[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 83 (Friday, April 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23349-23351]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10821]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[UT-070-99-5101-00; J-608; UTU-77149, UTU-77164]


San Juan County, NM; La Plata, Montezuma, Dolores, and San Miguel 
Counties, CO; and San Juan, Grand, Emery, Carbon, Sanpete, Utah, and 
Salt Lake Counties, UT; EIS for Pipeline Transportation of Refined 
Petroleum Products and Natural Gas

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Utah.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) and notice of EIS scoping meetings for construction of pipeline 
facilities and transportation of refined petroleum products via 
underground pipeline in San Juan County, New Mexico; La Plata, 
Montezuma, Dolores, and San Miguel Counties, Colorado; and San Juan, 
Grand, Emery, Carbon, Sanpete, Utah, and Salt Lake Counties, Utah; and 
the construction of pipeline facilities and transportation of natural 
gas via

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underground pipeline in Carbon, Sanpete and Utah Counties, Utah.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Price 
Field Office, will be directing the preparation of an EIS on the 
impacts of proposed transportation of refined petroleum products 
through a pipeline located on public, National Forest System, and 
private lands in northwest New Mexico, southwest Colorado, and 
southeast to north-central Utah. In addition, the EIS will analyze the 
impacts of proposed transportation of natural gas through a pipeline 
located on public and private lands in southeast to north-central Utah. 
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and U.S. Forest 
Service, Manti-LaSal and Uinta Forests, will be participating in the 
EIS preparation as cooperating agencies in accordance with 40, CFR 
1501.6. Because these separate proposed actions would share 
approximately 102 miles of utility corridor, the BLM and cooperating 
agencies will analyze the impacts in a single EIS process. The EIS may 
also address the impacts of other potential utility projects proposed 
for portions of the corridor in Utah.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Williams Pipe Line Company has proposed to 
transport refined petroleum products to the Wasatch Front area of Utah 
using a combination of existing pipelines in New Mexico and Colorado, 
and a new segment of pipeline in Utah from near Thompson Springs to a 
terminal on the Wasatch Front. The refined petroleum products would 
include diesel fuel, fuel oil, jet fuel, and gasoline. Questar Pipeline 
Company has proposed to increase its transportation of natural gas from 
the Price area by installing a parallel pipeline along its existing 
Main Line (ML) 40/41 Pipeline from Price to Payson, Utah, and then west 
to a new interconnect point with Kern River Pipeline in the vicinity of 
Elberta, Utah, and north to a terminus near Lehi, Utah. The BLM is 
preparing an EIS to analyze the effects of the proposed pipelines and 
appurtenant facilities.

Summary Description of Williams Pipe Line Company's Proposed Action

    Transportation of refined petroleum products through underground 
pipeline from west Texas to a terminal site along the Wasatch Front of 
Utah is proposed. Williams Pipe Line Company would use the pipeline 
network to distribute products to distinct markets in New Mexico, 
western Colorado, and the growing Wasatch Front area of Utah. The 
northern portion of the project serving markets in northwestern New 
Mexico, western Colorado and southeast Utah would involve re-
engineering of existing natural gas pipeline. A new 237-mile pipeline 
would be constructed to connect the re-engineered, existing pipeline 
network from near Thompson Springs, Utah to the Wasatch Front. 
Terminals would be constructed adjacent to I-70 near Green River, Utah 
and near Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Other appurtenant 
pipeline facilities may include check valves approximately every 10 to 
15 miles, a cathodic protection system, aerial markers, and scraper 
launchers and traps. Existing pump stations near Ignacio, Dolores and 
Dove Creek, Colorado, and Lisbon and Moab Utah, would have pumping 
units added for the project. New pump stations would be constructed at 
one location in northwest New Mexico, one location in southwest 
Colorado, and two locations in Utah.
    The southern segment of the project extending from west Texas to 
northwest New Mexico would include the use of existing or new terminals 
in Albuquerque and Bloomfield, New Mexico and other facilities. 
However, because the northern and southern segments of the pipeline 
project would serve separate and distinct markets and have substantial 
independent utility, the BLM will undertake separate NEPA analyses for 
the segments. The Price Field Office of BLM will be the lead office to 
assess effects of the proposed pipeline and appurtenant facilities 
within Utah, existing pipeline re-engineering and appurtenant 
facilities in Colorado, and the existing pipeline re-engineering north 
of Bloomfield, New Mexico. BLM staff in New Mexico will assess effects 
of the portions of the project serving markets in Texas and most of New 
Mexico.

Summary Description of Questar Pipeline Company's Proposed Action

    In order to service the current and future transportation needs of 
natural gas development in central Utah south of Price to markets along 
the Wasatch Front and existing Kern River Pipeline, Questar Pipeline 
Company proposes to increase its system capacity by installing a new 
102-mile, 20-inch outside diameter natural gas pipeline loop from Price 
to Lehi, Utah. The ML 40/41 Loop would be installed parallel to Questar 
Pipeline Company's existing ML 40/41 Pipeline from Price to Payson. 
From the Payson Meter Station, the pipeline would continue due west 
approximately 18 miles through the Goshen Valley and tie into the Kern 
River Pipeline near Elberta, Utah. From the tie-in with Kern River, the 
pipeline would continue within the existing Kern River corridor 
approximately 30 miles north to a termination point due west of Lehi, 
Utah.

Preliminary Issues

    Tentatively identified issues of concern may include: cultural 
resources, wildlife, water resources, land use, socioeconomics and 
visual resources.

Possible Alternatives

    The EIS will analyze the Proposed Actions and No-Action 
Alternatives. Other alternatives may include different routes for 
portions of each pipeline, fewer but larger pipelines in the corridor, 
and optional sites for pipeline facilities, as well as mitigating 
measures to minimize impacts.

Decisions To Be Made

    Separate Records of Decision would be issued for the Williams and 
Questar proposals. Questar Pipeline Company's proposed action is 
regulated by the FERC, and the FERC will review Questar Pipeline 
Company's Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and 
Necessity under the Natural Gas Act.

Tentative Project Schedule

    The tentative project schedule is as follows:
     Begin Public Comment Period--April 1999.
     Hold Scoping Meetings--May 1999.
     File Draft EIS--January 2000.
     File Final EIS--June 2000.
     Record of Decision--July 2000.

Public Scoping Meetings

    Eight public scoping meetings will be held, each one beginning at 
7:00 p.m. All locations except for Durango, Colorado, are in Utah. The 
meeting locations include:
     May 18 Green River: John Wesley Powell Hall of Fame 
Museum.
     May 19 Moab: Moab Civic Center Senior Citizens Center.
     May 20 Price: Holiday Inn.
     May 25 Salt Lake City: Wyndham Hotel.
     May 26 Payson: Payson City Hall Banquet Room.
     May 27 Lehi: Lehi High School.
     June 2 Dolores: Anasazi Heritage Center.
     June 3 Durango: Doubletree Hotel.

Public Input Requested

    Comments concerning the Proposed Action and EIS should address 
issues to be considered, feasible alternatives to examine, possible 
mitigation, and

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information relevant to or having bearing on the Proposed Action.

DATES: The comment period for scoping of the EIS will commence with 
publication of this notice. Written comments must be submitted on or 
before June 11, 1999. Eight public scoping meetings will be held to 
receive oral comment on May 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, and 27, and June 2 and 
3, 1999, at the times and locations listed under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Mark Mackiewicz, Williams Aspen 
Pipeline EIS Team Leader, Bureau of Land Management, 125 South 600 
West, Price, Utah 84501 or at e-mail: [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Mackiewicz, (435) 636-3616 or at 
e-mail: [email protected]

    Dated: April 22, 1999.
Linda S. Colville,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 99-10821 Filed 4-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P