Environmental Impact
BOEM Completes Draft Environmental Review
Public Hearings scheduled for Central and Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has completed a draft environmental impact statement regarding multiple oil and gas lease sales tentatively scheduled between 2012 and 2017 in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico planning areas, offshore the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2012-2017 schedules five annual area-wide lease sales in the Western Gulf and five in the Central Gulf. “The draft environmental impact statement evaluates baseline conditions and potential environmental effects of oil and natural gas leasing, exploration, development and production in the Western and Central Gulf,” said BOEM Director Tommy P. Beaudreau. “It is an important step toward implementing the Gulf of Mexico lease sales proposed in the next five-year program, and I strongly encourage the public to provide input on this document.” The environmental impact statement is available for review online at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/public-inspection/index.html. BOEM will begin accepting comments on the environmental impact statement following the publication date of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
LNG Enviro Impact Assessment for GOM Revised
The U.S. Coast Guard and Maritime Administration announced today that they are revising an environmental impact statement to lower estimates for potential impacts to red drum and other fish species of concern due to a proposed Shell USA Oil and Gas liquefied natural gas deepwater port facility in the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard identified a calculation error after the original environmental impact statement was published that had erroneously placed the potential annual impact to red
BOEMRE Hearings: Draft EIS for Western GOM
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) will hold two public hearings in Houston, Tx. to accept oral or written comments on a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for proposed Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 218. The SEIS was prepared to update the analyses done in earlier environmental impact statements and to analyze new information regarding the western Gulf of Mexico planning area.
BOEMRE Hearings: Draft Supplemental EIS for O&G Lease Sale
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) will hold two public hearings in New Orleans, La. to accept oral or written comments on a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for proposed Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 218. The SEIS was prepared to update the analyses done in earlier environmental impact statements and to analyze new information regarding the western Gulf of Mexico planning area.
Pascagoula Harbor Navigation Project – Environmental Statement
The US Army Corps of Engineers issued a Notice stating that it intends to prepare a draft supplement to the environmental impact statement (DEIS) to address the potential impacts associated with construction of authorized improvements to the Federal Pascagoula Harbor Navigation Project. Elements to be evaluated include widening the Gulf Entrance channel from 450 ft. to 550 ft. and deepening the Upper Pascagoula channel from 38 ft. to 42 ft.
Freeport LNG Development – Environmental Statement
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Notice announcing availability of the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for construction and operation of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and pipeline proposed by Freeport LNG Development, LP. The proposal includes LNG ship docking and unloading facilities in Brazoria County, Texas. Comments should be submitted within 30 days.
Corps of Engineers Issue Notice on MRGO Navigation Project
The US Army Corps of Engineers issued a notice stating that it intends to prepare a draft environmental impact statement for the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Navigation Project for bank stabilization. Comments should be submitted by January 4, 2007. 71 Fed. Reg. 7449 source: HK Law
Lower Willamette River Dredged Material Management Plan
The US Army Corps of Engineers issued a notice stating that it intends to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Lower Willamette River dredged material management plan. The notice states that comments on this proposed project should be submitted by November 27, 2006. 71 Fed. Reg. 63005 source: HK Law
MARAD Announces Meeting for License Application
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) issued a notice stating that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Calypso LNG LLC, Calypso Natural Gas Deepwater Port license application is available for review and comment. The application proposes construction and operation of a natural gas deepwater port in federal waters of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 8 to 10 miles off the east coast of Florida to the northeast of Port Everglades
Supplemental Enviro Statement for Dredge Project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a Notice stating that it intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to maintenance dredge the federal navigation channels landward of Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor. 70 Fed. Reg. 24556 (HK Law)
POLB Chief to Leave for Oakland
Christopher Lytle, Port of Long Beach Executive Director since November 2011, will resign to take the top post at the Port of Oakland. Lytle will remain at Long Beach until mid-July, and is expected to begin his new job in Oakland shortly thereafter
ABB Chief Technology Officer to Leave
Chief Technology Officer, Prith Banerjee, who joined ABB in 2012, has decided to leave ABB for family reasons. Banerjee, located in Switzerland, will be relocating to the United States where he will be taking another position outside the company
Interlake Steamship to Convert Lakers to LNG
Interlake Steamship moves toward upgrading its fleet to energy efficient, more environmentally friendly LNG fuel. The company has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with Shell to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to support Interlake’s conversion of its vessels
Aker's MPO Unit Wins Industry Award at OTC
Aker Solutions' subsidiary, Managed Pressure Operations, won a prize for its riser safety system at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. The Aker Solutions unit won the Woelfel Best Mechanical Engineering Achievement Award for its Riser Safety System (RSS).
Van Heck Launches “Green and Easy Oil Recovery”
Van Heck revealed its newest world premiere, a complete pump system that enables the controlled, contained, fast oil recovery after incorrect or off-spec fueling and in the event of grounding or calamity at sea. The pump, named Sea Trophy, ensures a fast
U.S. Navy Highlights Environmental Efforts
Personnel from U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) command highlighted the Navy's environmental efforts during Earth Day 2013 events held in the Hampton Roads, Va. area April 20-21. Earth Day is observed April 22 each year, and the Navy's theme for 2013 was "Global Reach - Local Action."
GL RC Certifies Alstom Tidal Turbine Prototype
Tidal energy is a new realm of renewable energy. As technology advances, GL Renewables Certification (GLRC) is contributing its expertise by certifying Alstom’s tidal turbine prototype. Certification of tidal turbines is one of the key development areas for the tidal industry in the future
Obama Admin. Announce 21 Million Acre Oil and Gas Lease Sale
August Auction to offer all Unleased Acreage in Western Gulf of Mexico As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand domestic energy production, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals
U.S. Earth Day Award for Port of Long Beach
The Port of Long Beach wins Federal Maritime Commission 'Earth Day' Award in recognition of its mitigation & sustainability efforts. The Port has been named one of three recipients of the 2013 Federal Maritime Commission's Chairman’s Earth Day Awards for its commitment to mitigating the
EPE S.A., First Greek GL Certified IHM Provider
Environmental Protection Engineering S.A.(EPE) has become the first Greek company to obtain certification from classification society Germanischer Lloyd. GL is a certified provider of Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) services. EPE becomes one of only a handful of companies worldwide that
Belize Court Stymies Offshore Drilling Plans
Belize's Supreme Court declared offshore drilling contracts issued by the Government of Belize (in 2004 and 2007) null and void. The ruling, handed down by Justice Oswell Legall , was in response to a case brought by Oceana, COLA, and the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage
Final Consultation for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck Begins
Offshore wind consortium, Forewind’s second and final stage of consultation for its first offshore wind energy development, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck begins Friday, April 19. The consultation, which starts with the publication of documents, plans and maps about the proposed development
LNG Main Pass Energy Hub Needed
Industry consortium wants to utilize McMoRan’s Main Pass Energy Hub™ (MPEH™) as a potential deepwater port facility. United LNG, LP, and Freeport-McMoRan Energy LLC (FME), a subsidiary of McMoRan Exploration Co, are engaged in efforts to utilize McMoRan’s Main Pass Energy
BOEM Reviews Two Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale Proposals
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for proposed oil and gas Lease Sales 233 and 231, the third and fourth sales scheduled in the current 2012-2017 five-year program. As part of the Obama Administration’s
Charleston Harbor Dredging Funds in President's Budget
The President's FY 2014 Budget once again includes funds to continue Charleston's Post-45 harbor deepening project. This project was designated last year by the Administration as one of its priority infrastructure projects. The recently released fiscal year 2014 budget includes a $1