[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 12 (Thursday, January 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2430-2431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-462]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[FERC Docket Nos. CP01-22-002 and CP01-23-000; CA Clearinghouse No. 
2001011020; BLM Reference No. CACA-42662]


North Baja Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Availability/Completion of 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report and Proposed Land Use 
Plan Amendment for the North Baja Pipeline Project

January 3, 2002.
    The staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission), the California State Lands Commission (CSLC), and the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have prepared a final environmental 
impact statement/report (EIS/EIR) and proposed land use plan amendment 
(plan amendment) to address natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by 
North Baja Pipeline, LLC (NBP).
    The final EIS/EIR and proposed plan amendment was prepared as 
required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
California Environmental Quality Act, and the Federal Land Management 
and Policy Act. 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. The FERC, the CSLC, and the BLM staffs conclude that 
if the project is constructed as modified and in accordance with NBP's 
proposed mitigation and our recommendations it would be an 
environmentally acceptable action.
    The BLM is participating as a cooperating agency in the preparation 
of the final EIS/EIR and proposed plan amendment because the project 
would cross Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Palm Springs, El 
Centro, and Yuma Field Offices. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is also 
a cooperating agency in the preparation of the document because lands 
administered by the BOR would be crossed by the project. The final EIS/
EIR and proposed plan amendment will be used by the BLM to consider 
issuance of a right-of-way grant for the portion of the project on 
lands managed by the BLM and the BOR. The document will also be used by 
the BLM to consider amending the California Desert Conservation Area 
(CDCA) Plan (as amended), which would be necessary for pipeline 
construction outside of designated utility corridors, as well as 
amending the Yuma District Resource Management Plan (Yuma District 
Plan), which would be necessary for pipeline construction across the 
Milpitas Wash Special Management Area. The BLM proposes to adopt the 
final EIS/EIR and proposed plan amendment per Title 40 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) part 1506.3 to meet its responsibilities under NEPA 
and its planning regulations per Title 43 CFR part 1610. The BLM 
Arizona and California State Directors have approved the proposed plan 
amendments for their respective planning areas. The BLM will present 
separate Records of Decision for the right-of-way grant and the plan 
amendment for the North Baja Pipeline Project after the issuance of the 
final EIS/EIR and proposed plan amendment.
    The final EIS/EIR and proposed plan amendment addresses the 
potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of 
the following facilities in Arizona and California:

[[Page 2431]]

     About 79.9 miles of 36-inch-diameter (11.8 miles) and 30-
inch-diameter (68.1 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 the international border between the United 
States and Mexico;
     A new compressor station (Ehrenberg Compressor Station) 
consisting of three 7,200-horsepower (hp) gas-fired centrifugal 
compressor units for a total of 21,600 hp (with one additional 7,200-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);
     A pig launcher at the Ehrenberg Compressor Station site; a 
pig launcher and receiver at the Ogilby Meter Station site; and a 
separate pig launcher and receiver facility (Rannells Trap) in 
Riverside County, California; and
     Seven mainline valves, one each at the Ehrenberg 
Compressor Station site, Rannells Trap, and Ogilby Meter Station site, 
and another four spaced as required along the proposed pipeline route.
    The final EIS/EIR and proposed plan amendment has been placed in 
the public files of the FERC and the CSLC and is available for public 
inspection at:

Federal Regulatory Energy 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 95825-8202
(916) 574-1889

    The final EIS/EIR and proposed plan amendment has been 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 and draft plan 
amendment, 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 and proposed plan amendment is available was sent to the remaining 
parties on the environmental mailing list.
    A limited number of copies of the final EIS/EIR and proposed plan 
amendment are available from the FERC's Public Reference and Files 
Maintenance Branch identified above. Copies may also be obtained from 
Goodyear K. Walker, CSLC, at the address above. The final EIS/EIR and 
proposed plan amendment is also available for viewing on the CSLC Web 
site at the Internet address below.
    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Goodyear K. Walker at the CSLC at (916) 574-1893, or on the CSLC Web 
site at http://www.slc.ca.gov, or from the FERC's Office of External 
Affairs at (202) 208-1088, or on the FERC Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket#'' and follow the 
instructions (call (202) 208-2222 for assistance). Access to the text 
of formal documents issued by the Commission with regard to these 
dockets, such as orders and notices, is also available on the FERC Web 
site using the ``CIPS'' link. For assistance with access to CIPS, the 
CIPS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-2474.
    Information concerning the proposed CDCA and Yuma District Plan 
amendments and the involvement of the BLM in the EIS/EIR and plan 
amendment process is available from Lynda Kastoll, BLM Project Manager, 
at (760) 337-4421.
    The CSLC is expected to certify the final EIS/EIR and act on NBP's 
application at a regularly scheduled meeting in early 2002. Interested 
parties will be notified of the date, time, and place of the meeting. 
If you have any questions regarding the CSLC hearing, or wish to 
testify, please contact Goodyear K. Walker at the number above.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-462 Filed 1-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P