Public
Involvement
As
part of the pre-filing process at the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC), Paiute Pipeline Company (Paiute) has created a
public outreach program to help you understand Paiute's proposed
project, voice your comments and be heard. Paiute's outreach program
is designed not only to solicit public involvement in the pre-filing
review process, but also to build credibility, develop trust, and
maintain and strengthen stakeholder relationships along the
construction corridor.
There
will be public open houses and possible scoping meetings during
the pre-filing process, a process that will extend through June 2017,
when Paiute plans to file its certificate application at the
FERC. The goals of these meetings are to:
- create
an atmosphere of openness and disclosure of public information
through which Paiute can respond to questions, address concerns, and
act on suggestions presented by landowners and other stakeholders;
- generate
an awareness of the project, its purposes and its value to the
regional economy and to meeting the energy needs of the region and
the United States;
- ensure
the community, landowners and other stakeholders have ample
opportunity to gain project information while maintaining up-to-date
project materials and timelines.
The
open house meetings, a toll-free information line (1-877-593-2065), an
information email address (PaiuteExpansion@swgas.com), and this
website will help you stay involved and find answers to your questions
about the project.
Public
Open House Meetings
Paiute
formally introduced the 2018 Expansion Project at open house meetings
on December 13, 2016 in Carson City, Nevada.
These
informal meetings provided interested parties an opportunity to meet
Paiute and FERC staff, review maps, learn about the regulatory
process, ask questions and share feedback.
Paiute
provided the following
handouts (Large File Download 200+ MB) to all interested persons attending the
meeting.
Paiute
is dedicated to working with individuals and communities to identify
facility locations that minimize impacts on landowners, the community,
and the environment while balancing the needs of customers. Early
involvement from stakeholders helps Paiute identify and address issues
related to project design and location.
FERC
Scoping Meetings
The
FERC may also collect environmental comments on the project during
a public scoping meeting. These meetings, if necessary, also
are open to the general public and structured for people to make
statements to the FERC staff about the project. During the
meeting, the FERC staff will describe the environmental review
process, provide relevant information and answer procedural questions.
Paiute will provide a summary of the project and be available before
and after the formal part of the meeting for questions and answers.
The
main purpose of a formal scoping meeting is for the members of
the public to get an opportunity to voice their concerns.
Comments on the proposed project may be submitted by the public in
written form, or made verbally during the course of the scoping
meetings.The scoping meetings are recorded by a stenographer and will
become part of the formal record of the FERC proceeding on the
project.
Information
gathered at scoping meetings during pre-filing will help Paiute
prepare environmental mitigation measures. This information also
provides the FERC staff with the resources needed to publish a more
complete environmental document for public review.
FERC
staff may post a notice of scoping period for the Project in
December 2016. FERC Staff could schedule scoping
meetings at that time. Paiute will provide updated information
on this webpage when it becomes available.
FERC's
website contains additional resources for landowners and other persons
interested in this project. "Your
Guide to Electronic Information at FERC" explains how to access
and file information from FERC. "An
Interstate Natural Gas Facility on My Land" outlines
FERCs process of evaluating a proposed interstate pipeline
construction project.