Midcontinent Express Pipeline Project

Client: Kinder Morgan/Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Location: Oklahoma/Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama

Summary: As a third-party Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) contractor, Cardno ENTRIX assisted the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the preparation of a Final EIS for the Midcontinent Express Pipeline Project (MEP) and in implementing the third-party compliance monitoring program. The MEP project consists of construction and operation of approximately 510 miles of 42-, 36-, 30-inch-diameter, interstate mainline natural gas pipeline and 24- and 16-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline laterals in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The proposed project entailed the construction of one booster and four new compressor stations. The pipeline has the capacity to deliver up to approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, and would be interconnected with 14 other existing interstate or intrastate natural gas pipeline facilities. Cardno ENTRIX prepared the EIS in coordination with 10 cooperating agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Park Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries, and Parks, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Additionally, Cardno ENTRIX worked closely with other federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other state and local agencies, and has a unique understanding of the environmental issues and required impact minimization and mitigation measures.

At the height of construction, the compliance monitoring program involved the use of five full-time, third-party field staff representing the FERC to monitor compliance with the project environmental mitigation measures and requirements throughout the construction schedule. Cardno ENTRIX compliance monitors assessed and documented environmental compliance during construction and assisted the FERC staff in screening and processing variance requests during construction. Some of the challenges associated with this project included several waterbody and bottomland hardwood wetland crossings, as well as about 81 acres of the construction area being in lands classified as residential. The Cardno ENTRIX compliance monitoring team has successfully worked with FERC staff and MEP's environmental inspection and management team to achieve environmental compliance throughout construction and final restoration of the Project.