Environmental Assessment for Ameren-EMRT Big Hollow Natural Gas Pipeline Project

Notice

Enable Mississippi River Transmission, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Ameren-Emrt Big Hollow Project

A Notice by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on 04/15/2026

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• Public Inspection Published Document: 2026-07326 (91 FR 20159) Document Headings ###### Department of Energy

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

1. [Docket No. CP26-2-000] The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Ameren—EMRT Big Hollow Project, proposed by Enable Mississippi River Transmission, LLC (EMRT) in the above-referenced docket. [1 ] EMRT requests authorization to construct and operate certain natural gas pipeline and appurtenant facilities in Monroe and Jefferson counties in the states of Illinois and Missouri. EMRT states the project purpose is to provide about 200,000 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day to Ameren's Big Hollow Energy Center to facilitate the new gas-fired generation at the site of their retired Rush Island Energy Center.

Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure consideration of your comments on the proposal prior to making a decision on the project, it is important that the Commission receive your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 11, 2026. Instructions for filing comments are provided on page 3.

FERC is the lead federal agency for authorizing interstate natural gas transmission facilities under the Natural Gas Act of 1938 (NGA) and the lead federal agency for preparation of the EA. The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the Ameren—EMRT Big Hollow Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) [2 ] and the Commission's implementing regulations. [3 ] The principal purposes of the EA are to: identify and assess the potential effects on the natural and human environment; describe and evaluate reasonable alternatives; identify and recommend mitigation measures; and facilitate public involvement in the environmental review process. The EA concludes that approval of the proposed project would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.

The EA addresses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the following project facilities:

• an approximate 9.6-mile-long, 20-inch-diameter lateral pipeline, from a point of interconnection on EMRT's existing mainlines in Monroe County, Illinois to the existing Big Hollow Energy Center site in Jefferson County, Missouri;
• a measurement and regulation station located downstream of the tie-in with Ameren's proposed Big Hollow Energy Center; and
• appurtenant pipeline facilities. The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the EA to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and groups; and libraries in the project area. The EA is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the natural gas environmental documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/​industries-data/​natural-gas/​environment/​environmental-documents). In addition, the EA may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/​eLibrary/​search), select “General Search” and enter the docket number in the “Docket Number” field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP26-2). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free ( printed page 20160) at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

The EA is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding. Under section 7(c) of the NGA, the Commission determines whether interstate natural gas transportation facilities are in the public convenience and necessity and, if so, grants a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to construct and operate them. The Commission bases its decisions on both economic issues, including need, and environmental effects.

Your comments should focus on the EA's disclosure and discussion of potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental effects. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to file your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.

(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;

(2) You can also file your comments electronically using the eFiling feature on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “eRegister.” You must select the type of filing you are making. If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select “Comment on a Filing”; or

(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP26-2-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

Filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission's decision. At this point in this proceeding, the timeframe for filing timely intervention requests has expired. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene out-of-time pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and (d)) and show good cause why the time limitation should be waived. Motions to intervene are more fully described at https://www.ferc.gov/​how-intervene.

For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov. Additional information about the project is available from the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

In addition, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)

Dated: April 10, 2026.

Debbie-Anne A. Reese,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.

                     For tracking purposes under the National Environmental Policy Act, the unique identification number for documents relating to this environmental review is EAXX-019-20-000-1739964549

Back to Citation 2.

                     National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (Public Law [Pub. L.] 91-190. [42 U.S.C. 4321-4347](https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/4321), as amended by Pub. L. 94-52, July 3, 1975; Pub. L. 94-83, August 9, 1975; Pub. L. 97-258, 4(b), September 13, 1982; [Pub. L. 118-5](https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/118/public/5), June 3, 2023; [Pub. L. 119-21](https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/119/public/21), July 4, 2025).

Back to Citation 3.

                     18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 380.

Back to Citation [FR Doc. 2026-07326 Filed 4-14-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

Published Document: 2026-07326 (91 FR 20159)