Docket No CP17-40-006
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to assess the environmental impacts associated with continued operation of the Spire STL Pipeline Project (Spire STL) in Missouri and Illinois, as proposed by Spire STL Pipeline LLC (Spire). The draft EIS was prepared in compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations implementing procedural provisions of NEPA in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508 (40 CFR 1500-1508), and the FERC’s regulations implementing NEPA in 18 CFR 380. The draft EIS is intended to aid the Commission in its decision-making process regarding the June 22, 2021, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit opinion vacating and remanding the Commission’s August 3, 2018 Order Issuing Certificates that approved the Spire STL (Environmental Defense Fund v. FERC, 2 F.4th 953 (D.C. Cir. 2021) and Spire’s November 12, 2021 request that the Commission reissue a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity authorizing operation of the Spire STL.
FERC staff determined that operation of the Spire STL would be less than significant, with the exception of climate change impacts resulting from GHG emissions that are not characterized as significant or insignificant. This determination is based on staff’s review of information filed by Spire and further developed from data requests, scoping, and literature research. As part of this review, the draft EIS assesses the implications of allowing Spire STL to continue operations and evaluates the No-Action Alternative in which Spire STL would cease to operate. The draft EIS also presents a recommendation to reduce visual impacts on identified environmental justice communities resulting from continued operations of the Spire STL.
The draft EIS comment period closes on August 8, 2022.