![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Weaver's Cove Energy, L.L.C. and Mill River Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Status Change of Environmental Review and Expiration of Scoping Period for the Proposed Weaver's Cove LNG Project
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: January 12, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 7)]
[Notices]
[Page 1714-1716]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12ja04-72]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP04-36-000, CP04-41-000, and PF03-4-000]
Weaver's Cove Energy, L.L.C. and Mill River Pipeline, L.L.C.;
Notice of Status Change of Environmental Review and Expiration of
Scoping Period for the Proposed Weaver's Cove LNG Project
December 31, 2003.
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 Weaver's Cove Energy L.L.C.'s
and Mill River Pipeline L.L.C.'s (collectively referred to as Weaver's
Cove) proposed Weaver's Cove LNG Project, which includes facilities in
Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, and Freetown, Massachusetts. On December
30, 2003, the Commission gave notice that on December 19, 2003, in
Docket Nos. CP04-36-000 and CP04-41-000, Weaver's Cove's applications
were filed with the Commission under section 3 and section 7 of the
Natural Gas Act and part 153, part 157, and part 284 of the
Commission's regulations. That notice gave a deadline of January 13,
2004, for the filing of motions to intervene, protests and comments.
The instant notice announces a final opportunity for interested
stakeholders to submit comments on the Weaver's Cove LNG Project before
the close of the scoping period. Details on how to submit written
comments are provided in the public participation section of this
notice. Please note that the scoping period will close on January 30,
2004.
We \1\ are sending this notice to residences within 0.5 mile of the
proposed LNG terminal site; potentially-affected landowners along the
proposed pipeline routes; Federal, State, and local government
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups;
Native American tribes; and local libraries and newspapers. We have
asked State and local government representatives to notify their
constituents of this planned action and encourage them to comment on
their areas of concern.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary of the Proposed Project
Weaver's Cove proposes to construct and operate a liquefied natural
gas (LNG) import terminal and natural gas pipelines to import LNG and
deliver a baseload sendout of 400 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d),
and a peak sendout of 800 MMcf/d to markets in New England. The
facilities would consist of:
? A pier and unloading facilities capable of receiving LNG
tankers with a capacity of up to 145,000 cubic meters;
? One LNG storage tank with a capacity of 200,000 cubic
meters (4.4 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent);
? Four shell and tube vaporizers supplied by 12 natural gas
fired heaters;
? Four truck loading stations to deliver LNG to other storage
facilities in the northeastern United States;
? Ancillary utilities, buildings, and service facilities;
? Two 24-inch-diameter pipelines (the 2.52-mile-long Western
Pipeline and the 3.6-mile-long Northern Pipeline) to interconnect with
the Algonquin Gas Transmission Company pipeline system; and
? Two meter and regulation stations.
A map depicting the proposed terminal site and the two pipeline
routes is provided in appendix 1.\2\ \3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Requests for detailed maps of the facilities may be made to
the company directly. Call or e-mail: local 508-678-5700, toll free
1-877-633-5700, or info@weaverscove.com. Be as specific as you can
about the location(s) of your area(s) of interest.
\3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices are
available on the Commission(s website (http://www.ferc.gov) 
at the (eLibrary( link or from the Commission(s Public Reference and
Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,
or call at (202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary
refer to the last two pages of this notice. Copies of the appendices
were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weaver's Cove is requesting approval to begin construction of the
LNG facilities by late 2004. The approximate duration of construction
of the terminal facilities would be 3 years. The duration of pipeline
construction would be approximately 5 months. Weaver's Cove proposes to
place the project in service in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Land Requirements
The proposed LNG terminal would be on a 73-acre site zoned for
industrial use on the Taunton River in Fall River, Massachusetts. The
site has been formerly used as an oil refinery and a marine import
terminal for petroleum products. The riverfront areas of the site are
in a Designated Port Area as defined by the Massachusetts Coastal Zone
Management plan.
The project would also require maintenance and improvement dredging
of approximately 7 miles of the Federal Navigation Channel within Mount
Hope Bay and the Taunton River and a turning basin within the Taunton
River to enable the LNG tankers to access the proposed site. The
dredging would occur in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The total
volume of dredging including overdredge is anticipated to be about
2,500,000 cubic yards. Weaver's Cove is proposing to reuse the dredged
material at the terminal site as general fill material and would create
landforms with the material to provide a visual barrier. Dredge
disposal alternatives being investigated by Weaver's Cove include
confined aquatic disposal cell, confined disposal, or ocean disposal
methods.
