VIDEO: Dominion welcomes FERC assessment of Cove Point LNG

Dominion has welcomed the release of the FERC’s assessment that finds the natural gas export project proposed for its existing Cove Point LNG facility can be built and operated safety without significant impact to the environment.

Economic benefits

Dominion President, Diane Leopold, commented: "The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other federal and state agencies that reviewed our proposal are to be commended for their thorough and independent assessment. The 241-page report represents nearly two years of study, tens of thousands of pages of documentation and many thousands of hours of work. This marks another important step forward in a project that has very significant economic benefits and helps two allied nations in their efforts to increase their energy security and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

"The Cove Point LNG facility has been in existence for nearly 40 years and this makes the most of existing facilities. This project will be built within the existing footprint and fence line of an industrial site. There is no need for additional pipelines, storage tanks or permanent piers, thus limiting its impact and making an environmental assessment appropriate.”

The release of the FERC assessment begins a 30-day public comment period. The FERC also announced that a public comment meeting on the assessment would take place on 31 May in Calvert County.

Cove Point LNG

Cove Point is the fourth LNG export project to receive an environmental document from the FERC. The cooperating agencies that participated in the FERC Environmental Assessment for the Cove Point export project were:

• Department of Energy;
• Army Corps of Engineers;
• Department of Transportation, including the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration;
• Coast Guard;
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The environmental assessment examined the potential impacts of the proposed project, including a thorough evaluation of the project's impact on public safety, air quality, water resources, geology, soils, wildlife and vegetation, threatened and endangered species, land and visual resources, cultural resources, noise, cumulative impacts and reasonable alternatives.

FERC report

"Based upon the analysis in this EA, we have determined that if DCP constructs and operates the proposed facilities in accordance with its application, supplements, and our mitigation measures below, approval of this project would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment," the FERC report concluded.

The construction of the export project, which is estimated to cost between US$ 3.4 billion and US$ 3.8 billion, will create thousands of skilled construction jobs, 75 permanent jobs and an additional US$ 40 million in annual tax revenue to Calvert County. The county currently receives approximately US$ 15.7 million a year from the LNG import facility.

Conclusion

"This one project could reduce the nation's trade deficit by up to US$ 7 billion annually while helping two important allies, Japan and India, meet urgent clean-energy needs. At the same time, the United States can continue to have ample natural gas supplies to meet domestic needs, and US industry can maintain a significant energy price advantage over international competitors," Leopold concluded.

Mike Frederick, vice president-LNG Operations for Dominion, talks about the FERC environmental assessment, how the export project fits into the existing footprint of the station, how Dominion will recycle waste heat and water with no discharge to the Chesapeake Bay, how employee and public safety is planned into the project and how the project will help India reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/16052014/dominion_welcomes_ferc_assessment_601/