Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co., LLC; Southern Natural Gas Co., LLC; Elba Express Co., LLC

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is acknowledging receipt of a request to initiate formal Section 7 consultation regarding the Mississippi Crossing Project. The Service concurs with the biological assessments provided by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding several species and provides a timeline for their formal opinion.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Historic Preservation Office is submitting information regarding the proposed gas pipelines. The comment is filed as privileged and does not state a specific position on the action.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) opposes the proposed Mississippi Crossing and South System Expansion 4 pipeline projects. They argue that the market need for these projects is based on speculative, over-optimistic data center growth forecasts and a "black box" modeling approach that fails to account for other supply and demand-side alternatives.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe, is commenting on the proposed Mississippi Crossing Project and South System Expansion 4 Project. They state they are currently reviewing cultural resources reports and request that the Section 106 process be completed before the projects move forward.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribal nation, is acknowledging receipt of cultural resources surveys for the proposed pipeline projects. They state that they are currently reviewing the information and request that Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act be fully completed before any work is approved.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) argues that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Mississippi Crossing Project is inadequate because it fails to address specific environmental risks, cumulative impacts, and traffic safety concerns near Choctaw lands. The BIA requests that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) conduct formal government-to-government consultation with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and revise the DEIS to include comprehensive modeling and mitigation measures.

The Department of the Interior, represented by the Acting Regional Environmental Officer, submitted a formal response to the Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Department stated that it has no comments at this time.

The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) and the National Black Environmental Justice Network (NBEJN) oppose the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Mississippi Crossing and South System Expansion 4 projects. They argue that the statement fails to adequately evaluate the significant negative impacts on air quality, safety, wetlands, and climate, particularly for vulnerable and predominantly Black communities.