FERC issues Alaska LNG EIS

The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Alaska LNG project.

The EIS analyzes the project’s environmental impacts and associated mitigation measures and is a mandatory step towards gaining the principal federal approval, or final order, required to construct and operate the project.

State-owned AGDC leads the project that includes a gas treatment plant located at Prudhoe Bay, an 807-mile pipeline to Southcentral Alaska with offtakes for in-state use and a 20 million ton per annum natural gas liquefaction facility in Nikiski that will produce LNG for export.

FERC is scheduled to issue the final order for Alaska LNG in June 2020, AGDC said in its statement.

Alaska governor Mike Dunleavy said, “The final EIS is a milestone in the Alaska LNG permitting process – a process still with significant hurdles.”

He noted that the government is expecting to receive the record of decision from FERC, at which point it will evaluate its next steps.

AGDC president Frank Richards, said, “in the coming days we will review the conclusions in the EIS, examine any differences with the draft EIS published last year, and use these conclusions to help inform decisions about the next steps for Alaska LNG.”