MA Senators Confront FERC on Alleged Pipeline Conflict of Interest

"In a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey demand new answers about an alleged conflict of interest in the environmental review of a proposed Spectra Energy natural gas pipeline project.

As DeSmog first reported, the Environmental Assessment (EA) for Spectra’s Atlantic Bridge project was carried out on FERC’s behalf by third-party contractor Natural Resource Group (NRG), which at the time was working directly for Spectra on a related pipeline, PennEast. Following these revelations, Sens. Warren and Markey demanded explanations from FERC Commissioner Norman Bay, urging him to issue a new and objective review for the project.

FERC Commissioner Norman Bay responded by detailing the procedure by which FERC chooses third-party contractors and vets candidates for conflicts. “It is my understanding that these procedures were followed with respect to the selection of the third party contractor for the Atlantic Bridge project, and no disqualifying conflict of interest was identified,” he wrote."

Itai Vardi reports for DeSmog July 31, 2016.