FERC will prepare EIS for Alaska LNG

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said March 4 that its staff will prepare an environmental impact statement on impacts of construction and operation of the Alaska LNG Project.

FERC said the notice begins the scoping process the commission and its cooperating agencies will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the project.

Because of seasonal subsistence activities in some communities, FERC said the scoping period will remain open for an extended period, closing Dec. 4.

FERC said it would use the EIS when it determines whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity.

The commission said while the applicants - Alaska Gasline Development Corp., BP, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and TransCanada - have not filed a formal application, it granted applicants’ request to begin the pre-filing process Sept. 12, 2014, and has initiated a National Environmental Policy Act review under the pre-filing process. FERC said that as part of its pre-filing process it has already started meeting with the applicants, jurisdictional agencies, Alaska Native tribes, local officials and other stakeholders, discussing the project and identifying issues/impacts and concerns before an application is received. The agency also said that with this notice it is formally initiating government-to-government consultations with federally recognized Alaska Native tribes.

FERC said it is the lead federal agency in preparation of the EIS. Cooperating federal agencies include the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Department of Energy.

- Petroleum News