Nevada State Office
| Contacts: | Mark Mackiewicz | , 435-636-3616 | , mmackiew@blm.gov |
Amendment Issued for Ruby Pipeline Project
Reno, Nev.--The U. S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) signed a decision amending the right-of-way grant (ROW) and plan of development for the Ruby Pipeline Project on Dec. 7. The changes are in consideration of agency comments and with the concurrence of the U.S. Fremont Winema National Forests. The changes include construction of four above ground cathode sites to control pipeline corrosion and 15 small roads to main line valves. The four above ground cathode sites and 15 small roads are in Utah, Nevada, and Oregon.
The pipeline project includes an approximately 678 mile, 42-inch interstate natural gas pipeline that crosses 368 miles of Federal land beginning near Opal, Wyoming, extends through northern Utah and northern Nevada, and terminates near Malin, Oregon.
The Ruby Project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission April 5, 2010 and the ROW grant and plan of development were approved by a Record of Decision issued by the BLM on July 12, 2010. Potential effects of the pipeline were analyzed in an Environmental Impact Statement, released in January 2010. The BLM issued multiple Notices to Proceed for each segment after Ruby demonstrated that all conditions and stipulations had been met for a given segment.
The pipeline went into service on July 28, 2011. Construction restoration, stabilization, and final clean-up are not expected to be completed until later in 2012. The FERC and the BLM will continue to closely monitor and evaluate restoration progress along the entire pipeline ROW for several years.
Copies of the decision, as well as the original Record of Decision, are available on the on the Internet at: www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/nepa/ruby_pipeline_project.html.
Questions about the Cathodes and Roads Decision may be directed to: Mark Mackiewicz, BLM National Project Manager, c/o125 South 600 West, Price, UT 84501.
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.