80 FR 13366 - Alaska Gasline Development Corporation; BP Alaska LNG, LLC; Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG Company; ExxonMobil Alaska LNG, LLC; TransCanada Alaska Midstream, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Alaska Lng Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 49 (March 13, 2015)

Page Range		13366-13369
FR Document		2015-05691

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 49 (Friday, March 13, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13366-13369]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05691]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF14-21-000]

Alaska Gasline Development Corporation; BP Alaska LNG, LLC;
Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG Company; ExxonMobil Alaska LNG, LLC;
TransCanada Alaska Midstream, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Alaska Lng Project and
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
will discuss the environmental impacts of the Alaska LNG Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by Alaska Gasline
Development Corporation; BP Alaska LNG, LLC; Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG
Company; ExxonMobil Alaska LNG, LLC; and TransCanada Alaska Midstream,
LP (Applicants) in Alaska. The Commission will use this EIS in its
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the
public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission and its cooperating agencies will use to gather input from
the public and interested agencies on the project. Your input will help
the Commission staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the
EIS. Understanding that affected stakeholders may include communities
that depend on seasonal subsistence activities, the scoping period will
remain open for an extended period, closing on December 4, 2015. This
is not your only public input opportunity; please refer to the
Environmental Review Process flow chart in attachment 1.
You may submit comments in written form or verbally. Further
details on how to submit written comments are in the Public
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the
public scoping meetings to provide verbal and/or written comments on
the project.
A schedule of the public scoping meeting dates, locations, and
times will be issued in a separate notice at least one month prior to
the date of the meetings.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. The environmental mailing list includes
potentially affected landowners (crossed by or adjacent to the project
route); landowners within 0.5 mile of compressor station sites, the gas
treatment plant (GTP), and the liquefaction terminal; federal, state,
and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and
public interest groups; Alaska Native tribes; local libraries and
newspapers; and other interested parties. State, local, and tribal
government representatives are asked to 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 the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.

[[Page 13367]]

Summary of the Planned Project

The Applicants plan to develop, construct, and operate facilities
that would commercialize the natural gas resources on Alaska's North
Slope.
The Alaska LNG Project would consist of the following major
facilities, associated ancillary facilities would also be needed:
GTP/Associated Pipelines:
Three parallel treatment systems (trains) with a capacity
up to 4.3 billion cubic feet per day;
a 1-mile-long, large diameter aboveground pipeline to
transport gas from the existing central gas facility to the GTP;
a 60-mile-long 30-inch-diameter pipeline to transport gas
from the Point Thomson Unit to the GTP;
Prudhoe Bay Unit improvements to the West Dock loading and
unloading facilities; and
water reservoir, pump facilities, and a transfer line to
provide water to the GTP.
Mainline facilities include:
About 800 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline from the
planned GTP to the planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Nikiski
Alaska; and
Eight natural gas driven compressor stations, four custody
transfer meter stations, multiple pig launching/receiving \1\ stations,
heater stations, cathodic protection facilities; and mainline block
valves.
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\1\ A pipeline ``pig'' is an internal device to clean or inspect
the pipeline. A pig launcher/receiver is an aboveground facility
where pigs are inserted into or retrieved from the pipeline.
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LNG Liquefaction Facilities include:
Marine terminal facilities;
three liquefaction trains capable of liquefying 20 million
tons per year of LNG; and
three 160,000 cubic meter storage tanks.
A number of support facilities that are not under FERC jurisdiction
would also be undertaken to complete and operate the FERC
jurisdictional facilities. These include:
Updates to existing transportation infrastructure;
gravel quarries; and
construction camps.
The planned Alaska LNG Project would start at the GTP and generally
follow the existing Trans-Alaska Pipeline System crude oil pipeline
(TAPS) and adjacent highways south to Livengood, Alaska. From
Livengood, the mainline would diverge from TAPS and generally head
south-southwest to Trapper Creek following the Parks Highway and Beluga
Highway. Then the project turns south-southeast around Viapan Lake.
Finally, it crosses the Cook Inlet in the vicinity of Shorty Creek to
Boulder Point on the Kenai Peninsula. A map depicting the general
location of project facilities is included as attachment 2.\2\
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\2\ Attachments 1 (Process Flow Chart), 2 (General Location
Map), and 3 (Mailing List/Environmental Document Request Form) are
not being printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on
the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) at the ``eLibrary'' link or
from the Commission's Public Reference Room at 202-502-8371. For
instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the ``Availability
of Additional Information'' section at the end of this notice. The
General Project Map and Mailing List/Environmental Document Request
Form were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail.
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The Applicants anticipate starting construction in 2018 or early
2019, with construction and startup taking approximately seven years.
On this basis, the planned project system would be placed into service
about 2025-2026.

