The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published on July 23 a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the restoration plans that have been respectively submitted for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the related Supply Header Project. A copy of the 700+ page document is available by clicking here.
For background, see an earlier ABRA Update article here. Public comments on the SEIS must be filed with the Commission by September 13, 2021
The draft SEIS addresses a number of issues regarding environmental impacts of the submitted plans. However, one crucial issue not addressed by the SEIS was the restoration of easements to landowners. This issue was a focal point of the SEIC scoping comments filed in April by ABRA and many of its members. FERC staff told ABRA that it believed the EIS was not appropriate vehicle to discuss easement legalities, but that the Commission was aware of the issue.
In response to the release of the draft SEIS, ABRA issued the following statement:
The Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance is disappointed that the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for restoration of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline route does not address the important issue of requiring Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC to restore to landowners the full use of their property that was taken for a pipeline that will not be built. The scoping comments that we submitted in April to FERC. as well as those of many of our members, stressed this request. While we understand that FERC staff considers such an issue beyond the scope of the SEIS, we strongly believe that FERC has an obligation to affected landowners to address this issue since the easements in question exist only because FERC provided ACP, LLC the authority to take the land in the first place. We will continue to press the issue with FERC.