81 FR 69805 - Driftwood LNG, LLC and Driftwood LNG Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Driftwood LNG Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 195 (October 7, 2016)

Page Range		69805-69807
FR Document		2016-24273

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 195 (Friday, October 7, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 195 (Friday, October 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69805-69807]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24273]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF16-6-000]

Driftwood LNG, LLC and Driftwood LNG Pipeline Company, LLC;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Planned Driftwood LNG Project, Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions

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 Driftwood LNG Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by Driftwood LNG,
LLC and Driftwood LNG Pipeline Company, LLC (collectively referred to
as ``DWLNG'') in Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Acadia, and Evangeline
Parishes, Louisiana. The Commission will use this EIS in its decision-
making process to determine whether the planned 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 EIS. 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 November 4, 2016.
If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on June 6, 2016, you will need to file those
comments in Docket No. PF16-6-000 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 (http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/gas/gas.pdf). 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.

Public Participation

For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258
or efiling@ferc.gov. 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
(PF16-6-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.
(4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the
Commission invites you to attend one of the public scoping sessions its
staff will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows:

[[Page 69806]]

FERC Public Scoping Meetings Driftwood LNG project
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Date and time Location
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Tuesday, October 25, 2016, 5:00 pm to Town of Kinder Community
8:30 pm. Center, 316 N 8th Street,
Kinder, LA 70648.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016, 5:00 pm to West Cal Event Center, 401
8:30 pm. Arena Road, Sulphur, LA 70665.
Thursday, October 27, 2016, 5:00 pm to Northwest Community Center, 501
8:30 pm. Samuel Drive, Eunice, LA
70535.
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The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to identify the
specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered
and addressed in the EIS.
Commission staff will accept verbal comments between 5:00 and 8:30
p.m. There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when
the session begins; however, Commission staff will be available to
answer your questions about the environmental review process. Your
comments will be recorded individually by a stenographer (with FERC
staff or representative present) and placed into the Commission's
administrative record. A transcript of the scoping session(s) will be
entered into the FERC's publicly available eLibrary (see below for
instructions on using eLibrary). It is important to note that verbal
comments hold the same weight as written or electronically submitted
comments.
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

DWLNG intends to construct a planned natural gas liquefaction and
export facility in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, along the west side of
the Calcasieu River, with a liquefaction capacity of about 26 million
tonnes per annum (MTPA) of natural gas.
Additionally, DWLNG plans to construct 96 miles of pipeline in
Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Acadia, and Evangeline Parishes, that would
connect the liquefaction and export facility to the existing interstate
U.S. natural gas grid.
The proposed facilities would consist of the following components:
(1) Five LNG plants, each comprising one gas pre-treatment unit and
four gas-turbine-driven Integrated Pre-cooled Single Mixed Refrigerant
liquefaction units; (2) Three full-containment LNG storage tanks of
approximately 250,000 m\3\ each; (3) Three berths and loading
facilities for LNG ships ranging from 125,000 m\3\ up to 216,000 m\3\
cargo capacity; and (4) Three compressor stations, 15 meter stations, a
3.5-mile 36-inch-diameter pipeline lateral, and three pipeline
segments, consisting of about 74 miles of 48-inch-diameter pipeline, 11
miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline, and 11 miles of 36-inch-diameter
pipeline.
DWLNG plans to commence construction in second quarter 2018 and
expects to be ready to commence LNG exports in second quarter 2022.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
2.

Land Requirements for Construction

The Driftwood LNG Project would be situated on the west side of the
Calcasieu River in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, approximately five
miles south of the town of Carlyss. The facility site would cover an
area of approximately 800 acres. DWLNG would own or lease all of the
land required for the facility and own, lease, or acquire the necessary
rights of way on land required for the pipeline. At this time, DWLNG
has purchased approximately 140 acres and has leased an additional 475
acres of the facility site with the right to enter into a long-term
lease for up to a total of fifty years.
Following construction, DWLNG would maintain approximately 305
acres for permanent operation of the project's facilities; the
remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses.

Non-Jurisdictional Facilities

The project would include two non-jurisdictional facilities: Power
supply and water/wastewater systems.
Power Supply: During normal operations electric power would be
drawn from the power grid. Approximately 200 megawatts of electrical
power would be required for the operation of the Facility. Power would
be provided by the local electricity utility company. The Facility
would have essential diesel generation capacity to generate sufficient
electrical power to allow for lighting of safe egress, controlled
shutdown of the facility in the event of a power failure from the main
grid system and power for critical systems which may be required during
storm events or emergency situations.
Water and Wastewater: The project would connect to the local parish
municipality for water services (Calcasieu Parish Waterworks District).
Connection to the municipal system would not require any modifications
to the existing infrastructure. The project would install a packaged
sanitary sewage treatment system.
Although FERC doesn't have the regulatory authority to modify or
deny the construction of the above-described facilities, we will
disclose available information regarding the construction impacts in
the cumulative impacts section of our EIS.

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 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 EIS on the important
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EIS. We will
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EIS.
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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 EIS 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;
socioeconomics;
vegetation and wildlife;
air quality and noise;
endangered and threatened species;
public safety; and
cumulative impacts.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project
or

[[Page 69807]]

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 EIS.
The EIS will present our independent analysis of the issues. We
will publish and distribute the draft EIS for public comment. After the
comment period, we will consider all timely comments and revise the
document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. 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 on this notice.
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 EIS.\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. The U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers are anticipated to participate as cooperating
agencies in the preparation of the EIS 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 applicable State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested
Native American 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 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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\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, the
environmental information provided by DWLNG, comments received at
DWLNG's open houses, and those comments filed to-date. This preliminary
list of issues may change based on your additional comments and our
analysis:
Visual impacts;
noise and air emissions;
traffic; 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.
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 (appendix 3).

