HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.0 ApplicationAPPLICATION
SPEC/AL/CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT
Garfield County Colorado
Date: December 22, 1994
Applicant:
Colorado Interstate Gas Company
Address of Applicant:
P. 0. Box 1087, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80944
Name, Address and Telephone Number of Contact Person:
Joe Martinez
same as above
(719) 520-4423
Special/Conditional Use:
Natural gas transmission pipeline and related facilities, including a
communications site on Mount Callahan.
Legal Description:
See description contained in Plan of Development Appendix to Environmental
Assessment attached hereto.
Practical Description:
The proposed pipeline begins at the proposed Roan Cliffs Meter Station about
half a mile south of the old Unocal Plant just north of Parachute, adjacent to
County Road 215. It follows Parachute Creek to Davis Point, then climbs Davis
point and runs north-north-west for approximately 4 miles, then follows an
unnamed ridge north 3 miles to the Rio Blanco County line. (See Maps
Appendix to EA attached hereto)
Requirements:
1. The special use of the lands above mentioned is construction, operation and
maintenance of a 16 -inch natural gas pipeline connecting CIG's metering facility
in the Parachute Valley to its Greasewood Compressor Station in the Piceance
Basin. The Roan Cliffs meter station facility is included in this application. The
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route is within a utility corridor identified in the BLM's Piceance Basin Resource
Management Plan.
The pipeline will deliver 70 to 90 million cubic -feet of gas per day to CIG's
transmission line. The pipeline will tie into Snyder's gas gathering system
which will serve between 100 and 300 wells in the Parachute Valley area,
providing increased access to interstate markets. Current production matches
or exceeds the capacity of area pipeline companies, creating a marketing
bottleneck and limiting further well development.
The most active use of these lands would take place during the three-month
construction period, when approximately 150 construction personnel would be
hired. Thereafter, only periodic maintenance --an extremely low -visibility, low -
impact activity requiring few additional personnel -will be necessary.
Construction is scheduled to begin on May 1, 1995, or as soon thereafter as
possible. The pipeline will be complete and operative in August 1, 1995. It is
estimated that the pipeline will function for 50 years. Similar volumes of gas
will be maintained for the next 10 years.
Section I. of the attached Preliminary Plan of Development (POD, Attachment
2) for the pipeline provides a more detailed description of the requested special
use.
2. Approximately 7 acre feet of water will be used to hydrostatically test the
pipeline after construction. The small amount of water required will be acquired
from a previously allocated source. An overview of the hydrostatic testing
process and the procedures and safeguards which will be employed is provided
in section II.H. of the attached POD.
Small quantities of water may also be applied to access roads or the ROW
during construction to minimize dust, as per the attached POD, sections II.A.9
and II.C.7.
With the exception of water use for hydrostatic testing and dust abatement as
noted above, the only potential wastewater issue is trench water and its
potential to impact water quality in live streams. Trench water will be managed
to prevent such impacts by the construction practices outlined in sections II.D.
and G. of the attached POD.
Other than trench water, the only liquid waste produced will be the effluent in
chemical toilets set up during construction. A local contractor will provide these
facilities and dispose of effluent properly.
Power requirements during construction will be met by temporary, on-site
generating facilities. Power for metering facilities will be acquired from the
local distributor.
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Existing roads provide access to the proposed ROW. Where such access is not
possible, construction and maintenance access will be on the ROW. No new
road construction is planned. Existing roads will be graded and maintained as
needed.
From CIG's proposed gas meter station to Davis Point, access will be from
County Road 215, Parachute Valley. From there north, access will be from the
Barnes Ridge Road.
More details regarding the use and maintenance of access roads is provided in
section II.A.1-9 of the attached POD.
3. The attached map indicates the pipeline's alignment, the site of the metering
facility, and the location of associated temporary staging and lay -down areas.
Use of land through which the ROW easements pass is actual or potential
energy development under patented claims.
4. Potential environmental impacts and mitigative considerations are outlined in
the attached POD. Most considerations identified in the Garfield County Zoning
Resolution (sections 5.03.07 and 5.03.08) are addressed in the POD.
Specifically:
5.03.07(1)(A) - Minor consumptive use or depletion of water is anticipated
during the dust abatement plan and procedures. The major potential impacts to
water quality are associated with construction, and construction practices
outlined in the POD should make this potential insignificant. Most pertinent are
stipulations regarding construction at streams and wetlands (II.G.), hydrostatic
testing (II.H.), erosion control (III.D.) and revegetation (III.E.).
