[Federal Register: April 27, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 81)]
[Notices]
[Page 22786-22788]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27ap04-49]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. PF04-2-000 and PF04-5-000]
BP Crown Landing, LLC and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed
Crown Landing LNG and Logan Lateral Projects, Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
April 19, 2004.
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 BP Crown Landing, LLC's
(Crown Landing) Crown Landing LNG Project located in Gloucester County,
New Jersey and New Castle County, Delaware. The EIS will also address
the associated Texas Eastern Transmission, LP's (Texas Eastern) Logan
Lateral Project in Gloucester County, New Jersey and Delaware County,
Pennsylvania. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process
we will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on
the projects. Your input will help the Commission staff determine which
issues need to be evaluated in the EIS. Please note that the scoping
period will close on June 21, 2004.
Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the public
participation section of this notice. In lieu of sending written
comments, you are invited to attend the public scoping meetings that
are scheduled as follows:
Wednesday, May 5, 2004, 7 p.m., Robert E. Wilson Community Center,
1150 Engle Street, Chester Township, PA, (610) 494-4149.
Thursday, May 6, 2004, 7 p.m., Holiday Inn, One Pureland Drive (I-
295 at Exit 10), Swedesboro, NJ, (856) 467-3322.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State,
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested
parties; and local libraries and newspapers in this proceeding. We
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of
these planned projects and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
[[Page 22787]]
Summary of the Proposed Projects
Crown Landing proposes to construct and operate an LNG import
terminal on the eastern shoreline of the Delaware River in Logan
Township, New Jersey. The LNG terminal would consist of facilities
capable of unloading LNG ships, storing up to 450,000 cubic meters of
LNG (9.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent), vaporizing the
LNG, and sending out natural gas at a rate of up to 1.2 billion cubic
feet per day. Crown Landing proposes to interconnect the LNG facilities
on site with two existing pipelines owned and operated by Columbia Gas
Transmission Company and Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation. In
addition, Texas Eastern would construct and operate a lateral from its
Chester Junction facility in Chester, Pennsylvania to the proposed LNG
terminal. The LNG terminal and pipeline facilities would consist of:
A ship unloading facility capable of receiving
LNG ships with capacities up to 200,000 cubic meters;
Three 150,000 cubic meter (net capacity) full-
containment LNG storage tanks, comprised of 9 percent nickel steel
inner tank, pre-stressed concrete outer tank, and a concrete roof;
A closed loop shell and tube heat exchanger
vaporization system;
Various ancillary facilities, including
administrative offices, warehouse/maintenance building, main control
center, guardhouse, and a pier control room;
Three meter and regulation stations located on
the proposed LNG terminal site; and
Approximately 9.6 miles of 30-inch-diameter
natural gas pipeline (4.9 miles in Pennsylvania and 4.7 miles in New
Jersey), a main line valve, and a meter and regulation station located
on the LNG terminal site.
A map depicting Crown Landing's proposed LNG terminal site and
Texas Eastern's proposed pipeline route is provided in appendix 1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the
Commission's Web site at the ``eLibrary'' link or from the
Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, Room 2A
or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary
refer to the end of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent
to all those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Crown Landing is requesting approval to begin construction of the
LNG facilities in August 2005 and proposes an in-service date of
September 2008. Texas Eastern would begin construction of the proposed
pipeline and aboveground facilities in 2006 and proposes an in-service
date in the Fall of 2008.
The EIS Process
The FERC will use the EIS to consider the environmental impact that
could result if it issues Crown Landing an Order Authorizing Approval
of a Place of Import under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act and it
issues Texas Eastern a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.
This notice formally announces our preparation of the EIS and the
beginning of the process referred to as ``scoping.'' We \2\ are
soliciting input from the public and interested agencies to help us
focus the analysis in the EIS on the potentially significant
environmental issues related to the proposed actions.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a single
draft EIS prepared for both projects. The draft EIS will be mailed to
Federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes;
affected landowners; other interested parties; local libraries and
newspapers; and the FERC's official service list for this proceeding. A
45-day comment period will be allotted for review of the draft EIS. We
will consider all comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS.
Although no formal application for authorizing import or natural
gas facilities has been filed, the FERC staff is initiating its NEPA
review now. The purpose of the FERC's NEPA Pre-filing Process is to
encourage the early involvement of interested stakeholders and to
identify and resolve issues before an application is filed with the
FERC.
We have held early discussions with other jurisdictional agencies
to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard; National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of
Transportation, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control, Delaware Historic Preservation Office, and
Delaware River Basin Commission. By this notice, we are asking these
and other Federal, state, and local agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EIS. Agencies that would
like to request cooperating status should follow the instructions for
filing comments provided below.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the proposals. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives (including
alternative terminal sites and pipeline routes), and measures to avoid
or lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the
more useful they will be. To ensure that your comments are timely and
properly recorded, please mail your comments so that they will be
received in Washington, DC on or before June 21, 2004, and carefully
follow these instructions:
Send an original and two copies of your letter
to: Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
Label one copy of the comments for the attention
of Gas Branch 1, DG2E;
Reference Docket Nos. PF04-2-000 and PF04-5-000
on the original and both copies.
The public scoping meetings to be held on May 5 and 6, 2004 in
Chester Township, PA and Swedesboro, NJ are designed to provide another
opportunity to offer comments on the proposed projects. Interested
groups and individuals are encouraged to attend these meetings and to
present comments on the environmental issues they believe should be
addressed in the EIS. Transcripts of the meetings will be made so that
your comments will be accurately recorded.
Please note that the Commission encourages electronic filing of
comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and
the instructions on the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov
under the ``eFiling'' link and the link to the User's
Guide. Prepare your submission in the same manner as you would if
filing on paper and save it to a file on your hard drive. Before you
can file comments you will need to create an account by clicking on
``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' You will be asked to
select the type of filing you are making. This filing is considered a
``Comment on Filing.''
When Crown Landing and Texas Eastern submit their applications for
authorization to construct and operate the Crown Landing LNG and Logan
Lateral Projects, the Commission will publish a Notice of Application
in the Federal Register and will establish a deadline for interested
persons to
[[Page 22788]]
intervene in the proceeding. Because the Commission's NEPA Pre-filing
Process occurs before an application to begin a proceeding is
officially filed, petitions to intervene during this process are
premature and will not be accepted by the Commission.
Environmental Mailing List
If you wish to be taken off our environmental mailing list, please
return the ``Remove from Mailing List'' Form included in appendix 2. If
you do not return this form, you will remain on our mailing list.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372) or on
the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). Using the
``eLibrary'' link, select ``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu,
enter the selected date range and ``Docket Number'' (i.e., PF04-2-000
or PF04-5-000), and follow the instructions. Searches may also be done
using the phrase ``Crown Landing LNG'' or ``Logan Lateral'' in the
``Text Search'' field. For assistance with access to eLibrary, the
helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The eLibrary link on the FERC Internet Web
site also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.
In addition, the FERC now 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. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm
.
Finally, Crown Landing has established an Internet Web site for its
project at http://www.bpcrownlanding.com. The Web site includes a
description of the project, maps and photographs of the proposed site,
information on LNG, and links to related documents.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E4-937 Filed 4-26-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P