The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) to assess the environmental impacts associated with LA Storage, LLC’s (LA Storage) Hackberry Storage Project (Project). LA Storage requests authorization to construct and operate certain natural gas facilities in Louisiana. LA Storage proposes to convert three existing salt dome caverns and develop one new salt dome cavern for natural gas storage service. The Project would also involve construction of the Pelican Compressor Station, a new 21,400-horsepower compressor station; up to six freshwater supply wells; a brine disposal system that includes 6.2 miles of 16-inch-diameter pipeline to transport brine from the caverns to four new saltwater disposal wells; 4.9 miles of 42-inch-diameter bi-directional pipeline (the Cameron Interstate Pipeline Lateral); and 11.1 miles of 42-inch-diameter bi-directional pipeline (the Hackberry Pipeline).
The EIS was prepared in compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations implementing procedural provisions of NEPA in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508 (40 CFR 1500-1508), and the FERC’s regulations implementing NEPA in 18 CFR 380.
FERC staff conclude that construction and operation of the Hackberry Storage Project would result in limited adverse environmental impacts. Most adverse environmental impacts would be temporary or short-term during construction. This determination is based on staff’s review of the information provided by LA Storage and further developed from environmental information requests; scoping; literature research; a consideration of potential alternatives; and contacts with federal, state, and local agencies, and other stakeholders. With regard to climate change impacts, the EIS does not characterize the Project’s greenhouse gas emissions as significant or insignificant. For the remainder of resources assessed in the EIS, FERC staff conclude that impacts would be reduced to less-than-significant levels through implementation of staff recommendations and LA Storage’s proposed avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures.
The Commission will take into consideration staff’s recommendations in the EIS when they make a decision on the Project.