[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 29981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13974]



[[Page 29981]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-070-99-5101-00; J-608; UTU-77149, UTU-77164, UTU-78301, FERC Doc. 
No. CP00-68-000]


San Juan County, New Mexico; La Plata, Montezuma, Dolores, and 
San Miguel Counties, Colorado; and San Juan, Grand, Emery, Carbon, 
Sanpete, Utah, Juab and Salt Lake Counties, Utah; Final EIS for a 
Refined Petroleum Products Pipeline, Natural Gas Pipelines and Utility 
Corridor Analysis and Plan Amendments

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS) has been prepared by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Utah 
State Office. The FEIS was prepared to analyze the impacts of proposed 
transportation of refined petroleum products and natural gas through 
pipelines located on public lands administered by BLM, National Forest 
System lands and State and private lands in northwest New Mexico, 
southwest Colorado, and southeast to north-central Utah. In addition, 
the Final EIS analyzes utility corridors across the Manti-LaSal and 
Uinta National Forests which may or may not expand the existing 
designated corridors and /or identify other corridors. This analysis 
may result in Forest Plan amendments to the Manti-LaSal and Uinta 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plans. The Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (FERC) and United States Forest Service, Manti-
LaSal, San Juan and Uinta National Forests, are Cooperating Agencies in 
accordance with Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Sec. 1501.6.

DATES: The Final EIS will be distributed and made available to the 
public on June 1, 2001, for a 30 day review period. Copies of the Final 
EIS will be mailed to individuals, agencies, or companies who 
previously requested copies by responding to an inquiry by the Bureau 
of Land Management. No decision on the proposed action shall be made or 
recorded until at least 30 days after publication of a Notice of 
Availability by the Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: Public reading copies of the FEIS will be available for 
review at the following locations:

 Salt Lake City, Utah--209 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
 West Valley City, Utah--2880 West 3650 South, West Valley 
City, Utah
 Payson, Utah--439 West Utah Ave, Payson, Utah
 Nephi, Utah--22 East 100 North, Nephi, Utah
 Price, Utah--159 East Main, Price, Utah
 Moab, Utah--Grand Co. Library, 25 South 100 East, Moab, Utah
 Durango, Colorado--Durango Public Library, 1188 Second Avenue, 
Durango, CO
 Dolores, Colorado--Dolores Public Library, PO Box 847, 
Dolores, CO
 Farmington, New Mexico--Farmington Public Library, 100 West 
Broadway, Farmington, NM

    A limited number of copies of the document will be available at the 
following BLM and Forest Service Offices:

 Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, 324 South State 
Street, Salt Lake, Utah
 Uinta National Forest, 88 West 100 North, Provo, Utah,
 Bureau of Land Management
 Filmore Field Office, 35 East 500 North, Fillmore, Utah,
 Bureau of Land Management, Price Field Office, 125 South, 600 
West, Price, Utah
 Manti La-Sal National Forest, 599 West Price River Drive, 
Price, Utah
 Bureau of Land Management, Moab Field Office, 82 East Dogwood 
Road, Moab, Utah
 Bureau of Land Management, Monticello Field Office, 435 North 
Main Street, Monticello, Utah
 Bureau of Land Management, Durango Field Office. 15 Burnett 
Court, Durango, Colorado
 San Juan National Forest, Delores, Colorado
 Bureau of Land Management, Farmington, Field Office, 1235 La 
Plata Highway, Farmington, New Mexico

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact Ms. LaVerne Steah, Project 
Manager, at the above address or phone: (801) 539-4114 or e-mail: 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Three proponents (Williams Pipeline Company, 
Questar Pipeline Company and Kern River Gas Transmission Company) filed 
right-of-way applications with the Bureau of Land Management in 1998 
and 1999 to construct and operate petroleum products and natural gas 
pipelines and ancillary facilities on public lands administered by the 
Bureau of Land Management, National Forest System Lands administered by 
the United States Forest Service (USFS), and private and state owned 
lands in the states of New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. The three 
projects are independent of each other (each project could be 
constructed and operated regardless of whether the other two projects 
are approved). The three projects were analyzed together because they 
would share common utility corridors across the Manti-LaSal and Uinta 
National Forests and would cause cumulative impacts.
    The BLM and the USFS examined alternative natural gas and petroleum 
transportation methods and several alternative pipeline route segments 
to address concerns about potential petroleum products leaks and spill 
effects on natural resources, water and people, natural gas leaks and 
failure effects on natural resources and people, and effects on the 
character of USFS inventoried roadless and unroaded areas. Two major 
(30 miles or longer) route alternatives, and two short (5 miles or 
less) route variations were carried forward in the analysis in addition 
to the proposed action and the no action alternative. Also, as part of 
the proposed action is a proposal to amend one or more forest plans 
following the 1982 regulations (36 CFR, part 219).
    A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was issued on 
February 23, 2001, analyzing the impacts and identifying alternatives 
and mitigation measures. A 52 day public comment period and eight 
public meetings were held in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico to receive 
comments on the DEIS. A total of 123 comments (84 oral comments and 39 
letters) were received. These comments have been analyzed, and 
appropriate changes have been made in the FEIS. The public comments 
have been summarized and printed in the FEIS, along with BLM's 
responses.

Linda Colville,
Acting Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. 01-13974 Filed 6-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-U