STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Central Valley Natural Gas Storage Project

(Application No. A.09-08-008)

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of proposed construction of the Central Valley Natural Gas Storage Project. An application for this project was submitted to the CPUC on August 19, 2009 (Application A.09-08-008). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review process.

Background

Central Valley Gas Storage, LLC (Central Valley) has filed an application with the CPUC to construct the Central Valley Natural Gas Storage Project located near the unincorporated town of Princeton in Colusa County. The CPUC is the CEQA lead agency.

Central Valley proposes to convert, construct, and operate the depleted Princeton Gas Field as a natural gas storage facility. The conversion of the depleted gas field will require the construction of surface and subsurface facilities including a compressor station, remote well pad site, observation wells, metering station, and natural gas connecting pipelines. The project includes construction, operation, and maintenance of the following components:

• Princeton Gas Storage Field (natural gas storage reservoir)
• Surface facilities including
• Compressor station and associated facilities on a 10-acre site (including the installation of an approximate 3,500-foot-long electrical distribution line that would connect the compressor station to an existing 12 kV Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) line)
• Remote well pad site on a 3.1-acre site that includes up to ten injection/withdrawal wells and a 130,000 -gallon saltwater storage tank
• Saltwater disposal well (the existing Central Valley test well will be converted to a saltwater disposal well and connected to the remote well pad by a 800-foot-long, 6-inch water drain pipeline)
• Observation wells (involves conversion of up to three existing wells, drilling one new well, and re-entry into one plugged well)
• Metering station on a 1-acre site near PG&E Line 400/401
• Natural gas connecting pipelines including
• A 1,950-foot-long, dual 16-inch gathering line system to connect the injection/withdrawal wells to the compressor station
• A 170-foot-long, 8-inch gas pipeline, and use of a meter skid and rental compressor unit for a temporary connection to PG&E Line 172
• A 14.7-mile-long, 24-inch diameter gas pipeline, which would connect the compressor station to the metering station plus a 580-foot interconnect from the edge of the metering station to PG&E Line 400/401.

The project would provide natural gas storage by injecting natural gas into the Princeton Gas Field, a depleted natural gas reservoir located approximately 2,200 feet underground. The natural gas would then be withdrawn according to customer demand. Central Valley proposes to inject into the Princeton Gas Field 9 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas in the first year of service (an ultimate working gas capacity of 11 Bcf will be phased in over two years).

The proposed project would be located in northeastern Colusa County, approximately 60 miles northwest of Sacramento.  (See Regional Map). The compressor station and remote well pad site would be located near Princeton, and the PG&E Line 400/401 connecting pipeline would travel west from the compressor station to the metering station, interconnecting with PG&E Line 400/401 several hundred feet south of PG&E’s Delevan compressor station. (See Project Location Map). 

Application and Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)

The PEA for the Central Valley Natural Gas Storage Project may be viewed here.

The Preliminary Delineation of Wetlands and Other Water Bodies may be viewed here. (January 2010). The supporting project alignment graphics can be viewed here.

The Ambient Sound Survey and Noise Impact Evaluation can be viewed here. (August 2009)

The Revised Drill Rig/Service Rig Noise Analysis & Temporary Compressor Unit Noise Analysis can be viewed here. (January 2010)

Other Documents Available

The Applicant provided Supplemental CEQA Mitigation Information that is available here. (November 30, 2009)

The First PEA deficiency letter was mailed by the CPUC on September 18, 2009 and can be viewed here.

Application deemed complete on October 20, 2009. Letter can be viewed here.

Environmental Review

Final IS/MND Publication
On July 28, 2010, the CPUC prepared a Final Mitigated Negative Declaration (Final MND) under CEQA for consideration of the Central Valley Gas Storage Project. The information in the Final MND describes the Proposed Project and potential environmental impacts, identifies those impacts that could be significant, and presents mitigation measures to avoid or minimize potentially significant impacts.

The Final IS/MND incorporates all comments received during the public review period for the Draft IS/MND, as well as revisions discussed and agreed upon during various discussions with the applicants and the CPUC. The responses to comments are provided in Attachment 1 of the Final IS/MND. Revisions to the Draft IS/MND are shown in strikethrough/underline in the Final IS/MND. No substantial changes to the environmental document analyses or conclusions resulted from evaluation of the comments received during the public review period. No substantial revisions that would merit recirculation as defined by 15073.5(b) of Title 14 of CEQA were made to the project or analyses after public comment.

The Final IS/MND can be viewed by clicking here.

Draft IS/MND Publication
On April 22, 2010, the CPUC released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to Adopt a MND for the Central Valley Gas Storage Project, showing that the proposed Project, as mitigated, would not have any significant effects on the environment. NOI is available here.

The Draft IS/MND may be viewed by clicking here.

On May 5, 2010 the CPUC conducted a public meeting regarding the CVGS Draft MND. The meeting was held at Princeton High School, Multi Purpose Room, Princeton, California. The meeting Agenda, PowerPoint Presentation presented, and Comment Form are available here.

The original end of the Draft MND review period was extended from May 22, 2010, to June 7, 2010. Public notice is available here.

Comments on the Draft IS/MND were accepted until 5:00 p.m. on June 7, 2010. Please send comments, with the name and address of an appropriate contact person, to:

Eric Chiang, CPUC Project Manager
California Public Utilities Commission
c/o Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, California 92024
Email: cvgs@dudek.com

Commission Decision

The CPUC voted on October 14, 2010 to approve the proposed project (see Decision D10-10-001) and a Notice of Determination was submitted to the State Clearinghouse.

Construction Progress and Mitigation Monitoring

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.

For Additional Information

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, fax, or phone, as follows:

Project email: cvgs@dudek.com
Project fax and voicemail: (800) 371-8962: Note: To leave a voice-mail message, please press “1” and to send a fax, please press “2”.

The CPUC's Project Manager is:

Eric Chiang, CPUC Project Manager
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel. (415) 703-5595
Fax (415) 703-2200
Email eric.chiang@cpuc.ca.gov

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