The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Cumberland Project proposed by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Tennessee).

Tennessee proposes to construct, operate, and maintain approximately 32 miles of pipeline and related appurtenances in Dickson, Houston, and Stewart Counties, Tennessee.  The Project purpose is to provide up to 245,040 dekatherms per day of new firm transportation service to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Cumberland Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant.

The Cumberland Project consists of the following Project facilities, all in the state of Tennessee:

1. Cumberland Pipeline: Construction of approximately 32 miles of new 30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline, which would connect at Tennessee’s existing Line 100-3 and Line 100-4.  The Cumberland Pipeline would be located in Dickson, Houston, and Stewart Counties.
2. Pressure Regulation Station: Construction of two new bi-directional back pressure regulation facilities on Line 100-3 and Line 100-4, at milepost 0.0 of the proposed new Cumberland Pipeline in Dickson County.
3. Cumberland Meter Station: Construction of a new meter station at the terminus of the Cumberland Pipeline, located within TVA’s property in Stewart County.
4. Launcher and Receiver: Construction of in-line inspection traps, for in-line inspection tools at each end of the Cumberland Pipeline.
5. Mainline Valves: Construction of three new mainline valves.  One would be installed at an intermediate location along the Cumberland Pipeline, and the remaining two would be on Tennessee’s Line 100-3 and Line 100-4 within the new Pressure Regulation Station.

The EIS was prepared in compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations [40 CFR] Part 1502.13) and the FERC regulations implementing NEPA (18 CFR Part 380).

The conclusions and recommendations presented in the EIS are those of the FERC environmental staff.  Input from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as cooperating agencies was considered during the development of the conclusions and recommendations in the draft EIS.  With implementation of Tennessee’s impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures, as well as adherence to Commission staff’s recommendations, Commission staff 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.  This determination is based on a review of the information provided by Tennessee and further developed from data requests; public and agency scoping; literature research; alternatives analyses; and contacts with federal, state, and local agencies, Native American tribes, and other stakeholders. 

The FERC Commissioners will take into consideration staff’s recommendations in the EIS when they make a decision on the project. 

The draft EIS comment period closes on March 27, 2023.

Original source can be found here