Deepwater Port License Application: Blue Marlin Offshore Port, LLC (BMOP)
A Notice by the Maritime Administration on 11/05/2020
AGENCY:
Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.
ACTION:
Notice of intent; Notice of virtual public meeting; Request for comments.
SUMMARY:
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), in coordination with the Maritime Administration (MARAD), will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) as part of the environmental review of the Blue Marlin Offshore Port, LLC (BMOP) Deepwater port license application. The application proposes the ownership, construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of an offshore oil export deepwater port that would be located within and adjacent to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in West Cameron Lease Blocks (WC) 509 and 508 and East Cameron (EC) Block 263. Following the existing Stingray pipeline, the deepwater port will be approximately 99 statute miles off the coast of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, with an approximate water depth of 162 feet. The deepwater port would allow for the loading of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and other sized crude oil cargo carriers via a Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM). This Notice of Intent (NOI) requests public participation in the scoping process, provides information on how to participate, and announces an informational (virtual) open house and two public meetings for the communities of Cameron Parish, Louisiana and Jefferson and Orange County, Texas. Pursuant to the criteria provided in the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (the Act), Louisiana and Texas are the designated Adjacent Coastal States for this application.
DATES:
There will be two public scoping meetings virtually held in connection with the BMOP deepwater port application. The meetings will be held virtually for the communities of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, and Jefferson and Orange County, Texas, on December 2, 2020, and December 3, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. central standard time (CST). The virtual public meetings will be preceded by an informational open house via the website at www.BlueMarlinNEPAProcess.com, which will be maintained throughout the NEPA process.
The virtual public meetings may end later than the stated time, depending on the number of persons wishing to speak. Additionally, materials submitted in response to this request for comments on the BMOP deepwater port license application must reach the Federal Docket Management Facility as detailed below by December 3, 2020.
ADDRESSES:
Virtual Public Meeting-to register to attend and/or be a speaker at one of the virtual scoping meetings, visit www.BlueMarlinNEPAProcess.com or call 833-201-3773. Attendees may attend online or via telephone. Details will be relayed to you upon registering for the virtual meeting(s). Registration to be a speaker will end at 4:00 p.m. CST on December 2, 2020. Attendees that did not register to speak will be given the opportunity to comment at the end of the virtual meeting(s) after all registered speakers have been given the opportunity to comment.
The public docket for the BMOP deepwater port license application is maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. The license application is available for viewing at the Regulations.gov website: http://www.regulations.gov under docket number MARAD-2020-0127.
We encourage you to submit comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If you submit your comments electronically, it is not necessary to also submit a hard copy. If you cannot submit material using http://www.regulations.gov, please contact either Mr. William Nabach, USCG, or Dr. Efrain Lopez, MARAD, as listed in the following “FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT” section of this document, which also provides alternate instructions for submitting written comments. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted. Anonymous comments will be accepted. All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have provided. The Federal Docket Management Facility's telephone number is 202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826, the fax number is 202-493-2251.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. William Nabach, U.S. Coast Guard, telephone: 202-372-1437, email: William.A.Nabach2@uscg.mil, or Dr. Efrain Lopez, Maritime Administration, telephone: 202-366-9761, email: Efrain.Lopez@dot.gov. For questions regarding viewing the Docket, call Docket Operations, telephone: 202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826.
Pipeline Safety: Midstream Facilities Frequently Asked Questions
A Proposed Rule by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on 11/04/2020
AGENCY:
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION:
Notification and request for comments.
SUMMARY:
PHMSA is making available for comment a set of draft frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding federal oversight of midstream processing facilities. Specifically, this guidance will delineate where PHMSA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will each perform inspection and enforcement activities for midstream processing facilities where there is overlapping authority. The proposed guidance consists of a set of seven FAQs that were developed by the Midstream Processing Working Group (Working Group) established by the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee (LPAC).
DATES:
Persons interested in submitting comments on the draft FAQs must do so by January 4, 2021.
ADDRESSES:
You may submit comments, which should be identified by docket number PHMSA-2019-0199, by any of the following methods:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sayler Palabrica, Transportation Specialist, at 202-366-0559.
A Notice by the Energy Department on 11/13/2020
AGENCY:
Office of Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.
ACTION:
Notice of application.
SUMMARY:
The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice (Notice) of receipt of an application (Application), filed on November 4, 2020, by Southern LNG Company, L.L.C. (Southern LNG). Southern LNG seeks to amend the export term set forth in its current authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to non-free trade agreement countries, DOE/FE Order No. 3956, to a term ending on December 31, 2050. Southern LNG filed the Application under the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and DOE's policy statement entitled, “Extending Natural Gas Export Authorizations to Non-Free Trade Agreement Countries Through the Year 2050” (Policy Statement). Protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and written comments on the requested term extension are invited.
