80 FR 50843 - Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC, Cheniere Corpus Christi Pipeline, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Stage 3 Project, and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 162 (August 21, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 162 (Friday, August 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50843-50845]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20746]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF15-26-000]


Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC, Cheniere Corpus Christi 
Pipeline, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment 
for the Planned Stage 3 Project, and Request for Comments on 
Environmental Issues

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Corpus Christi Liquefaction, 
LLC's (CCL's) and Cheniere Corpus Christi Pipeline, L.P.'s (CCPL's) 
Stage 3 Project (Project) involving the expansion of the liquefied 
natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and storage capacity of the previously 
approved Corpus Christi Liquefaction Project (Liquefaction Project) 
(Docket Nos. CP12-507-000 and CP12-508-000); and new associated bi-
directional interstate natural gas pipeline facilities (Stage 3 
Pipeline) in San Patricio County, Texas. The Commission will use this 
EA 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 will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the Project. 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. 
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they 
need to evaluate in the EA. The Commission staff will also use the 
scoping process to help determine whether preparation of an 
environmental impact statement is more appropriate for this Project 
based upon the potential significance of the anticipated levels of 
impact. 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 16, 2015.
    If you sent comments on this Project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on June 9, 2015, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. PF15-26-000 to ensure they are considered as 
part of this proceeding.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this Project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this planned 
Project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    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 50844]]

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. 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. Be sure to reference the Project docket number 
(PF15-26-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Please note this is not your only public input opportunity; please 
refer to the review process flow chart in Appendix 1.\1\
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    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of the 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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Summary of the Planned Project

    CCL and CCPL plan to expand the LNG liquefaction and storage 
capacity of the recently authorized Liquefaction Project. The planned 
Project would include the addition of two liquefaction trains, each 
capable of processing up to approximately 700 million cubic feet per 
day of natural gas, one 160,000 cubic meter (m\3\) full containment LNG 
tank, one 22-mile-long, 42-inch-diameter pipeline, additional 
compression at the Sinton Compressor Station, and appurtenant 
facilities located within San Patricio County, Texas. According to CCL 
and CCPL, its Project would expand the Liquefaction Project's 
production capabilities and increase the sale of domestic natural gas 
as LNG to the global market.
    The Stage 3 Project would consist of the following facilities:
     LNG Facilities:
    [cir] Two LNG liquefaction trains, each capable of producing a 
maximum of approximately 5 million tonnes per annum of LNG;
    [cir] One 160,000 m\3\ full containment LNG storage tank;
    [cir] Interconnecting piping and an LNG transfer line;
    [cir] Control and safety systems; and
    [cir] Utilities, infrastructure, and support systems.
     Pipeline Facilities:
    [cir] An approximately 22-mile-long, 42-inch-diameter pipeline 
originating north of the City of Sinton, Texas and terminating at the 
Stage 3 Project LNG facilities;
    [cir] Two electric motor driven compressor units to provide a total 
of approximately 32 megawatts of additional compression at the existing 
Sinton Compressor Station; and
    [cir] Meter and regulator (M&R) stations, launcher/receiver 
facilities, and mainline valves (MLVs) at various locations along the 
planned pipeline route.
    The general location of the Project facilities is shown in Appendix 
2.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the LNG facilities would require approximately 826 
acres of land, of which 658 acres will have been impacted by the 
previously authorized Liquefaction Project. Following construction, 
approximately 368 acres of land would be maintained for permanent 
operation of the Project's LNG facilities, of which 351 acres was 
previously approved for operation of the Liquefaction Project 
facilities. CCL and CCPL are still in the design phase of the pipeline 
facilities, and workspace requirements for the M&R stations, launcher/
receiver facilities, and MLVs have not been finalized. However, 
construction of the 42-inch pipeline, which would generally parallel 
the previously authorized 48-inch Corpus Christi Pipeline, and planned 
facilities at the Sinton Compressor Station would temporarily disturb a 
total of approximately 388 acres of land. Following construction, CCL 
and CCPL would maintain approximately 110 acres for operation of the 
new permanent pipeline easement. Permanent land impacts associated with 
operation of the planned facilities at the Sinton Compressor Station 
have yet to be determined.

The EA 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 
\2\ 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 EA on the important 
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We will 
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
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    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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    In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned Project under these 
general headings:
     geology and soils;
     land use;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     socioeconomics;
     air quality and noise;
     endangered and threatened species;
     public 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 resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before 
the FERC receives an application. As part of our pre-filing review, we 
have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss their 
involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. We will 
consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations to 
the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and 
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the 
Public Participation section, beginning on page 2 of this notice.

[[Page 50845]]

    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues 
related to this Project to formally cooperate with us in the 
preparation of the EA.\3\ 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. Currently no agencies have expressed their intention to 
participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA to 
satisfy their NEPA responsibilities related to this Project.
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    \3\ 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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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 Texas Historical Commission which has been given the role of 
the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) for Texas, and to 
solicit the SHPO's review and those of other government agencies, 
interested Indian tribes, and the public on the Project's potential 
effects on historic properties.\4\ We will define the Project-specific 
Area of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO(s) 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 EA 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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    \4\ 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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Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    We have already identified several issues that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the planned facilities and 
the environmental information provided by CCL and CCPL that we think 
deserves attention. This preliminary list of issues may change based on 
your comments and our analysis. The issues identified to date include 
impacts on:
     threatened and endangered species;
     vegetation, wildlife, and fisheries;
     land use and aesthetics;
     socioeconomics;
     public safety and reliability;
     air quality and noise;
     water use and quality; and
     cumulative impacts.

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.
    If we publish and distribute the EA copies 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 (Appendix 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once CCL and CCPL file their 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. Motions to intervene are more fully described at 
http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Instructions 
for becoming an intervenor are in the ``Document-less Intervention 
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., PF15-
26). 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.
    Finally, 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.

    Dated: August 17, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-20746 Filed 8-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P