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Federal regulators granted final environmental approval last week to build a pipeline and port facilities at Coos Bay, Oregon, for shipping natural gas to Asia.
Canada’s Veresen Inc., based in Calgary, Alberta, is leading the $7 billion project.
The final environmental impact statement prepared for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found that building and operating the gas terminal and pipeline would cause some environmental damage. However, it noted the problems would be reduced to less than significant with mitigation measures proposed by project developers.
The Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas terminal at Coos Bay would be the first LNG port on the West Coast and would be linked to existing pipelines by construction of the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline across southwestern Oregon.
Final commission approval is expected by the end of this year, with a notice to proceed from the commission by the middle of next year. Gas is not likely to start flowing at the facility until 2019,
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developers say.
The projects were initially envisioned for importing natural gas into the U.S., but development of gas deposits in the Rockies created an abundance of the fuel that pushed the projects to switch to exports.
Veresen President and CEO Don Althoff said in a statement that the final environmental report was a significant milestone and represented three years of work.
Private landowners and conservation groups oppose the 230-mile pipeline route, which runs from the town of Malin east of the Cascades to Coos Bay. The state of Oregon still has to decide on a Clean Water Act permit for the pipeline, and if FERC approves the projects, a coalition of landowners and conservationists plan to take legal action to reverse it.
The port facilities to be built include a shipping channel, berths for LNG tankers and tugboats and refrigeration facilities to turn the gas into a liquid.
For more of the ABC News story: abcnews.go.com
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