Land Requirements for Construction

The planned Alaska LNG Project facilities current design includes
about 30,000 acres of land that would be temporarily impacted during
construction, with about half of those acres within the permanent (or
operational) right-of-way.

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 an
Authorization under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also
requires us \3\ to identify 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 the issues to be addressed in the EIS.
All comments received during the scoping period will be considered
during the preparation of the EIS.
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\3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the FERC'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 planned project under the
following general headings:
Geology and soils;
water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
vegetation and wildlife;
endangered and threatened species;
cultural resources;
socioeconomics and subsistence;
land use, recreation, and visual resources;
air quality and noise;
public health and 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 resources.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated our NEPA review under the FERC's pre-filing process.\4\ The
purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement of
interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an
application is filed with the FERC. As part of our pre-filing review,
we have already started to meet with the Applicants, jurisdictional
agencies, Alaska Native tribes, local officials, and other interested
stakeholders to discuss the project and identify issues/impacts and
concerns before the FERC receives an application. In addition, with
this NOI, we are formally initiating government-to-government
consultation with federally-recognized Alaska Native tribes.
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\4\ The FERC granted the Applicants' request to begin the pre-
filing process on September 12, 2014.
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We participated in 14 public open house meetings in Alaska hosted
by the Applicants in October 2014 through January 2015. Additionally,
we have begun meeting with interested state and federal agencies to
discuss their possible involvement in the scoping process and the
preparation of the EIS.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the
EIS. The draft EIS will be published and distributed for a 45-day
public review and comment period. We will consider all timely comments
and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. To
ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the Public Participation section of this notice.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or
state-wide special expertise with respect to environmental issues to
formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating
agencies will be expected to provide project-wide perspectives on
environmental issues. These agencies may choose to participate once
they have evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities.
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 FERC is the lead federal agency in preparing the EIS to satisfy
the requirements of NEPA. In accordance

[[Page 13368]]

with the 2004 Interagency Agreement on the safety and security review
of waterfront import/export LNG facilities, the U.S. Coast Guard and
U.S. Department of Transportation will participate as cooperating
agencies. Further, under our 2002 Memorandum of Understanding \5\ with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), U.S. Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), these permitting agencies
will participate as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS
to satisfy their NEPA responsibilities.
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\5\ The Interagency Agreement on Early Coordination of Required
Environmental and Historic Preservation Reviews Conducted in
Conjunction with the Issuance of Authorizations to Construct and
Operate Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines Certificated by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission was put into place in May of 2002.
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The COE has jurisdictional authority pursuant to Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act, which governs the discharge of dredged or fill
material into waters of the United States, and Section 10 of the Rivers
and Harbors Act, which regulates any work or structures that
potentially affect the navigability of a waterway.
Under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, Title 15 of the U.S. Code,
Part 717b, the DOE would authorize the export of natural gas, including
LNG, to countries with which the United States has not entered into a
free trade agreement requiring national treatment for trade in natural
gas, unless it finds that the proposed export will not be consistent
with the public interest. For the Project, the purpose and need for
DOE's action is to respond to the Alaska LNG application, filed with
DOE on July 18, 2014 (FE Docket No. 14-96-LNG) seeking authorization to
export domestic natural gas as LNG for a 30-year term commencing the
earlier of the date of first export or 12 years from the date that the
requested authorization is granted. DOE's authorization of the Alaska
LNG application would allow the export of LNG to any country with the
capacity to import LNG and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S.
law or policy.
The BLM must issue a permit because the project would cross
federally administered lands in Alaska. As a cooperating agency, the
BLM would adopt the EIS per Title 40 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1506.3 to meet its responsibilities under NEPA
regarding the Applicants' application for a Right-of-Way Grant and
Temporary Use Permit for crossing federally administered lands. Impacts
on resources and programs, and the proposed project's conformance with
land use plans, will be considered in the BLM's decision.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

