Public submits wide-ranging comments to FERC.

• Author: Persily, Larry

About 60 individuals; citizen councils; nonprofits; Alaska Native tribal organizations; and federal, state, and municipal offices provided federal regulators with their lists of concerns they want to see covered in the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Alaska LNG project. Public comment on issues to include in the EIS closed December 4, 2015.

Most of the comments were suggestions on how to make the project better for the affected communities and the environment, such as protecting wildlife habitat, avoiding damage to wetlands and scenic views, providing affordable energy for Alaskans, and minimizing noise and lighting. Only a few comments--from outside Alaska--were opposed to any construction of a North Slope natural gas project.

Alaska comments came from property owners near the proposed liquefaction plant in Nikiski who are concerned about highway traffic, water wells, and home values; and from Cook Inlet commercial, sport, and subsistence fishing interests looking to ensure that construction and operations do not conflict with their access to salmon.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough wants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to look at why the pipeline isn't routed closer to serve the community as it runs south from the North Slope; and the City of Valdez said it believes its location on Prince William Sound is a better spot for the LNG plant than Nikiski in Cook Inlet. Residents around Healy, more than halfway from the North Slope start of the pipeline to the LNG plant, are concerned the project could hurt tourism in the area.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff, along with Alaska LNG project teams, will review the comments to ensure they are addressed in the project's environmental reports. The reports will accompany the Alaska LNG application for FERC approval to build and operate the North Slope gas treatment plant, 804-mile gas pipeline, and liquefaction plant and marine terminal at tidewater.

Next Round of Reports in 2016

As part of its application, Alaska LNG is required to submit thirteen "resource reports" detailing how the project will affect the environment and communities and what the developer proposes to reduce those impacts.

Alaska LNG reported to FERC in a November 12, 2015, phone meeting that it was planning to submit its next round of draff reports in the first and second quarters of 2016. The first draft reports were submitted in February 2015. The project sponsors have targeted the fourth quarter of 2016 for their final reports and full application to FERC, triggering the agency's work to start drafting the EIS, which will be followed by more public and regulatory agency comments before FERC issues its decision on the project.

The project developers--a partnership between ExxonMobil, BP, ConocoPhillips, and the state of Alaska--could have their major permits in hand and be ready to make a final...