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BLM Reference No. CACA-42662]
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: December 18, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 243)]
[Notices]
[Page 79097-79100]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18de00-89]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[FERC Docket Nos. CP01-22-000 and No. CP01-23-000; CSLC EIR No. 703,
BLM Reference No. CACA-42662]
North Baja Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent/Preparation To Prepare
a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/Report for the Proposed North
Baja Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues,
and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit
December 12, 2000.
The staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory commission (FERC or
Commission) and the California State Lands Commission (CSLC) will
jointly prepare an environmental impact statement/report (EIS/EIR) that
will discuss the environmental impacts of North Baja Pipeline, LLC's
(NBP) proposed North Baja Pipeline Project in La Paz County, Arizona,
and Riverside and Imperial Counties, California.\1\ The North Baja
Pipeline Project would involve the construction and operation of about
79.8 miles of 36- and 30-inch-diameter pipeline and a new 18,810-
horsepower (hp) compressor station. The FERC will use this EIS/EIR in
its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the
public convenience and necessity. The CSLC will use the document to
consider NBP's application for leasing the State's Sovereign and School
Lands for the pipeline.
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\1\ NBP's applications in Docket Nos. CP01-22-000 and CP01-23-
000 were filed with the FERC under sections 7(c) and 3 of the
Natural Gas Act, respectively.
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The FERC will be the lead Federal agency in the preparation of this
EIS/EIR while the CSLC will be the State Lead Agency for California.
The joint document, which will avoid much duplication of environmental
analyses, will satisfy the requirements of both the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA).
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a NBP representative about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The pipeline
company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement.
However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that approval
conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement
negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could
[[Page 79098]]
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' should have been
attached to the project notice NBP provided to landowners. This fact
sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's
proceedings. It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet website
www.ferc.fed.us).
This notice is being sent to affected landowners along NBP's
proposed and alternative routes; Federal, state, and local government
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups;
Indian tribes that might attach religious and cultural significance to
historic properties in the area of potential effect; local libraries,
newspapers, and television stations; commentors on the FERC Notice of
Application; and the commission's list of parties to the proceeding.
Government representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents
of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern. Additionally, with this notice we \2\ are asking other
Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to cooperate
with us in the preparation of the EIS/EIR. These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated NBP's proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Agencies who would like to request cooperating status
should follow the instructions for filing comments described later in
this notice.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the staffs of the
FERC's Office of Energy Projects and the CSLC.
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Because of the federally-managed land that the proposal would
affect, NBP has filed a right-of-way application with the El Centro
Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). As part of
considering NBP's application, the BLM has agreed to meet its NEPA
responsibilities by participating as a cooperating agency in the
preparation of this EIS/EIR. Also, the BLM will consider a plan
amendment which may be necessary for pipeline construction outside of
the designated utility corridors as described in the California Desert
Conservation Area Plan, 1980 (as amended).
Summary of the Proposed Project
NBP's proposed action consists of the construction and operation
of:
About 79.8 miles of 36-inch-diameter (11.5 miles) and 30-
inch-diameter (68.3 miles) natural gas pipeline (North Baja Pipeline)
extending from an interconnection with El Paso Natural Gas Company (El
Paso) in La Paz County, Arizona, through Riverside and Imperial
Counties, California, to an interconnection at the international border
between the United States and Mexico;
A new compressor station (Ehrenburg Compressor Station)
consisting of three 6,270-hp, gas-fired centrifugal compressor units
(with one additional 6,270-hp spare unit) at the El Paso interconnect
in La Paz County, Arizona;
Two meter stations, one at the interconnect with El Paso
at the Ehrenberg Compressor Station site (Ehrenberg Meter Station) and
one in Imperial County, California near the interconnect at the
international border (Ogilby Meter Station); and
A pig launcher facility at the Ehrenberg Compressor
Station site; a pig receiver facility at the Ogilby Meter Station site;
and a separate pig launcher/receiver facility (Rannells Trap) in
Riverside County, California.
The general location of the major project facilities is shown in
appendix 1.\3\
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\3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the
Commission's website 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 the page 10 of this
notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving
this notice in the mail.
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In addition, NPB requests in Docket No. CP01-23-000 a Presidential
Permit to site, construct, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities at
the international border between the U.S. and Mexico.
