Tell FERC to Deny Approval of the Transco Leidy Access Expansion Project in Luzerne County, PA
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is currently accepting public comments on the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) Leidy Access Expansion Project (LAEP) located in Bear Creek and Buck Townships, Luzerne County, PA as part of the scoping process for environmental analysis. Although disguised as a small project at only 3.38 miles of 42-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline, it is a segment of a larger network of pipelines in Luzerne and Monroe Counties such as Transco’s existing Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) pipeline. The effects of all of these pipelines need to be considered cumulatively and not as individual segments that downplay the overall negative impacts.
The Transco LAEP cuts directly through Natural Lands’ Bear Creek Preserve, which is 3,986 acres of preserved forested land. The pipeline would also cross the High Quality (HQ) designated Shades Creek, which is currently under petition by DRN and other organizations to be upgraded to Exceptional Value (EV) status. Finally, the Transco LAEP would provide 183,100 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of year-round transportation capacity from the Marcellus Shale production area, worsening the effects of climate change and doubling down on fossil fuel reliance.
FERC is currently accepting public comments until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 2, 2026.
DRN has requested a comment period extension of at least 60 days, but in the event that this request is not granted, now is your chance to tell FERC to deny this harmful project.
How to submit comments:
Online
Comments may be submitted through the FERC eComment website here:
https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx
Comments submitted through the online portal are limited to 10,000 characters.
by Mail
Send to
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE, Room 1A
Washington, DC 20426
The docket number for the Transco LAEP is CP26-576-000.
Your own individual comments are powerful, but you may also submit a comment by using our sample letter below.
Sample Letter:
Re: Scoping Period for Transco Leidy Access Expansion Project (Diamond Loop), Luzerne County (Docket No. CP26-576-000)
Dear FERC:
I am writing to share my opposition to the expansion of the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) Leidy Access Expansion Project, which would add another segmented natural gas pipeline project cutting across approximately 40 miles of forested lands, Exceptional Value and High Quality streams, and Exceptional Value wetlands in Luzerne and Monroe Counties when considered cumulatively with the existing Transco REAE pipeline. This pipeline expansion should be denied because it would only worsen climate change, taking us farther down the gang plank to climate catastrophe while continuing to treat Pennsylvania like a sacrifice zone for the fossil fuel industry.
Furthermore, I urge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend the public comment and scoping period for at least 60 days and for that 60-day time frame to be set AFTER the Transco docket filings are deemed complete by FERC. FERC’s own October 13, 2026 Environmental Information Request letter to Transco filed on the docket highlights the requirement for Transco to complete over three pages of missing technical information that is woefully absent from the application within 20 days (i.e. Nov 2, 2026). It is unfair to the public process and short shrifts meaningful public input for this devastating pipeline expansion if FERC allows the scoping period to close on November 2 while Transco still has a woefully incomplete and inadequate application.