Gas Pipeline Right-of-Way bill passed

Alaska Governor Bill Walker has welcomed the House and Senate’s decision to pass his Gas Pipeline Right-of-Way bill with unanimous support.

Once signed into law, SB70 will authorise the issuance of a right-of-way lease for a natural gas pipeline through a corridor in the Denali State Park, Willow Creek, Nancy Lake, and Captain Cook State Recreation Areas.

SB70 allows the leasing of a corridor that will be adequate for either the Alaska LNG or the Alaska Stand Along Pipeline (ASAP) project. The right-of-way within the authorised area will be approximately 180 ft wide for construction and 100 ft wide for operation under the Alaska LNG project, and approximately 120 ft wide for construction and 53 ft wide for operation under the ASAP project. Additionally, the bill requires the corridor to be managed as parkland and recreation areas until a lease is issued, and returned to original park and recreation land upon termination of the lease. 

Right-of-way leases under SB 70 must be issued by 1 January 2025 and, construction of the pipeline must begin within 10 years of the effective lease date.

Governor Walker said: “I want to thank the legislature today for passing this important piece of legislation […] This right-of-way is a necessary component to building a future natural gas pipeline in Alaska. By setting the wheels in motion now, we will be better prepared down the road.”

Governor Walker also recently vetoed HB 132, which limits the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC) from actively working on any gas line project other than the Alaska LNG line.

Edited from press release by Callum O'Reilly

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquefaction/21042015/gas-pipeline-right-of-way-bill-passed-622/