[Federal Register: September 1, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 169)]
[Notices]
[Page 53455-53457]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01se04-94]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[CGD01-04-093]
Notice, Request for Comments; Letter of Recommendation, LNG
Facility Weavers Cove, Fall River, MA
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements in 33 CFR 127.009, the
U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) Providence is preparing a
letter of recommendation as to the suitability of the Narragansett Bay
waterways for liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine traffic. The letter of
recommendation is in response to a Letter of Intent to operate a LNG
facility at Weavers Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts. The COTP
Providence is seeking comments and related material pertaining
specifically to the maritime operation and waterways management aspects
of the proposed LNG facility. In preparation for issuance of the letter
of recommendation, the COTP Providence will consider comments received
from the public, as well as information submitted by the owner or
operator under the requirements of 33 CFR 127.007. Specific items
suitable for comment are listed later in this notice under Background
and Purpose.
[[Page 53456]]
DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or
before November 1, 2004.
ADDRESSES: The Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety
Office Providence maintains the public docket for this notice. Comments
and documents will become part of this docket and will be available for
inspection and copying at the same address between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may submit comments
and related material by:
(1) Mail or delivery to Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Marine
Safety Office, 20 Risho Avenue, East Providence, RI, 02914-1208.
(2) Fax to (401) 435-2399
(3) Electronically via e-mail at EleBlanc@msoprov.uscg.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
call Mr. Edward G. LeBlanc at Coast Guard Marine Safety Office
Providence, RI, (401) 435-2351. For assistance using the FERC internet
Web site we reference, please contact FERC online support at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY
contact 1-202-502-8659.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Comments
We encourage you to submit comments and related material pertaining
specifically to the maritime operation and waterways management aspects
of the proposed LNG facility. If you do so, please include your name
and address, identify the docket number for this notice (CGD01-04-093),
and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your comments and
material by mail, hand delivery, fax, or electronic means, as described
in ADDRESSES, but please submit your comments and material by only one
means.
If you submit them by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for
copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would
like to know that they reached U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office
Providence, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or
envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during
the comment period. The recommendation made by this office may be
affected by comments received.
Public Meeting
We do not now plan to hold a public meeting solely for the
preparation of a Letter of Recommendation, but you may submit a request
for one to U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Providence at the
address under ADDRESSES explaining why one would be beneficial. If we
determine that a public meeting would aid the recommendation process,
we will hold one or more at a time and place announced by a later
notice in the Federal Register. We will be participating as a
cooperating agency in public meetings sponsored by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC), as outlined in the next paragraph.
The FERC is the lead Federal agency responsible for authorizing the
siting and construction of onshore LNG facilities under Section 3 of
the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (15 U.S.C. 717 et seq). FERC also authorizes
the construction and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines that
may be associated with LNG facilities under section 7 of the NGA. The
FERC conducts environmental, safety, and security reviews of LNG plants
and related pipeline facilities, and as the lead Federal agency
prepared the overall National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
documentation (18 CFR part 380). As required by NEPA, FERC issued a
draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in August 2004 (FERC/EIS-
0169D). Publication of the Weaver's Cove LNG draft EIS was announced on
pages 47920 to 47921 of Federal Register Volume 69, No. 151, dated
Friday, August 6, 2004. As stated in that announcement, FERC intends to
hold two public meetings. The location and times for these meetings are
listed below:
September 8, 2004, 7 p.m. (e.s.t.): Venus de Milo Restaurant, 75
GAR Highway, Swansea, MA 02777, (508) 678-3901.
September 9, 2004, 7 p.m. (e.s.t.): Gaudet Middle School, 1113
Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown, RI 02842, (401) 846-6395.
These meetings are also posted on FERC's calendar at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/Eventslist.aspx
along with other related
material. Comments received at these public meetings, which are related
specifically to maritime operation and waterways management issues
surrounding the proposed LNG facility, will be considered by the Coast
Guard in the Letter of Recommendation process.
Background and Purpose
Although FERC is the lead Federal agency for authorizing the siting
and construction of onshore LNG facilities, the Coast Guard is
responsible for navigation safety issues related to LNG ship
deliveries. The FERC authorization process and the Coast Guard Letter
of Recommendation process are two separate and distinct processes,
although related in that they both pertain to the Weaver's Cove Energy
LNG proposal. In accordance with the requirements of 33 CFR 127.009,
the U.S. Coast Guard COTP Providence is preparing a Letter of
Recommendation as to the suitability of Narragansett Bay and the
Taunton River to accommodate LNG marine traffic. The Letter of
Recommendation is in response to a Letter of Intent submitted on May
12, 2004, by Weaver's Cove Energy, L.L.C. and Mill River Pipeline,
L.L.C. collectively referred to as Weaver's Cove Energy, in accordance
with 33 CFR 127.007 to operate a LNG facility at Weaver's Cove, Fall
River, MA.
Weaver's Cove Energy's proposed facilities would transport up to
800 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) of imported natural gas to the
U.S. market. The proposed LNG terminal would include a ship unloading
facility with a single berth capable of receiving LNG ships with cargo
capacities of up to 145,000 cubic meters (m\3\) of natural gas. The
Coast Guard COTP Providence's Letter of Recommendation will address the
suitability of Narragansett Bay and the Taunton River to accommodate
LNG vessels with a capacity of up to 145,000 cubic meters.
Specifically, the Letter of Recommendation will address the suitability
of the waterway for LNG marine traffic based on:
The physical location of the facility.
A description of the facility.
The LNG vessels' characteristics and the frequency of LNG
shipments to or from the facility.
Charts showing waterway channels and identifying
commercial, industrial, environmentally sensitive, and residential
areas in and adjacent to the waterway used by the LNG vessels en route
to the facility, within 25 kilometers of the facility.
Density and character of marine traffic in the waterways.
Locks, bridges, or other manmade obstructions in the
waterway.
Depth of water.
Tidal range.
Protection from the high seas.
Natural hazards, including reefs, rocks, and sandbars.
Underwater pipelines and cables.
Distance of berthed vessel from the channel, and the width
of the channel.
As stated above, the Letter of Recommendation process is
independent of and separate from, although related to, the Federal
permitting process for which FERC is the lead agency. Any permit that
may be
[[Page 53457]]
issued by FERC will require, as a condition of final approval, that
Weaver's Cove Energy obtain a Letter of Recommendation from the U.S.
Coast Guard COTP Providence.
Additional Information
Additional information about the Weaver's Cove LNG project is
available from FERC's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC or
on the FERC internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using their
eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, then click on ``General
Search'' and enter FERC's docket number excluding the last three digits
in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP04-36). For assistance, please
contact FERC online support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY contact 1-202-502-8659.
Dated: August 25, 2004.
M. E. Landry,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port, Providence.
[FR Doc. 04-19960 Filed 8-31-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P