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Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment of Decommissioning the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Weeks Island Facility, Iberia Parish, Louisiana
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Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment of Decommissio
[Federal Register: May 22, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 98)] [Notices]
[Page 27091-27093]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment of Decommissioning the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Weeks Island Facility, Iberia Parish, Louisiana
AGENCY: Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment and to conduct public scoping.
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has determined that, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an Environmental Assessment (EA) should be prepared to assess the potential environmental consequences of decommissioning the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Weeks Island Facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. A groundwater leak has compromised the containment integrity of the facility, which currently stores 73 million barrels of crude oil underground in a salt dome. In December 1994, DOE concluded that the integrity of the Weeks Island mine cannot be assured and that it is unsuitable for continued crude oil storage. The agency plans to move Weeks Island's crude oil inventory to other SPR storage sites in Louisiana and Texas beginning in October 1995 and then decommission the facility, completing in June 1999. The range of proposed decommissioning actions and associated environmental issues that have been identified are described below. DOE is requesting comments, suggestions, and any information that interested parties may have that would assist the agency in identifying additional alternatives and environmental issues to consider in the EA.
DATES: A public meeting will be held in New Iberia, Louisiana on Thursday, June 8, 1995, at 7 p.m. Speakers may pre-register in writing, by telephone or by facsimile by close of business June 1, 1995. Written comments must be received by June 21, 1995.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the New Iberia Senior High School auditorium, 1301 East Admiral Doyle Drive, New Iberia, Louisiana. Inquiries, written comments and suggestions, and requests to speak at the scoping meeting, to review the draft EA when it becomes available, and/or to receive the approved EA should be labeled ``Weeks Island EA'' and submitted to Ms. Durinda L. Robinson, Office of Public Affairs (FE-445.2), Department of Energy, 900 Commerce Road East, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123. Requests to speak will also be accepted by telephone at (504) 734-4312 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. CDT, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, or by facsimile, (504) 734-4427.
A transcript of the meeting will be prepared and will be made available for inspection at the following locations: <bullet> New Iberia Public Library, 445 E. Main Street, New Iberia, Louisiana 70560 (ATTN: Ms. Vicki Chrisman) <bullet> Dupre Library, 302 East St. Mary Blvd., U. of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana 70504 (ATTN: Ms. Sandy Himel) <bullet> New Orleans Public Library, Louisiana Division, 219 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70140
<bullet> DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations Co., Technical Library, 800 Commerce Rd. W., Suite 102, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123 (ATTN: Ms. Cindi Nelson)
<bullet> Freedom of Information Reading Room, Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE DOE NEPA PROCESS, CONTACT: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-4.2), Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585, telephone (202) 586-4600 or toll-free (800) 472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The SPR Weeks Island Facility is in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, about 15 miles south of the city of New Iberia. It is a conventional roomand -pillar salt mine in a salt dome that was converted by DOE for the long-term storage of crude oil. It was filled to capacity with 73 million barrels of oil and has been in a standby mode since 1982. The mine and surface property were acquired from the [[Page 27092]] Morton Salt Company who continues to mine salt adjacent to DOE on the salt dome.
In May 1992, a sinkhole was discovered which was vertically aligned above the southeast boundary of the upper level of the storage chamber. The sinkhole was backfilled with sand and monitored through 1993. An intensive geotechnical investigation was conducted through 1994 which confirmed that a subsurface crevasse extends into the salt formation and that groundwater was leaking into the mine. In December 1994, DOE concluded that the integrity of the Weeks Island mine cannot be assured and that it is unsuitable for continued crude oil storage. DOE decided to move the oil to other SPR sites in Texas and Louisiana and decommission the facility. As an interim measure, DOE has implemented a groundwater control program which includes freezing the ground around the sinkhole to interdict groundwater flow into the crevasse. In February 1995, DOE determined that in accordance with NEPA and with 10 CFR 1021, DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures, an EA of the decommissioning actions should be prepared to determine whether a Finding of No Significant Impact is supported or an Environmental Impact Statement will be required.Preliminary Description of Alternatives
- Proposed Action The proposed action consists of stabilizing the storage chambers by filling them with brine, sealing off the underground facilities, and decommissioning (i.e., removing from SPR service) the onsite surface facilities and the 36-inch-diameter 67-mile crude oil pipeline to DOE's St. James Terminal in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Project completion is scheduled for June 1999.
<bullet> Underground Facilities DOE would flood the storage chamber, drifts (i.e., connecting tunnels), and manifold room with brine. The Markel mine, an adjacent abandoned Morton salt works which is accessible from Weeks Island mine, would also be flooded unless it is decided to maintain it for inspection of the seal separating Weeks Island from Morton's active mine. The production and service shafts, vent hole, and both fill holes would be plugged in accordance with State regulations. If it is decided to keep the Markel mine accessible for inspections, the production shaft would be kept open for access.
