Nevada State Office
| Contacts: | Mark Mackiewicz | , 435-636-3616 |
Record of Decision For Ruby Pipeline Project
The U. S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Monday, July 12, signed a Record of Decision (ROD) and Right-of-Way Grant (ROW) for the Ruby Pipeline Project, a proposed 678 mile interstate natural gas pipeline that crosses 368 miles of Federal land beginning near Opal, Wyoming, through northern Utah and northern Nevada, and terminating near Malin, Oregon. The BLM Nevada State Director, as the designated Federal official, signed the ROD and authorized the ROW for the construction, operation, maintenance, and termination of the pipeline and associated facilities across lands under jurisdiction of the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the four states.
The ROD is for the selected alternative for the Ruby Pipeline Project, and the ROW is for the route certificated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), with the inclusion of the Newmont and Southern Langell Valley reroutes.
The FERC is responsible for authorizing interstate natural gas transmission facilities under the Natural Gas Act and was the lead Federal agency for the preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released in January 2010 in compliance with the requirements of National Environmental Policy Act. The BLM has the primary responsibility for issuing ROW grants and temporary use permits for natural gas pipelines across most Federal lands pursuant to the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. On April 5th, FERC issued its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Ruby Pipeline Project authorizing construction and operation of approximately 672.6 miles of 42-inch diameter mainline natural gas pipeline, approximately 2.6 miles of 42-inch diameter lateral pipeline, and related above ground facilities.
The BLM, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Utah Public Lands Policy Coordination Office, and the Board of County Commissioners in Lincoln County, Wyoming, served as Cooperating Agencies in the preparation of the EIS. The BLM decision is based on extensive environmental analyses; consideration of agency, tribal, and public comment; application of pertinent Federal laws and policies; and information contained in the Final EIS for project-related actions affecting the BLM, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands.
A copy on compact disk of the ROD is available at affected Federal, state and local government agencies and interested parties. It will be available on the Internet at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/nepa/ruby_pipeline_project.html and at the following Federal agency offices:
· BLM, Kemmerer Field Office, 312 Hwy 189 N, Kemmerer, WY
· BLM, Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, UT
· BLM, Elko Field Office, 3900 E. Idaho Street, Elko, NV
· BLM, Winnemucca Field Office, 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd, Winnemucca, NV
· BLM, Lakeview Resource Area, 1301 S. G St., Lakeview, OR
· BLM, Klamath Falls Field Office, 2795 Anderson Ave., Ste. 25, Klamath Falls, OR
· BLM, Surprise Field Office, 602 Cressler St., Cedarville, CA
· Fremont-Winema National Forests, 1301 S. G St., Lakeview, OR
· Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, 324 25th St., Ogden, UT
· Bureau of Reclamation, Klamath Basin Area Office, 6600 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, OR
An electronic copy of the ROD is available on CD by request via e-mail at: blmruby@blm.gov or by mail to: Mark Mackiewicz, BLM National Project Manager, c/o125 South 600 West, Price, UT 84501. Questions concerning the ROD may be directed to Mark Mackiewicz at the above address or by phone: 435-636-3616.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Nevada State Office 1340 Financial Blvd. Reno NV 89502