[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 159 (Monday, August 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48740-48742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19464]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[ Docket Nos. CP14-511-000; CP14-347-000]
Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Lake Charles
Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will discuss the potential environmental effects of the
Lake Charles Expansion Project (Project), involving construction and
operation of natural gas facilities by Kinder Morgan Louisiana
Pipeline, LLC (KMLP), in the Commission's environmental impact
statement (EIS) currently under preparation for the Magnolia Liquefied
Natural Gas Project (Magnolia LNG Project) in Docket No. CP14-347-000
for Magnolia LNG, LLC (Magnolia). Under the proposed Lake Charles
Expansion Project, KMLP would construct and operate approximately 40
feet of 36-inch-diameter pipeline off of KMLP's existing 42-inch-
diameter mainline and a meter station to deliver approximately 1,400
thousand cubic feet per day (Mcf/d) of natural gas to the Magnolia
Terminal in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. KMLP would also construct and
operate one compressor station, approximately 6,400 feet of 36-inch-
diameter and 700 feet of 24-inch-diameter header pipelines, and modify
five existing meter stations to be bi-directional in Acadia and
Evangeline Parishes, Louisiana. The additions and changes proposed in
the Lake Charles Expansion Project would move gas south to the proposed
Magnolia Terminal, resulting in the creation of a new firm north-to-
south service path on the existing 42-inch-diameter KMLP mainline.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on KMLP's project. Commission staff previously held a scoping
period for the Magnolia LNG Project from June 18, 2013 through July 19,
2013. Magnolia filed an application for its Project on April 30, 2014.
Because the Magnolia LNG Project is operationally dependent on the Lake
Charles Expansion Project to provide the intended service, and the two
projects have similar projected construction and in-service dates, the
Commission staff will evaluate the two projects jointly in the EIS.
This EIS will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process
to determine whether the Magnolia LNG and Lake Charles Expansion
Projects are in the public convenience and necessity.
Comments on the Lake Charles Expansion Project may be submitted to
the FERC either electronically or by mail. Further details on how to
submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section of
this notice. Please note that the scoping period for the Lake Charles
Expansion Project will close on September 10, 2014.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for both the Magnolia LNG and Lake Charles Expansion
Projects. State and local government representatives are asked to
notify their constituents of the Lake Charles Expansion Project and
encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. This scoping
period is established to receive comments on the Lake Charles Expansion
Project; comments previously filed with the FERC regarding the Magnolia
LNG Project should not be refiled under the Lake Charles Expansion
Project docket.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company
representative may contact you about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the planned 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.
[[Page 48741]]
Summary of the Lake Charles Expansion Project
KMLP plans to modify, construct, and operate facilities along its
existing KMLP mainline in Louisiana to receive, as well as continue to
deliver, natural gas to existing meter stations, as well as provide
about 1,400 Mcf/d of natural gas transportation service to a new meter
station at the Magnolia LNG Terminal site.
The Lake Charles Expansion Project consists of the following
components:
Construction of a new meter station and approximately 40
feet of new 36-inch-diameter pipeline off of KMLP's existing 42-inch
mainline in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana;
construction of one new compressor station consisting of
four 16,000 horsepower gas fired turbines, a 42-inch pig launcher and
receiver\1\, main line valve, auxiliary and control buildings, and
appurtenant facilities in Acadia Parish, Louisiana;
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\1\ A pig is a tool that can be used to clean and dry a pipeline
and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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construction of approximately 6,400 feet of new 36-inch-
diameter and 700 feet of 24-inch-diameter header \2\ pipelines adjacent
to the existing KMLP right-of-way in Acadia Parish, Louisiana;
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\2\ A pipe that serves as a central connection for two or more
smaller pipes.
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modifications at five existing compressor stations in
Evangeline and Acadia Parishes, Louisiana to allow bi-directional flow.
The general location of the planned project facilities is shown in
Appendix 1.\3\
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\3\ The 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.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the Lake Charles Expansion Project facilities would
disturb a total of 55.7 acres of land. Because the proposed pipeline
routes cross agricultural lands, KMLP has proposed using a 125-foot-
wide construction right-of-way to allow for topsoil segregation.
Following construction, KMLP would retain a 50-foot-wide permanent
easement, resulting in 21.6 acres being maintained for operation of the
Project facilities. The remaining acreage would be restored and revert
to former uses.
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 issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
\4\ 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 important
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of issues to address in the EIS. We will consider
all filed comments during the preparation of the EIS.
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\4\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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In the EIS, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the proposed Projects under these
general headings:
Geology;
soils;
water resources and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
fisheries and aquatic resources;
threatened, endangered, and other special-status species;
land use, recreation, special interest areas, and visual
resources;
socioeconomics;
cultural resources;
air quality;
noise;
reliability and safety; and
cumulative environmental impacts.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the Lake Charles
Expansion Project or portions of the project, and make recommendations
on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
The FERC staff is in the process of preparing an EIS for the
Magnolia LNG Project. As mentioned previously, the facilities proposed
by KMLP and presented in this Notice will be evaluated in that EIS.
Three other agencies are participating as cooperating agencies in the
preparation of the EIS: the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of
Energy, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With this notice, we are
asking other agencies with jurisdiction by law and/or special expertise
with respect to environmental issues related to the Lake Charles
Expansion Project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of
the EIS.\5\ 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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\5\ 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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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.
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 applicable State Historic Preservation Offices 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.\6\ We will define the project-specific Area of Potential
Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project develops.
On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum encompasses all
areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include the 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 under Section 106.
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\6\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Historic
properties are defined in those regulations 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 issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the
environmental information provided by KMLP. This preliminary list of
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis:
Impacts on agricultural areas, including impacts on soils;
impacts on residential areas;
impacts on wetlands;
impacts on air quality due to construction and operation;
impacts related to noise during construction and
operation;
[[Page 48742]]
visual and other impacts from construction of aboveground
facilities, and;
cumulative impacts.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Lake Charles Expansion 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 September 10, 2014.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the
project docket number (CP14-511-000) 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].
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature located 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 located 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 by 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.
Copies of the completed draft EIS 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 a CD version or would
like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return the
attached Information Request (appendix 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EIS scoping process, 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.
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., CP14-
511). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
[email protected] 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.
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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-19464 Filed 8-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P