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Welcome
to the California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) website for the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) review of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E’s)
Fulton-Fitch Mountain Reconductoring Project (project). This
site
provides access to
public documents and information relevant to the CEQA environmental
review process.
On December 3, 2015, PG&E submitted an application (A.15-12-005) to
the CPUC for a Permit to Construct
(PTC) the project. On
December 14, 2017, the CPUC issued its Decision (D.17-12-012) to
approve
the project and grant PG&E a PTC. Information about the CPUC’s
proceedings for the project are available here. Construction of the project began in June
2018 and is expected to continue until May 2019.
QUICK LINKS
Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and
Reporting Plan
Construction and Mitigation Monitoring
Environmental Review
Background
Project Overview
Proponent's
Environmental
Assessment
Public Meetings
For Additional Information
Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and
Reporting Plan
A
Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and Reporting Plan (MMCRP) was
prepared by the CPUC to ensure compliance with applicant proposed
measures and mitigation measures approved in the Final Initial
Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND). The MMCRP provides
guidelines and standardizes procedures for environmental compliance
during project implementation. The procedures define the reporting
relationships, the roles and responsibilities of the project's
environmental compliance team members, compliance reporting procedures,
and the communication protocol. The final MMCRP is available below.
MMCRP
Appendix A - Project Detail Maps
Appendix B - Final Applicant Proposed Measures and
Mitigation Measures
Appendix C - Summary Tracking Tables
Appendix D - Project Personnel
and Contact Information (Confidential)
Appendix
E - Forms
Construction and Mitigation Monitoring
Mitigation Plans
Mitigation plans that have been reviewed and approved by the CPUC can
be viewed here.
Notices to Proceed
Notice
to Proceed (NTP) requests and approvals are provided below.
| NTP # |
Description |
Date Submitted |
Date Approved |
| NTP
1 |
Initiation
of limited site development and staging activities at two locations.
Includes a request for Minor Project Refinement #1. |
05/14/18; 05/31/18 (revised) |
06/18/18 |
| NTP 2 |
Initiation
of all project activities associated with Fitch Mountain Substation,
TAP Staging Area (Staging Area [SA] 5), Helicopter
landing zone (LZ)-6, Pull sites 10 and 12, Poles 62-109, and associated
access roads. Includes a request for Minor Project Refinement #3. |
07/03/18 |
07/20/18 |
| NTP 3 |
Initiation of all project
activities associated with Pull Sites 6, 7, and 9, LZ-4, Poles 23-61,
and associated access roads. |
08/13/18 |
08/22/18 |
Minor Project Refinements
The CPUC reviews
PG&E’s requests for Minor Project Refinements (MPRs) in accordance
with the process
outlined in the MMCRP. MPR requests and approvals
are provided below.
| MPR # |
Description |
Date Submitted |
Date Approved |
| MPR
1 |
Add a new approximately 4.15-acre
staging area between Poles 72 and 73. |
04/23/18 |
06/18/18 |
| MPR 2 |
Use an alternate existing access
road from Faught Road to Staging Area LZ-3. |
05/24/18 |
Denied |
| MPR 3 |
Relocate TAP Staging Area (SA-5)
approximately 360 feet northwest of its original location. |
07/03/18 |
07/20/18 |
| MPR 4 |
Use an alternate access route to
Pole Locations 27 and 28. |
08/03/18 |
Withdrawn |
| MPR 5 |
Use an alternate access route to
Pole Location 68. |
08/03/18 |
Denied |
| MPR 6 |
Create a truck pull-out area on
the access road to LZ-6. |
08/03/18 |
08/08/18 |
| MPR 7 |
Create a truck pull-out area on the access road to Pull
Site 10. |
08/22/18 |
08/27/18 |
| MPR 8 |
Use an alternate access route to Pole 74. |
09/06/18 |
09/12/18 |
| MPR 9 |
Use an alternate access route from Pole 53 to Pole 54. |
09/11/18 |
09/13/18 |
| MPR 10 |
Leave geotextile fabric and gravel at LZ-6 and PS-12
for landowner use. |
01/07/19 |
01/11/19 |
| MPR 11 |
Underground an approximately
100-foot-long distribution feeder line. |
01/08/19 |
Withdrawn |
| MPR 12 |
Use a new helicopter landing zone north of LZ-3. |
01/17/19 |
01/23/19 |
Environmental Review
Petition for Modification 1
On
June 29, 2018, PG&E submitted a Petition for Modification (PFM) to
the CPUC requesting changes to the approved project, including
replacing an additional 21 TSPs in the Southern Segment between Fulton
Substation and Shiloh Ranch Regional Park. A copy of the PFM request is
available here. PFM 1 is currently under review.
