It looks like Millennium Pipeline’s long wait for a FERC rulingis going to last a little longer. FERC’s Daniel M. Adamson,director of the Office of Energy Projects, turned down a request byMillennium sponsors to exclude from its Final Environmental ImpactStatement an assessment of a proposed route change in WestchesterCounty, NY. Millennium was seeking a speedy FEIS but now will haveto wait until the Commission reviews its route change.

“We cannot issue an FEIS that does not evaluate the entireproject,” Adamson told Millennium’s David Pentzien. “This wouldentail segmenting the analysis of the project and would beinconsistent with the Council on Environmental Quality regulationsimplementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).”

In March, Adamson requested a status report on the $650 millionpipeline in light of criticism from New York regulators and commentsmade by NiSource Chairman Gary Neale about the project (see Daily GPI,March 24 and April 24). The 442-mile project would bringabout 714 MMcf/d of gas from Canada under Lake Erie to the New Yorkmetropolitan area.

The New York Public Service Commission and the New York StateReliability Council opposed Millennium’s proposed constructionalong Consolidated Edison’s electric transmission right-of-way inWestchester County. The reliability council noted in filed commentsthat the 345 kV transmission corridor “happens to be the mostimportant and most critical electric power interconnection betweenthe major load center of New York City and the rest of the easterninterconnection.” It has six 345 kV high voltage transmission linesand a total thermal capacity of 5,000 MW.

In a response to Adamson’s letter, Millennium’s Pentzien said analternative route in Westchester County had been identified and maymeet the PSC’s safety concerns if certain mitigating measuresidentified by the PSC are adopted. The pipeline sponsors plan tofile the revised route with the Commission soon, he said,requesting that the revision not hold up the Commission’s plan toissue an FEIS.

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