In a draft environment impact statement (EIS) releasedyesterday, FERC staff concluded the Guardian Pipeline would have”limited adverse environmental impact” and would be an acceptableaction, with appropriate mitigating measures.

The staff’s decision brings the proposed 149-mile pipelineproject one step closer to realization. The Commission staff issuedits preliminary determination on non-environmental issues on June14, stating that the Guardian Pipeline Project, which would serveIllinois and Wisconsin, would be in the “public convenience andnecessity” (see Daily GPI, June 15).

Staff analyzed a number of system alternatives for carryingGuardian’s load, including a “no action” approach, an ANRalternative, another using Northern Natural, one involving Viking,another involving Great Lakes Gas Transmission and one using NGPL.Staff found that Guardian’s proposed project would have lessenvironmental impact than the Northern Natural, Viking and GreatLakes alternatives, and the NGPL system was dismissed because oftoo many questions. Results of the ANR comparison, however, showedthat it would provide the same services with less environmentalimpact. ANR could not be considered an alternative because one ofthe main reasons for proposing Guardian line was to createcompetition with ANR. ANR has been fighting Guardian every step ofthe way (see Daily GPI, Dec. 2, 1999).

“While the ANR system alternative could provide the 750,000Dth/d of firm transportation proposed by Guardian from the ChicagoHub to markets in southern Wisconsin with less environmental impactthan Guardian’s proposed facilities, it would not introduce newinterstate pipeline competition into the Southern Wisconsinmarketplace,” said FERC’s staff in its summary.

Staff found that as long as Guardian kept to its proposed planand adhered to the Commission staff’s additional recommendationsthere would not be any significant impacts on groundwaterresources, fisheries, vegetation, forested wetlands or air andnoise pollution.

FERC will take written public comments on the draft EIS untilAug. 28, and will conduct four more public meetings along the routestarting Aug. 14. The final EIS is expected sometime early nextyear. FERC’s final decision on the project should follow a shorttime after that ruling.

Guardian’s sponsors are WICOR, parent of Wisconsin Gas, CMSEnergy and Northern States Power subsidiary Viking GasTransmission. The Guardian line is backed by Wisconsin consumers,who want to see pipeline competition with ANR, currently the onlymajor pipeline into Wisconsin.

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