Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 198 / Tuesday, October 14, 2014 / Notices 61633 

1The appendices referenced in this notice are not 

being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of 

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. 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. PF14–17–000] 

Louisiana LNG Energy, LLC; Notice of 

Intent To Prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Proposed 

Mississippi River Lng 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 prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

that will discuss the environmental 

impacts of the Mississippi River 

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project 

(Project) involving construction and 

operation of a LNG facility by Louisiana 

LNG Energy, LLC (LLNGE) in 

Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Under 

the proposed Project, LLNGE would 

construct, own, and operate a 

liquefaction terminal for the export of 

LNG. The terminal would include four 

liquefaction trains, each with a capacity 

of 74,380 cubic feet per day; two 

100,000 cubic meter (m3) full 

containment LNG storage tanks; 1.9 

miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline; and 

1.6 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline. 

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 November 

3, 2014. The Commission will use this 

EIS in its decision-making process to 

determine whether the Project is in the 

public interest. Details on how to 

submit comments are in the Public 

Participation section of this notice. 

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 

proposed Project and encourage them to 

comment on their areas of concern. 

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. In lieu of or in addition to 

sending written comments, the 

Commission invites you to attend the 

public scoping meeting scheduled as 

follows: 

Date and time Location 

October 23, 

2014, 6:00 PM 

(CST).

Belle Chasse Auditorium, 

8398 Hwy. 23, Belle 

Chasse, LA 70037, 

(504) 208–1320. 

This public meeting is designed to 

provide you with more detailed 

information and another opportunity to 

offer your comments on the Project. 

Interested groups and individuals are 

encouraged to attend the meeting and 

present comments on the issues they 

believe should be addressed in the EIS. 

A transcript of the meeting will be made 

so that your comments will be 

accurately recorded. 

If you are a landowner receiving this 

notice, a company representative may 

contact you about the acquisition of an 

easement to construct, operate, and 

maintain the proposed pipeline 

facilities. The company would seek to 

negotiate a mutually acceptable 

agreement. However, if the Commission 

approves the Project, that approval 

conveys with it the right of eminent 

domain. Therefore, if easement 

negotiations fail to produce an 

agreement, the pipeline company could 

initiate condemnation proceedings 

where compensation would be 

determined in accordance with state 

law. 

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 Proposed Project 

LLNGE plans to construct, own, and 

operate a liquefaction terminal in 

Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana to enable 

it to liquefy natural gas for use along the 

lower Mississippi River and in offshore 

Louisiana bunker markets, as well as for 

export to foreign countries. The planned 

facility would have an export capacity 

of approximately two million metric 

tons per year (MTPY). The Project 

would use the planned facilities to 

liquefy domestic natural gas delivered 

via interconnects with an existing 

interstate natural gas pipeline. The LNG 

would be stored in onsite storage tanks 

before being loaded onto LNG carriers at 

the planned marine berthing and LNG 

transfer facilities. Construction of the 

Project is planned to begin in February 

2016 and operations are planned to 

begin in the second quarter of 2018; 

however, LLNGE is considering a 

phased construction that would allow 

operations to commence in the second 

quarter of 2017. Phased construction 

would allow for operations to begin 

before construction of the storage tanks 

by transferring liquefied natural gas 

directly into a berthed LNG vessel. The 

Mississippi River LNG Project would 

include the following facilities: 

• A natural gas liquefaction terminal 

located along the east bank of the 

Mississippi River in Plaquemines 

Parish, Louisiana that would include: 

D four liquefaction trains, each with a 

capacity of 74,380 cubic feet per day; 

D two 100,000 cubic meter (m3), fullcontainment LNG storage tanks; 

D marine loading facilities capable of 

berthing one LNG carrier up to 175,000 

m3, as well as LNG bunker barges; 

D truck loading facilities capable of 

concurrently loading two trucks; 

D a 180 megawatt on-site electrical 

power generation facility with 3 gas 

turbines; and 

D ancillary gas treatment and 

liquefaction systems; 

• 1.9 miles of 24-inch-diameter 

pipeline, with an associated meter 

station, that would deliver gas from the 

High Point Gas Transmission (HPGT) 

interstate pipeline system to the 

proposed terminal; 

• 1.6-miles of 12-inch-diameter 

pipeline, with an associated meter 

station, that would extend from the 

HPGT interconnection to the Gulf South 

Pipeline interstate pipeline system; and 

• Construction of one new 

compressor station located within the 

terminal fenceline. 

A map depicting the general location 

of the Project facilities is included in 

Appendix 1.1

Land Requirements for Construction 

The planned construction would 

impact a 200-acre site on the east bank 

of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines 

Parish, Louisiana, which would include 

the liquefaction trains, LNG storage 

tanks, marine and truck loading 

facilities, the electrical power station, 

and ancillary facilities. The full 200-acre 

site would be fenced and retained for 

operations of the planned Project. 

Construction of the two pipeline 

segments and associated meter stations 

would require approximately 42 acres of 

land, 22 of which would be 

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61634 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 198 / Tuesday, October 14, 2014 / Notices 

2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the 

environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of 

Energy Projects. 

3The Council on Environmental Quality 

regulations addressing cooperating agency 

responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 

Regulations, § 1501.6. 

4The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s 

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 

of Historic Places. 

permanently impacted during 

operations. LLNGE is still in the 

planning phase for the Project and 

requirements for construction 

workspaces, access roads, and pipe 

storage/contractor yards would be 

determined during engineering and 

design. 

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. 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. 

