FERC prepares Lake Charles LNG final EIS

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has prepared a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lake Charles Liquefaction Project proposed by Trunkline Gas Company LLC (Trunkline), Lake Charles LNG Company, and Lake Charles LNG Export Company.

The EIS was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality regulation for implementing NEPA, and FERC regulations implement NEPA.

The anticipated project facilities include the construction and operation of the following facilities in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi:

• Three 5.48 million tpy LNG liquefaction trains.
• Modifications and upgrades at the existing Trunkline LNG terminal in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
• Approximately 0.5 miles of 48 in. dia feed gas line to supply natural gas to the liquefaction facility from existing gas transmission pipelines.
• Approximately 17.9 miles of 24 in. dia and 42 in. dia natural gas pipeline.
• A new 98 685 hp compressor station.
• Abandonment of a 3000hp compressor unit, installation of a 15 002 hp unit, and piping modifications at one existing compressor station.
• Modification of station piping at three other existing compressor stations.
• Five new meter stations and modifications and upgrades of five existing meter stations.
• Modification of certain existing pipeline facilities.
• Construction of miscellaneous auxiliary and appurtenant facilities.

FERC’s environmental staff concludes that construction and operation of the project would result in adverse environmental impacts, but most impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels. Many factors were considered during the review, including:

• Construction and operation of the proposed liquefaction facility would not result in increased LNG vessel traffic.
• About 6.5 miles of the proposed new pipelines would be looped and would overlap with the adjacent existing pipeline right-of-way, which would minimise new disturbance.
• Much of the work at aboveground facilities would be located at existing facilities, which would minimise new disturbance.
• The horizontal direction drill method would be used to cross 22 waterbodies, including the Calcasieu River, which would avoid direct impacts on these resources.
• Lake Charles LNG would mitigate wetland impacts associated with the construction and operation of the proposed liquefaction facility in accordance with the project-specific Compensatory Mitigation Plan.
• Lake Charles LNG and Trunkline would comply with all applicable air and noise regulatory requirements during construction and operation of the project.
• FERC staff’s technical review of the preliminary engineering designs, as well as suggested mitigation measures, indicates that sufficient layers of safeguards would be included in the facility designs to mitigate the potential for an incident that could impact safety of the off-site public.
• Lake Charles LNG and Trunkline would minimise impacts on environmental resources during construction and operation of the project by implementing, as applicable, their Spill Prevention and Response Plan; Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans; Plan for Unanticipated Discovery of Contaminated Soils or Groundwater; Horizontal Directional Drill Contingency Plan; Compensatory Mitigation Plan; Unanticipated Discovery Plans (for cultural resources); Traffic Management Plan; Fugitive Dust Control Plan; and the FERC’s Upland Erosion Control, Revegetation, and Maintenance Plan and Wetland and Waterbody Construction and Mitigation Procedures.
• An environmental inspection programme would be implemented to ensure compliance with the mitigation measures that become conditions of the FERC authorisation.

Edited from press release by Angharad Lock

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquefaction/17082015/ferc-prepares-final-eis-1152/