3rd Party FERC EIS for LNG Terminal

The Freeport LNG Project involved the construction and operation of a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal including docking and unloading facilities and storage and regasification equipment on Quintana Island, southeast of the City of Freeport, Brazoria County, Texas. The project also included the construction and operation of approximately 9.6 miles of 36-inch diameter natural gas pipeline extending from the new LNG terminal to the proposed Stratton Ridge Meter Station, also located in Brazoria County. Construction of the facilities affected a total of about 296.0 acres of land and water. This included approximately 80.9 acres of wetlands.

TRC prepared a Third-Party Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on behalf of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) which was needed to fulfill the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Commission’s implementing regulations under Title 18, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 380. In addition, TRC participated in agency meetings, issues identification, and development of data requests. TRC investigated the potential adverse and beneficial environmental impacts of the project and its alternatives, and made a recommendation of mitigation measures that would avoid or reduce significant adverse impact to the maximum extent possible. Mitigation measures were put in place for the permanent loss of wetland areas through compliance with the mitigation requirements identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) that included preservation of beach and coastal wetland habitat on Quintana and Follet’s Islands.

Now fully operational, the terminal transports up to 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/day) of natural gas to the Texas market.