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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 40 (Monday, March 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11189-11192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04206]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF15-7-000]

Eagle LNG Partners Jacksonville LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Jacksonville Project, 
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meeting

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will develop an environmental impact statement (EIS) 
examining the potential environmental effects of the Jacksonville 
Project

[[Page 11190]]

(Project) involving the construction and operation of a liquefied 
natural gas (LNG) production, storage, and export facility at a site on 
the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The Commission will use 
this EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether to 
authorize the Project.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the Project. Your input will help the Commission staff 
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EIS. Please note 
that the scoping period will close on March 26, 2015.
    You may submit comments in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. If you sent comments on this 
Project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on November 
26, 2014, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. PF15-7-000 
to ensure they are considered as part of this proceeding. In lieu of or 
in addition to sending written comments, the Commission invites you to 
attend the public scoping meeting scheduled as follows: FERC Public 
Scoping Meeting, Jacksonville Project, March 12, 2015; 7:00 p.m. EST, 
Jacksonville Public Library, 303 North Laura Street, Jacksonville, FL 
32202.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this Project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned 
Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    The purpose of this scoping meeting is to provide the public an 
opportunity to learn more about the Commission's environmental review 
process, and to verbally comment on the Project. The scoping meeting 
will start at 7 p.m. and representatives from Eagle LNG will be present 
one hour prior to the start of the meeting to answer questions about 
the Project. Additionally, Eagle LNG has established an Internet Web 
site at http://www.eaglelng.com/jacksonville-project/ that will be 
updated as the environmental review of its Project proceeds. Please 
note that free parking will be available at the Duval Street Parking 
Garage, located at 33 W. Duval Street. Metered street parking will also 
be available, and is free after 6 p.m.
    Affected landowners and interested groups and individuals are 
encouraged to attend the scoping meetings and present comments on the 
issues they believe should be addressed in the EIS. A transcript of the 
meeting will be added to the Commission's administrative record to 
ensure that your comments are accurately recorded.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses 
a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent 
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.

Summary of the Planned Project

    Eagle LNG proposes to construct, own and operate the Jacksonville 
LNG facility located within the City of Jacksonville, Florida, on 
industrially zoned land adjacent to the St. Johns River.
    The facility would receive domestically produced natural gas, 
transported through existing and expanded local utility pipelines, and 
utilize super-cooling to create LNG for temporary onsite storage. The 
Project would include three liquefaction trains, one (possibly two) LNG 
storage tanks, and a marine load-out facility and dock on the St. Johns 
River that could accommodate small to mid-size LNG vessels and 
bunkering barges. LNG would be periodically loaded for transport onto 
trucks, containers, or ocean-going vessels, and marketed for use in 
U.S. vehicular and high-horsepower engines, domestic ship fueling 
(marine bunkering), and international export.
    As currently planned, the Jacksonville Project would consist of the 
following facilities:
     Three liquefaction trains, each with a capacity of 0.18 
million tons per annum;
     inlet natural gas boost compression;
     interconnect piping (including potential non-
jurisdictional expansion of existing public utility lines);
     one 30,283 cubic meter (m\3\) single containment LNG 
storage tank;
     an LNG vessel docking and loading terminal;
     an LNG truck loading area;
     flare stack; and
     power, water, and communications facilities (including 
off-site non-jurisdictional facilities leading to the Project site).
    The general location of the Project site is shown in Appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The 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'' or from the 
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on 
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    The planned Jacksonville Project would encompass a 193 acre site 
along the St. Johns River that is currently zoned for industrial 
development by the City of Jacksonville, and located in an area that 
hosts other bulk fuel terminals. The Project site includes a submerged 
land lease covering lands extending approximately 600 feet from the 
shoreline into the St. Johns River. Based on the Project's initial 
design, the facility construction footprint would occupy approximately 
40 of the 193 acres; laydown area requirements during construction are 
included within the 40-acres. Eagle LNG is still in the planning phase 
for the Jacksonville Project and the required property title 
assignments have not been finalized.

The EIS Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from an action whenever it considers the authorization of LNG 
facilities under Section 3a of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires 
us \2\ to discover and address concerns the public may have about 
proposals. This process is referred to as scoping. The main goal of the 
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on the important 
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EIS. We will 
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EIS.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EIS we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned Project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     land use;
     water resources and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation, fisheries, and wildlife;
     socioeconomics;
     air quality and noise;
     endangered and threatened species;
     public safety and reliability; and
     cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned Project 
or portions of the Project, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the

[[Page 11191]]

pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement of interested 
stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before the FERC 
receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we have 
begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their 
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EIS. In 
addition, representatives from the FERC participated in the public open 
house sponsored by Eagle LNG in Jacksonville, Florida in January 2015 
to explain the environmental review process and answer questions to 
interested stakeholders.
    The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We 
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the 
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the 
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure we have 
the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully 
follow the instructions in the Public Participation section beginning 
on page 6 of this notice.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this Project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EIS.\3\ Agencies that would like to request 
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this 
notice. Currently, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE), and the Florida Department of Environmental 
Protection (FDEP) have expressed their intention to participate as 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS.
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    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
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Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation 
with the Florida State Division of Historical Resources (State Historic 
Preservation Office (SHPO)), and to solicit its views and those of 
other government agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the public on 
the Project's potential effects on historic properties.\4\ We will 
define the project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in 
consultation with the SHPO as the Project develops. On natural gas 
facility projects, the APE at a minimum encompasses all areas subject 
to ground disturbance (examples include construction area, contractor 
storage yards, and access roads). Our EIS for this Project will 
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and 
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations 
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register for Historic 
Places.
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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and 
the environmental information provided by Eagle LNG. This preliminary 
list of issues may change based on your comments and our continued 
analysis. Issued identified include:
     Potential impacts on recreational fishing and aquatic 
resources in the vicinity of Bartram Island and along the St Johns 
River Shipping Channel;
     potential water quality impact from dredging and disposal;
     visual effects on surrounding areas;
     public safety and hazards associated with the transport of 
natural gas and LNG; and
     potential impacts and potential benefits of construction 
workforce on local housing, infrastructure, public services, and 
economy.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the Project. Your comments should focus on 
the 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 your 
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so 
that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before March 
26, 2015. This is not your only public input opportunity; please refer 
to the Environmental Review Process flowchart in Appendix 2.
    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
Project docket number (PF15-7-000) with your submission. The Commission 
encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert staff available 
to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or [email protected].
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
(http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp) feature located on the 
Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and 
Filings (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp). This is an 
easy method for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments 
on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically using the eFiling 
(http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp) feature located on the 
Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and 
Filings. 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.'' (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/eregistration.asp). 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 following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 
20426.

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list 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. We will update the environmental mailing list 
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related 
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and 
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the 
planned Project.
    Copies of the completed draft EIS will be sent to the environmental 
mailing list for public review and comment. If you would prefer to 
receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD version or would 
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return the 
attached Information Request (Appendix 3).

[[Page 11192]]

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Eagle LNG files its application with the Commission, you may 
want to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the 
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the 
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard 
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. 
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a 
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in 
the ``Document-less Intervention Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on 
the Commission's Web site. Motions to intervene are more fully 
described at http://www.ferc.gov/help/how-to/intervene.asp. Please note 
that the Commission will not accept requests for intervenor status at 
this time. You must wait until the Commission receives a formal 
application for the Project.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the Project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the 
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number, 
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., PF15-
7). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the 
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, 
notices, and rulemakings.
    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 http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

     Dated: February 24, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-04206 Filed 2-27-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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