Issued: March 15, 2022
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Clear Creek Expansion Project proposed by Spire Storage West, LLC (Spire).
Spire’s Clear Creek Expansion Project is designed to increase compression at the Clear Creek Plant from 3,740 horsepower (hp) to 24,340 hp; and to increase the working gas and base gas capacity of the Clear Creek Storage Field from 4.0 billion cubic feet (Bcf) to 20.0 Bcf. The project would also increase the injection and withdrawal capacities at the Clear Creek Storage Field from 35 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/day) and 50 MMcf/day, respectively, to 350 MMcf/day and 500 MMcf/day, respectively; and establish a buffer zone for the Clear Creek Storage Field extending 0.25 mile around the reservoir.
The Clear Creek Expansion Project includes the following proposed facilities in Uinta County, Wyoming:
- four compressor units at the Clear Creek Plant;
- a tank storage and natural gas liquids fueling equipment facility on an existing pad;
- 11 new injection/withdrawal wells, one new water disposal well, and associated lines;
- approximately 7.0 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline;
- approximately 3.6 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline; and other related appurtenances.
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 (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR], 1502.13), and the FERC regulations implementing NEPA (18 CFR 380).
The conclusions and recommendations presented in the EIS are those of the FERC environmental staff. Input from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as a cooperating agency was considered during the development of our conclusions and recommendations. FERC staff concludes that approval of Spire’s project, with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would not result in significant environmental impacts. Regarding climate change impacts, Commission staff conclude that greenhouse gas emissions would fall below the Commission’s presumptive significance threshold. Most adverse environmental impacts would be temporary or short-term during construction and have minimal effects on existing land use, as the proposed facilities would be added within an area already characterized by energy production and transmission facilities. Further, if the project is constructed and operated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, the mitigation measures discussed in the EIS, and staff’s recommendations, these impacts would be reduced to acceptable levels. This determination is based on a review of the information provided by Spire 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.