The path the Sabal Trail pipeline will trace though southwest Georgia as it makes makes its way from Alabama to deliver gas to customers in Florida.

The path the Sabal Trail pipeline will trace though southwest Georgia as it makes makes its way from Alabama to deliver gas to customers in Florida. / Spectra Energy

A Washington appeals court says federal energy regulators fell short in evaluating the environmental impact of a natural gas pipeline that's carrying gas through Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday agreed with the Sierra Club in ruling that officials needed more detail in their environmental study of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project. The court said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should have attempted to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions that will result from burning the gas transported by the pipelines.

The project includes the Sabal Trail pipeline, which runs for more than 500 miles through Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Sierra Club attorney Elly Benson says the group is discussing its next steps.

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