The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued two notices – one for the Oklahoma-based Quoddy Bay LLC, the other for the Washington, D.C.-based Downeast LNG – of its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the two liquefied natural gas developers planning to build plants Down East

The federal agency also has requested comments on environmental issues and has set the dates for three public meetings.

Quoddy Bay hopes to build a facility at Split Rock on Passamaquoddy tribal lands at Pleasant Point with adjoining storage tanks in Perry.

Downeast LNG wants to build a facility in Mill Cove in Robbinston.

FERC officials plan to prepare a statement that will address the environmental impacts of the two projects, while the U.S. Coast Guard will assess the maritime safety and security of the projects.

The comment period for the Downeast LNG project is April 17. The deadline for the Quoddy Bay project is April 28.

FERC will be the lead agency on both projects in cooperation with other federal, state and local agencies.

Upon receipt of a letter of intent from the owners, the U.S. Coast Guard will conduct an analysis that will result in a letter of recommendation. Among the issues that will be addressed are:

. The physical location and layout of the facility and its berthing and mooring arrangements.

. The LNG vessels’ characteristics and the frequency of LNG shipments to the facility.

. Commercial, industrial, environmentally sensitive, and residential areas in and adjacent to the waterway used by the LNG vessels en route to the facility.

. Density and character of the marine traffic on the waterway.

. Bridges or other manmade obstruction in the waterway.

. Depth of water and tidal range.

. Natural hazards, including rocks and sandbars.

. Underwater pipelines and cables.

. Distance of berthed LNG vessels from the channel and the width of the channel.

In order to complete its analysis, the Coast Guard will hold several workshops that will be by invitation only.

In the Quoddy Bay proposal, FERC states that as the developer acquires land for its project, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the developer could initiate “condemnation proceedings” in accordance with state law. No similar statement was included for the Downeast LNG project by FERC.

A summary of the proposed projects outlines their similarities and differences.

Quoddy Bay plans to build an LNG import and marine LNG terminal that will include a double, staggered berth, a 1,700-foot-long pier capable of handling about 90 LNG tanks a year ranging in size from 135,000 to 200,000 cubic meters per ship. The developer plans to build three storage tanks.

Downeast LNG plans to build a single-berth facility with a 3,862-foot pier capable of handling about 50 LNG tankers a year ranging in size from 70,000 to 220,000 cubic meters per ship. Their plan calls for one LNG storage tank.

The Quoddy Bay project, according to FERC documents, “would disturb about 993 acres of land.”

“Following construction about 337 to 340 acres of the total would be retained for the operation of the LNG terminal and send-out pipeline,” FERC said in its statement.

FERC does not include land delineation information on the Downeast LNG proposal. The company has taken an option on 80 acres located along Route 1 at Mill Cove. The company plans to use more than 46 acres to build a terminal, administrative building, access road and parking areas.

Although no formal application has been filed with FERC, the agency is initiating the National Environmental Policy Act review to allow interested stakeholders to become involved early on in the process.

Under its review process, the federal agency will look at several factors including impact on geology and soils; water resources; fish, wildlife and vegetation; endangered and threatened species; cultural resources; land use; socioeconomic factors; marine transportation; air quality and noise; reliability and safety; and possible alternatives to the proposed project.

The federal government already has identified several environmental issues in connection with the two proposals including impact of LNG traffic on other Passamaquoddy Bay and St. Croix River users, including fishing and recreational boaters; safety issues relating to LNG ship traffic, including transit through Head Harbor Passage and Western Passage and along the St. Croix River; potential impacts on residents in the project area, including safety issues at the import and storage facility, noise, air quality and visual resources; project impacts on threatened and endangered species and the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge; and project impacts on wetlands, vegetation and wildlife habitat; and cultural resources.

Anyone may mail commentary on the proposals to The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Office of the Secretary, 888 First St. NE, Room 1A, Washington, D.C. 20426 by April 17 for the Robbinston project and by April 28 for the Split Rock project. Comments also can be sent by going to www.ferc.gov, using the “e-filing” link and then linking to the user’s guide.

FERC also has set up three meetings. The Downeast LNG joint public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at the Robbinston Grade School while the planning meetings for the Quoddy Bay project have been set for Wednesday, April 5, at the Pleasant Point Recreation Department and Thursday, April 6, at the Perry School. Those two meetings are scheduled for 7 p.m.