The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will discuss the environmental effects of the Rio Grande LNG Expansion Project (Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by Rio Grande LNG Train 6, LLC (Rio Grande LNG) in Cameron County, Texas.^[1] The Commission will use this EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether the Project is in the public interest. The schedule for preparation of the EIS is discussed in the Schedule for Environmental Review section of this notice.

As part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process, the Commission takes into account concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental effects that could result whenever it considers the issuance of an authorization. This gathering of public input is referred to as “scoping.” By notice issued on March 9, 2026, in Docket No. PF26-3-000, the Commission opened a scoping period during Rio Grande LNG's planning process for the Project and prior to filing a formal application with the Commission, a process referred to as “pre-filing.” Rio Grande LNG has now filed an application with the Commission, and staff intends to prepare an EIS that will address the concerns raised during the pre-filing scoping process. Additional information about the Commission's NEPA process is described below in the NEPA Process and the EIS section of this notice.

By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of issues to address in the environmental document, including comments on potential alternatives and effects, and any relevant information, studies, or analyses of any kind concerning effects affecting the quality of the human environment. To ensure that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please submit your comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 31, 2026. Comments may be submitted in written or oral form. Further details on how to submit comments are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.

As mentioned above, during the pre-filing process, the Commission opened a scoping period which expired on April 8, 2026; however, Commission staff continued to accept comments during the entire pre-filing process. Staff also held two scoping sessions to take oral scoping comments. Those sessions were held in Port Isabel, Texas on March 24 and 25, 2026. Due to an error in the distribution of the Notice of Scoping to the interested stakeholders on themailing list, we have decided to conduct one virtual scoping session for the Project. All substantive written and oral comments provided during pre-filing will be addressed in the EIS. Therefore, if you submitted comments on this Project to the Commission during the pre-filing process in Docket No. PF26-3-000 you do not need to file those comments again.

Rio Grande LNG provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled “An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?” which addresses typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. This fact sheet along with other landowner topics of interest are available for viewing on the FERC website ( www.ferc.gov) under the Natural Gas, Landowner Topics link.

Public Participation

There are four methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. 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, which is on the Commission's website ( www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. Using eComment 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, which is also on the Commission's website ( www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. 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.” You will be asked to select the type of filing you are making; a comment on a particular project is considered a “Comment on a Filing”; or

(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the Project docket number (CP26-532-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

(4) In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend the virtual public scoping session its staff will conduct by telephone, scheduled as follows:

Date and Time: August 19, 2026; 5:00-7:00 p.m. CST; Call in number: 1-888-652-5200; Passcode: Ask to be joined into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) call.

The primary goal of this scoping session is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the environmental document. Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter present on the line. This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of oral comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted.

There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when the session opens. You may call at any time after the session begins at which time you will be placed on hold. Calls will be answered in the order they are received. Once answered, you will have the opportunity to provide your comment directly to a court reporter with FERC staff or representative present on the line. A time limit of 3 minutes will be implemented for each commentor. Please note that your hold times may vary based on the number of callers at any given time.

Your oral comments will be recorded by the court reporter and become part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts of all comments received during the scoping session will be publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system (see the last page of this notice for instructions on using eLibrary).

It is important to note that the Commission provides equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form or provided orally at a virtual scoping session.

For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov.

Summary of the Proposed Project, the Project Purpose and Need, and Expected Effects

Rio Grande LNG proposes to expand the previously authorized Rio Grande LNG Terminal along the Brownsville Ship Channel in Cameron County, Texas. The Rio Grande LNG Expansion Project would produce about 6.03 million tonnes per annum of liquified natural gas (LNG) for export to U.S. allies and trading partners. According to Rio Grande LNG, its Project would expand the LNG production and ship loading capacity of the authorized Rio Grande LNG Terminal through the addition of a sixth liquefaction train and a third marine jetty to meet consistent and growing global demand for U.S. natural gas.

The Rio Grande Expansion Project would consist of the following facilities:

• one new liquefaction train (Train 6);
• one new marine jetty (Berth 3); and
• associated facilities and supporting infrastructure.

The general location of the Project facilities are shown in appendix 1.^[2]

Land Requirements for Construction

Construction of the planned facilities would disturb about 303 acres of land for Train 6 and associated infrastructure and about 22 acres for Berth 3. The Project would also utilize about 383 acres of temporary offsite construction yards. The Project would be constructed entirely within the authorized Rio Grande LNG Terminal currently under construction. Following construction of the Rio Grande LNG Expansion Project, Rio Grande LNG would maintain about 51 acres for permanent operation of the Project's facilities (Train 6, Berth 3, and associated infrastructure). The temporary offsite construction yards would be restored and revert to former uses.

