accordance with DOE 

floodplain and wetland environmental 

review requirements (10 CFR part 1022). 

The Draft EIS will include a floodplain 

and wetland assessment, and a 

floodplain statement of findings will be 

included in the Final EIS or may be 

issued separately (10 CFR 1022.14(c)). 

Interested parties may comment during 

the 30-day scoping period and will also 

be able to comment on the floodplain 

and wetland assessment when the Draft 

EIS is published. The Final EIS or 

record of decision will include a 

floodplain statement of findings. 

Preliminary Identification of 

Environmental Issues 

The following environmental resource 

areas have been tentatively identified 

for consideration in the EIS. This list is 

neither intended to be all-inclusive nor 

a predetermined set of potential 

environmental impacts: 

• Air quality 

• Greenhouse gas emissions and climate 

change 

• Energy use and production 

• Water resources, including 

groundwater and surface waters 

• Wetlands and floodplains 

• Geological resources 

• Ecological resources, including 

threatened and endangered species 

and species of special concern 

• Cultural resources, including historic 

structures and properties; sites of 

religious and cultural significance to 

Tribes; and archaeological resources 

• Land use 

• Visual resources and aesthetics 

• Transportation and traffic 

• Noise and vibration 

• Hazardous materials and solid waste 

management 

• Human health and safety 

• Accidents and terrorism 

• Socioeconomics, including impacts to 

community services 

• Environmental justice 

DOE invites comments on whether 

other resource areas or potential issues 

should be considered in the EIS. 

Public Scoping Process 

To ensure that all issues related to 

DOE’s proposed action are addressed, 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 121 / Friday, June 22, 2012 / Notices 37663 

DOE seeks public input to define the 

modified scope and content of the EIS 

as described in this Amended NOI, 

specifically the addition of the proposed 

CO2 pipeline to the project. The public 

scoping period will begin with 

publication of this Amended NOI and 

end on July 23, 2012. Interested 

government agencies, private-sector 

organizations, and the general public are 

encouraged to submit comments 

concerning the content of the EIS 

related to the addition of the proposed 

CO2 pipeline, issues and impacts to be 

addressed in the EIS and environmental 

impact mitigation alternatives that 

should be considered. Scoping 

comments should clearly describe 

specific issues or topics that the EIS 

should address to assist DOE in 

identifying significant issues concerning 

the addition of the CO2 pipeline to the 

proposed project. Comments must be 

postmarked or emailed by July 23, 2012 

to ensure consideration. Late comments 

will be considered to the extent 

practicable. 

DOE has coordinated with Federal 

and state agencies in the proposed 

project area, and the United States Army 

Corps of Engineers is a cooperating 

agency for the preparation of this EIS. 

DOE invites any additional agencies 

with jurisdiction by law or special 

expertise to request cooperating agency 

status for the preparation of this EIS. 

The public scoping meetings will be 

announced as described in the DATES

and ADDRESSES sections above. 

Members of the public and 

representatives of groups and Federal, 

state, local, and Tribal agencies are 

invited to attend. The meetings will 

include both a formal opportunity to 

present oral comments and an informal 

session during which DOE and 

personnel from IG will be available for 

discussions. Displays and other 

information about the proposed agency 

action, the EIS process, and the 

proposed project will be available. 

Individuals who wish to make oral 

comments during one of the scoping 

meetings may register at the meeting. To 

ensure that everyone who wishes to 

speak has a turn, DOE may need to limit 

speakers to three to five minutes 

initially, but will provide additional 

opportunities as time permits. Written 

comments may be submitted also to 

DOE officials at the scoping meetings. 

DOE will afford equal consideration to 

all comments whether mailed, emailed, 

or presented at the scoping meetings 

orally or in writing. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 19, 

2012. 

David G. Frantz, 

Acting Executive Director, Loan Programs 

Office. 

