[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75587-75589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-29654]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
[LLOR930000.L51010000.ER0000. LVRWH09H0320.14XL5017AP; HAG14-0178]
Notice of Availability of the Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific
Connector Gas Pipeline Projects Draft Environmental Impact Statement
and the Draft Associated Land Management Plan Amendments
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended; the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended; and the National Forest Management Act of 1976, as
amended (NFMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) have participated as Cooperating Agencies with the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the preparation of the
Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific Connector Pipeline (PCGP) Projects Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Draft EIS addresses the
impacts of these projects, the associated draft Land Management Plan
(LMP) amendments of the BLM and the USFS, and the application to the
BLM for a Right-of-Way Grant sought by Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline
LP for the PCGP project. With this agency-specific Notice of
Availability, the BLM and the USFS are announcing the opening of the
FERC comment period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the FERC must
receive written comments on the draft Jordan Cove Energy and PCGP
Projects Draft EIS within 90 days following the date the Environmental
Protection Agency published its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the
Federal Register, which occurred on November 17, 2014. The FERC will
announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media
releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Jordan Cove Energy
and PCGP Projects Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
Web site: www.ferc.gov under the Documents and Filings link. The
eComment tool is limited to text-only comments on the project. The
eFiling tool allows users to submit files in a variety of formats.
First-time users of eFiling must first create an account using
eRegister.
Mail: Kimberley D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426
Your comments must reference the FERC Docket number(s) (Jordan Cove
Energy Project, L.P., Docket No. CP13-483-000 and/or Pacific Connector
Gas Pipeline Project, L.P., Docket No. CP13-492-000) to be correctly
attributed to this specific project.
Copies of the Jordan Cove Energy and PCGP Projects Draft EIS are
available for inspection in the BLM district offices and the offices of
the Forest Supervisors listed under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information about the
projects is available from the FERC's Office of External Affairs at
866-208-FERC (3372), or on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). On the
FERC Web site, go to Documents and Filings and click on the eLibrary
link. Then click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the field (i.e., CP13-492). 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 issues by the FERC such as orders, notices,
and rulemakings.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This NOA is specific to the BLM and the USFS
and provides notice that these agencies have participated as
cooperating agencies with FERC in the preparation of the Jordan Cove
Energy and PCGP Projects
[[Page 75588]]
Draft EIS. The comprehensive Draft EIS includes consideration of the
proposed actions of the FERC and the cooperating agencies, including a
BLM right-of-way grant and the associated BLM and USFS LMP amendments.
Following issuance of a FERC-prepared Final EIS, the Bureau of
Reclamation and the USFS will determine whether to provide letters of
concurrence to the BLM with regard to the issuance of a right-of-way-
grant. Through this concurrence process, the Bureau of Reclamation and
USFS will submit to the BLM any specific stipulations applicable to
lands, facilities, water bodies, and easements for inclusion in the
right-of-way grant.
In order for these potential actions to be consistent with the
respective BLM Resource Management Plans (RMP) and USFS Land and
Resource Management Plans (LRMP), collectively referred to asLMP, a
number of amendments to these LMPs would be required prior to
authorization of a Right-of-Way Grant for the PCGP Project. The
proposed action described in the FERC Draft EIS includes a number of
amendments to the BLM and USFS LMPs for the BLM's Coos Bay, Roseburg,
and Medford Districts and the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the
Lakeview District and the Umpqua, Rogue River, and Winema National
Forests. In addition, the proposed action in the Draft EIS includes the
Right-of-Way Grant across Federal lands managed by the BLM, USFS, and
Bureau of Reclamation.
The FERC is the NEPA Lead Federal Agency for the environmental
analysis of the construction and operation of the proposed Jordan Cove
Energy and PCGP Projects. The BLM, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the
USFS are cooperating agencies with the FERC for the preparation of the
FERC Draft EIS.
The BLM's identified Purpose and Need for the proposed action is to
respond to a right-of-way grant application submitted by the applicant
to the BLM on February 25, 2013, to construct, operate, maintain, and
eventually decommission a 234-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter, high-
pressure natural gas pipeline between the proposed Jordan Cove
Liquefied Natural Gas terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon, and the Malin Hub,
where several interstate natural gas pipelines converge near Malin,
Oregon. The Secretary of the Interior has delegated authority to the
BLM to grant a right-of-way in response to the PCGP application for
natural gas transmission on Federal lands under the Mineral Leasing Act
of 1920. Before issuing the right-of-way grant, the BLM will acquire
the written concurrence of the surface managing Federal agencies. In
addition, there is a need for the BLM and the USFS to amend affected
LMPs. Although the Bureau of Reclamation has facilities that would be
affected by the PCGP, it has not identified any agency-specific actions
for analysis in the Draft EIS.
