[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 226 (Friday, November 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58089-58090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28612]



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[[Page 58090]]


DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Yellowstone Pipeline Easement Renewal Across Trust and Allotted 
Lands on the Flathead Indian Reservation, MT

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the 
proposed easement renewal on tribal and allotted lands on the Flathead 
Indian Reservation, Montana, for an existing petroleum products 
pipeline from Billings, Montana, to Spokane and Moses Lake, Washington, 
is now available for public review. This notice is furnished in 
accordance with Council on Environmental Quality Regulations, 40 CFR 
1503 and 1506.9.

DATES: The public comment period closes on December 24, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be addressed to: Mr. Ernest Moran, 
Superintendent, Flathead Agency, Box A, Pablo, MT 59855. Copies of the 
FEIS are also available at this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ernest Moran at the above address, 
by telephone at (406) 675-7200 ext. 260, or toll-free at (800) 695-
9305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Yellowstone Pipe Line Company (YPL) had 
a lease agreement with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of 
the Flathead Nation (CSKT) for an easement from April 21, 1975, to 
April 21, 1995, across trust lands. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), 
which acts as the federal trustee for the lands, approved the lease. 
The YPL wishes to renew the lease in order to continue using the 
pipeline through the year 2016. The FEIS describes the proposed action, 
alternatives and affected environment, and evaluates potential impacts.
    The Proposed Action, is the renewal of YPL's existing easement 
across trust lands, with added pipeline safety improvements. The action 
would allow the YPL to continue serving the needs of military and 
civilian consumers in the greater Spokane area for petroleum products. 
The 10-inch pipeline currently supplies approximately 34 percent of all 
consumer gasoline and diesel fuel to the Spokane market, 100 percent of 
the military jet fuel to the Fairchild Air Force Base, and 100 percent 
of the commercial jet fuel to the Grant County Airport, which supports 
the Boeing Aircraft and the Japan Air Lines pilot test programs.
    The FEIS includes two alternatives, No Action and a Modified 
Existing Route Alternative. The No Action alternative would not renew 
the easement. Petroleum products would thus have to be transported to 
the Spokane markets by means which cost more and pose more risk to the 
environment than would the upgrading and use of the existing pipeline.
    The Modified Existing Route Alternative has safety improvements 
similar to those for the Proposed Action, but re-routes the pipeline 
around areas where it may be unusually vulnerable to rupture from 
natural hazards, and where the concentration of people and resources 
that a pipeline rupture would adversely affect is unusually high. The 
BIA has designated this as the Preferred Alternative.
    The BIA has afforded the public the opportunity to participate in 
the preparation of this FEIS. The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS 
was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 1994. Seven 
scoping meetings followed between September 29, 1994, and November 21, 
1994, in Pablo, Arlee, Frenchtown, St. Ignacious, Missoula and Hot 
Springs, Montana, and Spokane, Washington.
    While the Draft EIS was being prepared, four open houses and four 
workshops were held during the week of February 20, 1995. These focused 
on the alternative-route-screening analysis and the work plans for the 
EIS studies. Information on these topics was also mailed to interested 
individuals via newsletter, and distributed to information centers in 
the vicinity of the study area. In addition, the EIS study team made 
presentations to both the CSKT Tribal Council and Cultural Committees.
    The Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS was published in the 
Federal Register on April 26, 1995, with a 60 day public comment period 
ending on June 24, 1995. During this period, five open house meetings 
were held to inform the public about the Draft EIS alternatives, study 
methods and results and to provide additional opportunity for public 
comment.

    Dated: November 7, 1995.
Ada E. Deer,
Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-28612 Filed 11-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P