Data Needs
The
CPUC will submit Data Needs requests to PG&E as necessary during
the PFM 1 review process to support the preparation of an Addendum to
the Final IS/MND. Data Needs for PFM 1 and PG&E’s
responses are summarized in the following table.
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CPUC Data Needs
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PG&E Response
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Response #1 (September 17, 2018)
Table of Responses #1
Attachment: GIS for revised work areas, access roads, and facility
locations (Confidential)
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*Data Needs #5 responses
are included with the responses to Data Needs #6
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Petition for Modification 2
On
October 31, 2018, PG&E submitted a PFM to the CPUC requesting
changes to the approved project to use an 845-foot-long existing road
to provide alternate access to a construction staging area and
helicopter landing zone (LZ) (referred to as LZ-3) in the Northern
Segment of the approved project. A copy of the PFM request is available
here. The CPUC issued its Decision (D.19-02-015)
to approve PFM 2 on February 21, 2019. A copy of the CPUC's decision is
available here. A copy of the Addendum to the Final IS/MND
for PFM 2 is available here.
Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
Comments on the Draft IS/MND were submitted to the CPUC during the
public review period ending on August 21, 2017. The CPUC’s responses to
the comments received are presented in Chapter 5 of the Final IS/MND.
The Final IS/MND was published on October 11,
2017. The conclusions of the Draft IS/MND remain
unchanged in the Final IS/MND; the proposed project would not have a
significant effect on the environment.
The Final IS/MND can be viewed here.
On December 14, 2017, the CPUC issued its Decision (D.17-12-012) to
approve the project and grant PG&E a PTC. Information about the
CPUC’s proceedings for the project is available here.
Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
On
July 21, 2017, the CPUC released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to adopt a
Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the proposed project based
on the findings of an Initial Study (IS) that was prepared pursuant to
California Public Resources Code § 21000 et seq. The Draft IS/MND shows
that all project-related environmental impacts could be reduced to a
less-than-significant level with the incorporation of minor revisions
to the proposed project and feasible mitigation measures, which
PG&E has agreed to implement should CPUC approve the project. The
Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) was
circulated for a 30-day public review period. The comment period closed
on August 21, 2017. The
NOI and Draft IS/MND
are available by clicking on the following links:
PG&E
proposes to reinforce the electric transmission system in central
Sonoma County by replacing the conductor on a 9.9-mile-long section of
the Fulton-Hopland 60-kV Power Line (Fulton-Hopland line) between the
Fulton Substation and Fitch Mountain Substation. The
project includes replacing poles and conductor along the
Fulton-Hopland line and making modifications
to Fitch Mountain Substation.
The project is subject to CEQA review because the CPUC has
been presented with a discretionary action to approve or deny
PG&E’s PTC application. The CPUC is required to analyze potential
environmental
impacts associated with the project and present the findings in an
environmental document for public review and comment. This website
provides access to public documents and information relevant to the
CEQA review process.
The 9.9-mile-long
project alignment is comprised of the Southern Segment,
Northern Segment, and Fitch Mountain Substation. Proposed actions at
each location are summarized as follows:
- Southern
Segment/Fulton-Shiloh Segment.
Replace 1.8 miles of 60-kV conductor and 1.4 miles of 230-kV conductor
co-located on existing tubular steel poles (TSPs). Insulators on the
TSPs would be replaced, but the poles would remain in place.
- Northern
Segment/Shiloh-Fitch Segment. Replace
8.1 miles of 60-kV conductor located on primarily wood poles.
Approximately 70 existing poles would be replaced at a roughly 1-to-1
ratio with approximately 59 light duty steel poles (LDSPs) and 7 TSPs.
