61152 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 202 / Thursday, October 20, 2005 / Notices 

Consideration of a deepwater port 

license application includes review of 

the proposed deepwater port’s natural 

and human environmental impacts. The 

Coast Guard is the lead agency for 

determining the scope of this review, 

and in this case the Coast Guard has 

determined that review must include 

preparation of an EIS. This notice of 

intent is required by 40 CFR 1508.22, 

and briefly describes the proposed 

action and possible alternatives and our 

proposed scoping process. You can 

address any questions about the 

proposed action, the scoping process, or 

the EIS to the Coast Guard project 

manager identified in FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Proposed Action and Alternatives 

The proposed action requiring 

environmental review is the Federal 

licensing of the proposed deepwater 

port described in ‘‘Summary of the 

Application’’ below. The alternatives to 

licensing the proposed port are: (1) 

Licensing with conditions (including 

conditions designed to mitigate 

environmental impact), and (2) denying 

the application, which for purposes of 

environmental review is the ‘‘no-action’’

alternative. 

Scoping Process 

Public scoping is an early and open 

process for identifying and determining 

the scope of issues to be addressed in 

the EIS. Scoping begins with this notice, 

continues through the public comment 

period (see DATES), and ends when the 

Coast Guard has completed the 

following actions: 

• Invites the participation of Federal, 

State, and local agencies, any affected 

Indian tribe, the applicant, and other 

interested persons; 

• Determines the actions, alternatives, 

and impacts described in 40 CFR 

1508.25; 

• Identifies and eliminates from 

detailed study those issues that are not 

significant or that have been covered 

elsewhere; 

• Allocates responsibility for 

preparing EIS components; 

• Indicates any related environmental 

assessments or environmental impact 

statements that are not part of the EIS; 

• Identifies other relevant 

environmental review and consultation 

requirements; 

• Indicates the relationship between 

timing of the environmental review and 

other aspects of the application process; 

and 

• At its discretion, exercises the 

options provided in 40 CFR 1501.7(b). 

Once the scoping process is complete, 

the Coast Guard will prepare a draft EIS, 

and we will publish a Federal Register 

notice announcing its public 

availability. (If you want that notice to 

be sent to you, please contact the Coast 

Guard project manager identified in FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.) You 

will have an opportunity to review and 

comment on the draft EIS. The Coast 

Guard will consider those comments 

and then prepare the final EIS. As with 

the draft EIS, we will announce the 

availability of the final EIS and once 

again give you an opportunity for 

review and comment. 

Summary of the Application 

Neptune LNG, L.L.C. proposes to 

construct, own and operate a deepwater 

port, named Neptune, in the Federal 

waters of the Outer Continental Shelf on 

blocks NK 19–04 6525 and NK 19–04 

6575, approximately 22 miles northeast 

of Boston, Massachusetts, and 

approximately 7 miles south-southeast 

of Gloucester, Massachusetts, in a water 

depth of approximately 250 feet. The 

Neptune deepwater port would be 

capable of mooring up to two 

approximately 140,000 cubic meter 

capacity LNG carriers by means of a 

submerged unloading buoy system. 

The LNG carriers, or shuttle 

regasification vessels (SRVs), would be 

equipped to store, transport and 

vaporize LNG, and to odorize and meter 

natural gas which would then be sent 

out by conventional subsea pipelines. 

Each SRV would have insulated storage 

tanks located within its hull. Each tank 

would be equipped with an in-tank 

pump to circulate and transfer LNG to 

the vaporization facilities located on the 

deck of the SRV. The proposed 

vaporization system would be closedloop water-glycol, re-circulating heat 

exchangers heated by steam from boiloff gas/vaporized LNG-fired boilers. 

The major fixed components of the 

proposed deepwater port would be an 

unloading buoy system, eight mooring 

lines consisting of wire rope and chain 

connecting to anchor points on the 

seabed, eight suction pile anchor points, 

approximately 2.5 miles of natural gas 

flow line with flexible pipe risers and 

risers manifolds, and approximately 11 

miles of 24-inch natural gas 

transmission line with a hot tap and 

transition manifold to connect to the 

existing Algonquin HublineSM. 

