83 FR 52828 - Rio Grande LNG, LLC, Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rio Grande LNG Project

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 202 (October 18, 2018)

Page Range		52828-52829
FR Document		2018-22727

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52828-52829]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22727]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP16-454-000]

Rio Grande LNG, LLC, Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of

Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the

Proposed Rio Grande LNG Project

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or

Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS)

for the Rio Grande LNG Project (Project) proposed by Rio Grande LNG,

LLC (RG LNG) and Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC (RB Pipeline)

(collectively referred to as the RG Developers) in the above-referenced

dockets. RG LNG requests authorization pursuant to section 3(a) of the

Natural Gas Act (NGA) to construct and operate liquefied natural gas

(LNG) export facilities in Cameron County, Texas, and RB Pipeline

requests a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to

section 7(c) of the NGA to construct, operate, and maintain a new

pipeline system in Jim Wells, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy, and Cameron

Counties, Texas.

The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the

construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the

requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC

staff concludes that construction and operation of the Rio Grande LNG

Project would result in some adverse environmental impacts, but these

impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels. However, the

Rio Grande LNG Project, combined with other projects within the

geographic scope, would result in certain significant cumulative

impacts.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department

of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous

Materials Safety Administration, the DOT's Federal Aviation

Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park

Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration--National Marine Fisheries

Service participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the

EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise

with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and

participate in the NEPA analysis. Although the cooperating agencies

provided input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in the

draft EIS, the agencies will present their own conclusions and

recommendations in their respective Records of Decision for the

Project.

The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the

construction and operation of the following proposed facilities:

Six liquefaction trains at the Rio Grande LNG Terminal,

each with a nominal capacity of 4.5 million tons per annum of LNG for

export, resulting in the total nominal capacity of 27.0 million tons

per annum;

four LNG storage tanks, each with a net capacity of

180,000 cubic meters;

LNG truck loading facilities with four loading bays, each

with the capacity to load 12 to 15 trucks per day;

a refrigerant storage area and truck unloading facilities;

a condensate storage area and truck loading facilities;

a new marine slip with two LNG vessel berths to

accommodate simultaneous loading of two LNG vessels, an LNG vessel and

support vessel maneuvering area, and an LNG transfer system;

a materials off-loading facility;

2.4 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline, including 0.8 mile

of dual pipeline, to gather gas from existing systems in Kleberg and

Jim Wells Counties (referred to as the Header System);

135.5 miles of parallel 42-inch-diameter pipelines

originating in Kleberg County and terminating at the Rio Grande LNG

Terminal in Cameron County (referred to as Pipelines 1 and 2);

four stand-alone metering sites along the Header System;

two new interconnect booster compressor stations, each

with a metering site;

three new compressor stations (one at the LNG Terminal

site); and

other associated utilities, systems, and facilities

(yards, access roads, etc.).

The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability to

federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies;

elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native

American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested

individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the project

area. The draft EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be

viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the

Environmental Documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/eis.asp). In addition, the draft EIS may be accessed by using

the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link

(https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp), click on General

Search, and enter the docket number in the Docket Number field,

excluding the last three digits (i.e. CP16-454 or CP16-455). 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.

Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. Your

comments should focus on draft EIS's disclosure and discussion of

potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures

to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. To ensure consideration of

your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that

the Commission receive

[[Page 52829]]

your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 3, 2018.

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 staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or

FercOnlineSupport@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 website (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 website (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;

(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them

to the following address. Be sure to reference the Project docket

numbers (CP16-454-000, CP16-455-000) 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 comment sessions

its staff will conduct in the Project area to receive comments on

the draft EIS, scheduled as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date and time Location

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Tuesday, November 13, 2018: 5:00-8:00 Texas A&M, 700 University

p.m. local time. Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363,

361-593-4173.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018: 5:00-8:00 La Quinta, 128 N Expressway 77,

p.m. local time. Raymondville, TX 78750, 956-

689-4000.

Thursday, November 15, 2018: 5:00-9:00 Port Isabel Convention Center,

p.m. local time. 309 E. Railroad Ave., Port

Isabel, TX 78578, 956-433-

7195.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The primary goal of these comment sessions is to have you

identify the specific environmental issues and concerns with the

draft EIS. Individual verbal comments will be taken on a one-on-one

basis with a court reporter. This format is designed to receive the

maximum amount of verbal comments in a convenient way during the

timeframe allotted.

The Kingsville and Raymondville scoping sessions are scheduled

from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, and the Port Isabel scoping

session is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time. You may

arrive at any time after 5:00 p.m. There will not be a formal

presentation by Commission staff when the session opens. If you wish

to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of

your arrival. Comments will be taken until the closing hour for all

scoping sessions. However, if no additional numbers have been handed

out and all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an

opportunity to do so, staff may conclude the session 30 minutes

before the closing hour. Please see appendix 1 for additional

information on the session format and conduct.\1\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your verbal comments will be recorded by the court reporter

(with FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the

public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly

available on FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on

using eLibrary). If a significant number of people are interested in

providing verbal comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit

of 5 minutes may be implemented for each commentor.

It is important to note that verbal comments hold the same

weight as written or electronically submitted comments. Although

there will not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be

available throughout the comment session to answer your questions

about the environmental review process.

Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a

motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of

Practice and Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214). Motions to intervene are

more fully described at http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or

judicial review of the Commission's decision. The Commission grants

affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor

status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and

direct interest in this proceeding that no other party can adequately

represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you

intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your

comments considered.

Questions?

