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Port Barre Investments, L.L.C. (d/b/a Bobcat Gas Storage); Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Bobcat Gas Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: March 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 45)]
[Notices]
[Page 11606-11608]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08mr06-66]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP06-66-000]
Port Barre Investments, L.L.C. (d/b/a Bobcat Gas Storage); Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Bobcat Gas
Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
February 28, 2006.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of a proposal by Port Barre
Investments, L.L.C. (d/b/a Bobcat Gas Storage (Bobcat)) to construct a
new salt cavern natural gas storage facility in St. Landry Parish,
Louisiana.\1\ The Bobcat Gas Storage Project would provide
approximately 12 billion cubic feet of working natural gas storage
capacity, capable of injecting gas at maximum rates of up to 900
million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) and delivering gas at maximum rates
of up to 1,200 MMcfd. The facilities would include two solution mined
storage caverns, a 37,880 horsepower (hp) compressor station, a
leaching plant, brine disposal facilities, approximately 18.1 miles of
pipeline, and metering and regulating stations.
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\1\ Bobcat's application was filed with the Commission under section 7
of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's regulations.
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This notice announces the opening of the scoping period that will
be used to gather environmental input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Please note that the scoping comments are
requested by March 31, 2006.
This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners;
Federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes, other
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers. State and local
government representatives are asked 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 Bobcat company representative about the acquisition of an easement
to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The
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 natural gas company
could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for
viewing on the FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). 
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.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Bobcat proposes to construct, own, and operate a high-
deliverability natural gas storage project on an 84-acre parcel of land
leased by Bobcat, located about 2.2 miles east of the Town of Port
Barre, Louisiana. Two caverns would be solution mined in the Port Barre
Salt Dome in four phases, over an approximate five-year time span. The
project would include construction of the following:
(1) Gas Storage Site, including:
? Eight (8) 4,735 horsepower compressors, dehydration and
appurtenant facilities (Bobcat Compressor Station);
? A leaching plant;
? 0.5 mile of non-jurisdictional electric distribution line;
? 2 freshwater and 2 cavern wells; and
? 0.5 mile of 16-inch-diameter freshwater pipeline.
(2) Brine Disposal Site, including three brine disposal wells;
(3) 1.5 miles of 16-inch-diameter brine disposal pipeline;
(4) 16.1 miles of 24-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline and
appurtenances; and
(5) 5 interstate and 1 intrastate pipeline system interconnects,
each with a regulator/meter station.
The location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 1.\2\
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\2\ 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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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 261.9
acres of land. Following construction, about 104.3 acres would be
maintained as new aboveground facility sites and right-of-
[[Page 11607]]
way. The remaining 157.6 acres of land would be restored and allowed to
revert to its former use.
The EA Process
We \3\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which 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.
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\3\ ''We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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By this notice, we are also asking 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 EA. Agencies that would like to request cooperating status
should follow the instructions for filing comments below.
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.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
In the EA, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the project. We will also evaluate
reasonable alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project.
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 Bobcat. This preliminary list
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Project-related impact on:
? Noise sensitive areas (i.e., residences) located in proximity to
construction operations and the proposed compressor facility;
? 12.0 acres of wetlands;
? 171.5 acres of agricultural land;
? 3 federally-listed threatened and endangered species
potentially in the project area;
? 7 waterbody crossings; and
? The Chicot sole source aquifer.
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 and considered by the Commission.
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative locations
and 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: 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 3.
? Reference Docket Number CP06-66-000.
? Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before March 31, 2006.
Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic
filing of any comments or interventions or protests 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 and account which can be created online.
Site Visit
On March 21, 2006, the OEP staff will conduct a pre-certification
site visit of the planned Bobcat Gas Storage Project. We will view the
proposed facility locations and pipeline route. Examination will be by
automobile and on foot. Representatives of Bobcat will be accompanying
the OEP staff.
All interested parties may attend. Those planning to attend must
provide their own transportation and should meet at 9 a.m. (CST) in the
lobby of the Holiday Inn, 5696 I-49 North Service Road, Opelousas,
Louisiana on March 21, 2006.
For additional information, please contact the Commission's Office
of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372).
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA 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.
Likewise, each intervenor must send one electronic copy (using the
Commission's eFiling system) or 14 paper copies of its filings to the
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If
you want 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, see Appendix 2).\4\ Only intervenors have
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
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\4\ 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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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.
Environmental Mailing List
If you wish to remain on our environmental mailing list, please
return the Information Request Form included in Appendix 2. If you do
not return this form, you will be removed from our mailing list.
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
[[Page 11608]]
Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1-866-208-3676,
or for TYY, 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.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-3194 Filed 3-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P