Longhorn pipeline given a green light by Federal study
Federal official calls safety plan 'unprecedented'
Longhorn Partners Pipeline reported that it has received notice that the federal Environmental Assessment (EA) of its proposed products pipeline has concluded with a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), which brings the pipeline one step closer to operation.
The Longhorn pipeline will transport gasoline, diesel and airplane fuel from Gulf Coast refineries to Odessa, TX, and the El Paso, TX, gateway market. From there, these fuels will be distributed to benefit consumers and the environment in West Texas and, via connections with other pipelines, other areas of the Southwest, including Arizona, New Mexico and California.
The federal agencies jointly directing the EA—the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)—said they had completed the study, concluding a process that began more than a year and a half ago. It was originally scheduled for a period of 120 days. The EA was set in motion by an agreement signed by Longhorn, the City of Austin, TX, the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, and several federal agencies.
In announcing the FONSI, the government agencies said in a joint press release, "Over the past 18 months, engineers, scientists and pipeline experts have conducted a mile-by-mile review of the proposed pipeline project to evaluate its safety and potential impacts on the environment."
Carter Montgomery, Longhorn's president, said, "The federal agencies have conducted a very thorough study—the most extensive study ever conducted on a products pipeline prior to operation. We are pleased to have been able to work with the Federal Agencies and interested members of the public to develop a comprehensive safety and environmental protection plan for the Longhorn pipeline."
In a September 7, 2000 letter to the EPA and DOT, the White House Council on Environmental Quality also called Longhorn's mitigation plan "unprecedented", saying it "not only exceeds existing industry standards and regulatory requirements, but also meets and probably exceeds even proposals now being aired or advanced in Congress and elsewhere for possible future pipeline safety regimes."
"The approach the federal agencies used can give people comfort that their safety is foremost on the minds of everyone in this process," Montgomery said.
Edited by David Nakamura
Managing Editor
dnakamura@hydrocarbononline.com