Based on an initial review of Rio Grande LNG's proposal and public comments received during the pre-filing scoping process, Commission staff have identified several expected effects that deserve attention in the EIS. The Project would affect 28.7 acres of open water in the Brownsville Ship Channel during construction. Additionally, Project operation would result in about 277 tons per year of nitrogen oxide emissions, 7 tons per year of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 microns or less emissions, and 5.8 tons per year of hazardous air pollutant emissions.

The NEPA Process and the EIS

The EIS issued by the Commission will discuss effects that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the proposed Project under the relevant general resource areas:

• geology and soils;
• water resources and wetlands;
• vegetation and wildlife;
• threatened and endangered species;
• cultural resources;
• land use;
• air quality and noise; and
• reliability and safety.

Commission staff will also make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid effects on the various resource areas. Your comments will help Commission staff focus its analysis on the issues that may have a significant effect on the human environment.

The EIS will present Commission staff's independent analysis of the issues. U.S. Department of Transportation- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Coast Guard are cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS.^[3] Staff will prepare a draft EIS which will be issued for public comment. Commission staff will consider all timely comments received during the comment period on the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any draft and final EIS will be available in electronic format in the public record through eLibrary ^[4] and the Commission's natural gas environmental documents web page ( https://www.ferc.gov/​industries-data/​natural-gas/​environment/​environmental-documents). If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email notification when the environmental document is issued.

Alternatives Under Consideration

The EIS will evaluate reasonable alternatives that are technically and economically feasible and meet the purpose and need for the proposed action. Alternatives currently under consideration include:

• the no-action alternative;
• system alternatives; and
• configuration alternatives.

With this notice, the Commission requests specific comments regarding any additional potential alternatives to the proposed action or segments of the proposed action. Please focus your comments on reasonable alternatives (including alternative facility sites) that meet the Project objectives, are technically and economically feasible, and avoid or lessen environmental effects.

Consultation 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, the Commission is using this notice to initiate consultation with the applicable State Historic Preservation Office, and other government agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the public to solicit their views and concerns regarding the Project's potential effects on historic properties.^[5] The Project EIS will document findings on the effects on historic properties and summarize the status of consultations under section 106.

Schedule for Environmental Review

On June 9, 2026, the Commission issued its Notice of Application for the Project. Among other things, that notice alerted other agencies issuing federal authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and to reach a final decision on the request for a federal authorization within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's final EIS for the Project. This notice identifies the Commission staff's ( printed page 48855) planned schedule for completion of the final EIS for the Project, which is based on an issuance of the draft EIS in January 2027, opening a 45-day comment period.

Issuance of Notice of Availability of the final EIS June 25, 2027

90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline ^[6] September 23, 2027

If a schedule change becomes necessary for the final EIS, an additional notice will be provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the Project's progress.

Permits and Authorizations

The table below lists the anticipated permits and authorizations for the Project required under federal law. This list may not be all-inclusive and does not preclude any permit or authorization if it is not listed here. Agencies with jurisdiction by law and/or special expertise may formally cooperate in the preparation of the Commission's EIS and may adopt the EIS to satisfy its NEPA responsibilities related to this Project. 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.

Environmental Mailing List

This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental mailing list for the Project, which 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 media outlets. 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 and includes a mailing address with their comments. Commission staff will update the environmental mailing list as the analysis proceeds to ensure that Commission notices related to this environmental review are sent to all individuals, organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the planned Project. State and local government representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.

If you need to make changes to your name/address, or if you would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please complete one of the following steps:

(1) Send an email to GasProjectAddressChange@ferc.gov stating your request. You must include the docket number CP26-532-000 in your request. If you are requesting a change to your address, please be sure to include your name and the correct address. If you are requesting to delete your address from themailing list, please include your name and address as it appeared on this notice. This email address is unable to accept comments.

OR

(2) Return the attached “Mailing List Update Form” (appendix 2). ( printed page 48856)

Additional Information

Additional information about the Project is available on the FERC website at www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on “General Search” and enter the docket number in the “Docket Number” field, excluding the last three digits ( i.e., CP26-532). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance with eLibrary, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. This service provides automatic notification of filings made to subscribed dockets, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

Public sessions or site visits will be posted on the Commission's calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/​news-events/​events along with other related information.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)