Neptune would have an average 

throughput capacity of 400 million 

standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) 

and a peak capacity of approximately 

750 MMscfd. Natural gas would be sent 

out by means of two flexible risers and 

a subsea flowline leading to a 24-inch 

gas transmission line. These risers and 

flow line would connect the deepwater 

port to the existing 30-inch Algonquin 

HublineSM. No onshore components or 

storage facilities are associated with the 

proposed deepwater port application. 

Construction of the deepwater port 

components would be expected to take 

36 months, with a startup of commercial 

operations in late 2009. The deepwater 

port would be designed, constructed 

and operated in accordance with 

applicable codes and standards and 

would have an expected operating life 

of approximately 20 years. 

In addition, pipelines within the 

three-mile limit require an Army Corps 

of Engineers (USACE) permit under 

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and 

Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors 

Act. Structures such as the moorings 

and lateral pipelines beyond the threemile limit require a Section 10 permit. 

As required by their regulations, the 

USACE will maintain a permit file. The 

USACE New England District phone 

number is 978–318–8338 and their Web 

site is http://www.nae.usace.army.mil. 

The new pipeline will be included in 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) review as part of the deepwater 

port application process. The USACE, as 

a cooperating agency, will assist in the 

NEPA process as described in 40 CFR 

1501.6; will be participating in the 

scoping meetings; and will conduct 

joint public meetings with the Coast 

Guard and MARAD when the draft EIS 

is released for public comment. 

Comments sent to the USACE will also 

be incorporated into the DOT docket 

and EIS to ensure consistency with the 

NEPA Process. 

Dated: October 13, 2005. 

Howard L. Hime, 

Acting Director of Standards, Marine Safety, 

Security, and Environmental Protection, U.S. 

Coast Guard. 

H. Keith Lesnick, 

Senior Transportation Specialist, Deepwater 

Ports Program Manager, U.S. Maritime 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 05–21007 Filed 10–19–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

[USCG–2005–22702] 

National Boating Safety Advisory 

Council 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of meetings. 

SUMMARY: The National Boating Safety 

Advisory Council (NBSAC) and its 

subcommittees on boats and associated 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 202 / Thursday, October 20, 2005 / Notices 61153 

equipment, aftermarket marine 

equipment, and prevention through 

people will meet to discuss various 

issues relating to recreational boating 

safety. All meetings will be open to the 

public. 

DATES: NBSAC will meet on Saturday, 

November 12, 2005, from 1 p.m. to 5 

p.m., on Monday, November 14, 2005, 

from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on 

Tuesday, November 15, 2005, from 8:30 

a.m. to 12 noon. The Prevention 

Through People Subcommittee will 

meet on Sunday, November 13, 2005, 

from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The Boats 

and Associated Equipment 

Subcommittee will meet on Sunday, 

November 13, 2005, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 

p.m. The Recreational Boating Safety 

Strategic Planning Subcommittee will 

meet on Monday, November 14, 2005, 

from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. These 

meetings may close early if all business 

is finished. On Sunday, November 13, a 

Subcommittee meeting may start earlier 

if the preceding Subcommittee meeting 

has closed early. Written material and 

requests to make oral presentations 

should reach the Coast Guard on or 

before Tuesday, October 25, 2005. 

Requests to have a copy of your material 

distributed to each member of the 

committee or subcommittees in advance 

of the meeting should reach the Coast 

Guard on or before Tuesday, October 25, 

2005. 

ADDRESSES: NBSAC will meet at the 

Crowne Plaza, 1480 Jefferson Davis 

Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. The 

subcommittee meetings will be held at 

the same address. Send written material 

and requests to make oral presentations 

to Ms. Jeanne Timmons, Executive 

Director of NBSAC, Commandant (G–

OPB–1), telephone 202–267–1077, U.S. 

Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second 

Street SW., Washington, DC 20593–

0001. This notice is available on the 

Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or at the 

Web site for the Office of Boating Safety 

at URL address www.uscgboating.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Jeanne Timmons, Executive Director of 

NBSAC, telephone 202–267–1077, fax 

202–267–4285. You may obtain a copy 

of this notice by calling the U.S. Coast 

Guard Infoline at 1–800–368–5647. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of 

these meetings is given under the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2. 

