I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2893 
To amend the Natural Gas Act to bolster fairness and transparency in 
consideration of interstate natural gas pipelines, to provide for greater 
public input opportunities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 13, 2017 
Mr. GRIFFITH (for himself and Mr. GOODLATTE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Natural Gas Act to bolster fairness and trans-
parency in consideration of interstate natural gas pipe-
lines, to provide for greater public input opportunities, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pipeline Fairness and 
Transparency Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EMINENT DOMAIN. 
(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 
United States to protect the rights of citizens of the 
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United States to their private property, including by lim-
iting the taking of private property by the Federal Govern-
ment to situations in which the taking is for public use, 
with just compensation, and to benefit the general public, 
and not merely to advance the economic interests of pri-
vate parties that would be given ownership or use of the 
property taken. 
(b) JUST COMPENSATION.—Section 7(h) of the Nat-
ural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717f(h)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(h) When any holder’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(h) EMINENT DOMAIN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—When any holder’’; 
(2) in the second sentence— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The practice’’ and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(2) PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the practice’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘is situated:’’ and inserting 
‘‘is situated.’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘Provided, That the’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—The’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(3) JUST COMPENSATION.—In determining the 
just compensation for property acquired by the exer-
cise of the right of eminent domain under paragraph 
(1), in the case of land subject to a conservation 
easement, the court with jurisdiction over the pro-
ceeding shall consider the lost conservation value of 
that land.’’. 
SEC. 3. PROCESS COORDINATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL 
REVIEW. 
Section 15 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717n) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
FOR INTERSTATE 
NATURAL GAS PIPELINES.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) FEDERAL AUTHORIZATION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘Federal 
authorization’ means any authorization re-
quired under Federal law with respect to 
an application for a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity under section 7. 
‘‘(ii) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘Federal 
authorization’ includes any permits, special 
use authorizations, certifications, opinions, 
or other approvals as may be required 
under Federal law with respect to an appli-
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cation for a certificate of public conven-
ience and necessity under section 7. 
‘‘(B) PROJECT.—The term ‘project’ means 
a project for the construction or extension of fa-
cilities for the transportation in interstate com-
merce of natural gas that requires Federal au-
thorization. 
‘‘(2) SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 
STATEMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—With respect to an ap-
plication for Federal authorization, the Com-
mission shall prepare a supplement to a draft 
environmental impact statement or a final envi-
ronmental impact statement if— 
‘‘(i) the Commission makes a substan-
tial change in the proposed action that is 
relevant to environmental concerns; or 
‘‘(ii) there are significant new cir-
cumstances or information relevant to envi-
ronmental concerns and bearing on the 
proposed action or its impacts. 
‘‘(B) MITIGATION PLANS.—If a draft envi-
ronmental impact statement prepared with re-
spect to an application for Federal authoriza-
tion does not include information about mitiga-
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tion plans for adverse impacts that cannot rea-
sonably be avoided, a supplemental environ-
mental impact statement shall be prepared that 
includes such information. 
‘‘(3) PUBLIC
MEETING
REQUIREMENTS.—In 
complying with the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect 
to an application for Federal authorization, the 
Commission shall ensure that any public meeting 
shall be held— 
‘‘(A) in each county or equivalent subdivi-
sion in which the project will be located; and 
‘‘(B) during each period of public comment 
following, if applicable, publication of— 
‘‘(i) a draft environmental impact 
statement; 
‘‘(ii) a final environmental impact 
statement; and 
‘‘(iii) any supplemental environmental 
impact statement.’’. 
SEC. 4. IMPACTS ON CRITICAL NATURAL RESOURCES. 
Subsection (g) of section 15 of the Natural Gas Act 
(15 U.S.C. 717n) (as added by section 3) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) NATIONAL SCENIC TRAILS.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In preparing an envi-
ronmental impact statement with respect to an 
application for Federal authorization for a 
project, any evaluation of the visual impacts of 
the project on a national scenic trail designated 
by the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
1241 et seq.) in the environmental impact 
statement shall— 
‘‘(i) consider the cumulative visual im-
pacts of any similar proposed project— 
‘‘(I) for which an application for 
Federal authorization is in the pre-fil-
ing or filing stage; and 
‘‘(II) that impacts the same na-
tional scenic trail within 100 miles of 
the first project; and 
‘‘(ii) include visual impact simulations 
depicting leaf-on and leaf-off views at each 
location where major visual impacts occur, 
as identified, authenticated, and justified 
during the period of public comment pre-
ceding the publication of a draft environ-
mental impact statement by the head of 
the Federal agency or independent agency 
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administering the land at the applicable lo-
cation. 
‘‘(B) NATIONAL
FOREST
MANAGEMENT 
PLANS.—No amendment to a National Forest 
management plan under the Forest and Range-
land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) shall be consid-
ered, pursuant to an application for Federal au-
thorization, if the result of the amendment 
would substantially interfere with the nature 
and purposes of a national scenic trail des-
ignated by the National Trails System Act (16 
U.S.C. 1241 et seq.).’’. 
Æ 
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