Draft Environmental Impact Statement - Southeast Market Pipelines Project

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Southeast Market Pipelines Project (SMP Project). The draft SEIS has been prepared to address the August 22, 2017 Opinion issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia regarding the Commission’s environmental review of the SMP Project. The draft SEIS incorporates by reference and expands upon the analysis contained within the December 2015 final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the SMP Project. The draft SEIS estimates the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the SMP Project’s customers’ downstream facilities, describes the methodology used to determine these estimates, discusses context for understanding the magnitude of these emissions, and addresses the value of using the social cost of carbon tool.

The SMP Project is composed of three separate, but related, interstate natural gas transmission pipeline projects. These projects are: Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC’s Hillabee Expansion Project in Docket No. CP15-16-000; Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC’s Sabal Trail Project in Docket No. CP15-17-000; and Florida Southeast Connection, LLC’s Florida Southeast Connection Project in Docket No. CP14-554-000. Together, these projects involve the construction and operation of approximately 685 miles of pipeline and associated facilities.

As described in the executive summary of the FEIS, and based on the environmental analysis section of the FEIS and this draft SEIS, we conclude that constructing and operating the SMP Project would result in temporary and permanent impacts on the environment. We also conclude that with the applicants’ implementation of their respective impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures, as well as their adherence to the measures we have required to further avoid, minimize, and mitigate these impacts, operating the SMP Project would not result in a significant impact on the environment.

Supplemental DEIS