Docket No. CP22-15-000
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for Texas Eastern Transmission LP’s (Texas Eastern) Venice Extension Project (Project).
Texas Eastern proposes to construct a new pipeline segment; abandon an existing pipeline segment; construct a new 31,900 horsepower (hp) compressor station (New Roads) and metering and regulating (M&R) facilities; modify and upgrade two existing compressor stations (White Castle and Larose) to 31,900 hp for each; and upgrade one M&R facility (Gator Express) to provide firm natural gas transportation service for up to 1,260,000 dekatherms per day in Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Lafourche, and Plaquemines Parishes, Louisiana
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.
The FERC staff concludes that constructing and operating the Project would result in some adverse impacts on the environment. However, based on the scope of the Project and Texas Eastern’s proposed construction procedures and impact minimization measures, staff also concludes that most of these impacts would be minor, temporary, and localized. To ensure impacts on the environment are avoided, reduced, and minimized to the extent practical, staff recommends that Texas Eastern implement additional mitigation measures. These recommendations are identified in sections 4 and 5 of the EIS. Staff also recommends that these mitigation measures be attached as conditions to any authorization issued by the Commission. Therefore, with the exception of climate change impacts that are not characterized in this EIS as significant or insignificant, staff concludes that Project impacts on the environment would not be significant.
The Commission will take into consideration staff’s recommendations in the EIS when they make a decision on the Project.