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Varied AKLNG intervenors at FERC
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Following Alaska Gasline Development Corp.’s April 17 filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its proposed Alaska LNG Project, various parties met the May 22 deadline to file as intervenors.
In a notice of application FERC said that within 90 days it will issue a notice of schedule for environmental review which will indicate the anticipated date for the commission staff’s issuance of the final environmental impact statement for the proposal. The notice of schedule for environmental review is notification to federal and state agencies of the timing of completion of all necessary reviews, and the need to complete all federal authorizations within 90 days of the date of issuance of the final EIS, FERC said.
Involvement FERC said intervenor status puts parties on a service list to receive copies of all documents filed by the applicant and by all other parties.
But, FERC said, parties may have comments considered by simply filing an original and two copies of comments in support or in opposition to the project. FERC said it will consider those comments in determining the appropriate action to be taken, and said its rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly involved in the protest.
Parties wishing to comment only on the environmental review will be placed on the commission’s environmental mailing list but are not required to serve copies of filed documents on all other parties.
FERC encourages electronic filing of comments, protests and interventions using the “eFiling” link at www.ferc.gov. Intervenors The North Slope producers - BP, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil - were among those filing to intervene. In their motions the producers cited ownership of Alaska oil and gas leases and membership in Alaska LNG Project LLC, which owns the Department of Energy authorizations supporting the project and land in Nikiski upon which the proposed LNG facility would be built.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. moved to intervene to protect its interests and ensure that AKLNG will not impair or impede operations of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline because AGDC’s proposed pipeline would run parallel to and close to the trans-Alaska oil pipeline for some 400 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Livengood.
The Chickaloon Village Traditional Council moved to intervene because the project’s proposed route overlaps the tribe’s traditional and customary use area. Chickaloon said it is not taking a position on the Alaska LNG Project at this time, “but seeks to participate as a party to protect its unique interests.”
The City of Valdez moved to intervene because it believes the pipeline should run to Valdez and the LNG facility should be located there and if the Valdez Alternative is ultimately chosen, Valdez will be impacted and because it has a demand for affordable natural gas it will be impacted by FERC’s routing and siting decisions.
Three environmental groups intervened.
The Center for Biological Diversity said it seeks to protect environmental resources and ensure the project is in the public interest. “Center members and staff live, recreate, and work in Alaska,” and the proposed pipeline and terminal “will adversely affect an array of ecosystems,” the Center said.
The Northern Alaska Environmental Center said its members may be directly affected and also said its intervention is in the public interest.
The Sierra Club cited FERC regulations that intervenors have or represent an interest that may be directly affected or that the intervention is in the public interest and said the Sierra Club satisfies both standards for intervention.
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