15 USC 720 - Environmental reviews

Collapse to view only § 720b. Environmental reviews

§ 720. Definitions
§ 720a. Issuance of certificate of public convenience and necessity
§ 720b. Environmental reviews
§ 720c. Pipeline expansion
§ 720d. Federal Coordinator
§ 720e. Judicial review
§ 720f. State jurisdiction over in-State delivery of natural gas
§ 720g. Study of alternative means of construction
§ 720h. Clarification of ANGTA status and authorities
§ 720i. Sense of Congress concerning use of steel manufactured in North America and negotiation of a project labor agreement
§ 720j. Sense of Congress concerning participation by small business concerns
§ 720k. Alaska pipeline construction training program
§ 720l. Sense of Congress concerning natural gas demand
§ 720m. Sense of Congress concerning Alaskan ownership
§ 720n. Loan guarantees

§ 720. Definitions

In this chapter:

(1) Alaska natural gas

(2) Alaska natural gas transportation project

The term “Alaska natural gas transportation project” means any natural gas pipeline system that carries Alaska natural gas to the border between Alaska and Canada (including related facilities subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission) that is authorized under—

(A) the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. 719 et seq.); or

(B)section 720a of this title.

(3) Alaska natural gas transportation system

(4) Commission

(5) Federal Coordinator

(6) President’s decision

The term “President’s decision” means the decision and report to Congress on the Alaska natural gas transportation system—

(A) issued by the President on September 22, 1977, in accordance with section 7 of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. 719e); and

(B) approved by Public Law 95–158 (15 U.S.C. 719f note; 91 Stat. 1268).

(7) Secretary

(8) State

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 102, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1255.)

§ 720a. Issuance of certificate of public convenience and necessity

(a) Authority of the Commission

(b) Issuance of certificate

(1) In general

(2) Considerations

In considering an application under this section, the Commission shall presume that—

(A) a public need exists to construct and operate the proposed Alaska natural gas transportation project; and

(B) sufficient downstream capacity will exist to transport the Alaska natural gas moving through the project to markets in the contiguous United States.

(d) Prohibition of certain pipeline route

No license, permit, lease, right-of-way, authorization, or other approval required under Federal law for the construction of any pipeline to transport natural gas from land within the Prudhoe Bay oil and gas lease area may be granted for any pipeline that follows a route that—

(1) traverses land beneath navigable waters (as defined in section 1301 of title 43) beneath, or the adjacent shoreline of, the Beaufort Sea; and

(2) enters Canada at any point north of 68 degrees north latitude.

(e) Open season

(1) In general

(2) Regulations

The regulations referred to in paragraph (1) shall—

(A) include the criteria for and timing of any open seasons;

(B) promote competition in the exploration, development, and production of Alaska natural gas; and

(C) for any open season for capacity exceeding the initial capacity, provide the opportunity for the transportation of natural gas other than from the Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson units.

(3) Applicability

(f) Projects in the contiguous United States

(1) In general

(2) Expansion

(g) Study of in-State needs

(h) Alaska royalty gas

(1) In general

(2) Exception

(i) Regulations

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 103, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1256.)

§ 720b. Environmental reviews

(a) Compliance with NEPA

(b) Designation of lead agency

(1) In general

The Commission—

(A) shall be the lead agency for purposes of complying with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and

(B) shall be responsible for preparing the environmental impact statement required by section 102(2)(c) 1

1 So in original. Probably should be section “102(2)(C)”.

of that Act [42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)] with respect to an Alaska natural gas transportation project under section 720a of this title.

(2) Consolidation of statements

(1) In general

Each Federal agency considering an aspect of the construction and operation of an Alaska natural gas transportation project under section 720a of this title shall—

(A) cooperate with the Commission; and

(B) comply with deadlines established by the Commission in the preparation of the environmental impact statement under this section.

(2) Satisfaction of NEPA requirements

(d) Expedited process

The Commission shall—

(1) not later than 1 year after the Commission determines that the application under section 720a of this title with respect to an Alaska natural gas transportation project is complete, issue a draft environmental impact statement under this section; and

(2) not later than 180 days after the date of issuance of the draft environmental impact statement, issue a final environmental impact statement, unless the Commission for good cause determines that additional time is needed.

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 104, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1257.)

§ 720c. Pipeline expansion

(a) Authority

(b) Responsibilities of Commission

Before ordering an expansion under subsection (a), the Commission shall—

(1) approve or establish rates for the expansion service that are designed to ensure the recovery, on an incremental or rolled-in basis, of the cost associated with the expansion (including a reasonable rate of return on investment);

(2) ensure that the rates do not require existing shippers on the Alaska natural gas transportation project to subsidize expansion shippers;

(3) find that a proposed shipper will comply with, and the proposed expansion and the expansion of service will be undertaken and implemented based on, terms and conditions consistent with the tariff of the Alaska natural gas transportation project in effect as of the date of the expansion;

(4) find that the proposed facilities will not adversely affect the financial or economic viability of the Alaska natural gas transportation project;

(5) find that the proposed facilities will not adversely affect the overall operations of the Alaska natural gas transportation project;

(6) find that the proposed facilities will not diminish the contract rights of existing shippers to previously subscribed certificated capacity;

(7) ensure that all necessary environmental reviews have been completed; and

(8) find that adequate downstream facilities exist or are expected to exist to deliver incremental Alaska natural gas to market.

(d) Limitation

(e) Regulations

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 105, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1258.)

§ 720d. Federal Coordinator

(a) Establishment

(b) Federal Coordinator

(1) Appointment

(2) Compensation

(1) coordinating the expeditious discharge of all activities by Federal agencies with respect to an Alaska natural gas transportation project; and

(2) ensuring the compliance of Federal agencies with the provisions of this chapter.

(d) Reviews and actions of other Federal agencies

(1) Expedited reviews and actions

(2) Prohibition of certain terms and conditions

(3) Prohibition of certain actions

(4) LimitationThe Federal Coordinator shall not have authority to—

(A) override—

(i) the implementation or enforcement of regulations issued by the Commission under section 720a of this title; or

(ii) an order by the Commission to expand the project under section 720c of this title; or

(B) impose any terms, conditions, or requirements in addition to those imposed by the Commission or any agency with respect to construction and operation, or an expansion of, the project.

(e) State coordination

(1) In general

(2) Primary responsibilityWith respect to an Alaska natural gas transportation project—

(A) the Federal Government shall have primary surveillance and monitoring responsibility in areas where the Alaska natural gas transportation project crosses Federal land or private land; and

(B) the State government shall have primary surveillance and monitoring responsibility in areas where the Alaska natural gas transportation project crosses State land.

(f) Transfer of Federal Inspector functions and authority

(g) Temporary authority

(h) Administration

(1) Personnel appointments

(A) In general

(B) Authority of Federal Coordinator

(2) Compensation

(A) In general

(B) Maximum level of compensation

(3) Temporary services

(A) In general

(B) Maximum level of compensation

(4) Fees, charges, and commissions

(A) In general

(B) Authority of Secretary of the Interior

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 106, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1259; Pub. L. 109–148, div. A, title VIII, § 8128, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2731; Pub. L. 110–140, title VIII, § 802, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1717.)

§ 720e. Judicial review

(a) Exclusive jurisdictionExcept for review by the Supreme Court on writ of certiorari, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction to determine—

(1) the validity of any final order or action (including a failure to act) of any Federal agency or officer under this chapter;

(2) the constitutionality of any provision of this chapter, or any decision made or action taken under this chapter; or

(3) the validity of any determination, permit, approval, authorization, review, or other related action taken under any provision of law relating to a gas transportation project constructed and operated in accordance with section 720a of this title, including—

(A) subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of title 5 (commonly known as the “Administrative Procedure Act”);

(B) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);

(D) chapter 2003 of title 54; 1

1 So in original. Probably should be “division A of subtitle III of title 54;”.

and

(E) the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.).

(b) Deadline for filing claim

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 107, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1261; Pub. L. 111–11, title XIII, § 13003, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1448; Pub. L. 113–287, § 5(c), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3264.)

§ 720f. State jurisdiction over in-State delivery of natural gas

(a) Local distribution

Any facility receiving natural gas from an Alaska natural gas transportation project for delivery to consumers within the State—

(1) shall be deemed to be a local distribution facility within the meaning of section 1(b) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717(b)); and

(2) shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission.

(b) Additional pipelines

(1) In general

(2) Consultation

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 108, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1261.)

§ 720g. Study of alternative means of construction

(a) Requirement of study

(b) Scope of study

The study under subsection (a) shall take into consideration the feasibility of—

(1) establishing a Federal Government corporation to construct an Alaska natural gas transportation project; and

(2) securing alternative means of providing Federal financing and ownership (including alternative combinations of Government and private corporate ownership) of the Alaska natural gas transportation project.

(d) Report

On completion of any study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes—

(1) the results of the study; and

(2) any recommendations of the Secretary (including proposals for legislation to implement the recommendations).

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 109, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1262.)

§ 720h. Clarification of ANGTA status and authorities

(a) Savings clause

Nothing in this chapter affects—

(1) any decision, certificate, permit, right-of-way, lease, or other authorization issued under section 9 of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. 719g); or

(2) any Presidential finding or waiver issued in accordance with that Act [15 U.S.C. 719 et seq.].

(b) Clarification of authority to amend terms and conditions to meet current project requirements

Any Federal agency responsible for granting or issuing any certificate, permit, right-of-way, lease, or other authorization under section 9 of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. 719g) may add to, amend, or rescind any term or condition included in the certificate, permit, right-of-way, lease, or other authorization to meet current project requirements (including the physical design, facilities, and tariff specifications), if the addition, amendment, or rescission—

(1) would not compel any change in the basic nature and general route of the Alaska natural gas transportation system as designated and described in section 2 of the President’s decision; or

(2) would not otherwise prevent or impair in any significant respect the expeditious construction and initial operation of the Alaska natural gas transportation system.

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 110, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1262.)

§ 720i. Sense of Congress concerning use of steel manufactured in North America and negotiation of a project labor agreementIt is the sense of Congress that—

(1) an Alaska natural gas transportation project would provide significant economic benefits to the United States and Canada; and

(2) to maximize those benefits, the sponsors of the Alaska natural gas transportation project should make every effort to—

(A) use steel that is manufactured in North America; and

(B) negotiate a project labor agreement to expedite construction of the pipeline.

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 111, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1263.)

§ 720j. Sense of Congress concerning participation by small business concerns

(a) Definition of small business concern

(b) Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) an Alaska natural gas transportation project would provide significant economic benefits to the United States and Canada; and

(2) to maximize those benefits, the sponsors of the Alaska natural gas transportation project should maximize the participation of small business concerns in contracts and subcontracts awarded in carrying out the project.

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 112, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1263; Pub. L. 111–68, div. A, title I, § 1501(b), Oct. 1, 2009, 123 Stat. 2041.)

§ 720k. Alaska pipeline construction training program

(a) Program

(1) EstablishmentThe Secretary of Labor (in this section referred to as the “Secretary”) shall make grants to the Alaska Workforce Investment Board—

(A) to recruit and train adult and dislocated workers in Alaska, including Alaska Natives, in the skills required to construct and operate an Alaska gas pipeline system; and

(B) for the design and construction of a training facility to be located in Fairbanks, Alaska, to support an Alaska gas pipeline training program.

(2) Coordination with existing programs

(b) Requirements for grantsThe Secretary shall make a grant under subsection (a) only if—

(1) the Governor of the State of Alaska requests the grant funds and certifies in writing to the Secretary that there is a reasonable expectation that the construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline system will commence by the date that is 2 years after the date of the certification; and

(2) the Secretary of Energy concurs in writing to the Secretary with the certification made under paragraph (1) after considering—

(A) the status of necessary Federal and State permits;

(B) the availability of financing for the Alaska natural gas pipeline project; and

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 113, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1264; Pub. L. 113–128, title V, § 512(c), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1706.)

§ 720l. Sense of Congress concerning natural gas demand

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) North American demand for natural gas will increase dramatically over the course of the next several decades;

(2) both the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline and the Mackenzie Delta Natural Gas project in Canada will be necessary to help meet the increased demand for natural gas in North America;

(3) Federal and State officials should work together with officials in Canada to ensure both projects can move forward in a mutually beneficial fashion;

(4) Federal and State officials should acknowledge that the smaller scope, fewer permitting requirements, and lower cost of the Mackenzie Delta project means it will most likely be completed before the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline;

(5) natural gas production in the 48 contiguous States and Canada will not be able to meet all domestic demand in the coming decades; and

(6) as a result, natural gas delivered from Alaskan North Slope will not displace or reduce the commercial viability of Canadian natural gas produced from the Mackenzie Delta or production from the 48 contiguous States.

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 114, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1264.)

§ 720m. Sense of Congress concerning Alaskan ownership

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) Alaska Native Regional Corporations, companies owned and operated by Alaskans, and individual Alaskans should have the opportunity to own shares of the Alaska natural gas pipeline in a way that promotes economic development for the State; and

(2) to facilitate economic development in the State, all project sponsors should negotiate in good faith with any willing Alaskan person that desires to be involved in the project.

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 115, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1265.)

§ 720n. Loan guarantees

(a) Authority

(1) The Secretary may enter into agreements with 1 or more holders of a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued under section 720a(b) of this title or section 719g of this title or with an entity the Secretary determines is qualified to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas project to transport liquefied natural gas from Southcentral Alaska, to issue Federal guarantee instruments with respect to loans and other debt obligations for a qualified infrastructure project.

(2) Subject to the requirements of this section, the Secretary may also enter into agreements with 1 or more owners of the Canadian portion of a qualified infrastructure project to issue Federal guarantee instruments with respect to loans and other debt obligations for a qualified infrastructure project as though such owner were a holder described in paragraph (1).

(3) The authority of the Secretary to issue Federal guarantee instruments under this section for a qualified infrastructure project shall expire on the date that is 2 years after the date on which the final certificate of public convenience and necessity (including any Canadian certificates of public convenience and necessity) is issued for the project. A final certificate shall be considered to have been issued when all certificates of public convenience and necessity have been issued that are required for the initial transportation of commercially economic quantities of natural gas from Alaska.

(b) Conditions

(1) The Secretary may issue a Federal guarantee instrument for a qualified infrastructure project only after a certificate of public convenience and necessity under section 720a(b) of this title or an amended certificate under section 719g of this title has been issued for the project, or after the Secretary certifies there exists a qualified entity to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas project to transport liquefied natural gas from Southcentral Alaska. In no case shall loan guarantees be issued for more than one qualified project.

(2) The Secretary may issue a Federal guarantee instrument under this section for a qualified infrastructure project only if the loan or other debt obligation guaranteed by the instrument has been issued by an eligible lender.

(3) The Secretary shall not require as a condition of issuing a Federal guarantee instrument under this section any contractual commitment or other form of credit support of the sponsors (other than equity contribution commitments and completion guarantees), or any throughput or other guarantee from prospective shippers greater than such guarantees as shall be required by the project owners.

(4) Such loan guarantee may be utilized only by the project chosen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the qualified project.

(1) The amount of loans and other debt obligations guaranteed under this section for a qualified infrastructure project shall not exceed 80 percent of the total capital costs of the project, including interest during construction.

(2) The principal amount of loans and other debt obligations guaranteed under this section shall not exceed, in the aggregate, $18,000,000,000, which amount shall be indexed for United States dollar inflation from October 13, 2004, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, except that the total amount of principal that may be guaranteed for a qualified liquefied natural gas project may not exceed a principal amount in which the cost of loan guarantees, as defined by section 661a(5) of title 2, exceeds $2,000,000,000.

(d) Loan terms and fees

(1) The Secretary may issue Federal guarantee instruments under this section that take into account repayment profiles and grace periods justified by project cash flows and project-specific considerations. The term of any loan guaranteed under this section shall not exceed 30 years.

(2) An eligible lender may assess and collect from the borrower such other fees and costs associated with the application and origination of the loan or other debt obligation as are reasonable and customary for a project finance transaction in the oil and gas sector.

(e) Regulations

(f) Authorization of appropriations

(g) Definitions

In this section:

(1) Consumer Price Index

(2) Eligible lender

The term “eligible lender” means any non-Federal qualified institutional buyer (as defined by section 230.144A(a) of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), known as Rule 144A(a) of the Securities and Exchange Commission and issued under the Securities Act of 1933 [15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.]), including—

(A) a qualified retirement plan (as defined in section 4974(c) of title 26) that is a qualified institutional buyer; and

(B) a governmental plan (as defined in section 414(d) of title 26) that is a qualified institutional buyer.

(3) Federal guarantee instrument

(4) Qualified infrastructure project

(Pub. L. 108–324, div. C, § 116, Oct. 13, 2004, 118 Stat. 1265; Pub.L. 108–199, div. H, § 146, Jan. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 444; Pub. L. 108–447, div. J, title I, § 114, Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3346; Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title IV, § 40401(d), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1037.)