We have already identified a number of issues that we think deserve
attention based on the public open houses, interagency meetings, and
our review of the information provided by the Applicants. This
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and
our analysis.
Permafrost, Soils, and Reclamation
--Construction limitations and slope stabilization in steep terrain and
permafrost.
--Potential for problematic reclamation due to poor soils and
permafrost conditions.
--Material, design, and operations and maintenance procedures/
specifications for permafrost and subsidence locations for installation
and on-going future maintenance and integrity management.
--Potential for introduction or spread of invasive and/or noxious
species of vegetation during and after construction.
Cultural Resources
--Impacts on traditional Alaska Native culture, historic sites, and
landscapes.
Water Resources and Wetlands
--Effects of construction and operation on waterbodies and wetlands.
--Effects of dredging, dock construction, and dumping dredged material
into ocean waters.
Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, and Sensitive Species
--Effects of project construction on fish and wildlife and their
habitat, including federally listed threatened and endangered species,
marine mammals, migratory birds, and big game species.
--Effects of water depletion from hydrostatic test water withdrawals
and ice road construction.
Seismic Activity and Geohazards
--Pipeline and facility design in seismically active areas.
--Construction in geohazard areas.
Land Use, Recreation, and Special Interest Areas
--Impacts on potential wilderness areas.
--Impacts on existing conservation system units (e.g., Denali National
Park).
--Private land crossings.
--Impacts on recreation (e.g., fishing, hunting, boating, camping,
hiking, skiing, mushing, and snowmachining).
Socioeconomics
--Effects of construction workforce demands on public services and
temporary housing.
--Economic impacts on local communities.
--Environmental Justice.
Subsistence and Public Health
--Effects of construction and operation on fish, wildlife, marine
mammal, and plant species used for subsistence.
--Impacts on access to subsistence resources.
--Health impacts on local communities.
Air Quality and Noise
Reliability and Safety
Cumulative Impacts

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 applicable State Historic Preservation Office(s) (SHPO), 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 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 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 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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Public Participation

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. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly

[[Page 13369]]

recorded, please send your comments so that the Commission receives
them in Washington, DC on or before December 4, 2015. This is not your
only public input opportunity; please refer to the Environmental Review
Process flowchart in attachment 1.
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 (PF14-21-000) 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.
In addition to the methods listed above, we will also hold public
scoping meetings and mail notices to our environmental mailing list
identifying the date, time, and locations of these meetings later this
year.

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.
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 the CD version, or
would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please return the
attached Information Request (attachment 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

Once the Applicants file 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. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in
the User's 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
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., PF14-
21). 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.
Further, 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. Finally,
additional information about the project can be seen from the
Applicant's Web site at http://ak-lng.com.

Dated: March 4, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-05691 Filed 3-12-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

13366 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 49 / Friday, March 13, 2015 / Notices

