[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 158 (Friday, August 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48137-48138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19300]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP13-193-000]
Aguirre Offshore GasPort, LLC; Notice of Availability of the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Aguirre Offshore
Gasport Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the Aguirre Offshore GasPort Project (Project), proposed by Aguirre
Offshore GasPort, LLC (Aguirre LLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of
Excelerate Energy, LP in the above-referenced docket. Aguirre LLC is
seeking authorization from the FERC to develop, construct, and operate
a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal off the southern coast of
Puerto Rico.
The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the Aguirre Offshore GasPort Project in
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed
Project, with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would
ensure that impacts in the Project area would be avoided or minimized
and would not be significant. Construction and operation of the Project
would result in mostly temporary and short-term environmental impacts;
however, some long-term and permanent environmental impacts would
occur.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Permits Management Office,
Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, Puerto Rico Planning Board,
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, and
Puerto Rico Department of Health participated as cooperating agencies
in the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction
by law or special expertise with respect to resources potentially
affected by the proposal, and participate in the NEPA analysis. In
addition, other federal, state, and local agencies may use this EIS in
approving or issuing permits for all or part of the proposed Project.
Although the cooperating agencies provided input to the conclusions and
recommendations presented in the draft EIS, the agencies will present
their own conclusions and recommendations in their respective Records
of Decision for the Project.
The Project is being developed in cooperation with the Puerto Rico
Electric Power Authority (PREPA) for the purpose of receiving, storing,
and regasifying the LNG to be acquired by PREPA; and delivering natural
gas to PREPA's existing Aguirre Power Complex (Aguirre Plant) in
Salinas, Puerto Rico. The Project will help diversify Puerto Rico's
energy sources, allow the Aguirre Plant to meet the EPA's Mercury and
Air Toxics Standard rule, reduce fuel oil barge traffic in
[[Page 48138]]
Jobos Bay, and contribute to price stabilization for power in the
region. The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of
the construction and operation of the following Project facilities:
An offshore berthing platform;
an offshore marine LNG receiving facility;
a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit moored at the
offshore berthing platform; and
a 4.1-mile-long (6.6 kilometer) subsea pipeline connecting
the Offshore GasPort to the Aguirre Plant.
The FERC staff mailed copies of the draft EIS to federal, state,
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; other interested individuals
and groups; newspapers and libraries in the Project area; and parties
to this proceeding. The draft EIS was also translated in Spanish. Paper
copy versions of this EIS, in English or Spanish, were mailed to those
specifically requesting them; all others received a CD version. In
addition, the draft EIS is available for public viewing on the FERC's
Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. A limited number of
copies are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street
NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
If you would like a hard copy of the draft EIS, please contact the
Public Reference Room.
Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure
consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is
important that the Commission receive your comments before September
29, 2014.
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the
Project docket numbers (CP13-193-000) with your submission. The
Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert
staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or [email protected].
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: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the
Commission invites you to attend the public comment meeting its staff
will conduct in the Project area to receive comments on the draft EIS.
The Puerto Rico Permits Management Office will jointly conduct this
meeting. We encourage interested groups and individuals to attend and
present oral comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings
will be available for review in eLibrary under the Project docket
numbers. The meetings will begin at 4:00 p.m. and are scheduled as
follows:
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Date Location
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September 9, 2014......................... Lions Club, Avenida Los
Veteranos, (Entrance by
Pizza Hut), Guayama, 787-
864-1925.
September 10, 2014........................ Marina de Salinas, P.R. 701
(end) Playa Ward, Salinas,
787-824-3185.
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Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a
motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of
Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).\1\ Only intervenors have the
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. The Commission
grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns
intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a
clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can
adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not
give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to
have your comments considered.
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\1\ See the previous discussion on the methods for filing
comments.
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Questions?
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., CP13-
193). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnline
[email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676; 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 that 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 http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
Dated: August 7, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-19300 Filed 8-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P