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Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment and A Finding of No Significant Impact for the Proposed PMI Frontera Juarez Pipeline Project

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[Federal Register: August 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 163)]
[Notices]
[Page 49533-49534]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21au08-106]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6326]

Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment and
A Finding of No Significant Impact for the Proposed PMI Frontera Juarez
Pipeline Project

August 15, 2008.
AGENCY: Department of State.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment
and A Finding of No Significant Impact for the Proposed PMI Frontera
Juarez Pipeline Project.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Final
Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact for the
Proposed PMI Frontera Juarez Pipeline Project.
    On January 18, 2008, PMI Services North America (``PMI'') applied
for a Presidential permit to construct, connect, operate and maintain a
10.75-inch liquid hydrocarbon (gasoline and diesel) pipeline for the
transportation of liquid hydrocarbon products between the United States
and Mexico, to be located at the international border between the
United States and Mexico, near San Elizario, Texas. Currently, the
refined products are transported across the international border via
trucks from El Paso to Ciudad Jua rez. The Frontera Juárez
Pipeline would displace this mode of delivery with the proposed net
effect of increasing safety and decreasing the negative impact to the
local environment.
    Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004, as amended, delegates to
the Secretary of State the President's authority to receive
applications for permits for the construction, connection, operation,
or maintenance of facilities, including pipelines, for the exportation
or importation of petroleum, petroleum products, coal, or other fuels
at the border of the United States and to issue or deny such
Presidential Permits upon a national interest determination. The
Executive Order directs the Secretary of State to refer the application
and pertinent information to, and to request the views of, the heads of
certain agencies before issuing a Permit and authorizes the Secretary
to consult with other interested federal and state officials, as
appropriate. The

[[Page 49534]]

Executive Order also authorizes Federal Register notification of
receipt of Presidential permit applications and for public comments on
those applications. The functions assigned to the Secretary have been
further delegated within the Department of State.
    The Department of State published in the Federal Register a
Notification of Receipt and Notice of Intent to prepare an Environment
Assessment (EA) regarding the PMI Application for a permit on March 26,
2008 (73 FR 16090-01). That notification advised the public that the
Department intended to prepare an EA on the application and solicited
public comment. The Department's Notice of Availability of the draft EA
and request for public comment was published in the Federal Register on
April 29, 2008 (73 FR 23301-01), seeking comments by May 29, 2008. The
Department received public comments in response to its two notices and
has taken them into account in preparing the Final Environmental
Assessment on the PMI Application.
    As required by Executive Order 13337, PMI's pipeline application
and a Draft Environmental Assessment were also transmitted to the
relevant federal agencies for their review and comment on May 22, 2007.
The Department of State received no objections from federal agencies
regarding the issuance of a permit.
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(``NEPA''), 42 U.S.C. 4321-4370f, the Council of Environmental Quality
Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR
parts 1500-1508, and the Department's regulations for the
implementation of NEPA, 22 CFR part 161, PMI has prepared a Final
Environmental Assessment (``FEA'') under the guidance and supervision
of the Department, with full public participation, including a public
meeting and ample opportunity for written and oral public comment on
the project. Based on the FEA and the record created as part of the
Department's evaluation of the PMI application, on August 16, 2008 the
Department determined that ``issuance of a Presidential Permit
authorizing construction, connection, operation and maintenance of the
proposed Frontera Juarez Pipeline would not have a significant impact
on the quality of the human environment within the United States.''
Accordingly, the Department on that date adopted a ``Finding Of No
Significant Impact'' (FONSI) and determined that an environmental
impact statement will not be prepared on the PMI application.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Final Environmental Assessment
addressing this action is on file and may be reviewed by interested
parties, along with the Finding of No Significant Impact, at the
Department of State, 2200 C Street NW., Room 4843, Washington, DC 20520
(Attn: Mr. J. Brian Duggan, Tel. 202-647-1291). The above documents may
also be requested by e-mail at DugganJB@state.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC on August 15, 2008.
Stephen J. Gallogly,
Director, Office of International Energy and Commodity Policy,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. E8-19415 Filed 8-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-07-P

 
 

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