Environmental

FERC issued a favorable environmental assessment on Central NewYork Oil & Gas Co.’s (CNYOG) Stagecoach Natural Gas StorageFacility, which is to be located near Binghamton, NY.

Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc. (EEA) released a reportyesterday warning that the North American gas market is on coursefor entering the winter heating season with dangerously low storagelevels.

In an “emergency motion,” the New York Public Service Commissionhas asked FERC not to award the proposed Millennium Pipeline finalenvironmental clearance until an alternate route is found for theproject in the state.

FERC last week awarded Southern LNG Inc. a preliminarydetermination (PD) on the non-environmental aspects of its proposalto build new facilities and re-activate its liquefied natural gasterminal on Elba Island, GA to handle imports equaling 330 MMcf/d.

FERC has awarded Southern LNG Inc. a preliminary determination(PD) on the non-environmental aspects of its proposal to build newfacilities and reactivate its liquefied natural gas terminalfacility on Elba Island in Georgia.

Attorney General Janet Reno and Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) Administrator Carol M. Browner have urged Capitol Hilllawmakers not to approve legislative language that would exemptcoal-fired utilities from legal action for their alleged violationsof the Clean Air Act (CAA).

On the heels of a decision showing that Canadian landowners canforce changes, the National Energy Board has called hearings on 38objections to the route of Alliance Pipeline Project.

A major pipeline group fired off an angry letter Friday askingthe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider a “policydecision” that would force pipelines to shell out at least $280million – money that would have to be diverted from expansionprojects – for “unproven” technology to meet a 90%-reduction targetfor nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

Environmental activist Anne Marie Mueser, taking her battleagainst Sonat’s northern Alabama extension one step further, hasaccused Commissioner Curt Hebert Jr. of potentially compromisinghis impartiality in the case by corresponding with the pipeline andother supporters of the project. She suggested that Hebert, whovoted for an amended certificate for the Sonat project last week,should have considered recusing himself from the case [see relatedstory].