In accordance with 36 CFR 219.17(b)(2), the Deciding Official for
the USFS has elected to use the 1982 planning rule procedures to amend
U.S. Forest Service LRMPs as provided in the transition procedures of
the 2000 planning rule. The 1982 planning rule procedures require the
USFS to determine the significance of the draft amendments or
alternatives in accordance with national forest planning regulation 36
CFR 219.10(f) (1982 procedures). The USFS will use criteria in Forest
Service Manual 1926.5 to make this determination of the significance of
draft LRMP amendments.
The following amendments have been drafted by the BLM and the USFS
as part of the proposed action in FERC's Draft EIS:
Amendment of the BLM's Coos Bay District, Roseburg District, Medford
District, and Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District RMPs
and the Umpqua National Forest, Rogue River National Forest, and Winema
National Forest LMPs
BLM/USFS-1--Applicable BLM RMPs and USFS LMPs would be amended to
exempt ``certain known sites'' within the area of the proposed PCGP
Project from the Management Recommendations required by the 2001
``Record of Decision and Standards and Guidelines for Amendments to the
Survey and Manage, Protection Buffer, and other Mitigation Measures
Standards and Guidelines,'' as modified by court order.
Amendment of the BLM Coos Bay District and Roseburg District RMPs
BLM-1--The Coos Bay District and Roseburg District RMPs would be
amended to waive the requirements to protect occupied, suitable, and
potential habitat for the marbled murrelet, as mapped by the BLM within
the proposed PCGP Project area.
Amendments of BLM Roseburg District RMP
BLM-2--The Roseburg District RMP would be amended to exempt the
PCGP Project from the requirement to retain habitat in ``Known Owl
Activity Centers'' at three locations.
BLM-3--The Roseburg District RMP would be amended to change the
designation of approximately 409 acres from the Matrix land allocation
to the Late Successional Reserve (LSR) land allocation in Sections 32
and 34, T. 29 1/2 S., R. 7 W., and Section 1, T. 30 S., R. 7 W., W.M.,
Oregon.
Amendment of BLM Coos Bay District RMP
BLM-4--The Coos Bay District RMP would be amended to change the
designation of approximately 387 acres from the Matrix land allocation
to the LSR land allocation in Sections 19 and 29, T. 28 S., R. 10 W.,
W.M., Oregon.
Amendments of the Rogue River National Forest LMP
RRNF-2--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to
change the Visual Quality Objective (VQO) in the area where the PCGP
Project corridor would cross the Big Elk Road at pipeline milepost
161.4 in Section 16, T. 37 S., R. 4 E., W.M., Oregon, from ``foreground
retention'' to ``foreground partial retention'' and allow more time for
amended visual quality objectives to be attained.
RRNF-3--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to
change the VQO in the vicinity where the PCGP Project corridor would
cross the Pacific Crest Trail at pipeline milepost 167.84 in Section
32, T. 37 S., R. 5 E., W.M., Oregon, from ``foreground partial
retention'' to ``modification'' and allow more time for amended VQOs to
be attained.
RRNF-4--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to
allow more time to meet the VQO between the PCGP Project corridor
mileposts 156.3 to 156.8 and 157.2 to 157.5 in Sections 11 and 12, T.
37 S., R. 3 E., W.M., Oregon. Standards and Guidelines for
``middleground partial retention'' require that VQOs for a given
location be achieved within one year of completion of the project.
Approximately 0.8 miles or 9 acres of Middleground Partial Retention
VQO visible at distances of 0.75 to 5 miles from State Highway 140
would be affected by this amendment.
RRNF-5--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to
allow the PCGP Project corridor to cross lands subject to the
``restricted riparian management strategy'' Standards and Guidelines.
This would potentially affect approximately 2.5 acres of the PCGP
Project corridor associated with one perennial stream crossing of the
South Fork of Little Butte Creek at milepost 162.45 in Section 15, T.
37 S., R. 4 E., W.M., Oregon.
RRNF-6--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to
waive limitations on areas affected by detrimental soil conditions from
displacement and compaction within
[[Page 75589]]
the proposed PCGP Project corridor in all affected management areas.
RRNF-7--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to
change the designation of approximately 512 acres from the Matrix land
allocation to the LSR land allocation in Section 32, T. 36 S., R. 4 E.,
W.M., Oregon.
Amendments of the Umpqua National Forest LMP
UNF-1--The Umpqua National Forest LMP would be amended to change
the Standards and Guidelines for Fisheries to allow the removal of
effective shading vegetation where perennial streams would be crossed
by the PCGP Project corridor. This change would potentially affect an
estimated three acres of shading vegetation at four perennial stream
crossings in the East Fork of Cow Creek from pipeline mileposts 109 to
110 in Sections 16 and 21, T. 32 S., R. 2 W., W.M., Oregon.
