Rules and Regulations. Notice of availability; notice of public meeting; request for comments

Agency: Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Action: Notice of availability; notice of public meeting; request for comments
Citation: FR Doc. 2026-07517 · Docket No. MARAD-2025-0096

Summary

MARAD announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the ST LNG Deepwater Port Development Project (ST LNG) Deepwater Port License Application. In addition, MARAD announces an informational open house and a public meeting for the DEIS. Publication of this notice announces the availability of the DEIS, requests public comments and participation, provides information on how to participate in the environmental impact review process, and announces the informational open house and public meeting.

Dates

The open house and public meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. The open house will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), and the public meeting will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST. These events will be held at the Bay City Civic Center, 201 7th Street, Bay City, Texas 77414. Responsive materials must be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal or to the Federal Docket Management Facility as detailed in the ADDRESSES section below no later than 45 days after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its notice of availability of the DEIS in the Federal Register .

Supplementary Information

Public Meeting and Open House We encourage you to attend the informational open house and public meeting to learn about and comment on the ST LNG project. You will have the opportunity to submit comments on the issues related to the ST LNG project, which MARAD and appropriate cooperating agencies will review and address in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). Speakers at the public meeting will be recognized in the following order: first, elected officials, public agencies, individuals, or groups who sign up at the public meeting, to be called on in the order they signed up, and then anyone else who wishes to speak. To allow everyone a chance to speak at the public meeting, we may limit speaker time, extend the meeting hours, or both. You must identify yourself and any organization you represent by name. Your remarks will be recorded and transcribed for inclusion in the public docket. You may submit written material through the docket submission process, even if you choose to speak. Written material should include your name and address and will be published on the public docket. Public docket materials will be made available to the public on the DOT Docket ( see ADDRESSES ). If you plan to participate in the open house or public meeting and need special assistance such as sign language interpretation, non-English language interpretation services, or other reasonable accommodations, please notify MARAD ( see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ) at least seven business days in advance of the public meeting. Include your contact information as well as information about your specific needs. Request for Comments We request public comments or other relevant information related to the DEIS for the ST LNG project. The comments will inform the preparation of the FEIS. We encourage attendance at the public meeting; however, the public meeting is not the only opportunity you will have to comment on the ST LNG project. You may also submit comments directly to the Federal eRulemaking Portal or the Federal Docket Management Facility during the public comment period (see DATES ). We will consider all substantive comments and materials that are received no later than 45 days after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its notice of availability of the DEIS. MARAD will consider comments submitted after that comment period to the extent practicable. The ST LNG application, all comments, and associated documentation are available for viewing at the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at http://www.regulations.gov and identified by the DOT Docket Number listed above. Summary of Application The application proposes the ownership, construction, operation, and eventual decommissioning of the ST LNG deepwater port terminal to be located approximately 10.4 nautical miles (19.2 kilometers) offshore Matagorda, Texas, and capable of exporting up to 8.4 MTPA of liquefied natural gas. A Notice of Application that summarized the ST LNG Deepwater Port License Application was published in the Federal Register on Monday, July 7, 2025 (90 FR 29930). A Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Notice of Public Meeting was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 (90 FR 31741). This Notice of Availability incorporates those Federal Register notices by reference. Once the DEIS comment period closes, MARAD and other appropriate cooperating agencies will consider substantive comments received and prepare a FEIS. We will announce the availability of the FEIS in the Federal Register . The Deepwater Port Act of 1974 requires a final public hearing be held in the Adjacent Coastal State(s), following issuance of the FEIS. The purpose of the final public hearing is to receive comments on matters related to whether the deepwater port license application should be approved by the Maritime Administrator. (Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1501, et seq., 49 CFR 1.93). By Order of the Maritime Administrator. T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr., Secretary, Maritime Administration. [FR Doc. 2026-07517 Filed 4-16-26; 8:45 am]