FERC issued a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) last week for the proposed Calhoun Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal and Pipeline Project.

Calhoun LNG LP, a subsidiary of Houston-based Gulf Coast LNG Partners LP, and affiliate Point Comfort Pipeline LP want to build a 1 Bcf/d LNG terminal on the southeastern shore of Lavaca Bay, south of Point Comfort in Calhoun County, TX; and a 27.1-mile, 36-inch diameter pipeline from the terminal to pipeline interconnects southwest of Edna, TX.

“Based on our review of the proposed project, we have determined that as modified by our recommended mitigation the proposed project is the preferred alternative that can meet the project objectives with the minimum amount of environmental impacts,” Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff said.

The terminal is designed to accommodate up to 120 LNG tankers per year and have two full-containment LNG storage tanks, each with a nominal working volume of about 160,000 cubic meters and associated vaporization and processing equipment.

The pipeline would have a quarter-mile, eight-inch diameter lateral connecting the Formosa Hydrocarbon Co.; a quarter-mile, 16-inch diameter lateral connecting Transcontinental Gas Pipeline; 10 delivery points/interconnects and associated facilities including pig launcher and receiver facilities and three mainline valves.

Construction of the terminal would require the dredging of a turning basin and ship berth on Lavaca Bay, resulting in the need to dispose of 2.7 million cubic yards of dredged material, which FERC staff found could be accomplished. Staff noted that final approval of Calhoun Point Comfort’s dredged material management plan and dredged material placement areas is required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Staff noted that construction of the pipeline would affect 23.8 acres of wetlands, and “Project-related impacts at the terminal site would result in the permanent loss and conversion of wetlands and other lands to industrial lands. We have determined that the proposed project would have no effect or is not likely to adversely affect threatened and endangered species,” staff said.

Further, staff found that the terminal’s storage tanks “would be consistent in size and height with the existing industrial facilities along the shoreline.”

In June FERC issued a draft environmental approval of the Calhoun terminal and associated pipeline (see NGI, July 3). Calhoun’s FERC application had been criticized by FERC Chairman Joseph Kelliher for problems he said were largely related to Calhoun’s failure to participate in the agency’s pre-filing process (see NGI, April 9).

In March it was announced that a consortium composed of South Korea’s national oil company, KOGAS, Korea’s LG International and Houston-based EMS Group signed a memorandum of understanding to operate the Calhoun terminal (see NGI, March 26).

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