Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, Brazoria County, TX; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement on a Proposed Right-of-Way Permit Application for Pipelines Crossing the Refuge

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are in the process of considering an application from Praxair, Inc. (Praxair) for a right-of-way (ROW) permit to construct, operate, and maintain two pipelines within an existing maintained pipeline corridor crossing the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Brazoria County, Texas. The Service requests comments on environmental issues and announces the opening of the scoping process, which will inform the decision to prepare either an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. This notice provides an opportunity for input from other Federal and State agencies, local government, Native American Tribes, nongovernmental organizations, the public, and other interested parties on the scope of the NEPA analysis, pertinent issues which should be addressed, and the alternatives to be analyzed.