Floodplain Involvement for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Bayou Choctaw Facility, Iberville Parish, LA

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Floodplain Involvement for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Bayou

Choctaw Facility, Iberville Parish, LA

AGENCY: Office of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, DOE.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: DOE hereby provides notice that the proposed installation of a

crude oil degasification unit at the existing SPR storage facility at

Bayou Choctaw, Louisiana would be located in a 100-year floodplain. The

degasification unit would be used to remove excess gas from the stored

petroleum to allow for safe distribution of the oil in the event of a

drawdown.

DATES: Written comments should be postmarked by May 2, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be directed to Mr. Hal Delaplane,

Strategic Petroleum Reserve (FE-423), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, Telephone (202) 586-4730,

Fax (202) 586-7919.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION INCLUDING LOCATION MAPS, CONTACT: For general

information on the DOE environmental assessment process, further

information on general DOE floodplain environmental review

requirements, or the status of a review under the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), please contact Carol M. Borgstrom,

Director, Office of NEPA Oversight (EH-25), U.S. Department of Energy,

1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone (202)

586-4600 or (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Executive Order 11988,

Floodplain Management, and 10 CFR part 1022, Compliance with

Floodplain/Wetlands Environmental Review Requirements, notice is given

that DOE proposes to install a crude oil degasification unit at the

existing SPR storage facility at Bayou Choctaw, Louisiana, which is

located in a 100-year floodplain. Bayou Choctaw is one of four SPR

storage facilities for which degasification is planned, but it is the

only one that is located in a floodplain. The other facilities are:

Bryan Mound, Texas, West Hackberry, Louisiana, and Big Hill, Texas.

The Bayou Choctaw storage facility, which is located in Iberville

Parish, Louisiana, approximately 5 miles west of the Mississippi River

and 13 miles southwest of Baton Rouge, is situated within the 100-year

floodplain. This location is designated Zone A (areas of 100-year

flood; base flood elevation and flood hazard factors not determined) by

the National Flood Insurance Program. Should a 100-year flood occur,

the water surface elevation at the proposed oil degasification unit

location would be approximately ten feet above mean sea level. The

proposed construction of the oil degasification unit therefore would be

located in the 100-year floodplain, although construction would be on a

previously disturbed area within the fence line of the existing storage

facility. Wetlands would not be involved. In accordance with DOE

regulations for compliance with floodplain environmental review

requirements (10 CFR 1022.12), DOE will prepare a floodplain assessment

for this proposed action. The floodplain assessment will be

incorporated in the environmental assessment (EA) prepared in

accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. A

floodplain statement of findings will be included in any finding of no

significant impact that is issued following completion of the EA.

Issued in Washington, DC on April 7, 1994.

Jack S. Siegel,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.

[FR Doc. 94-9166 Filed 4-14-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P