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Water: 401 Certification |
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62566 |
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Trailblazer C02 Pipeline LLC |
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Hall, Buffalo, & Kearney counties, NE (41° 1'5.05"N, 98°52'34.02"W) & (40°33'14.18"N, 98°43'28.92"W) |
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Wood River & Ravenna, NE |
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Public Notice Documents |
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All Program Documents
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Individual |
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July 11, 2024 |
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August 10, 2024 |
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Legal Notice Below
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NOTICE OF INTENT TO CERTIFY – Section 401
NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
PLANNING & AID DIVISION
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
In accordance with Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Par. 1251 et seq.), certification that Title 117 – Nebraska Surface Water Quality Standards (Nebraska Administrative Code) will not be violated has been applied for to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) by the persons listed below for discharges requiring Federal permits or licenses.
Trailblazer C02 Pipeline, LLC, and Stantec have applied for a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to conduct activities in Waters of the United States. The proposed project requires state Water Quality Certification in accordance with Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401(a)(1), which states that:
Any applicant for a Federal license or permit to conduct any activity including, but not limited to, the construction or operation of facilities, which may result in any discharge into the navigable waters, shall provide the licensing or permitting agency a certification from the State in which the discharge originates or will originate, or, if appropriate, from the interstate water pollution control agency having jurisdiction over the navigable waters at the point where the discharge originates or will originate, that any such discharge will comply with the applicable provisions of sections 301, 302, 303, 306, and 307 of this title.
Trailblazer CO2 Pipeline, LLC (Trailblazer CO2), a subsidiary of Tallgrass Energy, LP, seeks to construct and operate the proposed TPCO2-07 & TPCO2-08 Laterals (project).
TPCO2-07 Lateral
The TPCO2-07 Lateral would be approximately 12.3 miles of six-inch-diameter steel pipeline that would transport captured carbon dioxide from an existing ethanol plant located in Wood River, Nebraska, to the TPCO2-08 Lateral. The TPCO2-08 Lateral would then transport captured carbon dioxide to the existing Trailblazer Pipeline. The Trailblazer Pipeline would then transport the captured carbon dioxide to an underground sequestration hub in southeastern Wyoming. The lateral would cross portions of Hall and Buffalo counties, Nebraska.
In addition to the pipeline, the lateral would include several aboveground appurtenances (AGAs) to support its operation. These AGAs would include three mainline valves (MLVs), two pig launcher/receiver sites, and the tie-in to Junction 5. The MLVs and pig launchers/receivers would be sited at each terminus of the lateral. The pig launchers/receivers would be utilized for periodic integrity testing of the pipeline.
TPCO2-08 Lateral
The TPCO2-08 Lateral would be approximately 40.8 miles of eight-inch-diameter steel pipeline that would transport captured carbon dioxide from an existing ethanol plant in Ravenna, Nebraska, and the TPCO2- 07 Lateral to the existing Trailblazer Pipeline. The Trailblazer Pipeline would then transport the captured carbon dioxide to an underground sequestration hub in southeastern Wyoming. The lateral would cross portions of Buffalo and Kearney counties, Nebraska.
In addition to the pipeline, the lateral would include several AGAs to support its operation. These AGAs include six MLVs, two pig launcher/receiver sites, and a letdown station (LDS). The MLVs would be used to limit the unplanned release of product by isolating the leaking segment of the lateral. The MLVs would be spaced in accordance with applicable regulations of no more than 15 miles apart and at other locations which necessitate closer spacings, such as waterbodies greater than 100 feet in width. The pig launchers/receivers, located at each terminus of the lateral, would be utilized for periodic integrity testing of the pipeline. The LDS, located at the tie-in location with the existing Trailblazer Pipeline, would serve to depressurize the carbon dioxide and facilitate its injection into the primary pipeline that transports the carbon dioxide to the underground sequestration hub in southeastern Wyoming. In addition to the pipeline, construction would include several AGAs to support its operation. These AGAs would include two MLVs and two pig launcher/receiver sites. The MLVs would be sited at each terminus of the pipeline. The pig launchers/receivers, which are also located at each terminus of the lateral, would be utilized for periodic integrity testing of the pipeline.
The project would be located in the Rainwater Basin, and the construction footprint would temporarily impact multiple waters of the United States. The NDEE requires that Trailblazer CO2 review proposed actions and determine whether such actions may affect a wetland or waterbody. Trailblazer CO2 secured Stantec Consulting Services Inc. (Stantec) to conduct an evaluation of the proposed TPCO2-04, TPCO2- 05, and TPCO2-06 Laterals.
In summary, construction of the project would cross two wetlands via Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), two wetlands via conventional bore with one of those wetlands also including temporary workspace, and nine wetlands via open-cut methods with eight of those wetlands also unclosing temporary workspace or additional temporary workspace. Four additional wetlands would not cross the centerline but would extend into the permanent easement, temporary workspace, or additional temporary workspace. Temporary impacts to WR-NE-BF-W01 and WR-NE-HA-W02 would be predominantly due to open-cut trenching; however, conventional bores would be utilized where the lateral crosses the existing roads in these wetlands. The total temporary impacts to wetlands would be 1.81 acres. Once construction is complete, the 1.181 acres of temporary wetlands impacts would be returned to preconstruction contours. The temporary wetland impacts would result from vegetation removal, trenching, and pipeline placement. No permanent impacts to these wetlands including conversion or other permanent loss, would occur.
Construction of the project would cross two waterbodies entirely via HDDs, four waterbodies via conventional bores with two of those waterbodies also including temporary workspace and/or additional temporary workspace, and 14 waterbodies via open-cut methods with 13 of those waterbodies also including temporary workspace or additional temporary workspace. Two waterbodies would not cross the centerline but would extend into the permanent easement, temporary workspace, or additional temporary workspace. The total temporary impacts to waterbodies would be 1.13 acres. Once construction is complete, the 1.13 acres of temporary waterbody impacts would be returned to preconstruction contours. No permanent loss of surface waters would occur.
The proposed certification and supporting materials are available for inspection at the office of NDEE, 245 Fallbrook Blvd, STE 100, Lincoln, Nebraska. Persons may comment upon or object to the application, by submitting written comments within 30 days after this publication date of this notice. Comments should be limited to the scope of state Water Quality Certification (WQC) under Section 401 of the CWA. During this period, persons may request a public hearing. A request for a hearing must state the nature of the issues to be raised and all arguments and actual grounds supporting such position. Such comments shall be considered prior to making a final decision regarding the request. Any comments or requests should be submitted to:
CWA Section 401 Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
245 Fallbrook Blvd, Suite 100
Lincoln, NE 68521
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ndee.401certifications@nebraska.gov
Please notify NDEE in advance if alternate formats of documents are needed. Our switchboard phone number is 402-471-2186. TDD users please call 711 and ask the relay operator to call us at 402-471-2186.
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