# Plain Language Summary: Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act

This bill is designed to speed up the approval process for new natural gas pipelines by making sure all the different government agencies involved work together more efficiently instead of duplicating each other's work. Right now, when a company wants to build a natural gas pipeline, it has to get approval from multiple federal and state agencies—including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and various state environmental agencies. Each agency often conducts its own environmental review, which can stretch the process out for years. This bill tries to fix that by making FERC the main coordinator, so other agencies contribute to one shared environmental review rather than each doing their own separate analysis.

The bill establishes clear timelines and responsibilities for all involved agencies. Once FERC completes its environmental review, other agencies have 90 days to make their decisions on their part of the approval. Agencies must work on their reviews at the same time as FERC's review, not wait for it to finish first. The bill also requires agencies to report their progress every 90 days and to notify Congress if they miss deadlines. Additionally, the bill allows companies to use remote surveys and aerial data instead of always requiring on-site inspections, and permits companies to hire contractors to help with the application process to move things along faster.

The bill also adds a requirement that FERC consult with the Transportation Security Administration about pipeline security when reviewing applications. Finally, the bill creates a public tracking system on FERC's website so citizens can see the status of pipeline projects, what approvals are still needed, who's responsible for each step, and why things might be delayed. The overall effect is intended to streamline pipeline approvals while maintaining environmental and safety reviews, though critics worry it could reduce the depth of environmental scrutiny.

Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act

Burgess, Michael C.

Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act This bill expands the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)	to act as the only lead agency for the purpose of coordinating the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) of natural gas pipeline project applications under the Natural Gas Act. Thus, federal, state, and local agencies involved in the environmental review process must defer to FERC's approved scope for a NEPA review. FERC must invite and designate the other participating agencies involved in the authorization process. In addition, FERC must consult with the Transportation Security Administration regarding pipeline infrastructure security, pipeline cybersecurity, pipeline personnel security, and other pipeline security measures. The bill establishes a deadline for agencies to complete NEPA reviews of pipeline projects and requires concurrent reviews when multiple federal or state agencies are involved. If a federal or state agency requires the person applying for a pipeline authorization to submit data, the agency must consider any such data gathered by aerial or other remote means that the person submits.