the project will be approximately $149.1 the party or parties directly involved in LNG, LLC; Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG
million. the protest. Company; ExxonMobil Alaska LNG,
Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Persons who wish to comment only LLC; and TransCanada Alaska
Commission’s rules (18 CFR 157.9), on the environmental review of this Midstream, LP (Applicants) in Alaska.
within 90 days of this Notice, the project should submit an original and The Commission will use this EIS in its
Commission staff will either: complete two copies of their comments to the decision-making process to determine
its environmental assessment (EA) and Secretary of the Commission. whether the project is in the public
place it into the Commission’s public Environmental commentors will be convenience and necessity.
record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or placed on the Commission’s This notice announces the opening of
issue a Notice of Schedule for environmental mailing list, will receive the scoping process the Commission
Environmental Review. If a Notice of copies of the environmental documents, and its cooperating agencies will use to
Schedule for Environmental Review is and will be notified of meetings gather input from the public and
issued, it will indicate, among other associated with the Commission’s interested agencies on the project. Your
milestones, the anticipated date for the environmental review process. input will help the Commission staff
Commission staff’s issuance of the final Environmental commentors will not be determine what issues they need to
environmental impact statement (FEIS) required to serve copies of filed evaluate in the EIS. Understanding that
or EA for this proposal. The filing of the documents on all other parties. affected stakeholders may include
EA in the Commission’s public record However, the non-party commentors communities that depend on seasonal
for this proceeding or the issuance of a will not receive copies of all documents subsistence activities, the scoping
Notice of Schedule for Environmental filed by other parties or issued by the period will remain open for an extended
Review will serve to notify federal and Commission (except for the mailing of period, closing on December 4, 2015.
state agencies of the timing for the environmental documents issued by the This is not your only public input
completion of all necessary reviews, and Commission) and will not have the right opportunity; please refer to the
the subsequent need to complete all to seek court review of the Environmental Review Process flow
federal authorizations within 90 days of Commission’s final order. chart in attachment 1.
the date of issuance of the Commission The Commission strongly encourages You may submit comments in written
staff’s FEIS or EA. electronic filings of comments, protests form or verbally. Further details on how
There are two ways to become and interventions in lieu of paper using to submit written comments are in the
involved in the Commission’s review of the ‘‘eFiling’’ link at http:// Public Participation section of this
this project. First, any person wishing to www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file notice. In lieu of or in addition to
obtain legal status by becoming a party electronically should submit an original sending written comments, the
to the proceedings for this project and 7 copies of the protest or Commission invites you to attend the
should, on or before the comment date intervention to the Federal Energy public scoping meetings to provide
stated below file with the Federal Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street verbal and/or written comments on the
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 NE., Washington, DC 20426. project.
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, A schedule of the public scoping
Comment Date: March 25, 2015.
a motion to intervene in accordance meeting dates, locations, and times will
with the requirements of the Kimberly D. Bose, be issued in a separate notice at least
Commission’s Rules of Practice and Secretary. one month prior to the date of the
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) [FR Doc. 2015–05685 Filed 3–12–15; 8:45 am] meetings.
and the Regulations under the NGA (18 BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
This notice is being sent to the
CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party Commission’s current environmental
status will be placed on the service list mailing list for this project. The
maintained by the Secretary of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY environmental mailing list includes
Commission and will receive copies of potentially affected landowners (crossed
all documents filed by the applicant and Federal Energy Regulatory by or adjacent to the project route);
by all other parties. A party must submit Commission landowners within 0.5 mile of
seven copies of filings made in the compressor station sites, the gas
[Docket No. PF14–21–000]
proceeding with the Commission and treatment plant (GTP), and the
must mail a copy to the applicant and Alaska Gasline Development liquefaction terminal; federal, state, and
to every other party. Only parties to the Corporation; BP Alaska LNG, LLC; local government agencies; elected
proceeding can ask for court review of Conoco Phillips Alaska LNG Company; officials; environmental and public
Commission orders in the proceeding. ExxonMobil Alaska LNG, LLC; interest groups; Alaska Native tribes;
However, a person does not have to TransCanada Alaska Midstream, LP; local libraries and newspapers; and
intervene in order to have comments Notice of Intent To Prepare an other interested parties. State, local, and
considered. The second way to Environmental Impact Statement for tribal government representatives are
participate is by filing with the the Planned Alaska Lng Project and asked to notify their constituents of this
Secretary of the Commission, as soon as Request for Comments on planned project and encourage them to
possible, an original and two copies of Environmental Issues comment on their areas of concern.
comments in support of or in opposition A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
to this project. The Commission will The staff of the Federal Energy entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

consider these comments in Regulatory Commission (FERC or Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
determining the appropriate action to be Commission) will prepare an To Know?’’ is available for viewing on
taken, but the filing of a comment alone environmental impact statement (EIS) the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). This
will not serve to make the filer a party that will discuss the environmental fact sheet addresses a number of
to the proceeding. The Commission’s impacts of the Alaska LNG Project typically-asked questions, including the
rules require that persons filing involving construction and operation of use of eminent domain and how to
comments in opposition to the project facilities by Alaska Gasline participate in the Commission’s
provide copies of their protests only to Development Corporation; BP Alaska proceedings.

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13368 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 49 / Friday, March 13, 2015 / Notices

