80 FR 60381 - Jordan Cove Energy Project LP; Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline LP; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Jordan Cove Liquefaction and Pacific Connector Pipeline Projects

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 193 (October 6, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 193 (Tuesday, October 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60381-60382]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25386]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP13-483-000; Docket No. CP13-492-000]


Jordan Cove Energy Project LP; Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline LP; 
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Jordan Cove Liquefaction and Pacific Connector Pipeline 
Projects

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) 
for the Jordan Cove Liquefaction Project proposed by Jordan Cove Energy 
Project LP (Jordan Cove) and the Pacific Connector Pipeline Project 
proposed by Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline LP (Pacific Connector) in 
the above-referenced dockets. Jordan Cove requests authorization under 
section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to produce a maximum of 6.8 
million metric tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at a 
terminal in Coos County, Oregon for export to overseas markets. Pacific 
Connector seeks a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under 
section 7 of the NGA to transport about 1.07 billion cubic feet per day 
of natural gas in a pipeline from the Malin hub to the Jordan Cove 
terminal, crossing portions of Klamath, Jackson, Douglas, and Coos 
Counties, Oregon.
    The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the Jordan Cove Liquefaction and Pacific 
Connector Pipeline Projects in accordance with the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that 
the proposed projects would have some limited adverse environmental 
impacts. However, with implementation of Jordan Cove's and Pacific 
Connector's proposed mitigation measures, and the additional mitigation 
measures recommended by the FERC staff and federal land managing 
agencies in the EIS, most of these impacts would be avoided or reduced 
to less-than-significant levels.
    The United States (U.S.) Department of Agriculture Forest Service 
(Forest Service); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Department of 
Energy; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security Coast Guard; U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and Fish 
and Wildlife Service; and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation 
participated as cooperating agencies in preparation of the EIS. 
Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with 
respect to resources potentially affected by the proposals and 
participated in the NEPA analysis.
    The BLM, with the concurrence of the Forest Service and 
Reclamation, would adopt and use the EIS to consider issuing a Right-
of-Way Grant for the portion of the Pacific Connector pipeline easement 
on federal lands. Both the BLM and the Forest Service would also use 
this EIS to evaluate proposed amendments to their District or National 
Forest land management plans to make provision for the Pacific 
Connector pipeline. Other cooperating agencies would use this EIS in 
their regulatory process, and to satisfy compliance with the NEPA and 
other federal environmental laws. Although the cooperating agencies 
provided input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in the 
EIS, the agencies would present their own conclusions and 
recommendations in their respective Records of Decision for the 
projects.
    Jordan Cove's proposed facilities would include an access channel 
from the existing Coos Bay navigation channel; a terminal marine slip 
including a single LNG vessel berth and tug boat berth; a barge berth; 
a loading platform and transfer pipeline; two LNG storage tanks; four 
liquefaction trains and associated refrigerant storage bullets; fire 
water ponds; ground flares; 420-megawatt South Dune Power Plant; 
support buildings; utility and access corridor between the terminal and 
the power plant; Southwest Oregon Resource Security Center; and a 
natural gas treatment plant.
    Pacific Connector's proposed facilities would include a 232-mile-
long, 36-inch-diameter underground welded steel pipeline between Malin 
and Coos Bay; the 41,000 horsepower Klamath Compressor Station; the 
Klamath-Eagle Receipt Meter Station and Klamath-Beaver Receipt Meter 
Station within the compressor station tract; the Clarks Branch Delivery 
Meter Station at the interconnection with Northwest Pipeline's Grants 
Pass Lateral; the Jordan Cove Delivery Meter Station at the 
interconnection with the Jordan Cove LNG terminal; 5 pig \1\ launchers 
and receivers; 17 mainline block valves;

[[Page 60382]]

and 11 communication towers co-located with other facilities.
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    \1\ A ``pig'' is a tool for cleaning and inspecting the inside 
of a pipeline.
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    The FERC staff mailed copies of the EIS to federal, state, and 
local government agencies; elected officials; regional environmental 
groups and non-governmental organizations; Indian tribes; affected 
landowners; newspapers and libraries in the project area; other 
interested individuals; and parties to the proceedings. Paper copy 
versions of the EIS were mailed to those specifically requesting them; 
all others received a compact disc version. In addition, the EIS is 
available for public viewing on the FERC's Web site (www.ferc.gov) 
using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies 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 projects are 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., CP13-
483). 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 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.

    Dated: September 30, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-25386 Filed 10-5-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P