4-1 4.0 – Environmental Analysis 

4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 

The environmental consequences of constructing and operating the proposed JCE & PCGP 

Project would vary in duration and significance. Four levels of impact duration were considered: 

temporary, short term, long term, and permanent. A temporary impact generally occurs during 

construction with the resource returning to preconstruction condition almost immediately 

afterward. A short term impact could continue for up to 3 years following construction. Impact 

was considered long term if the resource would require more than 3 years to recover. A 

permanent impact could occur as a result of any activity that modifies a resource to the extent 

that it would not return to preconstruction conditions during the life of the Project. We 

considered an impact to be significant if it would result in a substantial adverse change in the 

physical environment. 

In this section, we discuss the affected environment, general and site-specific construction and 

operational impacts, and proposed measures to avoid, reduce, or mitigate impacts. Our 

discussion encompasses Project-related impacts associated with the construction and operation of 

Jordan Cove’s proposed LNG import terminal, the Port’s proposed access channel and slip, and 

Pacific Connector’s proposed pipeline and associated aboveground facilities. We also discuss 

the potential impacts on resources along the waterway for LNG marine traffic, extending to the 

Zones of Concern, resulting from an accidental or intentional release of LNG from a ship in 

transit or at dock at the LNG terminal. 

Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector, as part of their proposals, agreed to implement certain 

measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts on specific resources. We evaluated these 

proposed measures to determine if they would adequately mitigate impacts. In cases where we 

felt the proposed measures were less than adequate, where no mitigation measures were 

proposed, or where final design details requiring Commission review have yet to be developed, 

and to ensure that appropriate design requirements are implemented, we have added our 

recommendations to reduce impacts. These additional measures appear as bulleted, boldfaced 

paragraphs in the text. We will recommend that these measures be included as specific 

environmental conditions attached as an appendix to any Commission Order authorizing this 

Project. 

This EIS represents our independent analysis of the proposed action and the data submitted by 

the applicants. It includes the review of the proposal by the federal agencies and one county 

cooperating in the production of the EIS: the USFS, COE, EPA, Coast Guard, BLM, BOR, DOT, 

FWS, and Douglas County. Conclusions in this EIS are based on our analysis of environmental 

impacts, given the following assumptions: 

• Jordan Cove, the Port, and Pacific Connector would comply with all applicable laws and 

regulations; 

• the proposed facilities would be constructed as described in section 2.0 of this document; 

and 

• Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector would implement the mitigation measures included in 

their respective applications and supplemental filings to the FERC.