Jordan Cove LNG in Coos Bay, Ore., and the associated Pacific Connector natural gas pipeline received a final environmental impact statement (EIS) from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) noting “temporary, long-term, and permanent impacts on the environment.” FERC stated that many of the impacts either were not significant or could be made less than significant with mitigation, but that others would be adverse and significant.
Specifically, the final EIS concluded that construction would temporarily, but significantly impact housing in Coos Bay; that building and operating the project would permanently and significantly impact the visual character of Coos Bay; that noise resulting from pile driving activities at the LNG plant would temporarily, but significantly impact the Coos Bay area; and that the project could have a significant impact on the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport operations. Building and operating the project also is likely to adversely affect 18 federally-listed or proposed threatened and endangered species.
The LNG plant would use five trains to liquefy up to 1.04 bcfd of natural gas for export. The roughly 200-acre plant site would include: a pipeline gas conditioning facility; five gas liquefaction trains; two full-containment LNG storage tanks and associated equipment; LNG loading platform and transfer line; and marine facilities. As proposed, the LNG plant would load about 120 LNG carriers per year.
The 229-mile, 36-in. OD pipeline would originate at interconnections with existing pipeline systems in Klamath County, Ore., and would span parts of Klamath, Jackson, Douglas, and Coos Counties, Ore., before connecting with the LNG plant, carrying up to 1.2 bcfd. It would include one compressor station.
The final EIS recommended project-specific impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures in addition to those already put forward by the company.