UNF-2--The Umpqua National Forest LMP would be amended to change
prescriptions C2-II and C2-IV and to allow the PCGP Project corridor to
cross Riparian Areas (i.e., Riparian Reserves) and run parallel to the
East Fork of Cow Creek for approximately 0.1 mile between milepost
109.68 and 109.78 in Section 21, T. 32 S., R. 2 W., W.M., Oregon. This
change would potentially affect approximately one acre of Riparian
Reserve along the East Fork of Cow Creek.
UNF-3--The Umpqua National Forest LMP would be amended to waive
limitations on the area affected by detrimental soil conditions from
displacement and compaction within the proposed PCGP Project corridor.
Standards and Guidelines for Soils requires that not more than 20
percent of the project area have detrimental compaction, displacement,
or puddling after completion of a project.
UNF-4--The Umpqua National Forest LMP would be amended to change
the designation of approximately 588 acres from the Matrix land
allocation to the LSR 223 land allocation in Sections 7, 18, and 19, T.
32 S., R. 2 W., and Sections 13 and 24, T. 32 S., R. 3 W., W.M.,
Oregon.
Amendments of the Winema National Forest LMP
WNF-1--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to change
the Standards and Guidelines for Management Area 3 (MA-3) to allow for
development of the 95-foot-wide PCGP Project corridor in MA-3 from the
Forest Boundary in Section 32, T. 37 S., R. 5 E., to the Clover Creek
Road corridor in Section 4, T. 38 S, R. 5 E., W.M., Oregon. Standards
and Guidelines for MA-3 state that the area is currently an avoidance
area for new utility corridors. This amendment would apply to a portion
of the proposed PCGP Project corridor that would be approximately 1.5
miles long and occupy approximately 17 acres.
WNF-2--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to allow
more time to achieve the VQO where the PCGP Project corridor would
cross the Dead Indian Memorial Highway at approximately milepost 168.84
in Section 33, T. 37 S., R. 5 E., W.M., Oregon.
WNF-3--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to allow
more time to meet the VQO for Scenic Management, Foreground Partial
Retention, where the PCGP Project corridor would be adjacent to the
Clover Creek Road from approximately milepost 170 to 175 in Sections 2,
3, 4, 11 and 12, T. 38 S., R. 5 E., and Sections 7, 17 and 18, T. 38
S., R. 6 E., W.M., Oregon. This amendment would be applicable to
approximately 50 acres of the proposed PCGP Project corridor.
WNF-4--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to waive
restrictions on detrimental soil conditions from displacement and
compaction within the proposed PCGP Project corridor in all affected
management areas.
WNF-5--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to waive
restrictions on detrimental soil conditions from displacement and
compaction within the proposed PCGP Project corridor within Management
Area 8, Riparian Area (MA-8). This amendment would be applicable to
approximately 0.5 mile or an estimated 9.6 acres of MA-8. Standards and
Guidelines for Soil and Water, MA-8 require that not more than 10
percent of the total riparian zone in an activity area be in a
detrimental soil condition upon the completion of a project.
Copies of the Jordan Cove Energy and PCGP Projects Draft EIS are
available for inspection in the BLM's Coos Bay, Roseburg, and Medford
District offices; the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview
District office; and at the offices of the Forest Supervisors for the
Rogue River, Umpqua, and Winema National Forests.
Consistent with BLM land use planning regulations at 43 CFR
1610.2(f)(3), the BLM is requesting comments on the draft amendments of
BLM RMPs that are necessary to allow for the PCGP Project in the Coos
Bay, Roseburg, and Medford Districts and Klamath Falls Resource Area of
the Lakeview District. The BLM is also requesting public comments on
the issuance of a right-of-way grant that would allow the PCGP to to be
constructed on Federal lands managed by the BLM, USFS, and Reclamation.
The USFS is requesting public comments on the draft amendments of USFS
LMPs to allow for the PCGP Project on the Rogue River, Umpqua, and
Winema National Forests. Reclamation is not offering plan amendments
and is not requesting specific comments. All comments must be submitted
to the FERC, the Lead Federal Agency. You may submit comments in
writing at any public meeting, or you may submit comments to the FERC
using one of the methods listed in the ``ADDRESSES'' section above. As
noted above, the comment period on the Draft EIS has already commenced
following publication of the NOA by EPA.
Refer to Dockets CP13-483-000 [Jordan Cove Energy Project] and/or
CP13-492-000 [Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline Project] in all
correspondence to ensure that your comments are correctly filed in the
record for the Jordan Cove Energy and PCGP Projects.
The FERC offers a free service called e-subscription 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 at:
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be
aware that the entire text of your comments--including your personal
identifying information--would be publicly available through the FERC
eLibrary system, if you file your comments with the Secretary of the
Commission.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.
Jerome E. Perez,
State Director, Oregon/Washington.
Alice Carlton,
Forest Supervisor, Umpqua National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2014-29654 Filed 12-17-14; 8:45 am]
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