Tentative Agendas of Meetings 

National Boating Safety Advisory 

Council (NBSAC). The agenda includes 

the following: 

(1) Remarks—Rear Admiral Gary T. 

Blore, Director of Operations Policy and 

Council Sponsor. 

(2) Swearing in of recent appointees 

(includes new members and continued 

members). 

(2) Chief, Office of Boating Safety 

Update on NBSAC Resolutions and 

Recreational Boating Safety Program 

report. 

(3) Executive Director’s report. 

(4) Chairman’s session. 

(5) Report from TSAC Liaison. 

(6) Report from NAVSAC Liaison. 

(7) Coast Guard Auxiliary report. 

(8) National Association of State 

Boating Law Administrators Report. 

(9) Wallop Breaux reauthorization 

update. 

(10) National Transportation Safety 

Board report. 

(11) Update on Personal Flotation 

Devices (PFDs) on the market for 

children, including Swimsuit Style 

(12) Prevention Through People 

Subcommittee report. 

(13) Boats and Associated Equipment 

Subcommittee report. 

(14) Recreational Boating Safety 

Strategic Planning Subcommittee report. 

Prevention Through People 

Subcommittee. The agenda includes the 

following: Discuss current projects and 

new issues impacting prevention 

through people. 

Boats and Associated Equipment 

Subcommittee. The agenda includes the 

following: Discuss current projects and 

new issues impacting boats and 

associated equipment. 

Recreational Boating Safety Strategic 

Planning Subcommittee. The agenda 

includes the following: Discuss current 

projects and new issues impacting 

Recreational Boating Safety Strategic 

Planning. 

Procedural 

All meetings are open to the public. 

At the Chairs’ discretion, members of 

the public may make oral presentations 

during the meetings. If you would like 

to make an oral presentation at a 

meeting, please notify the Executive 

Director of your request no later than 

Tuesday, October 25, 2005. Written 

material for distribution at a meeting 

should reach the Coast Guard no later 

than Tuesday, October 25, 2005. If you 

would like a copy of your material 

distributed to each member of the 

committee or subcommittee in advance 

of a meeting, please submit 25 copies to 

the Executive Director no later than 

Tuesday, October 25, 2005. 

Information on Services for Individuals 

With Disabilities 

For information on facilities or 

services for individuals with disabilities 

or to request special assistance at the 

meetings, contact the Executive Director 

as soon as possible. 

Dated: October 14, 2005. 

James M. Hass, 

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Director 

of Operations Policy. 

[FR Doc. 05–21008 Filed 10–19–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

Amendment of an Incidental Take 

Permit and the 1997 Habitat 

Conservation Plan for Kern County 

Waste Facilities, Kern County, CA 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 

Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 

advises the public that we intend to 

gather information necessary to prepare, 

in coordination with the Kern County 

Waste Management Department 

(KCWMD), a joint Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement/Environmental 

Impact Report (EIS/EIR) on the 

Amendment to the Kern County Waste 

Facilities Habitat Conservation Plan and 

permit number 830963 (Amendment 1). 

Amendment 1 is being prepared under 

Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973, as amended, (ESA). 

Amendment 1 addresses potential take 

of threatened and endangered species at 

Kern County waste facilities due to the 

proposed expansion of the permit area, 

new covered activities, and an increase 

in the number of species covered by 

Permit 830963. The term of Permit 

830963 shall remain at 50 years, 

expiring in 2047. KCWMD intends to 

request an ESA permit amendment for 

5 species federally listed as threatened 

or endangered and 14 unlisted species 

that may become listed during the term 

of the permit. 

The Service provides this notice to: 

(1) Describe the proposed action and 

possible alternatives; (2) advise other 

Federal and State agencies, affected 

Tribes, and the public of our intent to 

prepare an EIS/EIR; (3) announce the 

initiation of a public scoping period; 

and (4) obtain suggestions and 

information on the scope of issues to be 

included in the EIS/EIR. Written 

comments will be accepted at the public 

meeting. In addition, you may submit