Freeport LNG terminal on Quintana Island, about 70 miles south of Houston, Texas. Photo: Freeport LNG
By Ayesha Rascoe
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) – Freeport LNG Development LP’s proposed liquefied natural gas export terminal will not cause significant environmental harm, a draft federal review concluded on Friday, paving the way for possible approval for the project this year.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s preliminary environmental analysis found that the terminal on Quintana Island, Texas, would cause mostly “temporary and short-term” impacts since the project would be an expansion of an import terminal and the company planned to take steps to mitigate effects of construction.
Some lawmakers, including the speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner, have called for quicker processing of more than two dozen projects seeking federal approval to build terminals to ship U.S. gas abroad, in hopes of undermining Russian influence on the natural gas market. Russia’s recent invasion of the Crimea region in Ukraine has led to concerns about Ukrainian and European dependence on Russia for the energy source.
U.S. LNG exports were expected to begin trickling next year and would not flow extensively until years later.
Companies need approval from both the Energy Department, which determines whether the proposed exports would be in the public interest, and FERC, which assesses safety and environmental effects of the projects’ construction and operation.
Freeport is one of four companies that received permission from the Energy Department but were waiting for a decision from FERC.
The commission had said it expected to issue a final environmental review of the Freeport project by June 16. Based on internal guidelines, a final decision was expected in September.
FERC’s draft environmental review found the only significant impacts from the project would be traffic, noise, dust and air pollution during construction, which would mostly affect residents near the terminal.
Those impacts would be unavoidable, FERC determined. The company’s proposal would minimize soil and wetlands pollution and not hurt any threatened or endangered species, the review said.
The commission will accept comments on the environmental review through May 5.
FERC this week also laid out a schedule for its review of Dominion Resources Inc’s proposed Cove Point export terminal in Maryland. The final environmental assessment was due by May 15, and analysts predicted the commission could issue a final decision as early as June.
Cheniere Energy Inc’s Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana is the only project that has received export approval from both agencies so far.
CAIRO, March 2 (Reuters) – The Houthi Transport Ministry in Yemen said on Saturday there had been a “glitch” in undersea communication cables in the Red Sea as a result of actions...
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) In the current American labor landscape, the stark contrast between the assertive strides of transportation unions and the maritime sector’s unique labor challenges is striking....
By Mikhail Flores MANILA, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Evacuations were under way in the Philippines after a quake of at least magnitude 7.5 struck the southern region of Mindanao on Saturday night,...
December 2, 2023
Total Views: 2155
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.