Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 27931

application for approval of a ground

water withdrawal project to supply up

to 21 million gallons (mg)/30 days of

water to the applicant’s distribution

system from existing Well Nos. 2 and 4,

and to limit the withdrawal from all

wells to 21 mg/30 days. The project is

located in Camden-Wyoming, Kent

County, Delaware.

Documents relating to this item may

be examined at the Commission’s

offices. A preliminary docket is

available upon request. Please contact

Thomas L. Brand at (609) 883–9500 ext.

221 concerning docket-related

questions. Persons wishing to testify at

this hearing are requested to register

with the Secretary at (609) 883–9500

ext. 203 prior to the hearing.

Dated: May 12, 1998.

Susan M. Weisman,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–13572 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6360–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands

Involvement of Bayou Choctaw

Pipeline Extension to Placid Refinery,

Iberville and West Baton Rouge

Parishes, Louisiana

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy

(DOE) hereby provides notice that the

proposed construction of an

approximately 16-mile crude oil

pipeline segment to connect the existing

DOE-owned Bayou Choctaw pipeline in

Iberville Parish, Louisiana, to the Placid

Oil Refinery in Port Allen, West Baton

Rouge Parish, Louisiana, would occur in

a 100-year floodplain and would

involve wetlands. Pursuant to 10 CFR

Part 1022, DOE will prepare a

floodplain and wetlands assessment

which will be incorporated in an

environmental assessment (EA) being

prepared in accordance with the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA).

DATES: Written comments should be

postmarked or transmitted

electronically or by facsimile by June 5,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments,

questions about the proposed action,

and requests to review the draft EA

should be directed to Mr. Hal Delaplane,

Strategic Petroleum Reserve (FE–42),

U.S. Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585, Telephone (202)

586–4730, Fax (202) 586–7919, E-mail =

hal.delaplane@hq.doe.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GENERAL

DOE FLOODPLAIN AND WETLANDS

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS,

CONTACT: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director,

Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance

(EH–42), U.S. Department of Energy,

1000 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585, Telephone (202)

586–4600 or (800) 472–2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under

Executive Order 11988, Floodplain

Management, and 10 CFR Part 1022,

Compliance with Floodplain-Wetlands

Environmental Review Requirements

(http://tis-nt.eh.doe.gov/nepa/tools/

regulate/nepalreg/1022/1022.htm),

notice is given that DOE is considering

a request from Shell Pipe Line

Corporation (Shell) to amend Shell’s

lease of DOE’s Bayou Choctaw crude oil

pipeline. Shell has asked for the change

to enable it to construct its own 16-mile

pipeline from a tie-in to the DOE

pipeline at the Strategic Petroleum

Reserve Bayou Choctaw Facility in

Iberville Parish, Louisiana, to the Placid

Oil Refinery near Port Allen, West Baton

Rouge Parish, Louisiana. This project

would not occur within the Coastal

Zone of Louisiana but would be within

a 100-year floodplain and would

involve wetlands.

Before it approves Shell’s request,

DOE will prepare an EA of the

construction and operation of the

extended Bayou Choctaw pipeline to

Placid Refinery pursuant to 10 CFR Part

1021, DOE NEPA Implementing

Procedures (http://tis-nt.eh.doe.gov/

nepa/tools/regulate/nepalreg /1021

/nepa1021.htm). Shell has also applied

to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

(USACE), New Orleans District, for a

construction permit pursuant to Section

404 of the Clean Water Act. DOE is

coordinating its NEPA compliance

process with the USACE permit process

(33 CFR Parts 320–330, http://

ceres.ca.gov/wetlands/permitting/404/

corpslpermitlregulations.html).

The 24-inch steel pipeline would be

constructed in existing pipeline and

utility corridors for all but about 2 miles

of its length. As shown in the map

below, about 7.7 miles of the proposed

route is within the 100-year floodplain.

The pipeline would cross sugarcane

fields and about 8.5 miles of forested

wetlands. About 86 acres of bottomland

hardwoods would be impacted.

Push-site construction would be used

in wetland areas. The pipeline would be

directionally drilled under the

Intracoastal Waterway and Interstate 10.

Eight additional road crossings and two

railroad crossings would be by slick

bore or directional drill. Crossings of

Bayou Bourbeaux and six drainage

canals would be by open cut trench or

directional drill.

In accordance with DOE regulations

for compliance with floodplain and

wetlands environmental review

requirements (10 CFR Part 1022), DOE

will prepare a floodplain and wetlands

assessment for this proposed action. The

assessment will be incorporated in the

EA being prepared for the proposed

project in accordance with NEPA. DOE

expects to have a draft of the EA

available for public review in June 1998.

Copies may be requested by telephone,

facsimile, or e-mail from the address

given above. A floodplain statement of

findings will be included in any finding

of no significant impact that is issued

following completion of the EA or may

be issued separately.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 1, 1998.

Robert S. Keipowing,

Acting, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.

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27932 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices

[FR Doc. 98–13589 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

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