TRC's Lauren O'Donnell, VP of Oil and Gas, recently participated as a panelist at the Energy Bar Association Mid-Year Conference. Her presentation examined the differing perspectives of participants in natural gas infrastructure projects including regulators, landowners, pipeline companies and NGOs.

1. www.trcsolutions.com
Finding Balance in
a Changing Landscape
Striking the Right Balance:
Environmental Review of
Natural Gas Infrastructure Projects
Energy Bar Association Mid-Year Meeting November 4, 2014

2. The Balancing Act
What Landowners
Are Saying…
"I don't trust a company that can't divulge information”
(landowner, Michigan)
(AP Photo/The Staunton News Leader)
“There are no benefits and a lot of risk.”
(landowner, New York)
“We’re in this for one thing —freedom.
The landowners should have the freedom to choose whether or not they want the pipeline on their property.”
(landowner, Ohio)
2

3. The Balancing Act
REGULATORS
Pipelines &
Customers

Regulatory certainty
A level playing field
Better federal/state coordination
Recognition of the way projects develop
Landowners
& NGOs

More information
More transparency
Local control
Regional planning
National/global energy strategy
3

4. The Balancing Act
FERC Certificate Policy Statement
• FERC determines whether the applicant has made efforts to eliminate or
minimize any adverse effects the project might have on the applicant’s
existing customers, existing pipelines in the market and their captive
customers, or landowners and communities affected by construction.
• FERC balances the evidence of public benefits to be achieved against the
residual adverse effects. This is essentially an economic test.
NEPA
• In evaluating alternatives, lead agencies may need to make difficult
judgments involving balancing one environmental value against another.
(CEQ’s Forty Most Asked Questions)
Sierra Club
• Increasing reliance on natural gas displaces the market for clean energy and
harms human health and the environment in places where production
occurs. (Beyond Natural Gas Campaign)
Landowner
• There are no benefits and a lot of risk
Balance is Matter of Perspective
4

5. The Balancing Act
Earning Trust, Demonstrating Commitment
•
“Social License to Operate”—what does this mean?
•
Recognize that the playing field has changed
–
shift from individual to regional impacts
–
multiple venues to raise issues
•
Focus on outreach and education
–
proactive, responsive, transparent
–
actively engage NGOs, community leaders
–
emphasize stakeholder participation in the process
–
acknowledge limitations to processes
•
Commit to community benefits
–
clear intent, tangible benefit
–
it’s not all about money

6. Lauren H. O’Donnell
Vice President, Oil & Gas
P: 571-386-8665| E: lodonnell@trcsolutions.com
www.trcsolutions.com