In the EIS we will discuss impacts 

that could occur as a result of the 

construction and operation of the 

proposed Project under these general 

headings: 

• Geology and soils; 

• water resources; 

• wetlands and vegetation; 

• fish and wildlife, including 

migratory birds; 

• threatened and endangered species; 

• land use, recreation, and visual 

resources; 

• air quality and noise; 

• cultural resources; 

• socioeconomics; 

• reliability and safety; 

• engineering and design material; 

and 

• cumulative environmental impacts. 

We will also evaluate reasonable 

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 by LLNGE, we have initiated 

our NEPA review under the 

Commission’s pre-filing process. The 

purpose of the pre-filing process is to 

encourage the 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. 

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 below. 

With this notice, we are asking 

agencies with jurisdiction by law and/ 

or special expertise with respect to the 

environmental issues of this Project to 

formally cooperate with us in the 

preparation of the EIS.3

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 

Louisiana Office of Historic Preservation 

(State Historic Preservation Office 

[SHPO]), and to solicit their 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 the 

terminal plot, construction right-of-way, 

contractor/pipe storage yards, 

compressor stations, and access roads). 

Our EIS for this Project will document 

our findings on the impacts on historic 

properties and summarize the status of 

consultations with the Louisiana Office 

of Historic Preservation under section 

106. 

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 November 

3, 2014. 

For your convenience, there are three 

methods which you can use to submit 

your comments to the Commission. In 

all instances please reference the Project 

docket number (PF14–17–000) with 

your submission. The Commission 

encourages electronic filing of 

comments and has expert staff available 

to assist you at (202) 502–8258 or 

efiling@ferc.gov. 

(1) You can file your comments 

electronically using the eComment 

feature on the Commission’s Web site 

(www.ferc.gov) under the link to 

Documents and Filings. 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 feature 

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.’’ 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 proposed Project. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 198 / Tuesday, October 14, 2014 / Notices 61635 

1 143 FERC ¶ 62,164, Order Granting Exemption 

from Licensing (Conduit). 

When we publish and distribute the 

EIS, copies 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 2). 

Becoming an Intervenor 

Once LLNGE 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 User’s Guide under 

the ‘‘e-filing’’ link on the Commission’s 

Web site. 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 at 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., PF14–17). Be sure you have 

selected an appropriate date range. For 

assistance, please contact FERC Online 

Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov 

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 now 

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 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: October 3, 2014. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2014–24296 Filed 10–10–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 14498–001] 

Lucid Energy, Inc. and The City of 

Portland Water Bureau, Conduit 3, 

LLC; Notice of Transfer of Exemption 

1. By letter filed September 2, 2014 

and supplemented on October 3, 2014, 

Lucid Energy, Inc. and The City of 

Portland Water Bureau informed the 

Commission that the exemption from 

licensing for the Conduit 3 

Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 14498, 

originally issued June 3, 2013,1 has been 

transferred from Lucid Energy, Inc. and 

The City of Portland Water Bureau as 

co-exemptees to Conduit 3, LLC and 

The City of Portland Water Bureau as 

co-exemptees. The new co-exemptee is 

wholly owned by Lucid Energy, Inc. 

The proposed project would be located 

on The City of Portland Water Bureau’s 

Conduit 3 pipeline, an existing 50-inch 

diameter water supply pipeline, in the 

City of Portland, Multnomah County, 

Oregon. The transfer of an exemption 

does not require Commission approval. 

2. Conduit 3, LLC and The City of 

Portland Water Bureau are now the coexemptees of the Conduit 3 

Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 14498. 

All correspondence should be 

forwarded to: Mr. Greg Semler, 

President and CEO, Lucid Energy, Inc. 

2420 NE Sandy Blvd., Suite 203, 

Portland, OR 97232. 

Dated: October 7, 2014. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2014–24344 Filed 10–10–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 12496–002; Rugraw, LLC] 

Notice of Joint Scoping Meetings With 

the California State Water Resources 

Control Board and Environmental Site 

Review and Soliciting Scoping 

Comments 

Take notice that the following 

hydroelectric applications have been 

filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission (FERC or Commission) and 

are available for public inspection: 

a. Type of Application: Major Original 

License. 

b. Project No.: 12496–002. 

c. Date filed: April 21, 2014. 

d. Applicant: Rugraw, LLC. 

e. Name of Project: Lassen Lodge 

Hydroelectric Project. 

f. Location: On the South Fork Battle 

Creek, nearby the Town of Mineral, 

Tehama County, California. No federal 

lands or Indian reservations are located 

within the proposed project boundary. 

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power 

Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r). 

h. Applicant Contact: Charlie Kuffner, 

70 Paseo Mirasol, Tiburon, CA 94920; 

(415) 652–8553. 

i. FERC Contact: Adam Beeco at (202) 

502–8655; email–adam.beeco@ferc.gov. 

California State Water Board Contact: 

Michelle Lobo at (916) 327–3117; 

email—michelle.lobo@

waterboards.ca.gov. 

j. With this notice, we are soliciting 

comments on the Commission’s staff 

Scoping Document 1 (SD1). Deadline for 

filing scoping comments: December 5, 

2014 (5:00 p.m. EST; 2:00 p.m. PST). 

Scoping comments should be filed 

separately with the Commission and the 

California State Water Resources 

Control Board (State Water Board), as 

noted below. 

Commission 

The Commission strongly encourages 

electronic filing. Please file scoping 

comments using the Commission’s 

eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/

docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can 

submit brief comments up to 6,000 

characters, without prior registration, 

using the eComment system at http://

www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/

ecomment.asp. You must include your 

name and contact information at the end 

of your comments. For assistance, 

please contact FERC Online Support at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 

208–3676 (toll free), or (202) 502–8659 

(TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please 

send a paper copy to: Secretary, Federal 

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