Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the environmental review of a proposed 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from the Antelope Substation in northern Los Angeles County to the Pardee Substation in the City of Santa Clarita. Southern California Edison (SCE) submitted an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for this project to the CPUC on December 9, 2004. SCE has also submitted an application for a Special Use Easement to the USDA Forest Service. The proposed Project is subject to review under both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA and NEPA review processes.

Extension of Public Review Period to October 3, 2006 per Administrative Law Judge Halligan's September 13, 2006 Ruling

The CPUC, as the CEQA Lead Agency, and the USDA Forest Service, as the NEPA Lead Agency, have extended the public review period for the Antelope-Pardee 500-kV Transmission Project Draft EIR/EIS from 45 days to 60 days. Therefore, the public comment period will end on October 3, 2006. Written comments on the Draft EIR/EIS must be postmarked or received by fax or email no later than October 3, 2006.

The ALJ's Order Granting Extension is available through the following direct link:

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/EFILE/RULINGS/59767.pdf

A Notice of Extension was mailed to the Project distribution list, including approximately 3,300 individuals, groups, organizations, and agencies.

Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service have released the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIR/EIS) for the proposed Project. The public comment period for this document extends from August 4, 2006 to September 18, 2006. Maps and figures relevant to the proposed Project and alternatives are provided in the Draft EIR/EIS. (Click on the colored text above to access the Draft EIR/EIS.)

Project materials, including the Draft EIR/EIS, can be reviewed at the information repositories, which include eight area libraries, three City offices, three community organizations, and two USDA Forest Service offices. The location of each information repository site is provided below.

Public Meetings on the Draft EIR/EIS

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service conducted a series of public meetings on August 28th, 29th, and 30th of 2006. The purpose of these meetings was to receive oral or written comments on the Draft EIR/EIS from the public and other interested parties. These meetings were held as shown below.

Fact sheets describing the proposed Project and each of the five Project alternatives were provided at these public meetings. The fact sheets can be viewed at the links below:

Proposed Project

Alternative 1: Partial Undergrounding of Antelope-Pardee Transmission Line

Alternative 2: Antelope-Pardee East Mid-Slope

Alternative 3: Single-Circuit 500-kV Towers between Haskell Canyon and Pardee Substation

Alternative 4: Antelope-Pardee Re-Routing of New ROW along Haskell Canyon

Alternative 5: Antelope-Pardee Sierra Pelona Re-Route

Other materials provided to public meeting attendees include an agenda, a comment card, and a Project information sources handout. The Executive Summary and the Notice of Availability, which were also provided at the public meetings, can be viewed from the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement contents page.

An additional public meeting, which was jointly requested by the Leona Valley Town Council and the Agua Dulce Town Council, took place on Monday, September 11, 2006. During this meeting, the USDA Forest Service gave a presentation regarding Alternative 5 (Antelope-Pardee Sierra Pelona Re-Route) and provided the following materials:

Handout 1: National Policy, Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2703

Handout 2: Forest Service letter of direction dated 1/24/03

Handout 3: Forest Service evaluation criteria (satisfaction of Purpose and Need)

Handout 4: CFR Title 36 Table of Contents

Handout 4A: Forest Service public comment process

Handout 4B: Forest Service appeal process

Project Background and Other Project Information

Background

SCE has filed applications with the CPUC and the USDA Forest Service to construct a new, 25.6-mile 500-kV transmission line between SCE's existing Antelope and Pardee Substations in Los Angeles County, California. The proposed 500-kV transmission line would replace an existing 66-kV line that traverses the majority of the proposed route between Antelope Substation and Pardee Substation, including approximately 13 miles within the Angeles National Forest (ANF).

The proposed 500-kV transmission line route traverses residential developments in the Santa Clarita Valley, north and east of the existing Pardee Substation. The 500-kV transmission line would be energized initially at 220 kV. The proposed Project would include electrical interconnections at the existing Antelope and Pardee substations as well as an initial expansion of the Antelope Substation and relocation of several existing 66-kV sub-transmission lines in the vicinity of Antelope Substation (collectively, referred to as the Antelope-Pardee 500-kV Transmission Line Project). The proposed Project also includes the acquisition and fencing of approximately 31 acres of land necessary for upgrades to the existing Antelope Substation.

The following links provide general project maps. Additional maps and figures for the proposed Project and alternatives are provided in the Draft EIR/EIS.

Maps of the proposed transmission route can be viewed at the links below:

Map 1    Map 2    Map 3    Map 4

Aerial Photo of Santa Clarita Area

Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)

As part of its application to the CPUC, SCE prepared and submitted a Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA) to the CPUC in December 2004. The PEA describes the proposed project, existing environmental conditions in the project area, and potential environmental impacts. The December 2004 PEA may be viewed here.

Project Notices and Scoping

On June 24, 2005, the CPUC issued a Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Project. In addition, the Forest Service published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Project. The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service have agreed to prepare a joint EIR/EIS for the proposed Project, in order to jointly satisfy the requirements of CEQA and NEPA.

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service held two Public Scoping Meetings to solicit input from the public on potential impacts of the proposed Project that should be addressed in the Draft EIR/EIS. These meetings were held on Wednesday, June 29th, and Thursday, July 14th of 2005 in Lancaster and Santa Clarita, respectively.

For Additional Information

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service, through their Environmental Review Team, are conducting an environmental review of this project. To request additional information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact us by email, fax, or phone, as follows: