Agency Decisions

Printer-friendly versionSend by email

After the final EIS is issued, each agency with jurisdiction over the pipeline project must prepare a record of decision for its own action, such as issuing a permit.

The major action will be the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision on whether to issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity to build and operate the pipeline. Examples of other federal approvals include an Army Corps of Engineers permit for impacts to wetlands and other waters, and a right-of-way grant from the Bureau of Land Management for crossing federal lands. Please visit the Federal Coordinator's permits matrix page for details on these and the many major federal approvals the pipeline project may need.

 An agency must provide justification for its decision, including discussion of what information it considered; options it passed over, such as the environmentally preferred alternative that the EIS identified; how it considered all comments; mitigation measures to lessen environmental impacts; and its monitoring or enforcement programs for the project.

Some agencies might issue or deny their permits or approvals immediately after the record of decision is completed. Others might have public-notice requirements to fulfill before implementing their decisions.

The FERC decision for gas pipelines occurs when it issues or denies a construction/operations certificate to a project sponsor. Under the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act of 2004, FERC is required to issue or deny a certificate within 60 days of publishing the final EIS.

Other major agency permit decisions for the Alaska project are possible as early as 2014 all the way through construction.

We will post the FERC decision on a certificate of public convenience and necessity and other relevant documents on this page once they are issued (anticipated summer 2014).