Additional information about the Projects is available from the

Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the

FERC website (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. The eLibrary link

also provides access to the texts of all 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: October 12, 2018.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2018-22727 Filed 10-17-18; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices 52829

your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. that your comments are properly eRegister. If you are filing a comment on a
Eastern Time on December 3, 2018. recorded. particular project, please select ‘‘Comment on
a Filing’’ as the filing type; or
For your convenience, there are four (1) You can file your comments (3) You can file a paper copy of your
methods you can use to submit your electronically using the eComment feature on comments by mailing them to the following
comments to the Commission. The the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) address. Be sure to reference the Project
Commission will provide equal under the link to Documents and Filings. docket numbers (CP16–454–000, CP16–455–
This is an easy method for submitting brief, 000) with your submission: Kimberly D.
consideration to all comments received, text-only comments on a project; Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
whether filed in written form or (2) You can file your comments Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A,
provided verbally. The Commission electronically by using the eFiling feature on Washington, DC 20426
encourages electronic filing of the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic
comments and has staff available to under the link to Documents and Filings. comments, the Commission invites you to
assist you at (866) 208–3676 or With eFiling, you can provide comments in attend one of the public comment sessions its
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please a variety of formats by attaching them as a staff will conduct in the Project area to
file with your submission. New eFiling users receive comments on the draft EIS, scheduled
carefully follow these instructions so
must first create an account by clicking on as follows:

Date and time Location

Tuesday, November 13, 2018: 5:00–8:00 p.m. local time ....................... Texas A&M, 700 University Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363, 361–593–
4173.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018: 5:00–8:00 p.m. local time .................. La Quinta, 128 N Expressway 77, Raymondville, TX 78750, 956–689–
4000.
Thursday, November 15, 2018: 5:00–9:00 p.m. local time ...................... Port Isabel Convention Center, 309 E. Railroad Ave., Port Isabel, TX
78578, 956–433–7195.

The primary goal of these comment It is important to note that verbal In addition, the Commission offers a
sessions is to have you identify the specific comments hold the same weight as written or free service called eSubscription that
environmental issues and concerns with the electronically submitted comments. allows you to keep track of all formal
draft EIS. Individual verbal comments will be Although there will not be a formal
taken on a one-on-one basis with a court
issuances and submittals in specific
presentation, Commission staff will be dockets. This can reduce the amount of
reporter. This format is designed to receive available throughout the comment session to
the maximum amount of verbal comments in time you spend researching proceedings
answer your questions about the
a convenient way during the timeframe by automatically providing you with
environmental review process.
allotted. notification of these filings, document
The Kingsville and Raymondville scoping Any person seeking to become a party summaries, and direct links to the
sessions are scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/docs-
p.m. local time, and the Port Isabel scoping to the proceeding must file a motion to
intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the filing/esubscription.asp.
session is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00
p.m. local time. You may arrive at any time Commission’s Rules of Practice and Dated: October 12, 2018.
after 5:00 p.m. There will not be a formal Procedures (18 CFR part 385.214). Kimberly D. Bose,
presentation by Commission staff when the Motions to intervene are more fully Secretary.
session opens. If you wish to speak, the described at http://www.ferc.gov/
Commission staff will hand out numbers in [FR Doc. 2018–22727 Filed 10–17–18; 8:45 am]
resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
the order of your arrival. Comments will be BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
taken until the closing hour for all scoping
Only intervenors have the right to seek
sessions. However, if no additional numbers rehearing or judicial review of the
have been handed out and all individuals Commission’s decision. The DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
who wish to provide comments have had an Commission grants affected landowners
opportunity to do so, staff may conclude the and others with environmental concerns Federal Energy Regulatory
session 30 minutes before the closing hour. intervenor status upon showing good Commission
Please see appendix 1 for additional cause by stating that they have a clear
information on the session format and [Docket No. ER19–91–000]
conduct.1
and direct interest in this proceeding
Your verbal comments will be recorded by that no other party can adequately
represent. Simply filing environmental GRP Franklin, LLC; Supplemental
the court reporter (with FERC staff or
representative present) and become part of comments will not give you intervenor Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate
the public record for this proceeding. status, but you do not need intervenor Filing Includes Request for Blanket
Transcripts will be publicly available on status to have your comments Section 204 Authorization
FERC’s eLibrary system (see below for considered.
instructions on using eLibrary). If a This is a supplemental notice in the
significant number of people are interested in Questions? above-referenced proceeding of GRP
providing verbal comments in the one-on-one Franklin, LLC’s application for market-
settings, a time limit of 5 minutes may be Additional information about the based rate authority, with an
implemented for each commentor. Projects is available from the accompanying rate tariff, noting that
Commission’s Office of External Affairs, such application includes a request for
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES

1 The appendices referenced in this notice will
at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC blanket authorization, under 18 CFR
not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the
appendices were sent to all those receiving this website (www.ferc.gov) using the part 34, of future issuances of securities
notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov eLibrary link. The eLibrary link also and assumptions of liability.
using the link called eLibrary or from the provides access to the texts of all formal Any person desiring to intervene or to
Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First documents issued by the Commission, protest should file with the Federal
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502–
8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, such as orders, notices, and Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
refer to the last page of this notice. rulemakings. First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426,

VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:28 Oct 17, 2018 Jkt 247001 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1

Document Created: 2018-10-18 03:05:32
Document Modified: 2018-10-18 03:05:32

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		83 FR 52828

83 FR 52828 - Rio Grande LNG, LLC, Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rio Grande LNG Project

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 202 (October 18, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission