By 
Story by TIM SULLIVAN
There will be a new study on the environmental impacts of planned LNG operations at the Port of Brownsville. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says it will prepare a supplemental impact statement that will better detail the environmental effects of the Rio Grande LNG terminal, the proposed Texas LNG facility, and a pipeline project.
The announcement comes almost two months after the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals nullified federal approval of the LNG projects. The court found that FERC had conducted an inadequate analysis of the projects’ impacts to air quality and surrounding wetlands.
The court had ruled in a lawsuit brought by the Sierra Club, the city of Port Isabel, and others. Along with the supplemental environmental study, FERC must also schedule a new public comment period. It’s not clear how long the process will take. It’s also not clear if it will delay construction that’s underway on the Rio Grande LNG terminal, or delay an expected final investment decision by officials with Texas LNG.