DATES:
Protests, motions to intervene or notices of intervention, as applicable, requests for additional procedures, and written comments are to be filed using procedures detailed in the Public Comment Procedures section no later than 4:30 p.m., Eastern time, November 30, 2020.
ADDRESSES:
Electronic Filing by email: fergas@hq.doe.gov
Regular Mail: U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of Fossil Energy, P.O. Box 44375, Washington, DC 20026-4375
Hand Delivery or Private Delivery Services (e.g., FedEx, UPS, etc.): U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of Fossil Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Benjamin Nussdorf or Amy Sweeney, U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of Regulation, Analysis, and Engagement, Office of Fossil Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-7893; (202) 586-2627, benjamin.nussdorf@hq.doe.gov or amy.sweeney@hq.doe.gov
Cassandra Bernstein or Irene Nemesio, U.S. Department of Energy (GC-76), Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Electricity and Fossil Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 6D-033, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9793; (202) 586-8606, cassandra.bernstein@hq.doe.gov or irene.nemesio@hq.doe.gov
Hazardous Materials: Adoption of Miscellaneous Petitions To Reduce Regulatory Burdens
A Rule by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on 11/25/2020
AGENCY:
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION:
Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations in response to 24 petitions for rulemaking submitted by the regulated community between February 2015 and March 2018. This final rule updates, clarifies, or provides relief from various regulatory requirements without adversely affecting safety. PHMSA also, as of the effective date of this final rule, withdraws its September 28, 2017 enforcement discretion regarding the phase-out of mobile refrigeration systems.
DATES:
Effective date: This rule is effective December 28, 2020.
Incorporation by reference date: The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in this final rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of December 28, 2020.
Delayed compliance date: Except as provided by the compliance timelines set forth in this final rule in connection with petitions for rulemaking P-1646, P-1691 and P-1692, compliance with the amendments adopted in this final rule is required beginning November 26, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steven Andrews at (202) 366-8553 in the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
A Rule by the Environmental Protection Agency on 11/24/2020
AGENCY:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION:
Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating revisions to its major New Source Review (NSR) applicability regulations to clarify when the requirement to obtain a major NSR permit applies to a source proposing to undertake a physical change or a change in the method of operation (i.e., a project) under the major NSR preconstruction permitting programs. Under these programs, an existing major stationary source proposing to undertake a project must determine whether that project will constitute a major modification subject to the major NSR preconstruction permitting requirements by following a two-step applicability test. The first step is to determine if the proposed project would result in a “significant emissions increase” of a regulated NSR pollutant (Step 1). If the proposed project is determined to result in such an increase, the second step is to determine if the project would also result in a “significant net emissions increase” of that pollutant from the source (Step 2). In this action, we are promulgating revisions to our major NSR applicability regulations to clarify that both increases and decreases in emissions resulting from a proposed project can be considered in Step 1 of the major NSR major modification applicability test. We refer to the consideration of emissions increases and decreases in Step 1 as project emissions accounting.
DATES:
This final rule is effective on December 24, 2020.
ADDRESSES:
The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0048. All documents in the docket are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the index, some information may not be publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically through https://www.regulations.gov.
In addition, the EPA has a website for NSR rulemakings at: https://www.epa.gov/nsr. The website includes the EPA's proposed and final NSR regulations, as well as guidance documents and technical information related to preconstruction permitting.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For further information concerning this action, please contact Jessica Montañez, U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality Policy Division, Mail Code C504-03, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; by telephone at (919) 541-3407 or by email at montanez.jessica@epa.gov.
Deepwater Port License Application: Bluewater Texas Terminal LLC; Correction
A Notice by the Maritime Administration on 11/19/2020
AGENCY:
Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
ACTION:
Notice; correction.
SUMMARY:
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) published a document in the Federal Register of August 7, 2020, concerning Deepwater Port License Application: Bluewater Texas Terminal, LLC; Project Scope Changes; Request for Comments. This document had errors in the “Summary of the Revised Project Description” and “Inshore Components” captions. This notice also seeks public comment regarding the proposed project scope changes. Please note, MARAD and USCG have determined that this notice is sufficient for satisfying National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements for public scoping and seeking public comment on an agency action.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Roddy Bachman, U.S. Coast Guard, telephone: 202-372-1451, email: Roddy.C.Bachman@uscg.mil, or Ms. Yvette M. Fields, Maritime Administration, telephone: 202-366-0926, email: Yvette.Fields@dot.gov. For questions regarding viewing the Docket, call Docket Operations, telephone: 202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826.