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How to Check Pipeline Project Maps, Permits, and Environmental Review Documents

Use PHMSA’s NPMS for a limited public pipeline overview and operator lookup. For interstate natural gas projects, follow the FERC docket, application exhibits, environmental documents, and relevant permitting agencies’ current records.
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For a U.S. pipeline overview and operator lookup, start with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). For records about a proposed interstate natural gas project, search the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) eLibrary by project name or docket number. Use FERC’s Environmental Documents index to locate its environmental assessment or impact statement, then check the relevant permitting agency’s own records for current permit status.

These sources serve different purposes: NPMS is a limited public map, while FERC’s docket and environmental index cover particular proceedings. The right path depends on the pipeline type, project stage, and location.

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How do I find a pipeline map near me?

Use PHMSA’s NPMS public portal to open the Public Map Viewer. The viewer lets members of the public select a county and see pipeline information within NPMS scope. The portal also links to a directory for finding pipeline operators by county, state, or ZIP code, along with a data dictionary and information about what the public can access. PHMSA explains the viewer in its public map guidance.

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What the NPMS map does—and does not—show

NPMS covers gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines, liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, breakout tanks, and incident information under PHMSA jurisdiction. It does not include distribution or gas gathering pipelines, so an empty map does not establish that no pipeline is in an area.

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The public display is restricted, and PHMSA states that the minimum accuracy of NPMS geospatial data is ±500 feet. Treat it as a screening and operator-discovery tool, not a parcel-level locator. PHMSA’s warning is explicit: “The Public Map Viewer must not be used to identify exact locations of pipelines or as a substitute for contacting the appropriate One Call system or pipeline operator prior to excavation activities.” Call 811 before digging. See PHMSA’s NPMS overview and environmental compliance page for scope and limitations.

How do I find a proposed project’s permits and filings?

For an interstate natural gas project handled by FERC, identify its docket and search FERC eLibrary. Search by project name if you do not know the docket; once you find it, use the docket number to retrieve the proceeding’s applications, applicant submissions, public comments, and Commission documents. FERC says the public can view or download project records without charge. Some large-scale maps may not be viewable or printable online; follow the instructions on the record page to obtain them.

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Recognize the FERC docket stage

For the natural gas process described in FERC’s landowner guidance, a pre-filing docket begins with “PF,” and its earliest document is the pre-filing request letter. A formal application docket begins with “CP,” and the application is its earliest dated document. These first records can identify agency contacts and the proposed schedule. PF and CP identifiers are clues for this FERC process; do not assume other agencies use them.

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Where to look inside the application

Start with Exhibit F-1, the environmental report. Its resource reports can point to agency contacts and correspondence, list permits in Resource Report 1, and describe the applicant’s stated permit-application status. Then check Exhibit J for interstate facilities or Exhibit H for import/export facilities. FERC says these exhibits identify required federal authorizations, responsible agencies, filing dates, and requested or expected final-action dates.

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These are statements in the applicant’s filing, not a substitute for the permitting agency’s current record. If a permit’s status matters, check directly with the agency responsible for it.

Where can I read the environmental assessment or EIS?

Search FERC’s Environmental Documents index for the project’s Environmental Assessment (EA), Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS), or Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). The index lists project names and docket numbers, which can help you match a document to the correct proceeding.

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Also search the docket in eLibrary. The index is useful for locating environmental documents, while the docket contains the broader project record, including project-specific filings and Commission decisions. Checking both helps distinguish the agency’s environmental analysis from the applicant’s reports and other submissions.

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Which agency approves a pipeline?

There is no single federal pipeline siting agency for every project. Jurisdiction depends on the commodity, whether the project is interstate or intrastate, and its location, including whether federal land or waters are involved. PHMSA says it does not conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews for proposed new pipeline construction.

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  • Interstate natural gas: FERC handles siting and environmental review for interstate natural gas pipelines.
  • Interstate hazardous liquid: PHMSA describes no comprehensive federal siting or permitting authority. Other agencies may be involved when an international border, federal land, or waters of the United States are implicated.
  • Intrastate pipelines: Siting is deferred to state agencies, according to PHMSA.

For the project in front of you, use its application and permit table to identify the authorities, then check the relevant state or agency records. PHMSA’s environmental compliance information describes these distinctions; it does not establish the jurisdiction or approval status of a particular project.

When the Permitting Dashboard may help

The Federal Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard can supplement—not replace—the docket and agency records for certain major projects. FERC says covered FAST-41 and Major Infrastructure Projects may be searched by project name or lead agency and list agency contacts. The FAST-41 category described in FERC’s guidance includes interstate natural gas pipeline construction or LNG terminal projects subject to NEPA and likely to require total investment above $200 million. Dashboard coverage is not universal, so a project’s absence there does not establish that it lacks a permitting process.

How to check one project without mixing up the records

  1. Identify the pipeline and location. Use the NPMS public viewer for a county-level overview and operator lookup where the asset is within the system’s scope. Do not use the map to locate a line precisely.
  2. Determine the project type and stage. Establish whether it is natural gas or hazardous liquid, interstate or intrastate, and whether it is proposed, in a FERC pre-filing, or under formal review.
  3. Find the proceeding record. For an interstate natural gas project, search eLibrary by project name, then use the docket number to find the relevant filings. Check the earliest record for stage and schedule clues.
  4. Trace permits in the application. Read Exhibit F-1 and Resource Report 1, then Exhibit J for interstate facilities or Exhibit H for import/export facilities. Note which agencies are named and what status the applicant reports.
  5. Locate the agency’s environmental analysis. Search the FERC Environmental Documents index and the eLibrary docket for the EA, Draft EIS, or Final EIS and related decisions.
  6. Verify current status with the authority. An applicant’s filing may describe a permit application or expected action date; confirm current status in the issuing agency’s own records. For public participation, check the current docket for comment deadlines and filing instructions.

For other pipeline types or intrastate projects, do not assume FERC’s docket system is the right records source. Use the project’s stated agencies and applicable state or federal records to identify the proceeding.

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