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Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the environmental review of the proposed construction of the San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) Master Special Use Permit (MSUP) and Permit to Construct (PTC) Power Line Replacement Projects located in and around the Cleveland National Forest (CNF) in San Diego County, California.
The CPUC and the United States Forest Service (Forest Service) serve as joint lead agencies on the MSUP/PTC Projects and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (completed on January 23, 2012) that will govern the preparation of a joint Environmental Impact Report /Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the MSUP/PTC Projects. The CPUC, as the lead agency under California law, and the Forest Service, as the lead agency under federal law, will prepare a Draft and Final EIR/EIS to comply with both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA and NEPA review processes.
QUICK LINKS
Background
Permit to Construct (PTC) Application and Plan of Development (POD)
Data Requests (update: Data Request (DR) 4 (December 19, 2013) and SDG&E Response to DR4 (January 17, 2014))
Other Documents Available
Public Participation (update: Supplemental Scoping Notice (January 21, 2014) and Scoping Report (January 16, 2014))
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR)
Commission Decision
Construction Progress and Mitigation Monitoring
For Additional Information
Upcoming Public Meetings
Administrative Law Judge's Prehearing Conference
The Administrative Law Judge is holding a prehearing conference for the MSUP/PTC Power Line Replacement Projects on, February 5, 2014, at 1:30 p.m., in the Alpine Community Center – Oak Room, 1830 Alpine Blvd., Alpine, California.
Prehearing conference notice
To find out how you can participate in the Permit to Construct Proceeding for the MSUP/PTC Power Line Replacement Projects, please register your interest by contacting the public advisor office:
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/aboutus/Divisions/CSID/Public+Advisor/
Public Meeting
Please join us for a supplemental scoping meeting on Wednesday February 19, 2014 at 5:00 PM, at the Alpine Community Center, 1830 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine, California. The CPUC and Forest Service are implementing a supplemental scoping period to provide the public with an additional opportunity to comment on the topics and alternatives that should be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) being prepared for the subject project.
San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) is proposing to combine over 70 existing special use permits for SDG&E electric facilities within the Cleveland National Forest (CNF) into one Master Special Use Permit (MSUP) to be issued by the United States Forest Service (Forest Service). As shown in the Project Location Map, the CNF MSUP study area is located within the Trabuco Ranger District in Orange County, California and the Palomar and Descanso Ranger Districts in unincorporated areas of San Diego County, California.
In addition to requesting Forest Service authorization of the MSUP allowing for the continued operation and maintenance of SDG&E’s existing electric facilities within the CNF, SDG&E is proposing to replace certain existing 69 kV power lines and 12 kV distribution lines located within and outside of the CNF that will require a Permit to Construct (PTC) from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The proposed Power Line Replacement Projects would primarily include fire hardening along with relocation and undergrounding of certain facilities. As shown in the Project Location Map, the power line and distribution facilities proposed to be replaced are located within the central portion of San Diego County approximately 4.5 miles north of the US Mexico Border, 14 miles east of the City of El Cajon, in the vicinity of the unincorporated communities of Descanso, Campo, Pauma Valley, Santa Ysabel, and Warner Springs.
The Forest Service has reviewed the application and accepted the proposal with modifications to certain actions on National Forest System lands. This modified proposal is the Forest Service proposed action and modifies SDG&E’s proposed project by relocating a section of TL 626 out of the Cedar Creek publically proposed undeveloped area and into a location within the study corridor as shown in TL 626 Overview Map and USGS topographic map. The Forest Service proposed action would also relocate the section of C157 out of the Hauser Wilderness and into the area between the Hauser and Pine Creek Wilderness areas as shown in CL157 Overview Map.
On October 17, 2012 SDG&E filed an application (A.12-10-009) along with the Preliminary Plan of Development (POD) for a PTC for the proposed Power Line Replacement Projects with the CPUC. On June 26, 2013, SDG&E filed an amended PTC application which included modifications to certain actions on National Forest System lands as requested by the Forest Service and described in the Revised POD.
SDG&E’s application was deemed complete by CPUC on August 7, 2013. Letter can be viewed here.
The amendment to application (Volume I of II) and the Revised POD (Volume II of II), supersede the original application and the Preliminary POD for the proposed project. Click on the following links to copies of these documents.