The proposed facilities would be used to transport 500 million
cubic feet per day of natural gas from the proposed interconnect with
the existing El Paso pipeline to the U.S./Mexico border where it would
interconnect with a new pipeline, Gasoducto Bajanorte, to be
constructed by Sempra Energy Mexico (Sempra). The natural gas would
then be transported westward on the Gasoducto Bajanorte pipeline to an
interconnection with the existing Transportadora de Gas Natural de Baja
California (TGN) pipeline in Baja California, Mexico. The TGN pipeline
extends from Rosarita, Mexico to an interconnection with San Diego Gas
and Electric Company pipeline facilities at the San Diego/Tijuana
border. The natural gas transported on these pipelines would supply
existing and planned power plants in Mexico that would serve electric
power demand in northern Baja California, Mexico, and western U.S.
markets.
The North Baja Pipeline Project is scheduled to be in service in
September 2002. Construction is scheduled to take place between April
and September 2002, although construction may occur outside this time
period. The approximate duration of construction is 6 months for the
compressor station and 4 months for the pipeline.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of NBP's proposed facilities would affect a total of
about 942.2 acres of land. Following construction, about 457.3 acres
would be retained as permanent right-of-way. The remaining 484.9 acres
of temporary work space would be restored and allowed to revert to
former use.
The nominal construction right-of-way for pipeline would be 80 feet
wide, with 50 feet retained as permanent right-of-way. However, where
the pipeline is proposed for construction within 18th Avenue on the
southern outskirts of Blythe, California (about 7.6 miles), the nominal
construction right-of-way would be about 60 feet, with 5 feet retained
as permanent right-of-way. About 63 percent of the pipeline route would
abut or overlap existing road or powerline rights-of-way. Additionally,
a total of about 70 percent of the land affected by construction and
operation of the North Baja Pipeline Project would be on public lands
managed by the BLM (59 percent), the CSLC (1 percent), or California
counties (10 percent).
The Ehrenberg Compressor Station, Ehrenberg Meter Station, and a
pig launcher would be constructed on 12.4 acres of land within an
approximate 80-acre site has been acquired by NBP. The Rannells Trap
pig launcher/receiver facility would be constructed on a 0.7-acre site
that would be leased/acquired from a private landowner. The Ogilby
Meter Station and a pig receiver would be constructed on a 0.9-acre
site that would be leased from the BLM. Mainline valves would be
installed within each of these aboveground facilities and another four
mainline valves would be spaced as required within the permanent
pipeline right-of-way along the pipeline route.
The EIS/EIR Process
NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the
issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. The
CSLC, as State Lead Agency for California, is required to consider the
same potential impacts within the State of California under
[[Page 79099]]
CEQA. The EIS/EIR we are preparing will give both the FERC and the CSLC
the information we need to do that.
NEPA and CEQA also require us to discover and address concerns the
public may have about proposals. We call this ``scoping.'' The main
goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EIS/EIR on
the important environmental issues. By this notice, we are requesting
public comments on the scope of the issues to be analyzed and presented
in the EIS/EIR. All comments received are considered during the
preparation of the EIS/EIR.
Our independent analysis of the issues will result in the
publication of a Draft EIS/EIR. The Draft EIS/EIR will be mailed to
Federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Indian tribes; affected
landowners; local libraries, newspapers, and television stations; other
interested parties; and the Commission's official service list for this
proceeding. We will consider all comments on the Draft EIS/EIR and
revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a Final EIS/EIR. The
Final EIS/EIR will include our response to all comments received.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
The EIS/EIR will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already
identified a number of issues that we think deserve attention based on
a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental
information provided by NBP. This preliminary list of issues may be
changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Geology and Soils:
-- Assessment of potential geologic hazards.
-- Effect on prime farmland soils.
-- Desert construction, erosion control, and restoration.
Water Resources and Wetlands:
-- Directional drill of the Colorado River and All American Canal.
-- Dry crossings of irrigation canals and drains in the Palo Verde
Irrigation District.
-- Open-cut crossings of 579 dry washes.
-- Effect on 2.5 acres of wetlands.
Vegetation and Wildlife:
-- Effect on 573.2 acres of Sonoran creosote bush scrub.
-- Effect on 96.9 acres of desert wash woodland.
Endangered and Threatened Species:
-- Potential effect on 9 federally listed species (including the
desert tortoise).
-- Potential effect on 31 state-listed species.
Cultural Resources:
-- Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.
-- Native American and tribal concerns.
Land Use, Recreation, and Visual Resources:
-- Temporary effect on 13.8 acres of agricultural land.
