The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released the final environmental impact statement for ExxonMobil’s Point Thomson development on Alaska’s North Slope.
The EIS does not choose a final project design. Rather, it analyzes five alternatives, including ExxonMobil’s proposed development. The project would feature three work pads along the Beaufort Sea shoreline, with various support facilities and a new pipeline to carry petroleum liquids west to the existing North Slope pipeline network.
Release of the final EIS is an important and long-awaited step toward a final Corps decision on whether to issue ExxonMobil a federal wetlands permit.
The Corps says it is “considering additional mitigative measures, including those proposed by the public and agencies to avoid, minimize, rectify, reduce or compensate for potential impacts to the environment.”
A final decision on the permit won’t come for at least 30 days, the Corps says.
The final EIS is posted at www.pointthomsonprojecteis.com.
– Wesley Loy
See full story in August 5 issue, available online at 11 a.m. Friday, August 3, at www.PetroleumNews.com
