[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 50 (Thursday, March 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13558-13560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5004]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA 680-08-5101-ER B266] [CACA 49138]


Notice of Intent and Notice of Preparation To Prepare a Joint 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report and 
California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent/Notice of Preparation.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM), together with the County of San Bernardino, California (County), 
intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental 
Impact Report

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(EIS/EIR) to assess the impacts of the Calnev Pipeline Expansion 
Project (Calnev Project). The Calnev Project runs adjacent to a portion 
of the existing Calnev system, from the North Colton terminal in the 
City of Colton, California to the Las Vegas Terminal in Las Vegas, 
Nevada. The Calnev Project is proposed by Calnev Pipe Line, LLC 
(Applicant). The Applicant has requested a new right-of-way (ROW) for 
pipeline reconstruction and new pipeline construction covering 233 
miles. The EIS/EIR will analyze the site-specific and cumulative 
impacts to the environment from the construction, operation, and 
maintenance of the new pipeline. Actions under consideration by the BLM 
are the grant of the ROW and amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan. Actions under consideration by the 
County are amendment to a franchise agreement and a Conditional Use 
Permit. The BLM will be the lead agency for NEPA compliance and the 
County will be the lead agency for the purposes of CEQA compliance.

DATES: A public scoping period of 60 days commences with the publishing 
of this notice. In order to be assured inclusion in the Draft EIS/EIR, 
written comments must be received prior to the close of the scoping 
period on May 12, 2008 at the address identified below. The public is 
also invited to make comments or hear more about the project at the 
following public scoping meetings:

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

    Rialto Middle School, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., presentation at 6:30 p.m. 
324 N. Palm Ave., Rialto, CA

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

    Victor Elementary School District, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., presentation 
at 6:30 p.m. (Nisqualli Room), 15115 Nisqualli Road, Victorville, CA

Thursday, April 3, 2008

    Parkdale Community Center, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., presentation at 6:30 
p.m. 3200 Ferndale St., Las Vegas

    During the public scoping period the BLM and County are soliciting 
public comment on issues, concerns and opportunities that should be 
considered in the analysis of the proposed action as well as the 
planning criteria to be used during consideration of the plan 
amendment. Comments on issues, potential impacts, or suggestions for 
additional alternatives may also be submitted in writing to the address 
listed below. Additional opportunities for public participation and 
formal comment will occur when the Draft EIS/EIR is issued.

ADDRESSES: Comments and other correspondence should be sent to the BLM 
Barstow Field Office, attention Edythe Seehafer, Environmental 
Coordinator, Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311 
(760) 252-6021, by fax at (760) 252-6099 or by e-mail at 
[email protected]. Documents pertinent to this proposal, including 
comments of respondents, will be available for public review at the BLM 
Barstow Field Office during regular business hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4 
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Before including your 
address, telephone number, e-mail address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 
entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All 
submissions from organizations, businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Edythe Seehafer at the 
contact numbers and addresses above or Carrie Hyke, AICP, Principal 
Planner, San Bernardino County, Advance Planning Division, 385 N. 
Arrowhead Ave., First Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0182, Tel. 909-
387-4147.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Calnev Pipe Line, LLC has applied for a ROW 
on public lands to expand and reconstruct 233 miles of pipeline in 
California and Nevada. The pipeline transports jet fuel from the North 
Colton terminal in Colton, California to Bracken Junction in Las Vegas, 
Nevada. Projected increases in commercial air traffic in and out of 
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas will require significant 
increases in jet fuel supplies over the next 20 years. An expanded and 
modernized pipeline will serve that need. The project would include 
construction, operation and maintenance of a new 16-inch diameter 
pipeline from Colton to Las Vegas; new pumps, an electrical substation 
and other ancillary facilities to increase pumping at Colton; a new 
pump station, electrical substation and ancillary facilities at Baker; 
as well as new or modified connections to existing laterals. Pipeline 
construction will take place over 12 months and is anticipated to begin 
in late 2009 or early 2010.
    As proposed, the Project would require a right-of-way (ROW) on 
lands managed by the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the 
Department of Defense (DoD), a franchise agreement and Conditional Use 
Permit from the County, and appropriate permits from state, federal and 
local jurisdictions. Therefore, approval of the Project will require 
compliance with NEPA and CEQA, as well as ROW rules promulgated under 
the Mineral Leasing Act. The BLM will be the NEPA lead agency and the 
County will serve as the CEQA lead agency. The BLM and County have 
agreed to work together on this Project and a Joint EIS/EIR will be 
prepared.
    Since approval of the project as currently proposed would require 
amendment of the BLM's land-use plan, the California Desert 
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan. The plan amendment process will be 
conducted concurrent with, and integrated with, the NEPA process, as 
part of the EIS/EIR. The analytical process for consideration of a plan 
amendment is the same as the analytical process for consideration of a 
project under NEPA, although a few additional considerations are 
required. See BLM Handbook, H 1601-1, App. F, p. 14 et seq. for an 
outline of an EIS-level Plan Amendment. Additional coordination 
activities with the Governor (Consistency Review), cooperating 
agencies, and the public, particularly with respect to timeframes for 
feedback of draft and final documents, are integrated into a NEPA 
process that also includes a plan amendment. Also, proposed planning 
decisions are identified and distinguished from appealable (NEPA) 
decisions. Proposed planning decisions are protested to the BLM 
Director and appealable decisions are taken to the Interior Board of 
Land Appeals for adjudication. As this is a joint EIS/EIR process, 
cooperating agency status for the County is already integrated into the 
process. BLM will consider approval of the proposed Project in a manner 
that avoids undue or unnecessary impacts to the public lands consistent 
with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and the 
CDCA Plan of 1980, as amended.

Planning Criteria

    Planning criteria have been developed to ensure that the plan 
amendment is tailored to the issues identified and ensure that 
unnecessary data collection and analysis would be avoided. These 
criteria may change in response to

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public comment and coordination with State and local governments or 
other Federal agencies. The criteria developed for the Calnev Project 
EIS/EIR include the following:
    1. Comply with applicable laws, Executive Orders, and regulations.
    2. Minimize deviations from the existing utility corridor to the 
extent feasible.
    3. Select an alignment in consideration of its effects on other 
critical linear public utilities and transportation corridors.
    4. Analyze a corridor modification that reestablishes a complete 
corridor along I-15 adequate to accommodate the current Calnev project 
and anticipated future projects and that avoids crossing lands within 
the Mojave National Preserve.
    BLM must take into consideration state law when granting the ROW. 
The EIS/EIR will describe and analyze the proposed project as proposed 
and will include: (1) BLM measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate 
impacts on the environment; (2) Additional mitigation measures; (3) The 
``No Action'' alternative; and (4) Alternative pipeline routes, 
segments or other distribution methods. Through public scoping BLM 
expects to identify various issues, potential impacts and mitigation 
measures. BLM has identified a potential list of issues that will need 
to be addressed in this analysis including but not limited to: Air 
quality; social and economic, traffic; ground and surface water 
quantity and quality; plant and animal species including special status 
species; cultural resources; visual resources; and public health and 
safety. If approved, this pipeline project on public lands would be 
authorized in accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act at Title 30, 
Chapter 3A, Subchapter I, Subsection 185.

    Dated: March 5, 2008.
Mickey Quillman,
Acting Field Manager, Barstow Field Office.
[FR Doc. E8-5004 Filed 3-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P