The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Fields Point Liquefaction Project (Project).
The Project, proposed by National Grid LNG, LLC (National Grid), would include the following natural gas liquefaction facilities in Providence, Rhode Island:
- electric-powered booster compressor;
- pretreatment system;
- gas regeneration heater; and
- liquefaction train including heat exchangers cooled by a closed-loop nitrogen refrigeration cycle.
The EA has been 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 Parts 1500-1508), and the FERC regulations implementing NEPA (18 CFR 380).
The conclusions and recommendations presented in the EA are those of the FERC environmental and engineering staff. The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) participated as cooperating agencies in the development of the EA.
The FERC staff concludes that if National Grid constructs and operates the Project in accordance with its application, supplements, Project-specific plans, and FERC staff’s recommended mitigation measures detailed within section 4.0 of the EA, approval of the Project would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. This determination is based on a review of the information provided by National Grid and further developed from data requests; field investigations; scoping; literature research; alternatives analyses; and contacts with federal, state, and local agencies and other stakeholders. Although many factors were considered in this determination, the principal reasons are:
- the Project facilities would be sited entirely within National Grid’s existing Fields Point LNG facility;
- National Grid would be required to satisfy an extensive suite of engineering and safety-related requirements for the Project for review and written approval by the Director of the FERC’s Office of Energy Projects, prior to: initial site preparation, construction of final design, commissioning, introduction of hazardous fluids, liquefied natural gas production, and commencement of service; National Grid would also be required to satisfy additional measures throughout the life of the Project facilities;
- National Grid would comply with applicable measures outlined in the FERC Upland Erosion Control, Revegetation, and Maintenance Plan; the section 401 Water Quality Certificate, General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activity, and Short Term Remedial Action Plan approved by RIDEM; and City of Providence Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance, the requirements of which would include measures to minimize environmental impacts from Project construction activities;
- National Grid would be required to demonstrate, through post-construction noise surveys, that full-load operation of the modified Fields Point LNG facility does not result in a noise contribution at any nearby noise-sensitive area exceeding a day-night sound level of 55 decibels on the A-weighted scale; and
- environmental and special engineering and safety inspection programs would be implemented to ensure compliance with the measures that become conditions of the FERC authorization.
The FERC Commissioners will take into consideration the FERC staff’s recommendations when they make a decision on the Project.