As needed during the environmental review process, the EIR/EIS team will provide SDG&E with data requests for specific information during preparation of the EIR/EIS. These requests and SDG&E’s responses are published here, when available:
- Data Request No. 1 (October 30, 2012) and Response (December 3, 2012)
- Data Request No. 2 (December 20, 2012) and Response (January 25, 2013)
- US Forest Service POD review comments (December 7, 2012) and SDG&E Response (February 15, 2013)
- Data Request No. 3 (February 27, 2013) and SDG&E’s Responses (April 19, 2013, April 22, 2013, and April 25, 2013, Supplemental Response). Also see the Revised POD.
- Data Request No. 4 (December 19, 2013) and SDG&E Response (January 17, 2013); note that the response includes the Paleontological Resources Technical Report, which contains confidential information and is therefore not posted for public review.
Memorandum of Understanding - CPUC and Forest Service
In January 2012, the CPUC and Forest Service entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the purpose of documenting the cooperation between the CPUC and the Forest Service serving as joint lead agencies responsible for the CEQA and NEPA environmental analysis of SDG&E’s revised application for a Master Special Use Permit on the Cleveland National Forest and for related fire hardening in and around the Cleveland National Forest. A copy of the MOU is available here:
Supplemental Scoping Notice (January 21, 2014)
The CPUC and Forest Service are implementing a supplemental scoping period (January 21, 2014 – March 7, 2014) to provide the public with an additional opportunity to comment on the topics and alternatives that should be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) being prepared for the subject project. Please join us for a supplemental scoping meeting on Wednesday February 19, 2014 at 5:00 PM, at the Alpine Community Center, 1830 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine, California.
Scoping Report (January 16, 2014)
Public Notice (September 23,2013)
Notice of Preparation (NOP) (September 23, 2013)
On September 23, 2013, the CPUC published an NOP of an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Master Special Use Permit Project and Permit to Construct Power Line Replacement Projects (A.12-10-009). The NOP will have an extended public review period (45 days) from September 23, 2013 to November 7, 2013. All scoping comments must be received by November 7, 2013. See page 11 of the NOP for a list of local libraries where hard copies of the NOP are available for review. In addition, a copy was delivered to the San Diego Public Library located at 330 Park Blvd, San Diego, California.
Notice of Intent (Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 184 / Monday, September 23, 2013)
On September 23, 2013 the Forest Service published the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register in conjunction with the NOP for preparation of a joint EIS/EIR.
Public Scoping Meetings (2013)
In order to provide the public and regulatory agencies with an opportunity to learn more about the project and to comment on the scope and content of the environmental information to be included in the Draft EIS/EIR, the CPUC and Forest Service held two public scoping meetings during the 45-day scoping period (at the following two locations below).
| Tuesday, October 22, 2013 |
Wednesday, October 23, 2013 |
| Julian Elementary School |
Alpine Community Center |
| 1704 Cape Horn |
1830 Alpine Boulevard |
| Julian, California 92036 |
Alpine, California 91901 |
| 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
Click the following links to view the meeting agenda and public meeting presentation. In addition, a copy of the written comment form is available here for download.
Scoping comments on the content of the environmental information to be included in the Draft EIS/EIR will be accepted through November 7, 2013.
Please send comments, with the name and address of an appropriate contact person, to:
Lisa Orsaba, California Public Utilities Commission
Will Metz, United States Forest Supervisor, Cleveland National Forest,
c/o Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, California 92024
Or via email to: cnfmsup@dudek.com (subject line “SDG&E Master Permit”).
The Draft EIS/EIR will be published here, when available.
The Final EIS/EIR will be published here, when available.
The Commission’s Decision on the project will be published here, when available.
Reports issued by the CPUC, reports on construction progress, and reports issued as part of the Mitigation Monitoring Program will be published here, when available.
The CPUC, through its Environmental Review Team, is conducting an environmental review of the project. To request additional information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact us by email or phone, as follows:
Project email: CNFMSUP@dudek.com
Project voicemail: (866) 467-4727
The CPUC's project manager is:
Lisa Orsaba
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel. (415) 703-1966
Fax (415) 703-2200
The Forest Service Contacts:
Robert Hawkins/Debbie Hobbs
United States Forest Service
Cleveland National Forest
10845 Rancho Bernardo Road, Ste. 200
San Diego, CA 92127
Tel: (916) 849-8037(Hawkins) / (858) 674-2904(Hobbs)
Fax: (858) 524-0130
 Please report any problems to the Energy Division web coordinator.
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