Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 77129 

1 In accordance with the Council on 

Environmental Quality’s regulations, the unique 

identification number for documents relating to this 

environmental review is SEIS–019–20–000– 

1726224918. 40 CFR 1502.4(e)(10) (2024). 

2City of Port Isabel v. FERC, 111 F.4th 1198 (D.C. 

Cir. 2024). 

3The Commission approved four discrete route 

adjustments to the Rio Bravo Pipeline Project in 

FERC Docket No. CP23–519–000 (Order Amending 

Certificate issued May 23, 2024). The supplemental 

EIS will analyze the pipeline as amended by these 

route adjustments. 

docks that could accommodate 113 

boats in total. The proposed docks 

conform to the project’s approved 

Shoreline Management Plan. 

m. Locations of the Application: This 

filing may be viewed on the 

Commission’s website 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. You may 

also register online at http://

www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

esubscription.asp to be notified via 

email of new filings and issuances 

related to this or other pending projects. 

For assistance, call 1–866–208–3676 or 

email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for 

TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Agencies may 

obtain copies of the application directly 

from the applicant. 

n. Individuals desiring to be included 

on the Commission’s mailing list should 

so indicate by writing to the Secretary 

of the Commission. 

o. Comments, Protests, or Motions to 

Intervene: Anyone may submit 

comments, a protest, or a motion to 

intervene in accordance with the 

requirements of Rules of Practice and 

Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214, 

respectively. In determining the 

appropriate action to take, the 

Commission will consider all protests or 

other comments filed, but only those 

who file a motion to intervene in 

accordance with the Commission’s 

Rules may become a party to the 

proceeding. Any comments, protests, or 

motions to intervene must be received 

on or before the specified comment date 

for the particular application. 

p. Filing and Service of Documents: 

Any filing must (1) bear in all capital 

letters the title ‘‘COMMENTS’’, 

‘‘PROTEST’’, or ‘‘MOTION TO 

INTERVENE’’ as applicable; (2) set forth 

in the heading the name of the applicant 

and the project number of the 

application to which the filing 

responds; (3) furnish the name, address, 

and telephone number of the person 

commenting, protesting or intervening; 

and (4) otherwise comply with the 

requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 

through 385.2005. All comments, 

motions to intervene, or protests must 

set forth their evidentiary basis. Any 

filing made by an intervenor must be 

accompanied by proof of service on all 

persons listed in the service list 

prepared by the Commission in this 

proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 

385.2010. 

q. 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. 

Dated: September 16, 2024. 

Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 

Acting Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21600 Filed 9–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket Nos. CP16–454–000; CP16–455– 

000; CP20–481–000] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a 

Supplemental Environmental Impact 

Statement for the Proposed Rio 

Grande LNG, LLC and Rio Bravo 

Pipeline Company, LLC Rio Grande 

LNG Terminal and Rio Bravo Pipeline 

Project, Request for Comments on 

Environmental Issues, and Schedule 

for Environmental Review 

The staff of the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (FERC or 

Commission) will prepare a 

supplemental environmental impact 

statement (supplemental EIS) that will 

discuss the environmental impacts of 

the Rio Grande LNG and Rio Bravo 

Pipeline Projects involving construction 

and operation of facilities by Rio Grande 

LNG, LLC and Rio Bravo Pipeline 

Company, LLC.1 On August 6, 2024, the 

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of 

Columbia Circuit issued an opinion 

vacating and remanding the 

Commission’s November 22, 2019 Order 

Granting Authorizations Under Sections 

3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act and its 

April 23, 2023 Order on Remand and 

Amending Section 7 Certificate that 

approved the liquefied natural gas 

(LNG) terminal and pipeline project, 

including a pipeline amendment in 

FERC Docket No. CP20–481–000.2 On 

remand, the Commission will consider 

whether to grant a Natural Gas Act 

(NGA) section 3(a) authorization for the 

Rio Grande LNG Terminal and an NGA 

section 7(c) certificate of public 

convenience and necessity for the Rio 

Bravo Pipeline Project.3 The schedule 

for preparation of the supplemental EIS 

is discussed in the Schedule for 

Environmental Review section of this 

notice. 

The Commission must determine 

whether to authorize the projects under 

the NGA, taking into consideration the 

factors discussed in the court’s decision. 

The supplemental EIS will tier off 

Commission staff’s analysis and 

conclusions as documented in staff’s 

April 26, 2019 final EIS for the projects. 

The focus of the supplemental EIS will 

be the issues identified by the court as 

requiring further analyses (i.e., 

environmental justice impacts, air 

quality, and alternatives). The 

Commission will use this supplemental 

EIS in its decision-making process to 

determine whether to authorize the Rio 

Grande LNG and Rio Bravo Pipeline 

Projects in light of the court’s vacatur 

and remand. 

As part of the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) review process, the 

Commission takes into account 

concerns the public may have about 

proposals and the environmental 

impacts that could result from its action 

whenever it considers the issuance of an 

authorization. This notice announces 

the opening of the scoping process the 

Commission will use to gather input 

from the public and interested agencies 

regarding the issues that will be 

analyzed in the supplemental EIS. 

Additional information about the 

Commission’s NEPA process is 

described below in the NEPA Process 

and the Supplemental EIS section of 

this notice. 

By this notice, the Commission 

requests public comments on the scope 

of issues to address in the supplemental 

EIS. To ensure that your comments are 

timely and properly recorded, please 

submit your comments so that the 

Commission receives them in 

Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m. 

Eastern Time on October 15, 2024. 

Comments may be submitted in written 

form. Further details on how to submit 

comments are provided in the Public 

Participation section of this notice. 

If you are a landowner receiving this 

notice, a pipeline company 

representative may contact you about 

the acquisition of an easement to 

construct, operate, and maintain the 

proposed facilities. The company would 

seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 


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77130 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 

4Eminent domain does not apply to the NGA 

section 3 facilities. 

5The appendices referenced in this notice will 

not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the 

appendices were sent to all those receiving this 

notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov 

using the link called ‘‘eLibrary.’’ For instructions on 

connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this 

notice. For assistance, contact FERC at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll free, (886) 

208–3676 or TTY (202) 502–8659. 6For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer 

to the last page of this notice. 

easement agreement. You are not 

required to enter into an agreement. 

However, if the Commission approves 

the project, section 7 of the NGA 

conveys the right of eminent domain to 

the company.4 Therefore, if you and the 

company do not reach an easement 

agreement, the pipeline company could 

initiate condemnation proceedings in 

court. In such instances, compensation 

would be determined by a judge in 

accordance with state law. The 

Commission does not grant, exercise, or 

oversee the exercise of eminent domain 

authority. The courts have exclusive 

authority to handle eminent domain 

cases; the Commission has no 

jurisdiction over these matters. 

Public Participation 

There are three methods you can use 

to submit your comments to the 

Commission. The Commission 

encourages electronic filing of 

comments and has staff available to 

assist you at (866) 208–3676 or 

FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please 

carefully follow these instructions so 

that your comments are properly 

recorded. 

(1) You can file your comments 

electronically using the eComment 

feature, which is located on the 

Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) 

under the link to FERC Online. Using 

eComment is an easy method for 

submitting brief, text-only comments on 

a project; 

(2) You can file your comments 

electronically by using the eFiling 

feature, which is also located on the 

Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) 

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 

will be asked to select the type of filing 

you are making; a comment on a 

particular project is considered a 

‘‘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 numbers (CP16–454–000; 

CP16–455–000; and/or CP20–481–000) 

on your letter. Submissions sent via the 

U.S. Postal Service must be addressed 

to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting 

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, MD 20852. 

Additionally, the Commission offers a 

free service called eSubscription. This 

service provides automatic notification 

of filings made to subscribed dockets, 

document summaries, and direct links 

to the documents. Go to https://

www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to 

register for eSubscription. 

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. 

Summary of the Proposed Projects 

Rio Grande LNG, LLC’s stated 

purpose for the Rio Grande LNG 

Terminal is to develop, own, operate, 

and maintain an LNG export facility in 

south Texas to export 27 million tons 

per annum (MTPA) of LNG that 

provides an additional source of firm, 

long-term, and competitively priced 

LNG to the global market. Rio Bravo 

Pipeline Company, LLC’s stated purpose 

for the Rio Bravo Pipeline Project is to 

develop, own, operate, and maintain a 

natural gas pipeline system to access 

natural gas from the Agua Dulce Hub for 

delivery at the Rio Grande LNG 

Terminal. 

The Rio Grande LNG Terminal would 

consist of five natural gas liquefaction 

trains, each with a nominal capacity of 

5.4 MTPA; four LNG storage tanks; two 

LNG carrier loading berths; one 1,500- 

foot-diameter turning basin; LNG truck 

loading and unloading facilities with 

four loading bays; two natural gas 

liquids truck loading bays; and other 

administrative, maintenance, and 

support facilities. As amended, the Rio 

Bravo Pipeline Project would include: a 

2.4-mile-long header system; 

approximately 136 miles of parallel 48- 

and 42-inch-diameter mainline 

pipelines; one compressor station; four 

metering sites; and other appurtenant 

facilities. The general location of the 

project facilities is shown in appendix 

1.5

Based on the environmental analysis 

in the April 26, 2019 final EIS, 

construction and installation of facilities 

for the projects would require temporary 

disturbance of about 3,633.2 acres of 

land. Following construction, the LNG 

terminal site and pipeline facilities 

would encompass about 2,149.2 acres. 

The remaining 1,484.0 acres would 

return to pre-construction conditions 

and uses. Incorporation of the Rio Bravo 

Pipeline Amendment (Docket No. 

CP20–481–000) resulted in a decrease of 

48.2 acres of land, while the Rio Bravo 

Pipeline Route Amendment (Docket No. 

CP23–519–000) added approximately 

123.3 acres to the overall footprint of the 

Rio Bravo Pipeline Project. 

The NEPA Process and the 

Supplemental EIS 

In order to address the court’s August 

6, 2024 remand, Commission staff will 

supplement the analysis from the 2019 

final EIS. As noted above, the focus of 

the supplemental EIS will be the issues 

identified by the court as requiring 

further analysis. Specifically, the 

supplemental EIS will include: (1) an 

updated analysis of the environmental 

justice impacts associated with the 

construction and operation of the Rio 

Grande LNG Terminal and the Rio 

Bravo Pipeline Project; (2) a revised 

analysis of air quality impacts resulting 

from construction and operational 

emissions; and (3) an updated 

alternatives analysis, including carbon 

capture and sequestration. 

Commission staff will also make 

recommendations on how to lessen or 

avoid the impacts analyzed in the 

supplemental EIS. Your comments will 

help Commission staff focus its analysis 

on the issues that may have a significant 

effect on the human environment. 

The supplemental EIS will present 

Commission staff’s independent 

analysis of the issues. Staff will prepare 

a draft supplemental EIS which will be 

issued for public comment. Commission 

staff will consider all timely comments 

received during the comment period on 

the draft supplemental EIS and revise 

the document, as necessary, before 

issuing a final supplemental EIS. Any 

draft and final supplemental EIS will be 

available in electronic format in the 

public record through eLibrary 6 and the 

Commission’s natural gas 

environmental documents web page 

(https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/ 

natural-gas/environment/ 

environmental-documents). If 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 77131 

7 40 CFR 1508.1(z) 

8The Commission’s deadline applies to the 

decisions of other federal agencies, and state 

agencies acting under federally delegated authority, 

that are responsible for federal authorizations, 

permits, and other approvals necessary for 

proposed projects under the NGA. Per 18 CFR 

157.22(a), the Commission’s deadline for other 

agency’s decisions applies unless a schedule is 

otherwise established by federal law. 

9 40 CFR 1501.10(h) (2024). 

eSubscribed, you will receive instant 

email notification when the 

environmental document is issued. 

Alternatives Under Consideration 

This supplemental EIS will evaluate 

reasonable alternatives that are 

technically and economically feasible 

and meet the purpose and need for the 

proposed action.7 Alternatives currently 

under consideration include: 

• the no-action alternative, meaning 

the project is not implemented; and 

• carbon capture and sequestration. 

With this notice, the Commission 

requests specific comments regarding 

any additional potential alternatives to 

the proposed action. Please focus your 

comments on reasonable alternatives 

(including alternative facility sites and 

pipeline routes not previously analyzed) 

that meet the project objectives, are 

technically and economically feasible, 

and avoid or lessen environmental 

impact. 

Schedule for Environmental Review 

This notice identifies the Commission 

staff’s planned schedule for completion 

of the final supplemental EIS for the 

projects, which is based on an issuance 

of the draft supplemental EIS in March 

2025, opening a 45-day comment 

period. 

Issuance of Notice of Availability of the 

final supplemental EIS—July 31, 2025 

90-day Federal Authorization Decision 

Deadline 8—October 29, 2025 

In accordance with the Council on 

Environmental Quality’s regulations, for 

EISs, agencies are to make schedules for 

completing the NEPA process publicly 

available.9 This notice identifies the 

Commission’s anticipated schedule for 

issuance of the final order for the 

projects, which serves as the 

Commission’s record of decision. We 

currently anticipate issuing a final order 

for the projects no later than: 

Issuance of Final Order—November 20, 

2025 

If a schedule change becomes 

necessary, an additional notice will be 

provided so that the relevant agencies 

are kept informed of the project’s 

progress. 

Environmental Mailing List 

This notice is being sent to the 

Commission’s current environmental 

mailing list for the projects which 

includes federal, state, and local 

government representatives and 

agencies; elected officials; 

environmental and public interest 

groups; Native American Tribes; other 

interested parties; and local libraries 

and newspapers. This list also includes 

all affected landowners (as defined in 

the Commission’s regulations) who are 

potential right-of-way grantors, whose 

property may be used temporarily for 

project purposes, or who own homes 

within certain distances of aboveground 

facilities, and anyone who submits 

comments on the project and includes a 

mailing address with their comments. 

Commission staff will update the 

environmental mailing list as the 

analysis proceeds to ensure that 

Commission notices related to this 

environmental review are sent to all 

individuals, organizations, and 

government entities interested in and/or 

potentially affected by the projects. 

If you need to make changes to your 

name/address, or if you would like to 

remove your name from the mailing list, 

please complete one of the following 

steps: 

(1) Send an email to 

GasProjectAddressChange@ferc.gov 

stating your request. You must include 

the docket number (i.e., CP16–454–000; 

CP16–455–000; and/or CP20–481–000) 

in your request. If you are requesting a 

change to your address, please be sure 

to include your name and the correct 

address. If you are requesting to delete 

your address from the mailing list, 

please include your name and address 

as it appeared on this notice. This email 

address is unable to accept comments. 

OR 

(2) Return the attached ‘‘Mailing List 

Update Form’’ (appendix 2). 

Additional Information 

Additional information about the 

projects is available from the 

Commission’s Office of External Affairs, 

at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC 

website at www.ferc.gov using the 

eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, 

click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the 

docket number in the ‘‘Docket Number’’ 

field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., 

CP16–454, CP16–455, or CP20–481). Be 

sure you have selected an appropriate 

date range. For assistance, please 

contact FERC Online Support at 

FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or (866) 

208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 

502–8659. The eLibrary link also 

provides access to the texts of all formal 

documents issued by the Commission, 

such as orders, notices, and 

rulemakings. 

Public sessions or site visits will be 

posted on the Commission’s calendar 

located at https://www.ferc.gov/newsevents/events along with other related 

information. 

Dated: September 13, 2024. 

Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 

Acting Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21475 Filed 9–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Privacy Act of 1974; System of 

Records 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission (FERC), DOE. 

ACTION: Notice of a Modified System of 

Records. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Privacy Act of 1974, all agencies are 

required to publish in the Federal 

Register a notice of their systems of 

records. Notice is hereby given that the 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

(FERC) is publishing a notice of 

modifications to an existing FERC 

system of records titled ‘‘Commission 

Labor and Employee Relations Case 

Files (FERC–15)’’. 

DATES: Comments on this modified 

system of records must be received no 

later than 30 days after the date of 

publication in the Federal Register. If 

no public comment is received during 

the period allowed for comment or 

unless otherwise published in the 

Federal Register by FERC, the modified 

system of records will become effective 

a minimum of 30 days after date of 

publication in the Federal Register. If 

FERC receives public comments, FERC 

shall review the comments to determine 

whether any changes to the notice are 

necessary. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted in writing to Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street 

NE, Washington, DC 20426 or 

electronically to privacy@ferc.gov. 

Comments should indicate that they are 

submitted in response to ‘‘Commission 

Labor and Employee Relations Case 

Files (FERC–15)’’. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mittal Desai, Chief Information Officer & 

Senior Agency Official for Privacy, 

Office of the Executive Director, Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 


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