Three alternatives are being considered for obtaining the 80 million barrels of brine that are needed. One alternative is to produce brine by leaching existing DOE salt caverns at the SPR Bayou Choctaw Facility in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, 13 miles southwest of Baton Rouge. The brine would be transported via DOE's 36-inch-diameter, 37- mile crude oil pipeline from Bayou Choctaw to St. James Terminal, thence by DOE's crude oil pipeline from St. James to Weeks Island. Weeks Island brine fill at 200,000 barrels per day would take about 13 months with an additional two months required for oil skimming and recovery.
An alternative that will be assessed is a services contract to produce brine from a new well on Morton property on Weeks Island salt dome. Water for leaching would be obtained from the adjacent Intracoastal Waterway. Construction and operation of temporary water and brine pipelines of up to nominally one mile each would be required. The third alternative is to award a competitive contract for brine from another source. This alternative is unassessable because of its undefined character. If DOE intends to pursue this alternative further, NEPA compliance would be addressed separately under the competitive procurement provisions of 10 CFR 1021.216. <bullet> Surface Facilities
It was suggested at a March 2, 1995, public meeting in New Iberia that the site be donated for salt dome geological research with a special interest in ``post closure'' uses for Louisiana's coastal salt domes where subsidence and other geophysical concerns have occurred subsequent to mineral extraction. The alternative to a DOE-directed donation of the property would be to transfer it to the General Services Administration (GSA). Improvements that could be transferred to GSA include paved roads and parking lots, central plant fencing, fire protection and sanitation systems, and central plant buildings with their associated electrical distribution systems, such as the administration building, control center, laboratory, warehouse, pumphouses, and guard house.
Usable equipment, spare parts and materials would be transferred to other SPR sites. All mechanical and electrical process systems and equipment for crude oil handling would be removed and transferred to other DOE facilities or salvaged. Associated piping, cable, and conduit above and below grade within the fenced perimeter and oily water handling systems would be removed and disposed at an approved facility. Buildings associated with the shafts would be demolished. Surface decommissioning operations are estimated to require 27 months. <bullet> Crude Oil Pipeline
At least part of the Weeks Island-to-St. James crude oil pipeline potentially has value as either a private or a common carrier pipeline because of its interconnection with the commercial crude oil distribution network. If DOE could not sell it, the pipeline would be abandoned in place in accordance with Federal and State regulations.2. The No Action Alternative
The no action alternative will be assessed to provide a baseline for comparison with the environmental effects of the proposed action. Under the no action alternative, the mine would not be refilled with oil, brine, or other fluid and no other stabilizing actions would be taken. Efforts to control groundwater flow would continue. To the extent that these fail to stop the leak, the mine would be allowed to fill naturally. Actions would be taken as necessary to maintain the mine at acceptable pressure. DOE would staff and maintain the surface facilities in a standby state in perpetuity.
Identification of Environmental Issues
DOE has identified the issues listed below as topics to be addressed in the EA. Public scoping may identify additional issues.
- Risk of long-term oil contamination of Vermilion Bay and the Gulf of Mexico that could impact the human environment.
- Risk of contaminating groundwater adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico with residual oil after the mine is filled with brine.
- Risk of surface subsidence on Morton Salt Company's adjacent mining operations.
- Brine spill risk in sensitive environments, especially in the Atchafalaya floodway.
- Potential impacts on the protected Louisiana black bear. A November 1994 study concluded that the ultimate loss of the site's approximately 100 permanent jobs would have a negligible socioeconomic impact on the region. DOE has not identified any involvement of the project with floodplains or wetlands. As the site is located within the Louisiana Coastal Zone, a determination of consistency with the Louisiana Coastal Resources Program may be required. Public Scoping Meeting and Invitation To Comment
In the spirit of improving the quality of the agency's decisions, DOE believes that, for the circumstances of this proposed action, it is appropriate to enhance public participation in the EA [[Page 27093]] process with a public scoping meeting. DOE invites written and oral comments on the scope from all interested parties. Preregistration to speak and written comments should be submitted according to the instructions provided above under DATES and ADDRESSES. Written and oral comments will be given equal weight in defining the scope of the EA.
A separate registration is required for each speaker. Registrants should confirm the time they are scheduled to speak at the registration desk at the meeting. Persons who have not preregistered may register at the door and will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis to the extent time allows. To ensure that as many persons as possible have the opportunity to speak, five minutes will be allotted to each. Basic procedures for conducting the meeting will be announced by the presiding officer at the start of the meeting. A brief presentation will be made by DOE officials on the proposed action and the EA process. The meeting will not be an evidentiary hearing ; there will be no cross-examination of speakers. However, DOE officials conducting the meeting will be permitted to ask clarifying questions of statements made at the meeting.Issued in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 1995. Patricia Fry Godley,
Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 95-12490 Filed 5-19-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P