Environmental

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has responded to National Fuel Gas Co. (NFG) subsidiaries in a FERC filing, rejecting the companies’ claim that the Northern Access expansion project does not need state permits to begin construction.

FERC published a favorable draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) Monday for TransCanada Corp.’s Mountaineer XPress (MXP) and Gulf XPress (GXP) expansion projects, bringing more Appalachian Basin takeaway capacity one step closer to hitting the market.

FERC staff has issued an update to its Guidance Manual for Environmental Report Preparation for applicants seeking project approval under the Natural Gas Act (NGA), and a second manual focused on liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.

Acting FERC Chairman Cheryl LaFleur said her top regulatory priorities remain unchanged despite the Commission’s lack of a quorum. But in the interim the health of wholesale competitive markets needs to be addressed and pipeline foes need to find a more appropriate venue to express their views, she said.

Following a boost from the Trump administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) on Tuesday returned to its original assessment and granted an easement to the backers of the controversial $3.8 billion, 1,200-mile Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) for its final leg, a water crossing in south-central North Dakota.

Four environmental groups have notified the federal government that they intend to sue over its decision to auction oil and gas leases in Ohio’s Wayne National Forest (WNF), contending that federal agencies violated the Endangered Species Act.

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Austin Caperton, who was appointed by newly-elected Democratic Gov. Jim Justice earlier this month, has fired the agency’s environmental advocate, Wendy Radcliff, and its communications director, Kelley Gillenwater. The Charleston Gazette-Mailreported the firings and said the plan to fill both positions is unclear. The move to fire Radcliff was reportedly met with criticism by the state’s environmental organizations. The Office of Environmental Advocate works as a liaison between the agency and the public to hold it accountable. Gillenwater had served as communications director for about three years and had earned a reputation for responsiveness among the news media. Prior to his appointment, Caperton worked as a consultant for the coal industry. He has asked agency personnel to submit cost-cutting ideas. The state faces a 2017-2018 budget deficit of about $400 million.

A pair of proposed interstate natural gas pipeline projects stretching across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky were authorized for construction and operation by FERC Thursday, despite concerns expressed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

After nine years of consideration, the Interior Department’s (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a final rule Tuesday, amending federal regulations to ensure that adequate royalties and environmental protections are in place for any future oil shale development on public land.