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24 October 2007
[Federal Register: October 22, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 203)]
[Notices]
[Page 59521-59523]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22oc07-43]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP07-451-000]
Black Bayou Storage, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Black Bayou Gas Storage
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
October 12, 2007.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Black Bayou Gas Storage
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Black
Bayou Storage, LLC (BBS) in Cameron Parrish, Louisiana.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we will
use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the
project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine which
issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping
period will close on November 30, 2007.
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 in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities.
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with
state law.
[[Page 59522]]
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the
project notice BBS provided to landowners. This fact sheet addresses a
number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is
available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
BBS proposes to convert a depleted natural gas production field in
Cameron Parish Louisiana located 15 miles west of Hackberry, Louisiana
but includes north into Calcasieu Parish for a short distance. The
storage field design capacity of each cavern would be approximately
10.4 billion cubic feet (Bcf) consisting of 7.5 Bcf of working capacity
and up to 2.9 Bdf of cushion gas. The caverns would have approximately
1,200 million cubic feet (MMcf) of maximum daily injection capability
and approximately 1,200 MMcf of maximum daily withdrawal capability.
BBS seeks authority to construct and operate the following facilities:
Two salt dome storage caverns;
One 18,940 horsepower compressor station;
One leaching plant;
Five brine disposal wells on one common pad;
Five water supply wells on five separate pads;
One electrical substation;
One 30-inch-diameter, 2.45-mile-long gas pipeline
interconnect with Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corporation (Transco)
mainline;
One 24-inch-diameter, 4.69-mile-long gas pipeline
interconnect with planned Kinder Morgan mainline;
One 20-inch-diameter, 0.10-mile-long cavern gas pipeline
for Cavern No. 1;
One 20-inch-diameter, 0.25-mile-long cavern gas pipeline
for Cavern No. 2;
One 8-inch-, 12-inch-, and 16-inch-diameter, 2.20 mile-
long water pipeline system;
One 16-inch-diameter, 1.43 mile-long brine pipeline
system;
One meter station and one separate tie-in facility for
Transco's pipeline interconnect;
One meter station with combined tie-in facilities for the
Kinder Morgan pipeline interconnect; and
One 0.25-mile-long access road for Cavern Nos. 1 and 2.
Certain facilities of Diasu Oil and Gas Company (Diasu) including a
tank farm would need to be dismantled, relocated or removed before BBS
constructs its proposed compressor station and leaching facility on the
site of Diasu's current facilities.
The location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other
than Appendix 1 (maps), are available on the Commission's Web site
at the ``eLibrary'' link 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. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Nonjurisdictional Facilities
Non-jurisdictional facilities that will be built as a result of the
proposed project would include a 2.2 mile-long 230 kV electric
powerline to be constructed by Entergy, Inc. (Entergy). The electric
powerline would run between Entergy's existing 230 kV transmission line
on the south bank of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and BBS's proposed
electrical substation approximately 2,100 feet northwest of the Central
Facility area. The electric powerline would require several
environmental permits and approvals including state and federal
authorization for work in waters of the U.S. (Coastal Use Permit) and
clearances under the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic
Preservation Act.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 94.4
acres of land. Following construction, about 24.2 acres would be
maintained as permanent pipeline right-of-way, new access roads, well
sites, or new aboveground facility sites. The remaining 70.2 acres of
land would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals.
This process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important
environmental issues. By this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff
requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the
EA. All comments received are considered during the preparation of the
EA. State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
In the EA we \2\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
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\2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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Geology and soils
Land use
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
Cultural resources
Vegetation and wildlife
Air quality and noise
Endangered and threatened species
Hazardous waste
Public safety
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to federal, state, and local agencies, public
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make
our recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by BBS. This preliminary list of
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Cultural resources may be affected by the project.
The project would cross two major waterbodies: Black Bayou
and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
About 62.2 acres of wetlands, open water, and other land
uses would be impacted during construction by underground pipeline and
cable facilities, and about 6.8 acres of wetland
[[Page 59523]]
open water and other land uses would be impacted by above ground
pipeline facilities.
Two cavern well pads, electrical substation, part of the
brine disposal well pad site, the Kinder Morgan meter station site, the
Transco meter station, and Water Well Pad No. 1, would be constructed
in marshland or open water and could potentially impact fisheries.
Essential fish habitat for the brown shrimp, white shrimp,
and red drum are likely to be of concern within the project area.
The proposed project would encompass areas containing
suitable nesting habitat for colonial wading birds.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your
concerns will be addressed in the EA/EIS and considered by the
Commission. You should focus on the potential environmental effects of
the proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative
locations/routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be.
Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments
are received in time and properly recorded:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
Kimberly D. Bose, 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 2.
Reference Docket No. CP07-451-000.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before November 30, 2007.
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.''
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily
for project purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the
Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities. By this
notice we are also asking governmental agencies, especially those in
Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming cooperating agencies
for the preparation of the EA.
If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request
(Appendix 3). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be
taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding, an ``intervenor''. To
become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene according to
Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR
385.214). Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the
Commission's decision. Motions to Intervene should be electronically
submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov.
Persons without Internet access should send an original and 14 copies
of their motion to the Secretary of the Commission at the address
indicated previously. Persons filing Motions to Intervene on or before
the comment deadline indicated above must send a copy of the motion to
the Applicant. All filings, including late interventions, submitted
after the comment deadline must be served on the Applicant and all
other intervenors identified on the Commission's service list for this
proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-mail addresses may be
served electronically; others must be served a hard copy of the filing.
Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your environmental comments considered.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the
FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on
the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket
number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field. Be
sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or
toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. The
eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of formal documents
issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called
eSubscription which 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 http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx
along with other related information.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-20716 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P