"An inspector general's report also raises concerns about transparency and public access to information at FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission."

"The federal process for approving new natural gas pipelines is veiled from the public, does a poor job of tracking their views, and may not be considering their concerns when weighing new projects according to a new auditor's report.

Environmental and pipeline safety advocates say the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General's findings about the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) are alarming, if not surprising.

"It's frankly quite troubling, but at the same time, this is not news to those folks who have been impacted by proposed pipelines and those folks who try to be involved and navigate FERC's system," Montina Cole, a senior energy advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)."

Phil McKenna reports for InsideClimate News May 31, 2018. [2]