California Public Utilities Commission prepares for EIR

SAN FRANCISCO – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will prepare a draft and final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), that will discuss the environmental impact of the proposed Pipeline Safety and Reliability Project – New Natural Gas Line 3602 and De-rating Line 1600 (PSRP, or proposed project).

San Diego Gas & Electric Company and Southern California Gas Company (the applicants) have filed an application with the CPUC for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the proposed project.

The CPUC has prepared a Notice of Preparation (NOP) that is being distributed to potential responsible and trustee agencies under CEQA, interested parties, and members of the public. The purpose of the NOP is to inform recipients that the CPUC is beginning preparation of an EIR for the proposed project and to solicit information and guidance on the scope and content of the environmental information to be included in the EIR and identify potential alternatives.

The NOP includes a description of the project that the applicants propose to construct, a summary of potential project-related impacts, the times and locations of public scoping meetings, and information on how to provide comments.

The NOP will be circulated for a public review and comment period beginning May 9, 2017, and ending on June 12, 2017. To obtain a copy of the NOP, please visit http://sandiegopipeline-psrp.com.

Scoping is the process used to gather comments and input from all potential responsible and trustee agencies, all other public agencies with jurisdiction by law over the proposed project, and members of the public early in the CPUC’s environmental review process. The comments and other information provided during the scoping process will help the CPUC determine the extent scope, focus, and content of the EIR and identify the range of alternatives, environmental effects, and mitigation measures to analyze in the EIR.

The CPUC is conducting six public scoping meetings on three dates during the EIR scoping period. All interested parties, including the public, responsible agencies, and trustee agencies, are invited to attend the public scoping meetings to learn more about the proposed project, ask questions, and provide comments in person about the PSRP and the scope and content of the EIR. The CPUC will also present information about the proposed project and its decision-making process at each meeting.

In addition to the NOP, the CPUC has mailed a postcard inviting stakeholders to provide comments on the potential effects of the proposed project, the scope of the Draft EIR, and the issues and alternatives to evaluate in the EIR. The postcard summarizes the date, time, and location of the public scoping meetings and a summary of how to provide comments during the public scoping period.

The public scoping period begins on May 9, 2017, and ends on June 12, 2017. All public scoping comments must be received, or postmarked if hardcopy, by June 12, 2017. Please submit written comments using one of the following methods: website http://sandiegopipeline-psrp.com, email

[email protected] or mail by writing to Robert Peterson, California Public Utilities Commission, RE: Pipeline Safety and Reliability Project,

c/o Ecology and Environment, Inc., 505 Sansome St., Suite 300,

San Francisco, CA 94111.

The CPUC will hold a pair of public scoping meetings in Fallbrook on Tuesday, May 23, at Pala Mesa Resort (in the Ballroom), 2001 Old Highway 395. The meetings will be held from 2 to 4 p.m., and from 6 to 8 p.m.