Public paper · October 5, 2026 · Energy desk
FERC Docket CP26-548: Guardian 3 Expansion Gets an EA Schedule — 68 Miles of Pipeline Loop in Northern Illinois and a New Wisconsin Compressor Station
FERC staff will issue an environmental assessment for Guardian Pipeline's Guardian 3 Expansion on March 5, 2027, with a 30-day comment period and a final order expected by June 17, 2027. The project adds about 536,903 Dth/day with loops in Kendall, DeKalb, and McHenry counties, IL, and a new compressor in Dodge County, WI.
noticenearby.com/papers/guardian-3-expansion-cp26-548-ea-schedule.pdf
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published a notice in the Federal Register on September 29, 2026 setting the environmental review schedule for Guardian Pipeline, LLC's Guardian 3 Expansion Project, Docket No. CP26-548-000.
Guardian filed its application on July 1, 2026, seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act to build and operate natural gas pipeline facilities in Illinois and Wisconsin. FERC says the project would provide about 536,903 dekatherms per day of long-term firm transportation capacity to help meet growing natural gas demand in Wisconsin and neighboring states.
The schedule
- Environmental assessment (EA) issued: March 5, 2027 — with a 30-day comment period.
- 90-day federal authorization decision deadline: June 3, 2027 (applies to other federal agencies and state agencies acting under federally delegated authority).
- FERC final order anticipated: no later than June 17, 2027.
What would be built
- About 42.6 miles of 36-inch looping pipeline (Juliet Loop) in Kendall and DeKalb counties, Illinois.
- About 25.5 miles of 36-inch looping pipeline (Sycamore Loop) in DeKalb and McHenry counties, Illinois.
- Two new 11,110-horsepower compressor units inside the existing Joliet Compressor Station in Will County, Illinois.
- Modifications to compression at the existing Sycamore Compressor Station in DeKalb County.
- A greenfield 9,000-HP Eden Compressor Station in Dodge County, Wisconsin.
- A greenfield Sheboygan meter and regulator station in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, plus other appurtenant facilities in Illinois.
What commenters raised in scoping
FERC's July 29, 2026 scoping notice drew comments from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Illinois EPA, and twelve stakeholders. The primary issues: noise impacts and mitigation, agricultural drainage, pipeline safety, and landowner notification. Eight comments supported the project and one protest raised legal, procedural, environmental, agricultural, hydrologic, and operational issues. FERC says all substantive comments will be addressed in the EA.
Cooperating agencies: USACE Chicago District, U.S. EPA Region 5, and USDA NRCS Illinois.
How to follow the docket
- FERC eLibrary: search docket CP26-548 at https://www.ferc.gov (General Search).
- eSubscription for automatic filing alerts: https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview
- FERC Office of Public Participation: (202) 502-6595.
- NEPA tracking ID: EAXX-019-20-000-1785915466.
Landowners along the Juliet and Sycamore loop routes should watch for the EA in March 2027; that is the next formal comment window.
Sources
- Federal Register (Sept. 29, 2026), Document 2026-19907, 91 FR 61390: Guardian Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Schedule for the Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for the Guardian 3 Expansion Project (CP26-548-000). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/29/2026-19907/guardian-pipeline-llc-notice-of-schedule-for-the-preparation-of-an-environmental-assessment-for-the
Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).
Notes and sources
- Author: Ryan Standley / Record of Sale, LLC / Notice Nearby.
- Discussed on @NoticeNearYou: (pending — fill xPostUrl after live post).
- Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).
Energy desk · Notice Nearby public papers shelf. @NoticeNearYou post pending.
Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).