2021-27870. LA Storage, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Hackberry Storage Project

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Hackberry Storage Project (Project), proposed by LA Storage, LLC (LA Storage) in the above-referenced docket. LA Storage requests authorization to construct and operate natural gas storage and transmission facilities in Louisiana. The Project is designed to provide 20.03 billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity and 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of gas deliverability and injectability, and interconnecting with the Cameron Interstate Pipeline (CIP) facilities operated by Cameron Interstate Pipeline, LLC and the Port Arthur Pipeline Louisiana Connector (PAPLC) facilities to be operated by Port Arthur Pipeline, LLC.

The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Hackberry Storage Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). With the exception of climate change impacts, FERC staff concludes that approval of the Project would not result in significant environmental impacts. FERC staff is unable to determine the significance level of climate change impacts.

The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the following Project facilities: The Project would involve the conversion of three existing salt dome caverns to natural gas storage service and the development of one new salt dome cavern for additional natural gas storage service, all within a permanent natural gas storage facility on a 160-acre tract of land owned by LA Storage in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. In addition to the storage caverns, LA Storage would construct and operate on-site compression facilities (Pelican Compressor Station) and up to six solution mining water supply wells at the storage facility on LA Storage's property. LA Storage would also construct and operate the following natural gas facilities in in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana: The Hackberry Pipeline, consisting of approximately 11.1 miles of 42-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline connecting the certificated PAPLC pipeline (CP18-7) to the natural gas storage caverns; the CIP Lateral, an approximately 4.9-mile-long, 42-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline extending from the existing CIP to the planned natural gas storage caverns; metering and regulating at the CIP and PAPLC interconnects; and an approximately 6.2-mile-long, 16-inch-diameter brine disposal pipeline that would transport brine from the caverns to four saltwater disposal wells located on two new pads north of the facility.

The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Hackberry Storage Project to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; local libraries; newspapers; elected officials; Native American Tribes; and other interested parties. The draft EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website ( www.ferc.gov ), on the natural gas environmental documents page ( https://www.ferc.gov/​industries-data/​natural-gas/​environment/​environmental-documents ). In addition, the draft EIS may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link ( https://elibrary.ferc.gov/​eLibrary/​search ) select “General Search” and enter the docket number in the “Docket Number” field ( i.e., CP21-44-000). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [e-mail] or toll free at [phone], or for TTY, contact [phone].

The draft EIS is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding. Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. Your comments should focus on draft EIS's disclosure and discussion of potential environmental effects, measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts, and the completeness of the submitted alternatives, information and analyses. To ensure consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that the Commission receive your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 7, 2022.

For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at [phone] or [e-mail]. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.

(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission's website ( www.ferc.gov ) under the link to FERC Online. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;

(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature on the Commission's website ( www.ferc.gov ) under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “eRegister.” If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select “Comment on a Filing” as the filing type; or

(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP21-44-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

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 part 385.214). Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​ferc-online/​how-guides. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission's decision. The Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.

Questions?

Additional information about the project is available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the FERC website ( www.ferc.gov ) using the eLibrary link. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

In addition, the Commission 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. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

Dated: December 17, 2021.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.