5.03.07(1)(B) - Dust related to construction is the major potential impact on
adjacent land, and it will be controlled by watering access roads (II.A.9.) as
well as the ROW and other disturbed areas (II.C.7.). The project area is
sparsely populated to unpopulated, which makes this area of concern a minor
consideration.
5.03.07(1)(C) - Potential wildlife impacts would be construction related and
temporary. Impacts and mitigation are outlined in the POD, section III.G.3. No
important impacts will result.
5.03.07(1)(D) - Traffic impacts would be construction related and temporary.
Access road use and management is spelled out in section II.A., and traffic
considerations are noted in section III.G.1.e.
5.03.07(1)(E) - Again, potential impacts would be construction related and
temporary, and abutting property is, with few exceptions, uninhabited. The
metering facility will be constructed and operated in accordance with all
applicable safety standards, as will the pipeline, section III.G.1.
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5.03.07(1)(F) - The POD sections noted above include pertinent mitigative
measures. Mitigation associated with the stipulations of section 5.03.08 are
outlined below.
5.03.07(2)(A) - Rehabilitation procedures are detailed in POD, section III.A.-E.
5.03.07(2)(B) - CIG will post a security for site rehabilitation if so required by
the County Commission.
5.03.07(2)(C) - The POD sections noted above include pertinent mitigative
measures. Mitigation associated with the stipulations of section 5.03.08 are
outlined below.
5.03.08(1) - No state noise standards apply to industrial developments in this
rural area. Noise associated with construction will occur in rural areas and will
be temporary.
5.03.08(2) - Once construction is complete, vibration detectable without
instruments will not occur.
5.03.08(3) - Construction -related emissions will be within normal ranges and
will be temporary.
5.03.08(4) - Emissions of heat, glare, radiation and fumes during construction
will be minor, localized and temporary.
5.03.08(5)(A) - POD section III.G.1.a.-f. deals with the use, handling and
storage of hazardous materials. Such materials used durjng construction will be
stored in compliance with the National Fire Code, and then only infrequently on-
site.
5.03.08(5)(B) - Fenced storage areas will be constructed at the request of the
County Commissioners. Concealment is not a major consideration given the
remote location of the project.
5.03.08(5)(C) - Materials storage and waste disposal will be carried out in a
manner which precludes dispersal by natural forces (III.A. and G.).
5.03.08(5)(D) - All flammable materials associated with construction will be
stored in compliance with applicable State Board of Health regulations.
5.03.08(6) - Construction practices will mitigate potential water pollution at
stream and wetland crossings (II.G.), during hydrostatic testing (II.H.), due to
postconstruction erosion (III.D. and E.), and during storage of hazardous
materials, fuels, lubricants, etc. (III.G.1.).
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Additional environmental information included in the POD includes: cultural and
paleontological resource considerations (III.G.2.); threatened, endangered and
sensitive species (III.G.3.), noxious weeds (III.G.4.), visual impacts (111.G.5.1and
livestock use (III.G.6.).
An Environmental Assessment (EA) is being completed by the BLM, White River
Resource Area, the lead federal agency for this project. In light of the practices
outlined in the POD and any additional stipulations imposed by the BLM on the
basis of the EA, no important negative environmental impacts are anticipated.
This information and the attached POD is submitted to meet the application
requirements for an impact statement.
5. The total length of the pipeline ROW is 36.52 miles. Of this total, 10.925
miles are under BLM jurisdiction. The total length of the pipeline in Garfield
County is 19.694 miles and crosses all private property. Private ownership is
as follows:
Piceance Creek Ranch 0.251
UNOCAL 13.366
CHEVRON 5.112
Puckett Land Company 0.965
6. A check in the amount of $400 is attached to cover the application fee.
7. Easements are being acquired for the ROW from the landowners. When they
are finalized, CIG will provide copies of the agreements for the county file.
If public notice is required, notice provided by the Planning Department shall be sent
out at least five (5) days prior to hearing by return -receipt mail to all the above -noted
adjoining property owners. Mailing is the applicant's responsibility, and proof of
mailing must be presented at the hearing. Additionally, the same notice shall be
published one (1) time in the official County newspaper at least fifteen (15) days prior
to such hearing date. Applicant shall bear the cost of publication and be responsible
for presenting the "Proof of Publication" at the hearing.
The above information is correct to the best of my knowledge.
Applant: Floyd C. Robertson
anager, Land Department
LP -
Date:
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