Project Type: Energy

Aspen was the prime contractor for environmental monitoring of this 132-mile crude oil pipeline construction. Aspen previously prepared the EIR and EIS/Subsequent EIR on this project for the US Forest Service - Angeles National Forest and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). It included one of the first comprehensive analyses of environmental justice in a NEPA document pursuant to a Presidential Executive Order. Both documents included comprehensive oil spill/system safety risk analyses, surveys of biological and cultural resources, and analyses of water and air quality impacts for alternatives originating in Santa Barbara, Kern, and San Bernardino Counties and terminating at refineries in the Los Angeles Basin. Aspen conducted the mitigation monitoring during construction of the pipeline.

The comprehensive public participation program included progress updates and notification of upcoming project documents and meetings through four newsletters released to 2,500 on the project mailing list. A multi-message project status hotline in English and Spanish was also established and ads were placed in four languages.

Twelve repository sites along the proposed right-of-way and the Mojave Route Alternative right-of-way were established, and all project documents were made available upon their release to the public. Copies of the Draft and Final EIS/SEIR were al so made available for review at 47 additional libraries along the proposed and alternative routes.

Immediately following the release of the Draft SEIR/S, six informational workshops were held in six communities to help residents understand the project, the Draft EIS/SEIR, and how to participate in the decision-making processes.

Five public hearings were held to receive oral and written testimony from interested parties. All 2,000 comments were responded to in the Final EIS/SEIR. Significant input was received from Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Kern and Los Angeles Counties, the cities of Los Angeles, Buenaventura, and Simi Valley, several State and local representatives, and many public interest groups resulting in an 800-page section containing over 1,500 comments and responses. The Final EIR was delivered within an extremely tight schedule, on time for the scheduled certification date.