The EIS Process
The Commission will be the lead Federal agency for this EIS process
which is being conducted to satisfy the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Commission will use the EIS to
consider the environmental impacts that could result if it issues a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under section 7, and an
import authorization under section 3, of the Natural Gas Act for the
proposed project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1, and the U.S. Coast Guard
have agreed to be cooperating agencies and will use the EIS in their
decision-making processes. The EIS will also be used by the
Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) pursuant
to a Special Review Procedure established by the Secretary of
Environmental Affairs to comply with the Massachusetts Environmental
Policy Act regulations.
By this notice, we are formally requesting additional comments and
announcing the closing of the process referred to as ``scoping.'' The
main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EIS on
the important environmental issues. We are soliciting input from the
public and interested agencies to help us focus the analysis in
[[Page 1715]]
the EIS on the potentially significant environmental issues related to
the proposed action. All comments received will be considered during
the preparation of the EIS which will include our independent analysis
of the identified issues.
For the Weaver's Cove LNG Project, the scoping process began on May
2, 2003, with an interagency meeting in Fall River, Massachusetts to
discuss the project and the environmental review process with Weaver's
Cove and other key Federal and state agencies. On July 11, 2003, the
Commission issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the proposed
Weaver's Cove LNG Project, request for comments on environmental
issues, and notice of joint public scoping meeting (NOI). The FERC
staff subsequently conducted a joint public scoping meeting with the
Massachusetts EOEA in Swansea, Massachusetts on July 29, 2003, to
receive oral comments and concerns about the project.
Prior to receipt of a formal application, the NOI announced that
the FERC Staff was initiating its NEPA Pre-filing review on Weaver's
Cove's project under Docket No. PF03-4-000.\4\ The purpose of the
FERC's NEPA Pre-filing Process is to: (1) Establish a framework for
constructive discussion between the project proponents, potentially
affected landowners, agencies, and the Commission staff; (2) encourage
the early involvement of interested stakeholders to identify issues and
study needs; and (3) attempt to identify and resolve issues early,
before an application is filed with the FERC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ To view the NOI and any information filed under PF03-4-000,
follow the instructions for using the eLibrary link at the end of
this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our independent analysis of the proposed project will be included
in a draft EIS. The draft EIS will be published and mailed to Federal,
State, and local agencies, public interest groups, interested
individuals, affected landowners, Native American tribes, newspapers,
libraries, and the Commission'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 timely comments on the draft EIS and
revise the document, as necessary, before issuing the final EIS. In
addition, we will consider all comments on the final EIS before we make
our recommendations to the Commission.
With this notice, we are asking other Federal, State, local, and
tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect
to the environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the
preparation of the EIS. These agencies may choose to participate once
they have evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities.
Agencies which would like to request cooperating status should follow
the instructions for filing comments described later in this notice.
If you are an affected property owner receiving this letter, a
Weaver's Cove representative may contact you about the acquisition of
an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities.
You may have already been contacted by Weaver's Cove about the Weaver's
Cove LNG Project. A fact sheet has been prepared by the FERC entitled
``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To
Know?'' 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).
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. If you provided comments to us
during the pre-filing period, you do not need to resubmit them. For
those who will submit comments for the first time, you should focus
your comments on the potential environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives (including alternative locations), 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 they will be received
in Washington, DC on or before January 30, 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 your comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 1; and
? Reference Docket Nos. CP04-36-000 and CP04-41-000 on the
original and both copies.
The Commission strongly encourages you to file your comments
electronically via the Internet, in lieu of paper. See 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site
at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' link and the
link to the User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will need to
create a free 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.''
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EIS scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding known as an
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process.
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors. As
mentioned before, the Commission issued on December 30, 2003, a notice
announcing the filing of the applications and a deadline of January 13,
2004, to file motions to intervene, protests and comments in this
proceeding.
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 (3372) 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 with eLibrary, the eLibrary 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 rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission 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.
Weaver's Cove has established an Internet Web site for this project
at http://www.weaverscoveenergy.com. The Web site includes a
description of the project, an overview map of the terminal site and
pipeline routes, and a
[[Page 1716]]
link for the public to submit comments on the project. Weaver's Cove
will continue to update its website with information about the project,
and will always accept comments.
Finally, any future 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.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E4-35 Filed 1-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P