with the 2004 Interagency Agreement on land use plans, will be considered in the skiing, mushing, and
the safety and security review of BLM’s decision. snowmachining).
waterfront import/export LNG facilities,
Currently Identified Environmental • Socioeconomics
the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.
Issues —Effects of construction workforce
Department of Transportation will
participate as cooperating agencies. We have already identified a number demands on public services and
Further, under our 2002 Memorandum of issues that we think deserve attention temporary housing.
of Understanding 5 with the U.S. Army based on the public open houses, —Economic impacts on local
Corps of Engineers (COE), U.S. Bureau interagency meetings, and our review of communities.
of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. the information provided by the —Environmental Justice.
Department of Energy (DOE), these Applicants. This preliminary list of • Subsistence and Public Health
permitting agencies will participate as issues may be changed based on your
cooperating agencies in the preparation comments and our analysis. —Effects of construction and operation
of the EIS to satisfy their NEPA on fish, wildlife, marine mammal, and
• Permafrost, Soils, and Reclamation plant species used for subsistence.
responsibilities.
The COE has jurisdictional authority —Construction limitations and slope —Impacts on access to subsistence
pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean stabilization in steep terrain and resources.
Water Act, which governs the discharge permafrost. —Health impacts on local communities.
of dredged or fill material into waters of —Potential for problematic reclamation • Air Quality and Noise
the United States, and Section 10 of the due to poor soils and permafrost
conditions. • Reliability and Safety
Rivers and Harbors Act, which regulates
any work or structures that potentially —Material, design, and operations and • Cumulative Impacts
affect the navigability of a waterway. maintenance procedures/
Consultations Under Section 106 of the
Under Section 3 of the Natural Gas specifications for permafrost and
National Historic Preservation Act
Act, Title 15 of the U.S. Code, Part 717b, subsidence locations for installation
the DOE would authorize the export of and on-going future maintenance and In accordance with the Advisory
natural gas, including LNG, to countries integrity management. Council on Historic Preservation’s
with which the United States has not —Potential for introduction or spread of implementing regulations for section
entered into a free trade agreement invasive and/or noxious species of 106 of the National Historic
requiring national treatment for trade in vegetation during and after Preservation Act, we are using this
natural gas, unless it finds that the construction. notice to initiate consultation with
proposed export will not be consistent applicable State Historic Preservation
• Cultural Resources Office(s) (SHPO), and to solicit their
with the public interest. For the Project,
the purpose and need for DOE’s action —Impacts on traditional Alaska Native views and those of other government
is to respond to the Alaska LNG culture, historic sites, and landscapes. agencies, interested Indian tribes, and
application, filed with DOE on July 18, the public on the project’s potential
• Water Resources and Wetlands
2014 (FE Docket No. 14–96–LNG) effects on historic properties.6 We will
seeking authorization to export —Effects of construction and operation define the project-specific Area of
domestic natural gas as LNG for a 30- on waterbodies and wetlands. Potential Effects (APE) in consultation
year term commencing the earlier of the —Effects of dredging, dock construction, with the SHPO as the project develops.
date of first export or 12 years from the and dumping dredged material into On natural gas facility projects, the APE
date that the requested authorization is ocean waters. at a minimum encompasses all areas
granted. DOE’s authorization of the • Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, and subject to ground disturbance (examples
Alaska LNG application would allow Sensitive Species include construction right-of-way,
the export of LNG to any country with contractor/pipe storage yards,
the capacity to import LNG and with —Effects of project construction on fish compressor stations, and access roads).
which trade is not prohibited by U.S. and wildlife and their habitat, Our EIS for this project will document
law or policy. including federally listed threatened our findings on the impacts on historic
The BLM must issue a permit because and endangered species, marine properties and summarize the status of
the project would cross federally mammals, migratory birds, and big consultations under section 106.
administered lands in Alaska. As a game species.
—Effects of water depletion from Public Participation
cooperating agency, the BLM would
adopt the EIS per Title 40 of the Code hydrostatic test water withdrawals You can make a difference by
of Federal Regulations, Part 1506.3 to and ice road construction. providing us with your specific
meet its responsibilities under NEPA • Seismic Activity and Geohazards comments or concerns about the project.
regarding the Applicants’ application Your comments should focus on the
for a Right-of-Way Grant and Temporary —Pipeline and facility design in potential environmental effects,
Use Permit for crossing federally seismically active areas. reasonable alternatives, and measures to
administered lands. Impacts on —Construction in geohazard areas. avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
resources and programs, and the • Land Use, Recreation, and Special The more specific your comments, the
proposed project’s conformance with Interest Areas more useful they will be. To ensure that
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

your comments are timely and properly
5 The Interagency Agreement on Early —Impacts on potential wilderness areas.
Coordination of Required Environmental and —Impacts on existing conservation 6 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation Reviews Conducted in system units (e.g., Denali National regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal
Conjunction with the Issuance of Authorizations to Park). Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define
Construct and Operate Interstate Natural Gas historic properties as any prehistoric or historic
Pipelines Certificated by the Federal Energy
—Private land crossings. district, site, building, structure, or object included
Regulatory Commission was put into place in May —Impacts on recreation (e.g., fishing, in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of 2002. hunting, boating, camping, hiking, of Historic Places.

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Document Created: 2015-12-18 11:41:50
Document Modified: 2015-12-18 11:41:50

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
FR Citation		80 FR 13366

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 49 (March 13, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission