Subject: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the California
[Federal Register: June 26, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 123)]
[Notices]
[Page 43100-43101]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26jn02-51]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the California State Lands
Commission
[FERC Docket No. CP01-422-000; CA State Clearinghouse No. 2001071035;
CSLC EIR No. 710; BLM Reference Nos. CACA-43346 and CACA-17918]
Kern River Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Availability/
Completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report for the
Proposed Kern River 2003 Expansion Project
June 20, 2002.
The staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) and the California State Lands Commission (CSLC) have
prepared a final environmental impact statement/report (EIS/EIR) to
address natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Kern River Gas
Transmission Company (KRGT).
The final EIS/EIR was prepared as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA). Its purpose is to inform the public and the permitting agencies
about the potential adverse and beneficial environmental impacts of the
proposed project and its alternatives, and recommend mitigation
measures that would reduce any significant adverse impacts to the
maximum extent possible and, where feasible, to a less than significant
level. With one exception, the EIS/EIR concludes that the potentially
significant adverse environmental impacts of the proposed project can
be mitigated to a level of insignificance with appropriate mitigation
measures. As discussed in the EIS/EIR, a long-term reduction in the
special concern vegetation communities of yucca, cactus, and agave
cannot be ruled out and, therefore, potential impacts on these species
could be significant. Accordingly, the CSLC's approval of the project
would be subject to a Statement of Overriding Considerations under the
CEQA due to this significant unavoidable impact that could remain after
mitigation is applied.\1\
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\1\ The CEQA Guidelines Section 15093 requires the CSLC to
balance, as applicable, the economic, legal, social, technological,
or other benefits of a proposed project against its unavoidable
environmental risks when determining whether to approve the project.
If the specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other
benefits of a proposed project outweigh the unavoidable adverse
environmental effects, the adverse environmental effects may be
considered ``acceptable.''
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is participating as a
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS/EIR because the
project would cross Federal land under the jurisdiction of seven field
offices in Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, and one district office and three
field offices in California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service (FS) is also a cooperating agency in the preparation of this
document because the Dixie National Forest and the Humboldt-Toiyabe
National Forest/Spring Mountains National Recreation Area would be
crossed by the project. The EIS/EIR will be used by the BLM to consider
issuance of a new or amended right-of-way grant for the portion of the
project on Federal lands.
The final EIS/EIR addresses the potential environmental effects of
the construction and operation of the following facilities in Wyoming,
Utah, Nevada, and California:
634.5 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline adjacent to
KRGT's existing pipeline in Wyoming (Lincoln and Uinta Counties), Utah
(Summit, Morgan, Salt Lake, Utah, Juab, Millard, Beaver, Iron, and
Washington Counties), Nevada (Lincoln and Clark Counties), and
California (San Bernardino County);
82.2 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline adjacent to the
portion of KRGT's existing pipeline that it jointly owns with Mojave
Pipeline Company in California (San Bernardino and Kern Counties);
0.8 mile of 12-inch-diameter pipeline in Uinta County,
Wyoming;
Three new compressor stations, one each in Wyoming (Uinta
County), Utah (Salt Lake County), and Nevada (Clark County) for a total
of 60,000 horsepower (hp) of compression;
Modifications to six existing compressor stations, one in
Wyoming (Lincoln County), three in Utah (Utah, Millard, and Washington
Counties), one in Nevada (Clark County), and one in California (San
Bernardino County) for a total of 103,700 hp of new compression;
Modifications to one existing meter station in Wyoming
(Lincoln County) and four existing meter stations in California (two
each in San Bernardino and Kern Counties); and
Various mainline block valves, internal inspection tool
launcher/receiver facilities, and other appurtenances.
The final EIS/EIR has been placed in the public files of the FERC
and the CSLC and is available for public inspection at:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference and Files
Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC
20426, (202) 208-1371;
and
California State Lands Commission, 100 Howe Avenue, Suite 100 South,
Sacramento, CA 95825, (916) 574-1890.
The final EIS/EIR was filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and submitted to the California State Clearinghouse. The
document was also mailed to appropriate Federal, state, and local
agencies; elected officials, Native American groups; newspapers; public
libraries; intervenors to the FERC's proceeding; and other interested
parties who provided scoping comments, commented on the draft EIS/EIR,
or wrote to the FERC, the CSLC, or the BLM asking to receive a copy of
the document. A formal notice indicating that the final EIS/EIR is
available was published in the Federal Register and posted in the
appropriate County Clerks' offices in California.
A limited number of copies of the final EIS/EIR are available from
the FERC's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch identified
above. Copies may also be obtained from Cy Oggins, CSLC, at the address
above. The final EIS/EIR is available for viewing on the project web
site at http://www.kernriver2003.com and at the public libraries listed
in appendix 1 of this notice.\2\
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\2\ The appendix referenced in this notice is not being printed
in the Federal Register. A copy is available on the FERC's web site
(http://www.ferc.gov) at the ``RIMS'' link or from the Commission's
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street,
N.E., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)208-1371. For
instructions on connecting to RIMS, refer to page 4 of this notice.
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Additional information about the proposed project is available from
Cy Oggins at the CSLC at (916) 574-1884, or on the CSLC web site at
http://www.slc.ca.gov, and from the FERC's Office of External Affairs
at (202) 208-1088 (direct line) or you can call the FERC operator at 1-
800-847-8885 and ask for External Affairs. Information is also
available on the FERC web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the
``RIMS''
[[Page 43101]]
link. Click on the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket#,'' and follow the
instructions (call (202) 208-2222 for assistance). Access to the texts
of formal documents issued by the FERC, such as orders and notices, is
also available on the FERC web site by using the ``CIPS'' link,
selecting ``Docket#,'' and following the instructions. For assistance
with access to CIPS, the CIPS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-
2222.
Information concerning the involvement of the BLM is available from
Jerry Crockford, BLM Project Manager, at (505) 599-6333. Information
concerning the involvement of the FS is available from Kathy Slack,
Supervisor's Office, at (435) 865-3742.
The CSLC will meet to consider certification of the final EIS/EIR
and take action on the proposed project at a public meeting in 2002.
Interested parties will be notified of the date, time, and place of the
meeting 10 to 15 days in advance. If you have any questions regarding
the CSLC meeting, or wish to testify, please contact Cy Oggins at the
number above.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
[FR Doc. 02-16109 Filed 6-25-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P