Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of the proposed construction of Lodi Gas Storage, L.L.C.'s Kirby Hills Natural Gas Storage Facility. An application for this project was submitted to the CPUC on July 25, 2005 (Application A.05-07-018). The CPUC published a draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) on January 17, 2006. This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA environmental review.

Project Documents Available

• Project Fact Sheet
  
  
• Exhibit Materials from December 7, 2005, Public Information Meeting in Rio Vista, CA
  
  
• Proponent’s Environmental Assessment (prepared by LGS)
  
  
• Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (prepared by CPUC)

Background

Lodi Gas Storage, L.L.C. (LGS) is proposing to use a depleted natural gas reservoir in the Kirby Hills gas field as a storage facility for natural gas transported to the site by its customers. The total storage capacity of the reservoir is approximately 7 billion cubic feet (BCF) and the project will have a maximum injection and withdrawal capability of 100 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/day) of natural gas. Project operations would involve tapping into the PG&E 400 pipeline near mile 286.65, constructing facilities to convey natural gas from the PG&E 400 pipeline approximately seven miles to the Kirby Hills gas field, storing the gas in the existing natural reservoir, withdrawing the stored gas on demand from Lodi Gas Storage customers, and conveying the withdrawn gas to the PG&E 400 pipeline for delivery to those customers.

The proposed project is comprised the following six primary components (see Project Facilities Map):

• Metering station
• Gas pipeline
• Compressor station
• Flow line
• Injection/withdrawal wells
• Temporary gas injection system

In accordance with Public Utilities Code Section 1001, LGS is seeking approval of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the CPUC to construct and operate the project.

Project Location

The project site is located in a rural agricultural area in the Montezuma Hills of southeastern Solano County, California, immediately north of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The site is approximately six miles west of Rio Vista and eight miles southeast of Fairfield (see Regional Location Map).

The proposed project contains two major component locations, connected by an approximately six-mile east-west pipeline corridor (see Project Location Map). The eastern project component is a natural gas receiving/metering station site, located west of Bird's Landing Road, one mile south of its intersection with State Route 12. The western project component is the natural gas storage/withdrawal site located in the Kirby Hills between Montezuma/Nurse Slough on the west and Shiloh road on the east. The western portion of the project area is also located within the Suisun Marsh Secondary Management Area.

CPUC's Application Review

The CPUC is responsible for the review and approval of any natural gas storage facility in California. In proposals such as this, the CPUC has a two-part review process to evaluate economic and environmental impacts. The CPUC conducts a legal proceeding before an administrative law judge to examine the economic and public utility issues, including impacts to utility ratepayers. At the same time, the CPUC conducts an environmental review consistent with CEQA. The ultimate result of the two reviews is a decision by the Commission whether to grant a CPCN for the project.

Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration

The CPUC published a draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) on January 17, 2006. The Draft MND is under a 30-day public comment period that will extend through February 16, 2006. The CPUC invites the public to provide it with comments and concerns regarding the proposed project and the adequacy of the Draft MND. Written comments on the Draft MND must be postmarked or received by fax or e-mail no later than February 16, 2006. Please be sure to include your name, address, and telephone number in your correspondence. Written comments on the Draft MND should be sent to: