Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act

What this does

This bill centralizes federal environmental review of natural gas pipeline projects at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. For authorizations under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act and certificates under section 7, FERC acts as the only lead agency for review under the National Environmental Policy Act, and every other agency must give maximum deference to the scope FERC sets. FERC must identify agencies with a role within 30 days, invite them within 45 days, and designate participating agencies within 60 days; agencies that are not designated cannot run a supplemental NEPA review (outside a narrow legal-necessity exception) and their comments are neither considered nor entered into the record. The bill waives the Clean Water Act section 401 state water-quality certification for these authorizations, though a state may propose water-quality conditions that FERC may adopt if it finds them necessary. Federal authorization decisions are due within 90 days after FERC finishes its NEPA review, agencies must work on concurrent schedules and report progress, and FERC must consult the Transportation Security Administration on the applicant's pipeline security.