The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) have prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Venice Extension Project (or Project).

The proposed Project would include:

• constructing, installing, owning, operating, and maintaining an approximately 3.0-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter pipeline segment (Line 40 Pipeline Replacement) on its existing Line 40 in Pointe Coupee Parish;
• abandoning in place a 2.2-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter pipeline segment on its existing Line 40 in Pointe Coupee Parish;
• constructing a new 31,900 horsepower (hp) compressor station (proposed New Roads Compressor Station) and metering and regulating (M&R) facilities in Pointe Coupee Parish;
• abandoning in place the inactive 19,800 hp compressor unit at Texas Eastern’s existing White Castle Compressor Station in Iberville Parish and the inactive 19,800 hp compressor unit at its existing Larose Compressor Station in Lafourche Parish;
• installing one new 31,900 hp compressor unit and related appurtenances at both White Castle and Larose Compressor Stations; and
• upgrading its Gator Express M&R facility on an existing open-water platform in Plaquemines Parish.

The EIS has been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500–1508), and FERC regulations implementing NEPA (18 CFR 380).

The conclusions and recommendations presented in the EIS are those of the FERC environmental staff.

FERC staff concludes that construction and operation of the Project would result in limited adverse environmental impacts.  Most adverse environmental impacts would be temporary (during construction) or short-term (returning to background levels within 3 years following construction), but some permanent impacts on air quality, although not significant, would occur from Project operation.  This determination is based on our review of the information provided by Texas Eastern and further developed from environmental information requests; scoping; literature research; a consideration of potential alternatives; and contacts with federal, state, and local agencies, tribes, and other stakeholders.  With implementation of Texas Eastern’s proposed impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures, as well as their adherence to our recommendations, we conclude that Project effects would be reduced to less-than-significant levels, except for climate change impacts that are not characterized in the EIS as significant or insignificant. 

The Comission will take into consideration staff’s recommendations in the EIS when they make a decision on the Project.

Original source can be found here.