The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has questioned whether the liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipelines proposed by AES Corporation and Tractebel could be “consolidated” into one location rather than two, as this would minimise any disruption to seabed habitats.
In its submission to the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) on Tractebel’s final environmental impact statement, the EPA said that aligning both pipelines along one route “would typically be environmentally preferable to the level of disruption for two separate alignments”.
Although the EPA acknowledged the responses it had received to the co-alignment suggestion, including the fact that the AES and Tractebel pipeline would originate from two different points – one from Ocean Cay near Bimini, the other from Grand Bahama – it argued that co-location was still possible.
The EPA said: “The presently different alignments of the two proposals would also not seem necessary if the applicants and the Bahamian government (with FERC oversight) could agree to consolidate projects. In such a scenario, one or two pipelines (depending on gas demand) could be constructed along the selected alignment.”
However, the EPA acknowledged that not all the proposed Bahama-to-Florida pipelines could be consolidated in one location.
It added: “The proposed Seafarer pipeline (as we understand it) would provide gas to areas further north of Port Everglades, Florida. The Calypso and Ocean Express pipelines, however, would have a common landfall at Port Everglades and could conceivable be consolidated.”
Meanwhile, the EPA said it was “assuming” that the impact of pipeline placement in Bahamian waters would be “roughly double” that for US waters, given that the Bahamian portions of the AES and Tractebel plans were outside its jurisdiction.
The EPA said: “Despite the data confidentiality, general concepts could nevertheless have been referenced as part of the cumulative impacts section.
“For example, will HDDs be used in Bahamian waters and are there significant corals/hardbottoms and/or seagrass along the proposed route east of the EEZ. Will impact in Bahamian waters be reasonably mitigated?”
Neil Hartnell, The Tribune
