80 FR 50622 - Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Lake Charles Liquefaction Project

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 161 (August 20, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 161 (Thursday, August 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50622-50623]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20574]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Lake Charles Liquefaction Project

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                                                     Docket No.
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Trunkline Gas Company, LLC................  CP14-119-000
Lake Charles LNG Company, LLC.............  CP14-120-000
 Lake Charles LNG Export Company, LLC.....  CP14-122-000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Lake Charles Liquefaction Project, proposed by Trunkline Gas 
Company, LLC (Trunkline), Lake Charles LNG Company, LLC, and Lake 
Charles LNG Export Company, LLC in the above-referenced dockets. 
Trunkline requests authorization to construct, install, and operate new 
natural gas pipeline facilities; modify certain existing pipeline 
facilities; and abandon one compressor unit in the states of Arkansas, 
Mississippi, and Louisiana (collectively referred to as the Non-
Liquefaction Facilities). Lake Charles LNG Company, LLC and Lake 
Charles LNG Export Company, LLC (collectively referred to as Lake 
Charles LNG) request authorization to site, construct, and operate new 
liquefaction facilities adjacent to an existing liquefied natural gas 
(LNG) terminal located in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, and to construct 
and operate certain facility modifications at the existing LNG 
terminal. The new liquefaction facilities would have a design 
production capacity of 16.45 million metric tons of LNG per annum, 
which would provide an LNG export capacity equivalent to about 2 
billion cubic feet per day of natural gas.
    Lake Charles LNG also requests authorization to abandon certain 
terminal facilities previously certificated under the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA) section 7; and convert such certificated facilities so that the 
entirety of the company's facilities and operations are authorized 
solely under NGA section 3.
    The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of 
construction and operation of the Lake Charles Liquefaction Project in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act. The FERC staff concludes that approval of the

[[Page 50623]]

proposed project would have some adverse environmental impacts; 
however, most of these impacts would be reduced to less-than-
significant levels with the implementation of Lake Charles LNG's and 
Trunkline's proposed mitigation and the additional measures recommended 
in the final EIS.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department 
of Energy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of 
Transportation participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation 
of the final EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or 
special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by a 
proposal and participate in the National Environmental Policy Act 
analysis. Although the cooperating agencies provided input on the 
conclusions and recommendations presented in the final EIS, the 
agencies will present their own conclusions and recommendations in 
their respective records of decision or determinations for the project.
    The Lake Charles Liquefaction Project includes:
     Three liquefaction trains, each with a production capacity 
sufficient to produce 5.48 million metric tons per annum of LNG for 
export (each train would contain metering and gas treatment facilities, 
liquefaction and refrigerant units, safety and control systems, and 
associated infrastructure);
     modifications and upgrades at the existing Trunkline LNG 
terminal;
     about 0.5 mile of 48-inch-diameter feed gas line to supply 
natural gas to the liquefaction facility from existing gas transmission 
pipelines;
     approximately 17.9 miles of 24- and 42-inch-diameter 
natural gas pipeline;
     a new compressor station with a manufacturer's rating of 
103,175 horsepower (hp), which equates to a site-specific rating of 
98,685 hp (based on relative humidity and elevation);
     abandonment of a 3,000-hp compressor unit, installation of 
a unit with a manufacturer's rating of 15,900 hp and site-specific 
rating of 15,002-hp unit, and piping modifications at one existing 
compressor station;
     modification of station piping at three other existing 
compressor stations;
     five new meter stations and modifications and upgrades of 
five existing meter stations;
     modification of certain existing pipeline facilities; and
     construction of miscellaneous auxiliary and appurtenant 
facilities.
    The FERC staff mailed copies of the final EIS to federal, state, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; 
potentially affected landowners; other interested individuals and non-
governmental organizations; newspapers and libraries in the project 
area; and parties to this proceeding. Paper copy versions of this EIS 
were mailed to those specifically requesting them; all others received 
a compact disk version. In addition, the final EIS is available for 
public viewing on the FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary 
link. A limited number of hardcopies 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.
    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(s) excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field 
(i.e., CP14-119, CP14-120, and CP14-122). 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; 
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 www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.

    Dated: August 14, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-20574 Filed 8-19-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P