Today the 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. The EIS is a mandatory step towards gaining the principal federal approval, or final order, required to construct and operate the project. FERC is scheduled to issue the final order for Alaska LNG in June 2020.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy stated, “The final EIS is a milestone in the Alaska LNG permitting process – a process still with significant hurdles. I appreciate the diligence of the AGDC team throughout this process. We look forward to reviewing the EIS and receiving the record of decision from FERC, at which point we will evaluate our next steps. FERC licensure is an important component in determining if Alaska LNG, which must be led by private enterprise, is competitive and economically advantageous for development.”
“This EIS represents substantial progress in the approval process for Alaska LNG,” said AGDC President Frank Richards. “The EIS reflects six years of public input, engineering, science-based environmental research, and cultural resource studies. The EIS assesses more than 150,000 pages of data and makes Alaska LNG one of the most scrutinized energy infrastructure projects in Alaska. Such a rigorous, comprehensive environmental analysis provides assurance that the merits and impacts of Alaska LNG have been carefully vetted by numerous federal regulatory authorities.
“ExxonMobil and BP have contributed valuable expertise and financial assistance which helped make this accomplishment possible. Both organizations continue to provide critical support in the effort to progress Alaska LNG.
“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.”
More information about Alaska LNG, the EIS, and the permitting process for the project can be found at Alaska-LNG.com.
