[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8954-8955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-4599]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the California State Lands 
Commission

[FERC Docket No. CP01-422-000, CA State Clearinghouse No. 2001071035, 
and BLM Reference No. CACA-43346]


Kern River Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Availability/
Completion of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report for the 
Proposed Kern River 2003 Expansion Project

February 21, 2002.
    The staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) and the California State Lands Commission (CSLC) have 
prepared a draft environmental impact statement/report (EIS/EIR) to 
address natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Kern River Gas 
Transmission Company (KRGT).
    The draft EIS/EIR was prepared as required by the National 
Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality 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 and the CSLC staffs conclude that approval of the 
proposed project, with appropriate mitigation measures as recommended, 
would have limited adverse environmental impact.
    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is participating as a 
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS/EIR because the 
project would cross Federal land under the jurisdiction of seven field 
offices in Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, and one district office and three 
field offices in California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service (FS) is also a cooperating agency in the preparation of the 
document because the Dixie National Forest and the Humboldt-Toiyabe 
National Forest/Spring Mountains National Recreation Area would be 
crossed by the project. The EIS/EIR will be used by the BLM to consider 
issuance of a right-of-way grant for the portion of the project on 
Federal lands.
    The draft EIS/EIR addresses the potential environmental effects of 
the construction and operation of the following facilities in Wyoming, 
Utah, Nevada, and California:
     634.5 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline adjacent to 
KRGT's existing pipeline in Wyoming (Lincoln and Uinta Counties), Utah 
(Summit, Morgan, Salt Lake, Utah, Juab, Millard, Beaver, Iron, and 
Washington Counties), Nevada (Lincoln and Clark Counties), and 
California (San Bernardino County);
     82.2 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline adjacent to the 
portion of KRGT's existing pipeline that it jointly owns with Mojave 
Pipeline Company in California (San Bernardino and Kern Counties);
     0.8 mile of 12-inch-diameter pipeline in Uinta County, 
Wyoming;
     three new compressor stations, one each in Wyoming (Uinta 
County), Utah (Salt Lake County), and Nevada (Clark County) for a total 
of 60,000 horsepower (hp) of compression;
     modifications to six existing compressor stations, one in 
Wyoming (Lincoln County), three in Utah (Utah, Millard, and Washington 
Counties), one in Nevada (Clark County), and one in California (San 
Bernardino County) for a total of 103,700 hp of compression;
     modifications to one existing meter station in Wyoming 
(Lincoln County) and four existing meter stations in California (two 
each in San Bernardino and Kern Counties); and
     various mainline block valves, internal inspection tool 
launcher/receiver facilities, and other appurtenances.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS/EIR may do so. 
However, to ensure inclusion in the environmental analysis it is 
imperative that your comments are received by the date specified below. 
Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are 
properly recorded:
     Send an original and two copies of your comments to: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 
First Street, N.E., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP01-422-000;
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of the 
Gas Branch 1;
     Send an additional copy of your letter to the following 
individual: Cy Oggins, California State Lands Commission, 100 Howe 
Avenue, Suite 100 South, Sacramento, CA 95825; and
     Mail your comments so that they will be received in 
Washington, DC and Sacramento, CA on or before April 15, 2002.
    Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail 
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. Because

[[Page 8955]]

only those comments received on or before April 15, 2002 will be 
considered in the final EIS/EIR, the Commission encourages electronic 
filing or use of private mail delivery services to submit comments on 
the draft EIS/EIR. See Title 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's website at 
http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' link and 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.''
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, the FERC and 
the CSLC invite you to attend the public meetings the staffs will 
conduct in the project area to receive comments on the draft EIS/EIR. 
All meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m., and are scheduled as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Date                               Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 1, 2002.....................  Ramada Inn, 1511 E. Main
                                             Street, Barstow, California
                                             92311, (760) 256-5673.
Tuesday, April 2, 2002....................  Clark County Government
                                             Center, ETD Room 3, 500
                                             South Grand Central
                                             Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada
                                             89106, (702) 455-3121.
Wednesday, April 3, 2002..................  Holiday Inn, 1575 West 200
                                             North, Cedar City, Utah
                                             84720, (435) 586-8888.
Thursday, April 4, 2002...................  Fairfield Inn, 230 North
                                             Admiral Byrd Drive, Salt
                                             Lake City, Utah 84116,
                                             (801) 355-3331.
Friday, April 5, 2002.....................  Days Inn, 339 Wasatch Road,
                                             Evanston, Wyoming 82930,
                                             (307) 789-2220.
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    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and 
present oral comments on the draft EIS/EIR. Transcripts of the meetings 
will be prepared.
    After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and necessary modifications are made to the draft EIS/
EIR, a final EIS/EIR will be published and distributed. The final EIS/
EIR will contain the FERC and the CSLC staffs' responses to timely 
comments received on the draft EIS/EIR.
    Comments will be considered by the FERC and the CSLC but will not 
serve to make the commenter a party to the proceeding. Any person 
seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to 
intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice 
and Procedure (Title 18 CFR part 385.214). Anyone may intervene in this 
proceeding based on the draft EIS/EIR. You must file your request to 
intervene as specified above.\1\ You do not need intervenor status to 
have your comments considered.
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    \1\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
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    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 or written or oral comments on the draft EIS/EIR, as well as 
those who previously asked to remain on the mailing list will receive a 
copy of the final EIS/EIR. If you are not described by one of these 
categories but wish to receive a copy of the final EIS/EIR, you must 
write to the Secretary of the FERC indicating this request.
    The draft EIS/EIR has been placed in the public files of the FERC 
and the CSLC and is available for public inspection at:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference and Files 
Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A, Washington, DC 
20426, (202) 208-1371
      and
California State Lands Commission, 100 Howe Avenue, Suite 100 South, 
Sacramento, CA 95825, (916) 574-1889

    A limited number of copies of the draft EIS/EIR are available from 
the FERC's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch identified 
above. Copies may also be obtained from Cy Oggins, CSLC, at the address 
above. The draft EIS/EIR is available for viewing at http://www.kernriver2003.com and at the public libraries listed in appendix 1 
of this notice.\2\
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    \2\ The appendix referenced in this notice is not being printed 
in the Federal Register. A copy is available on the FERC's website 
(http://www.ferc.gov) at the ``RIMS'' link or from the Commission's 
Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street, NE, 
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)208-1371. For 
instructions on connecting to RIMS, refer to page 6 of this notice.
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    Additional information about the proposed project is available from 
Cy Oggins at the CSLC at (916) 574-1884, or on the CSLC website at 
http://www.slc.ca.gov, and from the FERC's Office of External Affairs 
at (202) 208-1088 (direct line) or you can call the FERC operator at 1-
800-847-8885 and ask for External Affairs. Information is also 
available on the FERC website at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' 
link. Click on the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket#,'' and follow the 
instructions (call (202) 208-2222 for assistance). Access to the texts 
of formal documents issued by the FERC, such as orders and notices, is 
also available on the FERC website by using the ``CIPS'' link, 
selecting ``Docket#,'' and following the instructions. For assistance 
with access to CIPS, the CIPS helpline can be reached at (202) 208-
2474.
    Information concerning the involvement of the BLM is available from 
Jerry Crockford, BLM Project Manager, at (505) 599-6333. Information 
concerning the involvement of the FS is available from Kathy Slack, 
Supervisor's Office, at (435) 865-3742.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-4599 Filed 2-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P