Document ID: FERC-2015-1123-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Assessments; Availability, etc.: Freeport LNG Train 4 Project, Freeport LNG Development, L.P.
Posted Date: 2015-08-25T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 164 (Tuesday, August 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51548-51550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20990]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF15-25-000]

Freeport LNG Development, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Planned Freeport LNG Train 4 Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Freeport LNG Train 4 Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Freeport LNG 
Development, L.P. (Freeport LNG) in Brazoria, Texas. The Commission 
will use this EA in its decision-making process to determine whether 
the planned project 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 on the project. 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. 
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they 
need to evaluate in the EA. 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 September 18, 2015.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on June 3, 2015, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. PF15-25-000 to ensure they are considered as 
part of this proceeding.
    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.
    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 how to participate in 
the Commission's proceedings.

Public Participation

    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 expert staff available to assist you at 
(202) 502-8258 or efiling@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 on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to 
Documents and Filings. This 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 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.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project, 
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number 
(PF15-25-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.

Summary of the Planned Project

    Freeport LNG intends to add a fourth liquefaction unit to Freeport 
LNG's natural gas liquefaction facilities on Quintana Island in 
Brazoria County, Texas. The Freeport LNG Train 4 Project (Train 4 
Project) would be located west and adjacent to the facilities 
authorized and currently under construction for the Phase II 
Modification Project (Docket No. CP12-29-000) and Liquefaction Project 
(Docket No. CP12-509-000), which comprises three liquefaction trains 
and related facilities. Train 4 would be within the existing Freeport 
LNG site boundary.
    Freeport LNG indicates that the Train 4 Project would provide 
additional liquefaction capacity of approximately 5.1 million metric 
tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for export, which equates to a natural 
gas throughput capacity of approximately 0.72 billion cubic feet per 
day (Bcf/d). This would enable Freeport LNG to respond favorably and 
proactively to short- and longer-term fluctuations in domestic and 
global gas markets.
    The Freeport LNG Train 4 Project would consist of the following 
facilities:
     A propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant liquefaction unit;
     a feed gas receiving and metering station;
     utility, auxiliary, and control systems, including common 
utilities, spill containment systems, fire and safety systems, one 
electric substation, security systems, and plant roads.
    The general location of the project facilities 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 Train 4 Project liquefaction facilities would be entirely 
within the Freeport LNG's existing site boundary on Quintana Island in 
Brazoria County, Texas. Construction of the liquefaction facilities 
would be within areas approved as temporary work space for the Phase II 
Modification Project and Liquefaction Project. Construction of the 
Train 4 Project liquefaction facilities is expected to affect about 87 
acres of land.
    Following construction, Freeport LNG would maintain about 21 acres 
for permanent operation of the Train 4 Project's facilities; the 
remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses.

Non-jurisdictional Facilities

    The facility will receive natural gas from a 2,000-foot-long 
intrastate natural gas pipeline (feed gas pipeline) and power from a 
five-mile-long electric line

[[Page 51549]]

to be provided by CenterPoint Energy. These facilities would extend 
beyond the existing site boundary. Although FERC doesn't have the 
regulatory authority to modify or deny the construction of the above-
described facilities, we will disclose available information regarding 
the construction impacts in the cumulative impacts section of our EA.

The EA 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 
natural gas facilities under Section 3 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 EA on the 
important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests 
public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We 
will consider all comments filed during the preparation of the EA.
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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 EA 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, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife, including endangered and 
threatened species;
     socioeconomics;
     visual impacts;
     air quality and noise;
     public safety; 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 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 EA.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. If we publish 
and distribute the EA to the public there will be an allotted comment 
period. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make our 
recommendations to the Commission. 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 2.
    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 EA.\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.
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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 Texas State Historic Preservation Office, 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 construction 
right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor stations, and 
access roads). Our EA 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 of 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 Freeport LNG. This 
preliminary list of issues may change based on your comments and our 
analysis.

 visual impacts
 noise and air emissions
 traffic
 cumulative impacts

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.
    If we publish and distribute the EA, copies of the EA 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 Freeport 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. Motions to intervene are more fully described at 
http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions 
for becoming an intervenor are in the ``Document-less Intervention 
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

[[Page 51550]]

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-
25). 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 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: August 19, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-20990 Filed 8-24-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P