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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District; Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Dominion Transmission, Inc; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Draft General Conformity Determination, and U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Public Notice for the Proposed Cove Point Expansion Project
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: November 4, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 213)]
[Notices]
[Page 67158-67161]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04no05-38]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP05-130-000; CP05-132-000; CP05-131-000; Corps
Application # CENAB-OP-RMS200565510-4]
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District; Dominion Cove
Point LNG, LP; Dominion Transmission, Inc; Notice of Availability of
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Draft General Conformity
Determination, and U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Public Notice for the
Proposed Cove Point Expansion Project
October 28, 2005.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(Corps) and U.S. Coast Guard, (Coast Guard) has prepared a draft
Environmental Impact
[[Page 67159]]
Statement (EIS) for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal
expansion and natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Dominion Cove
Point LNG, L.P. and Dominion Transmission, Inc. (collectively referred
to as Dominion) in the above-referenced dockets. The draft EIS was
prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). The draft EIS addresses federally listed species,
cultural resources, and essential fish habitat issues. A draft General
Conformity Determination was also prepared by the FERC to assess the
potential air quality impacts associated with construction and
operation of the proposed project and is included as Appendix H of the
draft EIS.
The FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed project with
appropriate mitigating measures, as recommended, would have limited
adverse environmental impact.
This is a joint public notice by the FERC and Corps to advertise:
? The availability of the draft EIS;
? The scheduling of the joint FERC public meetings/Corps
public hearings on December 7 and 8th, 2005; and
? The submission of a Department of the Army permit
application CENAB-OP-RMS (Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP) 200565510-4.
The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the following LNG terminal and natural
gas (steel) pipeline facilities:
? Two new 160,000 cubic meter single containment LNG storage tanks;
? Additional vaporization capacity consisting of shell and
tube vaporizers and associated equipment;
? Additional power generation equipment consisting of two
21.7 megawatt gas turbine generators and three emergency generators;
? Infrastructure associated with the LNG terminal expansion
including roads and storage and work areas at the existing site;
? About 47.8 miles of 36-inch-diameter, loop pipeline in
Calvert, Prince Georges, and Charles County, Maryland (TL-532 Pipeline);
? Ancillary areas for pipeline construction, including
access roads, staging areas, and work spaces;
? About 81 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline lateral in
Juniata, Mifflin, Huntingdon, Centre, and Clinton Counties,
Pennsylvania (PL-1 EXT2 Pipeline);
? Two new compressor stations in Juniata County (Perulack
Station) and Centre County (Centre Relay Station), Pennsylvania;
? About 11 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline loop in Wetzel
County West Virginia and Greene County, Pennsylvania (TL-492 EXT3
Pipeline);
? About 12 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Potter
County, Pennsylvania (TL-453 EXT1 Pipeline);
? About 10 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Potter
County, Pennsylvania (TL-536 Pipeline);
? Replacement of about 0.6 mile and pressure testing and
possible replacement of about 0.4 mile of 30-inch-diameter pipeline in
Franklin County, Pennsylvania (PL-1 Pipeline Pressure Restoration Sites);
? Minor modifications to the existing Loudoun Measuring and
Regulating (M&R) Station in Loudoun County, Virginia;
? About 5,000 hp of additional compression at the existing
Mockingbird Hill Compressor Station in Wetzel County, West Virginia;
? Minor modifications to the existing Leesburg Compressor
Station in Loudoun County, Virginia;
? Minor modifications to the existing Chambersburg
Compressor Station in Franklin County, Pennsylvania;
? Additional facilities and pipeline replacement at the
existing Leidy M&R Station located at the Leidy Hub complex in Clinton
County, Pennsylvania;
? About 3,550 hp of additional compression at Dominion's
previously approved but not yet constructed Wolf Run Compressor Station
in Lewis County, West Virginia; and
? Minor modifications to Dominion's previously approved but
not yet constructed Quinlan Compressor Station in Cattaraugus County,
New York.
Dominion's proposed LNG terminal expansion would increase the send-
out capability by 800,000 Dth/d and increase the storage capacity by
6.8 MMDth/d. Dominion's proposed pipeline and related facilities in
Maryland and Virginia would allow it to deliver an additional 800,000
Dth/d from its LNG terminal to its connections with other interstate
pipelines. Dominion's proposed pipelines and related facilities in
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York would allow it to transport
an additional 700,000 Dth/d to various delivery points on its system,
and offer a new underground storage service of 6.0 MMDth, with an
additional demand of 100,000 Dth/d.
Dominion Cove Point LNG,LP has applied, concurrently, to the Corps
for a Department of the Army Individual permit pursuant to Section 404
of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) and Section 10 of the Rivers
and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403) for proposed structures in and
under navigable waters and the discharge of dredged, excavated, and/or
fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands to
construct the preferred alternative identified in the draft EIS. The
decision whether to issue the permits will be based on an evaluation of
the probable impacts, including cumulative impacts, of the proposed
projects on the public interest. The decision will reflect the national
concern for the protection and utilization of important resources. The
benefits, which would be reasonably expected to accrue from the
proposed projects, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable
detriments. All factors, which may be relevant to the proposed work,
will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among
those are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental
concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values, flood
hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shore erosion and
accretion, recreation, water supply, and conservation, water quality,
energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, consideration of
property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the
people. The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; Federal,
State, and local agencies and officials; Indian tribes; and other
interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the
proposed project. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps
to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for
the proposal. To make this decision, the Corps uses comments received
to access impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water
quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest
factors listed above.