Becoming an Intervenor

Once DWLNG files 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. 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., PF16-6). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range.
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov 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/sessions 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: October 3, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-24273 Filed 10-6-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 195 / Friday, October 7, 2016 / Notices 69805

for this proceeding or the issuance of a Commission) will prepare an the FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/
Notice of Schedule for Environmental environmental impact statement (EIS) resources/guides/gas/gas.pdf). This fact
Review will serve to notify federal and that will discuss the environmental sheet addresses a number of typically
state agencies of the timing for the impacts of the Driftwood LNG Project asked questions, including the use of
completion of all necessary reviews, and involving construction and operation of eminent domain and how to participate
the subsequent need to complete all facilities by Driftwood LNG, LLC and in the Commission’s proceedings.
federal authorizations within 90 days of Driftwood LNG Pipeline Company, LLC
the date of issuance of the Commission (collectively referred to as ‘‘DWLNG’’) Public Participation
staff’s FEIS or EA. in Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Acadia,
Persons who wish to comment only and Evangeline Parishes, Louisiana. The For your convenience, there are four
on the environmental review of this Commission will use this EIS in its methods you can use to submit your
project should submit an original and decision-making process to determine comments to the Commission. The
two copies of their comments to the whether the planned project is in the Commission will provide equal
Secretary of the Commission. public convenience and necessity. consideration to all comments received,
Environmental commenters will be This notice announces the opening of whether filed in written form or
placed on the Commission’s the scoping process the Commission provided verbally. The Commission
environmental mailing list, will receive will use to gather input from the public encourages electronic filing of
copies of the environmental documents, and interested agencies on the project. comments and has expert staff available
and will be notified of meetings You can make a difference by providing to assist you at (202) 502–8258 or
associated with the Commission’s us with your specific comments or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow
environmental review process. concerns about the project. Your these instructions so that your
Environmental commenters will not be comments should focus on the potential comments are properly recorded.
required to serve copies of filed environmental effects, reasonable
documents on all other parties. alternatives, and measures to avoid or (1) You can file your comments
However, the non-party commenters lessen environmental impacts. Your electronically using the eComment
will not receive copies of all documents input will help the Commission staff feature on the Commission’s Web site
filed by other parties or issued by the determine what issues they need to (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Commission (except for the mailing of evaluate in the EIS. To ensure that your Documents and Filings. This is an easy
environmental documents issued by the comments are timely and properly method for submitting brief, text-only
Commission) and will not have the right recorded, please send your comments so comments on a project;
to seek court review of the that the Commission receives them in (2) You can file your comments
Commission’s final order. Washington, DC on or before November electronically by using the eFiling
The Commission strongly encourages 4, 2016. feature on the Commission’s Web site
electronic filings of comments, protests, If you sent comments on this project (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
and interventions via the internet in lieu to the Commission before the opening of Documents and Filings. With eFiling,
of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) this docket on June 6, 2016, you will
and the instructions on the you can provide comments in a variety
need to file those comments in Docket
Commission’s Web site (www.ferc.gov) of formats by attaching them as a file
No. PF16–6–000 to ensure they are
under the ‘‘e-Filing’’ link. Persons considered as part of this proceeding. with your submission. New eFiling
unable to file electronically should This notice is being sent to the users must first create an account by
submit an original and 5 copies of the Commission’s current environmental clicking on ‘‘eRegister.’’ If you are filing
protest or intervention to the Federal mailing list for this project. State and a comment on a particular project,
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 local government representatives should please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. notify their constituents of this planned the filing type; or
Dated: September 30, 2016. project and encourage them to comment (3) You can file a paper copy of your
Kimberly D. Bose, on their areas of concern. comments by mailing them to the
If you are a landowner receiving this following address. Be sure to reference
Secretary.
notice, a pipeline company the project docket number (PF16–6–000)
[FR Doc. 2016–24269 Filed 10–6–16; 8:45 am]
representative may contact you about with your submission: Kimberly D.
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
the acquisition of an easement to Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
construct, operate, and maintain the
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY planned facilities. The company would
NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
Federal Energy Regulatory agreement. However, if the Commission (4) In lieu of sending written or
Commission approves the project, that approval electronic comments, the Commission
conveys with it the right of eminent invites you to attend one of the public
[Docket No. PF16–6–000] domain. Therefore, if easement scoping sessions its staff will conduct in
Driftwood LNG, LLC and Driftwood negotiations fail to produce an the project area, scheduled as follows:
LNG Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of agreement, the pipeline company could
Intent To Prepare an Environmental initiate condemnation proceedings
Impact Statement for the Planned where compensation would be
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES

Driftwood LNG Project, Request for determined in accordance with state
Comments on Environmental Issues, law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
The staff of the Federal Energy Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
Regulatory Commission (FERC or To Know?’’ is available for viewing on

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Document Created: 2018-02-13 16:32:03
Document Modified: 2018-02-13 16:32:03

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		81 FR 69805

81 FR 69805 - Driftwood LNG, LLC and Driftwood LNG Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Driftwood LNG Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Sessions

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 195 (October 7, 2016)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission