[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42163-42164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19924]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 3106]
Finding of No Significant Impact: Penn Octane Corporation
Pipelines at the Port of Brownsville, TX
AGENCY: Department of State.
ACTION: Notice of a finding of no significant impact with regard to an
application to construct, operate and maintain two pipelines to
transport crude oil across the U.S.-Mexico border.
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SUMMARY: The Department of State has conducted an environmental
assessment of the proposed construction by Penn Octane Corporation of
two pipelines to transport petroleum products crossing the
international boundary near the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The purpose
of these pipelines is to improve both the safety and economics of
transporting liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and refined product from
producers in the U.S. to consumers in Mexico. The pipelines will
originate at the Penn Octane terminal located at the Port of
Brownsville, Texas. The pipelines will be designed to transport up to
50,000 barrels of LPG and an equivalent amount of gasoline or diesel
per day.
Four alternatives to the proposed action were considered, including
three alternate pipeline routes, and a ``no action'' alternative which
would result in the continued transport of LPG via tanker truck from
Brownsville to Matamoros, Mexico.
The assessment concluded that there are no substantial impacts from
the construction and normal operation of these pipelines. The proposed
routing avoids populated areas in Cameron County to the maximum extent
possible, and also shows no disproportionate impacts to minority or
disadvantaged populations.
Environmental impacts of the proposed routing are minimized by the
selection of a route which largely uses existing right-of-ways
established for railroads, utility lines, drainage ditches, or roads.
Disturbances to waterways to be crossed will be minimized by
directionally drilling below resacas (oxbow lakes remaining from the
Rio Grande delta) and the Rio Grande River. Additional engineering
practices, such as coating, cathodic protection, automatic check valves
and inventory
[[Page 42164]]
control, inspection, and hydrotesting will be incorporated into the
project to minimize the risk of accident to the pipeline in the future.
Based on the environmental assessment, the Department of State has
concluded that issuance of a Presidential Permit authorizing
construction of the pipelines will not have a significant effect on the
human environment within the United States. In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations, 40 CFR 1501.4 and 1508.13 and
Department of State Regulations, 22 CFR 161.8(C), a finding of no
significant impact is adopted and an environmental impact statement
will not be prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE PIPELINE PERMIT APPLICATION, CONTACT:
Bill Memler, Office of International Energy Policy, Room 3535, U.S.
Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, (202) 647-4557.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Penn Octane Corporation is a corporation
formed under the laws of the State of California, with its principal
place of business in Redwood, California.
On May 20, 1999, the Department of State published a Notice of
Application for a Presidential Permit in the Federal Register. No
negative public comments were received and concerned agencies expressed
no opposition to issuing the permit.
Dated: July 28, 1999.
Peter Bass,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy, Sanctions, and
Commodities.
[FR Doc. 99-19924 Filed 8-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-07-P
