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Gas - Environment - Environmental Impact Statements (EISs)
Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Rockies Express East Project (Docket No. CP07-208-000)
Issued: April 11, 2008
FERC staff prepared a final environmental impact statement for Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC’s (Rockies Express) Rockies Express East Project. The project includes the construction of 639.1 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline from Mexico, Missouri to Clarington; Ohio and 7 new compressor stations in Audrain County, Missouri; Christian County, Illinois; Putnam County, Indiana; Warren County, Ohio; Muskingum County, Ohio; Carbon County, Wyoming; and Phelps County, Nebraska, and 19 meter stations.
FERC’s environmental staff concludes that the Rockies Express East Project with appropriate mitigating measures, as recommended, would result in mostly limited adverse environmental impact.
Staff concludes the project would be environmentally acceptable action (with appropriate mitigation) because:
- Rockies Express collocation of the REX East pipeline: more than 59 percent would follow existing rights-of-way.
- The Project would be consistent with or in conformance with federal resource management plans.
- Rockies Express would implement resource- or activity-specific plans, procedures, and agreements to protect natural resources, avoid or limit environmental impacts, and promote restoration of all disturbed areas during construction and operation of the Project.
- Rockies Express would use Agricultural Inspectors knowledgeable in farming practices along the proposed route, who would provide input and guidance during construction in agricultural areas.
- The use of the HDD method would avoid disturbances to a number of major and sensitive waterbodies along the route, including the Salt and Mississippi Rivers in Missouri; the Sny Canal and Illinois and Embarras Rivers in Illinois; the Wabash, Big Blue, and Whitewater Rivers in Indiana; and several waterbodies in Ohio, including the Big Darby Creek and Little Miami River.
- The appropriate consultations with FWS, the SHPOs, and other affected land management agencies, and any appropriate compliance actions resulting from these consultations, would be completed before Rockies Express would be allowed to begin construction in any given area.
An environmental inspection and monitoring program would be implemented to ensure compliance with all mitigation measures, Certificate conditions, and other stipulations included in permits from other authorizing federal, state, and local agencies
FERC Commissioners will take into consideration staff’s recommendations and the final EIS when they make a decision on the project.
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