Document ID: FERC-2019-0687-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Magnolia LNG, LLC; Magnolia LNG Production Capacity Amendment
Posted Date: 2019-06-13T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27627-27629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12456]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP14-347-000, CP19-19-000]

Magnolia LNG, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Magnolia LNG Production 
Capacity Amendment and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement 
(supplemental EIS) that will discuss the potential environmental 
impacts resulting from Magnolia LNG, LLC's (Magnolia LNG) proposal to 
increase the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity at its 
authorized LNG facility in Calcasieu, Louisiana from that previously 
approved by the Commission in Docket No. CP14-347-000 (Magnolia LNG 
Production Capacity Amendment). The Commission will use this 
supplemental EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether

[[Page 27628]]

Magnolia LNG's proposed amendment is in the public interest.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies about issues regarding the project amendment. The National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to take into 
account the environmental impacts that could result from its action 
whenever it considers whether or not to authorize a project. NEPA also 
requires the Commission to discover 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 supplemental EIS on 
the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission 
requests public comments on the scope of issues to address in the 
supplemental EIS. Please note that your comments should be specific to 
the Production Capacity Amendment, which is described further below. 
Comments relating only to non-related aspects of the already approved 
Magnolia LNG Project will not be considered 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 July 8, 2019.
    You can make a difference by submitting your specific comments or 
concerns about the project amendment. Your comments should focus on the 
potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures 
to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. Your input will help the 
Commission staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the 
supplemental EIS.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project amendment. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed 
project amendment and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.

Public Participation

    The Commission offers a free service called eSubscription which 
makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances and submittals 
regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe. These instant 
email notifications are the fastest way to receive notification and 
provide a link to the document files which can reduce the amount of 
time you spend researching proceedings. To sign up go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    For your convenience, 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 Documents and Filings. 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 located on the Commission's website (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 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 following address. Be sure to reference the project amendment 
docket number (CP19-19-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; a 45-
day public comment period will be established once the draft 
supplemental EIS is issued.

Summary of the Proposed Project Amendment

    Magnolia LNG requests authorization to increase the previously 
authorized LNG production capacity of the Magnolia LNG Project (Docket 
No. CP14-347-000) from 8 million tons per annum (MTPA) to 8.8 MTPA. 
Magnolia LNG states that the increased LNG production capacity would be 
realized through the optimization of its final design and would not 
require any increase in the authorized feed gas rates. Magnolia LNG 
does not propose any additional construction or new or modified 
facilities already considered and approved in Docket No. CP14-347-000 
(i.e., the approved LNG terminal site in Lake Charles, Calcasieu 
Parish, Louisiana \1\.) Magnolia LNG also affirms that the annual 
number of LNG takers (vessel traffic) would not change from that 
already reviewed and approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The LNG terminal site location and staff's evaluation of the 
original (approved) Magnolia LNG Project are in the Commission's 
final EIS for the project, issued on November 13, 2015. That EIS is 
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Supplemental EIS Process and Identified Issues

    The supplemental EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a 
result of the proposed increase in production capacity described above. 
To date, we have identified potential environmental concerns related to 
the proposed process conditions for LNG, anhydrous ammonia, and other 
process fluids. As a result, Magnolia LNG indicated revised hazard 
distances with increased offsite impacts. Therefore, associated hazard 
mitigation, such as impoundment designs and other fire protection 
systems need to be reevaluated as a result of the higher production 
rate. There may also be revisions to air emissions and noise levels; if 
so, these will be evaluated and discussed in the supplemental EIS. 
Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the 
proposed project amendment or portions of the project amendment, and 
make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various 
resource areas.
    The supplemental EIS will present Commission staffs' independent 
analysis of the issues. The draft supplemental EIS will be available in 
electronic format in the public record through eLibrary \2\ and the 
Commission's website (https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email notification 
when the draft EIS is issued. The draft EIS will be issued for an 
allotted public comment period. After the comment period on the draft 
EIS, Commission staff will consider all timely comments and revise the 
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To ensure 
Commission staff have the opportunity to address your comments, please 
carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section, 
beginning on page 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the 
last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    With this notice, the Commission is asking agencies with 
jurisdiction by law

[[Page 27629]]

and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of 
this project amendment to formally cooperate in the preparation of the 
supplemental 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. The 
U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Safety Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard will participate as 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the supplemental EIS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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) for the original Magnolia LNG Project 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 (including the LNG terminal site), and anyone 
who submits comments on the project amendment. 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 proposed project 
amendment.
    A Notice of Availability of the draft EIS will be sent to the 
environmental mailing list and will provide instructions to access the 
electronic document on the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov). If you need 
to make changes to your name/address, or if you would like to remove 
your name from the mailing list, please return the attached ``Mailing 
List Update Form'' (appendix).\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The return mailer appendix referenced in this notice will 
not appear in the Federal Register, but was sent to all those 
receiving this notice in the mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project amendment 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., 
CP19-19). 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 www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along 
with other related information.

    Dated: June 7, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-12456 Filed 6-12-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P