-- Permanent conversion of 13.1 acres of land from agricultural to
industrial use.
-- Temporary disturbance to residents who use 18th Avenue as access
to their homes and businesses.
-- Effect on about 56 miles of public land.
-- Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan.
-- Visual impacts.
Socioeconomics:
-- Potential effects on transportation and traffic.
-- Effects of construction workforce demands on public services and
temporary housing.
Air Quality and Noise:
-- Effects on local air quality and noise environment from
construction and operation of the Ehrenberg Compressor Station.
Reliability and Safety:
-- Assessment of hazards associated with natural gas pipelines.
Alternatives:
-- Assessment or alternative routes and existing systems to reduce
or avoid environmental impacts.
-- Route alternatives in the Blythe and Cibola areas.
-- Deviations from California Desert Conservation Area Desert Plan
designated Utility Corridor J.
Cumulative Impact:
-- Assessment of the effect of the proposed project when combined
with other projects that have been or may be proposed in the same
region and similar time frame.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your
concerns will be addressed in the EIS/EIR and considered by the
Commission and the CSLC. You should focus on the potential
environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to the proposal
(including alternative locations and routes), and measures to avoid or
lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more
useful they will be. Please carefully follow these instructions to
ensure that your comments are received in time and properly recorded:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to: David
P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
Reference Docket No. CP01-22-000;
Label one copy of your comments for the attention of the
Gas Group 1, PJ-11.1;
Send an additional copy of your letter to the following
individual: Goodyear K. Walker, California State Lands Commission, 100
Howe Ave., Suite 100 South, Sacramento, CA 95825.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before February 5, 2001.
Comments may also be filed electronically via the internet in lieu
of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the
Commission's website at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm under
the link to the User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will
need to create an account by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then
``New User Account.''
Everyone who responds to this notice or comments throughout the
EIS/EIR process will be retained on our mailing list. If you do not
want to send comments at this time but still want to keep informed and
receive copies of the Draft and Final EIS/EIR, please return the
Information Request (appendix 3). You must send comments or return the
Information Request for your name to remain on the mailing list.
Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit
In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, we invite
you to attend the public scoping meetings that the FERC, CSLC, and BLM
will conduct in the project area. The locations and times for these
meetings are listed below.
Wednesday, January 10, 2001, 7:00 p.m.: Vacation Inn, 2000 Cottonwood
Circle, El Centro, California 92243, (760) 352-9523
Thursday, January 11, 2001, 7:00 p.m.: Blythe City Council Chamber, 235
North Broadway, Blythe, California 92225, (760) 922- 6161
The public scoping meetings are designed to provide you with more
detailed information and another opportunity to offer your comments on
[[Page 79100]]
the proposed project NBP representatives will be present at the scoping
meetings to describe their proposal. Interested groups and individuals
are encouraged to attend the meetings and to present comments on the
environmental issues they believe should be addressed in the EIS/EIR. A
transcript of each meeting will be made so that your comments will be
accurately recorded.
On January 10 and 11, 2001, we will also be conducting a site visit
to the project area. This will be an on-the-ground inspection,
conducted by automobile on public roads, or where access to private
property has been granted (specific locations to be determined later).
Anyone interested in participating in the site visit may contact the
Commission's Office of External Affairs identified at the end of this
notice for more details and must provide their own transportation.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EIS/EIR scoping process, you may
want to become an official party to the proceeding, known as an
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process.
Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of
case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors.
Likewise, each intervenor must provide 14 copies of its filings to the
Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its filings to all
other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If
you want to become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene
according to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214) (see appendix 2). Only intervenors have the
right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your environmental comments considered.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the proposed project is available from
the Commission's Office of External Affairs at (202) 208-0004 or on the
FERC website (www.ferc.fed.us) using the ``RIMS'' link to information
in this docket number. Click on the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket #''
from the RIMS Menu, and follow the instructions. For assistance with
access to RIMS, the RIMS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2222.
Similarly, the ``CIPS'' link on the FERC Internet website provides
access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such
as orders, notices, and rulemakings. From the FERC Internet website,
click on the ``CIPS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the CIPS Menu, and
follow the instructions. For assistance with access to CIPS, the CIPS
helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.
Information concerning the involvement of the CSLC in the EIS/EIR
process may be obtained from Kirk Walker, EIR Project Manager, at (916)
574-1893, or on the California State Lands website at http://www/
slc.ca.gov.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-32083 Filed 12-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M