New poles would be between 3 to 30 feet taller than
existing poles, depending on the pole location.
- Fitch Mountain Substation.
Modify the existing substation by replacing motor switches, control
building, conductor, and conductor support structures to accommodate
the higher rated conductor that would be installed for the
Fulton-Hopland line. The gravel surface of the substation would also be
paved.
On December 3, 2015, PG&E filed an application
(A.15-12-005) for a PTC which
included
a Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA). The PEA is a starting
point for the independent
environmental review process conducted by the CPUC.
Deficiency Reports
The CPUC submitted Deficiency Reports to PG&E requesting
specific information that was not included with the Application or PEA.
PG&E addressed the CPUC's comments and provided material identified
in the
Deficiency Reports. The CPUC deemed the Application complete on
April 29,
2016. The Application and PEA can be viewed here. The Application completeness letter can be
viewed here. Deficiency Reports for the project and
PG&E’s responses are summarized in the following table.
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CPUC
Deficiency Report
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PG&E
Response and Status
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Response
#1 (January 22, 2016)
Table of Responses #1
Attachment: Revised Typical Structure Drawings
Attachment: Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Calculations
Attachment: EDR Report
Attachment: New Affected Properties Spreadsheet
Response
#1A (January 25, 2016)
Letter #1A
Attachment: Biological Resources Technical Report (GANDA 2012)
(Confidentiality Withdrawn)
Attachment: Addendum #1 to the Biological Resources Technical
Report (TRC 2015)
(Confidentiality Withdrawn)
Attachment: Raptor Survey (TRC 2015) (Confidentiality
Withdrawn)
Attachment: Bat
Survey (TRC 2015) (Confidentiality Withdrawn)
Attachment: Wetland Delineation Report (TRC 2015)
(Confidentiality Withdrawn)
Attachment: Water Crossing Mapping (GANDA 2016)
(Confidentiality Withdrawn)
Attachment: Cultural Resources Reports and GIS data (NCRM 2011, TRC
2015, and Quercus 2015) (Confidential)
Attachment: Paleontological Report (TRC 2015) (Confidentiality Withdrawn)
Attachment: GIS data
for project elements, biological resources, and wetland and
water resources (Confidential)
Response
#1B (January 29, 2016)
Letter #1B
A ttachment: Detailed Map Book (Confidentiality Withdrawn)
Attachment: Existing General Arrangement Plans (Confidentiality Withdrawn)
Attachment: GIS data
for project elements, biological resources, and wetland and water
resources (Confidential)
Response #1C (February 5, 2016)
Email #1C
Attachment: Project Map
Response #1D
(February 26, 2016)
Attachment: Detailed Project Map
Response #1E (July 8, 2016)
Letter #1E
Attachment: Cultural Survey Memo (TRC 2016) (Confidential)
Attachment: Addendum
#2 to the Biological Resources Technical Report (TRC 2016)
(Confidentiality Withdrawn)
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Response
(August 23, 2016)
Letter
#1 (Note: Materials where PG&E withdrew claims of
confidentiality under PUC Section 583 are marked above)
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Data Needs
The
CPUC will submit Data Needs requests to PG&E as necessary during
the environmental review process to support the preparation of an
environmental document. Data Needs for the project and PG&E’s
responses are summarized in the following table.
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CPUC
Data Needs
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PG&E
Response and Status
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An informational meeting for the public was held on August 24, 2016 to
describe
PG&E’s proposed project and the CEQA process. The presentation
slides from the meeting can be viewed here.
For Additional Information
Additional
information will be posted at this site as it becomes publicly available.
To
request additional information,
ask a question, or be added to the project mailing list, please contact:
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Email
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fulton2fitch@panoramaenv.com
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Fax
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(650)
373 - 1211
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CPUC
Project Manager
Mailing Address
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Lisa
Orsaba
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave, 4th Floor
San Francisco CA, 94102
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Formal
Comment
Mailing Address
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California
Public Utilities Commission
Attn:
Fulton-Fitch Mountain
c/o Panorama
Environmental, Inc.
717 Market Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA, 94103
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