BLM schedules public meetings to discuss Ruby Pipeline

July 9, 2009
The US Bureau of Land Management will host seven public meetings during July to discuss a proposed natural gas pipeline that would extend from southwestern Wyoming across Utah and Nevada and into Oregon.

Nick Snow
OGJ Washington Editor

WASHINGTON, DC, July 9 -- The US Bureau of Land Management will host seven public meetings during July to discuss a proposed natural gas pipeline that would extend from southwestern Wyoming across Utah and Nevada and into Oregon.

Meetings are scheduled July 21 in Malin, Ore.; July 22 in Lakeview, Ore.; July 23 in Winnemucca, Nev.; July 27 in Brigham City, Utah; July 28 in Elko, Nev.; July 29 in Kemmerer, Wyo.; and July 30 in Hyrum, Utah. All meetings will begin at 7 p.m.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission published a draft environmental impact statement on June 19 for the proposed 675-mile pipeline, which would have an initial design capacity of as much as 1.5 bcfd. Ruby Pipeline LLC, an El Paso Corp. subsidiary, is the sponsor. FERC will accept comments on the draft EIS through Aug. 10.

BLM said the federal Mineral Leasing Act makes it responsible for issuing rights-of-way on public lands. It said it is working with the US Bureau of Reclamation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, the US Conservation Service, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Utah Public Lands Policy Coordination Office, and the Lincoln County, Wyo., Board of County Commissioners.

Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposed project and participate in the analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, BLM said.

Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].