; (2) in subsection (a)— (A) in the subsection heading, by striking Environmental impact statements and inserting Third-Party contracting by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ; and (B) in the first sentence, by striking Where the Federal and inserting the following: (1) Environmental impact statements If the Federal ; (3) in subsection (c), by striking This section and inserting This subsection ; (4) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively, and indenting appropriately; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (b) Cooperation with other agencies (1) In general The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall request that any Federal, State, or local agency or Indian Tribe with a responsibility under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) or comparable State or Tribal law requirements with respect to the licensing of a project cooperate in the preparation of the environmental assessment or environmental impact statement that will be a record basis for the decisions of the applicable agency or Indian Tribe with respect to the applicable application. (2) Effect Cooperation under paragraph (1) shall not impair the right of a cooperating agency or Indian Tribe to participate as a party in a proceeding, subject to appropriate protections against ex parte communications. (c) Environmental effects (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Nonrecurring past effect The term nonrecurring past effect , with respect to a project, means an environmental effect that— (i) may have been caused by— (I) the original construction or development of the project; or (II) prior operations of the project