New Brunswick, Other Parties Respond to Downeast LNG DEIS

In a letter to FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham addressed concerns of his Province on the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) issued by FERC Staff on the proposed Downeast LNG terminal and associated vessel traffic. Noting that “the impacts on New Brunswick span a wide range of issues and … many cannot be mitigated under any circumstances,” the Premier conveyed to FERC a provincial interdepartmental report that reviewed the DEIS and provided a detailed assessment of possible impacts on and risks to the Province from the proposed project. In addition, the Premier stressed that a significant portion of the proposed project is beyond FERC’s jurisdiction and solely within the authority of the Province and the federal Canadian government to address.
 
In addition to the New Brunswick filing, several other entities also filed comments with FERC on the DEIS, including the U.S. Department of the Interior, NOAA, EPA, Save Passamaquoddy Bay, and the City of Eastport, Maine. All parties identified additional areas of concern not addressed by the DEIS and stressed the importance of substantial mitigation measures. All the comments can be found in FERC’s eLibrary under Docket No. CP07-52. The Province of New Brunswick’s press release can be found here.