2019-08902. Rio Grande LNG, LLC, Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rio Grande LNG Project

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Rio Grande LNG Project (Project) proposed by Rio Grande LNG, LLC (RG LNG) and Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC (RB Pipeline) (collectively referred to as the RG Developers) in the above-referenced dockets. RG LNG requests authorization pursuant to section 3(a) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to construct and operate liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities in Cameron County, Texas, and RB Pipeline requests a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity pursuant to section 7(c) of the NGA to construct, operate, and maintain a new pipeline system in Jim Wells, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy, and Cameron Counties, Texas.

The final EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that construction and operation of the Rio Grande LNG Project would result in some adverse environmental impacts, but these impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels. However, the Rio Grande LNG Project, combined with other projects within the geographic scope, including the Texas LNG and Annova LNG Projects, would contribute to potential significant cumulative impacts from construction noise during nighttime pile-driving; sediment/turbidity and shoreline erosion within the Brownsville Ship Channel during operations from vessel transits; on the federally listed ocelot and jaguarundi from habitat loss and potential for increased vehicular strikes during construction; on the federally listed northern aplomado falcon from habitat loss in combination with past actions; and on visual resources from the presence of aboveground structures. Construction and operation of the Rio Grande LNG Project would result in mostly temporary or short-term environmental impacts; however, some long-term and permanent environmental impacts would occur.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the DOT's Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—National Marine Fisheries Service participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the NEPA analysis. Although the cooperating agencies provided input to the conclusions and recommendations presented in the final EIS, the agencies will present their own conclusions and recommendations in their respective Records of Decision for the Project.

The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the following proposed facilities:

• Six liquefaction trains at the Rio Grande LNG Terminal, each with a nominal capacity of 4.5 million tons per annum of LNG for export, resulting in the total nominal capacity of 27.0 million tons per annum;
• four LNG storage tanks, each with a net capacity of 180,000 cubic meters;
• LNG truck loading facilities with four loading bays, each with the capacity to load 12 to 15 trucks per day;
• a refrigerant storage area and truck unloading facilities;
• a condensate storage area and truck loading facilities;
• a new marine slip with two LNG vessel berths to accommodate simultaneous loading of two LNG vessels, an LNG vessel and support vessel maneuvering area, and an LNG transfer system;
• a materials off-loading facility;
• 2.4 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline, including 0.8 mile of dual pipeline, to gather gas from existing systems in Kleberg and Jim Wells Counties (referred to as the Header System);
• 135.5 miles of parallel 42-inch-diameter pipelines originating in Kleberg County and terminating at the Rio Grande LNG Terminal in Cameron County (referred to as Pipelines 1 and 2);
• four stand-alone metering sites along the Header System;
• two new interconnect booster compressor stations, each with a metering site;
• three new compressor stations (one at the LNG Terminal site); and
• other associated utilities, systems, and facilities (yards, access roads, etc.).

The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the final EIS to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the project area. The final EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the Environmental Documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/​industries/​gas/​enviro/​eis.asp). In addition, the final EIS may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​elibrary.asp), click on General Search, and enter the docket number in the Docket Number field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP16-454 or CP16-455). 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].

Additional information about the Projects 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 www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp.

Dated: April 26, 2019.

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.