Maritimes &Northeast Pipeline (M&ampNE) is moving down the home stretch as its Phase II facilities in central and northern Maine passed preliminary environmental review by FERC staff with minimal required changes.

Phase II of the Maritimes project is the U.S. upstream portion of a $1 billion, 800-mile pipeline system designed to transport 440 MMcf/d of gas from the Sable Island Offshore Energy Project, offshore Nova Scotia to markets in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and other northeastern states.

George Mazanec, chairman of Maritimes &Northeast Management Co., said the pipeline is on track for service in November 1999. Canadian federal and provincial regulators gave the green light to the Canadian portion of the pipeline and the Sable project in December. Drilling is expected to begin in the second quarter.

In its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), FERC staff found no adequate total system alternatives despite claims by competitor North Atlantic Pipeline that its subsea project would have less environmental impact, bring in more gas production and serve the same markets as Maritimes Phase II. North Atlantic proposes to build a much larger pipeline than Maritimes. The 2 Bcf/d capacity line would provide transportation to New England and the Maritimes Provinces of Canada, with landfalls in Maine and Halifax, for an estimated 50 Tcf of recoverable gas reserves offshore Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

FERC staff said North Atlantic could not serve as an alternative to Maritimes because “at least 18% (79,400 Mcf/d) of Maritimes’ natural gas volumes would be delivered to customers north of North Atlantic’s proposed delivery point.in East Kingston, New Hampshire.” A Maritimes alternative using North Atlantic would require “the entire North Atlantic Pipeline Project plus essentially all of the Maritimes Phase II Project facilities..” Furthermore, the North Atlantic project would be 188 miles longer than Maritimes and would have a greater impact on the environment, Staff said.

Staff suggested only two significant alterations to the Phase II Maritimes facilities, which include a 24-inch and 30-inch diameter mainline that extends 200 miles to Westbrook in York County, ME, from Woodland in Washington County, and 147 miles of smaller diameter laterals, as well as two new compressor stations (totaling 31,160 hp), and metering and associated facilities. Staff said a Northern Alternate, a 40-mile route change in Richmond and Pittston, ME, would be environmentally preferable than the current routing of the project. The alternative would utilize more existing rights of way than the proposed route, which faced considerable residential opposition. The other recommended change is the Casco Bay Route Alternate, which is designed to preserve wildlife habitat along the route toward the Wyman power generating station near Cousins Island, ME.

FERC will be holding public meetings in Maine to receive comments on the DEIS prior to issuing a final environmental impact statement. The public comment period will close March 23. The U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers, the Maine Board of Environmental Protection and the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission also are reviewing M&NE applications. State regulatory public hearings are expected to be held in the spring and summer. “We have addressed many of the issues brought to our attention and will continue to work with interested parties to resolve the siting issues that remain,” said Tom O’Connor, president of Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline Management Co.

Rocco Canonica

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