FERC Calls Court's Call for Climate Test of Pipeline "Inappropriate"

"Appeals court had ordered Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to address the climate change impact of the Sabal Trail Pipeline"

"The federal agency overseeing gas pipelines, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, issued a nine-page statement Wednesday that says it’s 'inappropriate' for the agency to try to figure out the climate change impact of the controversial Sabal Trail Pipeline.

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., had ruled last month that FERC should have addressed that question before approving the construction of the $3.2 billion pipeline, a 515-mile conduit for natural gas that when completed will snake through Alabama, Georgia and Florida. At 268 miles, the Florida section is the longest, and its construction involved drilling beneath the state’s most famous river, the Suwannee.

That ruling was hailed as a victory for the Sierra Club, which had sued over the pipeline’s approval. Sierra Club officials argued that until FERC addressed the question, the pipeline should be shut down."

Craig Pittman reports for the Tampa Bay Times September 27, 2017.