The evaluation of the impact of the work described above on the
public interest will also include application, by the Corps, of the
guidelines [Section 404(b)(1)]
promulgated by the Administrator, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, under authority of Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act.
For Corps permitting purposes, if applicable, the applicant is
required to obtain a Water Quality Certification in accordance with
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act from the Maryland Department of the
Environment (MDE), the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection, and the State of West Virginia Division of Environmental
Protection. The Section 401 certifying agencies have a statutory limit
of one year in which to make their
[[Page 67160]]
decisions. Additionally, for Corps permitting purposes, the applicant
is required to obtain Coastal Zone Management Consistency concurrence
from the MDE, as well. It should be noted that the MDE has a statutory
limit of 6 months in which to make its consistency determination.
Joint FERC Public Meetings/Corps Public Hearings are held to
provide interested individuals with the opportunity to present
information about the effects of the project, including its social,
economic and environmental effects. These meetings/hearings provide the
opportunity for interested parties to present views, opinions, and
information that will be considered by the FERC and the Corps in
evaluating the proposed project.
The U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard) within the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security is also participating as a cooperating agency in the
preparation of the EIS because it exercises regulatory authority over
LNG facilities that affect the safety and security of port areas and
navigable waterways under Executive Order 10173; the Magnuson Act (50
U.S.C. section 191); the Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 1972, as
amended (33 U.S.C. 1221, et seq.); and the Maritime Transportation
Security Act of 2002 (46 U.S.C. section 701). The Coast Guard also has
authority for LNG facility plan review, approval and compliance
verification as provided in Title 33 CFR part 105, and siting as it
pertains to the management of vessel traffic in and around the LNG
facility. As required by its regulations, the Coast Guard is
responsible for issuing a Letter of Recommendation (LOR) as to the
suitability of the waterway for LNG marine traffic. The Coast Guard
plans to adopt the EIS if it adequately covers the impacts associated
with issuance of the LOR.
Comment Procedures and FERC Public Meetings/Corps Public Hearings
Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To ensure
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is
important that we receive your comments before the date specified
below. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your
comments are received and properly recorded:
? Send an original and two copies of your comments to:
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
? Reference Docket Nos. CP05-130-000, CP05-131-000, and
CP05-132-000.
? Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the Gas Branch 1.
? Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before December 21, 2005.
Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic
filing of any comments or interventions to this proceeding. 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, which can be created by clicking on ``Login to
File'' and then ``New User Account.''
The Corps public hearings provide members of the public the
opportunity to present views, opinions, and information which will be
considered by the Corps in evaluating the Department of the Army permit.
All comments received will become part of the formal project record.
Copies of any written statements expressing concern for aquatic
resources may be submitted to: Mrs. Kathy Anderson, Corps of Engineers,
CENAB-OP-RMS, P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715.
The Corps public hearing comment period closes on December 21, 2005.
In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite
you to attend one of the FERC public meetings/Corps public hearings we
have scheduled as follows:
Wednesday, December 7, 2005: 7 p.m. (EST), Old Courthouse, 1 Market
Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. (717) 248-6733.
Thursday, December 8, 2005: 7 p.m. (EST), Penn Stater Conference Center
Hotel, 215 Innovation Boulevard, State College, PA 16803. (814) 863-5000.
Wednesday, December 7, 2005: 7 p.m. (EST), Holiday Inn--Solomons, 155
Holiday Drive, Solomons, MD 20688. (410) 326-6311.
Thursday, December 8, 2005: 7 p.m. (EST), Holiday Inn--Waldorf, U.S.
301 and St. Patrick's Drive, Waldorf, MD 20603. (301) 645-8200.
Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and
present oral comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings
will be prepared.
After these comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are
investigated, and modifications are made to the draft EIS, a final EIS
will be published and distributed by the staff. The final EIS will
contain the staff's responses to timely comments received on the draft
EIS.
Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Anyone may intervene in this proceeding
based on this draft EIS. You must file your request to intervene as
specified above.\1\ You do not need intervenor status to have your
comments considered.
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\1\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing
comments electronically.
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The draft EIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and
is available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE.,
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.
Hard-copies of the draft EIS have been mailed to Federal, State,
and local agencies; public interest groups; individuals and affected
landowners who requested a copy of the draft EIS or provided comments
during scoping; libraries; newspapers; and parties to this proceeding.
In the alternate, those persons or organizations who were identified as
potential stakeholders on this environmental mailing list are receiving
an Executive Summary document and a full version of the draft EIS on
CD-ROM. A limited number of documents and CD-ROMs are available from
the Public Reference Room identified above. In addition, hard-copies of
the document are also available for reading at public libraries along
the proposed project route.
To reduce printing and mailing costs the final EIS will be issued
in both CD-ROM and hard-copy formats. In a separate mailing, the
parties on the current mailing list for the draft EIS will be sent a
postcard providing an opportunity for them to select which format of
the final EIS they wish to receive. The FERC strongly encourages the
use of the CD-ROM format in its publication of large documents. If you
wish to receive a paper copy of the final EIS instead of a CD-ROM, you
must return the postcard indicating that choice.
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
[[Page 67161]]
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 on the FERC Internet Web site
Folialso 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 the eSubscription link on the FERC Internet Web site.
It is requested that you communicate the foregoing information
concerning the proposed work to any persons known by you to be
interested and not being known to this office, who did not receive a
copy of this notice.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-6116 Filed 11-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P