Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Pearl Crossing LNG Project under CP04-374.

3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 3.1 DEEPWATER PORT AND OFFSHORE PIPELINES 3.1.1 Proposed WC 220 Site and Pipelines 3.1.1.1 Water Resources Water quality is the ability of a waterbody to maintain the ecosystems it supports or influences. In the case of marine environments, the water quality is influenced by river drainage (including sediments), and wet (e.g., precipitation) and dry (e.g., dust) atmospheric deposition. Besides these natural inputs, human activities can affect water quality through discharges, runoff, burning, dumping, air emissions, and oil or chemical spills. Water quality is evaluated by measuring factors that are considered important to the health of an ecosystem. The primary factors influencing marine environments are dissolved oxygen (DO), nutrients, contaminants, and turbidity or the load of suspended matter. Trace constituents such as metals and organic compounds also affect water quality. Altering the ecosystem through changes in any of these water quality parameters would affect the biological resources and associated habitat and could result in the population reduction of specific species, support of undesirable or exotic species, and possibly mass mortality. Such effects can either be localized or widespread. Water Quality Standards The LNG Terminal would be located in federal waters about 41 miles (66 km) south of the Louisiana coastline in a water depth of about 62 feet (19 m). In addition to the LNG Terminal, the offshore pipelines would be located in federal waters between the LNG Terminal and a point about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the Louisiana coastline. From this point landward, the offshore pipelines would enter waters under the jurisdiction of the state of Louisiana. A description of the state and federal water quality standards is provided below. Surface water quality standards are administered by the LADEQ for the waters of the state as described in the Louisiana Administrative Code (LAC) (Title 33, Part IX, Chapter 11). Water quality standards are developed to enhance or maintain water quality and to provide for, and fully protect, the designated uses of the waters of the state. Waters of the state include all surface and underground waters and watercourses within the confines of the state, and all surface waters extending 3.0 miles (4.8 km) from the coastline into the Gulf of Mexico. The designated uses of Louisiana waters include one or more of the following: primary contact recreation; secondary contact recreation; fish and wildlife propagation; drinking water supply; oyster propagation; agriculture; and outstanding natural resource waters. Draft EIS 3-1 April 2005 United States of America # # # # Loop Current Eddies # Gulf of ...