[FR Doc. 2012–15374 Filed 6–21–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP12–471–000] 

Northwest Pipeline GP; Notice of 

Application 

Take notice that on June 4, 2011, 

Northwest Pipeline GP (Northwest), 295 

Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 

84108, filed in Docket No. CP12–471– 

000, an application pursuant to sections 

7(b) and 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act and 

Part 157 of the Commission’s 

regulations, requesting abandonment 

approval and a certificate of public 

convenience and necessity authorizing 

Northwest to construct and operate its 

South Seattle Delivery Lateral 

Expansion Project located in King 

County, Washington. Specifically, the 

Project consists of: (i) Abandonment by 

removal of 10-inch diameter pipeline 

segments between mileposts 0.00 and 

2.01 and mileposts 2.16 and 4.0 and 

replacing it with new 16-inch diameter 

pipeline; (ii) abandonment in place of 

approximately 0.15 miles of 10-inch and 

16-inch diameter pipeline and installing 

approximately 0.15 miles of new 16- 

inch diameter pipeline adjacent to the 

existing pipeline; (iii) replacing taps at 

two meter station locations; and (iv) 

installing miscellaneous appurtenances. 

The project will allow Northwest to 

increase natural gas deliveries on the 

South Seattle Lateral by 74,850 Dth/d, 

all as more fully set forth in the 

application, which is on file with the 

Commission and open to public 

inspection. The filing may also be 

viewed on the Web at http:// 

www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. 

Enter the docket number excluding the 

last three digits in the docket number 

field to access the document. For 

assistance, contact FERC at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call 

toll-free, (866) 208–3676 or TTY, (202) 

502–8659. 

Any questions regarding this 

application should be directed to Pam 

Barnes, Manager, Certificates and 

Tariffs, Northwest Pipeline GP, 295 

Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 

84101, telephone no. (801) 584–6857, 

facsimile no. (801) 584–7764, and email: 

pam.j.barnes@williams.com. 

Pursuant to section 157.9 of the 

Commission’s rules, 18 CFR 157.9, 

within 90 days of this Notice the 

Commission staff will either: complete 

its environmental assessment (EA) and 

place it into the Commission’s public 

record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or 

issue a Notice of Schedule for 

Environmental Review. If a Notice of 

Schedule for Environmental Review is 

issued, it will indicate, among other 

milestones, the anticipated date for the 

Commission staff’s issuance of the final 

environmental impact statement (FEIS) 

or EA for this proposal. The filing of the 

EA in the Commission’s public record 

for this proceeding or the issuance of a 

Notice of Schedule for Environmental 

Review will serve to notify federal and 

state agencies of the timing for the 

completion of all necessary reviews, and 

the subsequent need to complete all 

federal authorizations within 90 days of 

the date of issuance of the Commission 

staff’s FEIS or EA. 

There are two ways to become 

involved in the Commission’s review of 

this project. First, any person wishing to 

obtain legal status by becoming a party 

to the proceedings for this project 

should, on or before the comment date 

stated below, file with the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 

First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, 

a motion to intervene in accordance 

with the requirements of the 

Commission’s Rules of Practice and 

Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) 

and the Regulations under the NGA (18 

CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party 

status will be placed on the service list 

maintained by the Secretary of the 

Commission and will receive copies of 

all documents filed by the applicant and 

by all other parties. A party must submit 

7 copies of filings made with the 

Commission and must mail a copy to 

the applicant and to every other party in 

the proceeding. Only parties to the 

proceeding can ask for court review of 

Commission orders in the proceeding. 

However, a person does not have to 

intervene in order to have comments 

considered. The second way to 

participate is by filing with the 

Secretary of the Commission, as soon as 

possible, an original and two copies of 

comments in support of or in opposition 

to this project. The Commission will 

consider these comments in 

determining the appropriate action to be 

taken, but the filing of a comment alone 

will not serve to make the filer a party 

to the proceeding. The Commission’s 

rules require that persons filing 

comments in opposition to the project 

provide copies of their protests only to 

the party or parties directly involved in 

the protest. 


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