Availability of the Draft Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for a TransColorado Gas Transmission Project; Colorado and New Mexico

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

[CO-030-5101-00-YCKD; COC-51280]

Availability of the Draft Supplement to the Final Environmental

Impact Statement for a TransColorado Gas Transmission Project; Colorado

and New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior and

Forest Service, Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Amendment to Notice of Availability of a Supplement to The

Final Environmental Impact Statement TransColorado Gas Transmission

Project; Colorado and New Mexico; Comment period extended to March 18,

1998.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the

Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as lead agency, and in cooperation

with the U. S. Forest Service (USFS) has prepared a Draft Supplement

(Supplement) to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the

TransColorado Gas Transmission (TransColorado) project on federal lands

in Colorado and New Mexico.

TransColorado is the proponent. Lands managed by the BLM in the

Montrose, Craig, and Grand Junction Districts in Colorado, and the

Farmington District in New Mexico, and the USFS in the Uncompahgre and

San Juan National Forests, Colorado, are crossed by the TransColorado

pipeline project. The Supplement addresses the environmental impacts of

the construction, operation, maintenance, and ultimate abandonment of

known proposed route changes and minor realignments (less than 100 feet

from centerline of the existing right-of-way grant) of the approved

pipeline and right-of-way (ROW) grant COC-51280, and the impacts of the

proposed construction and use of known additional temporary work areas

adjacent to the approved ROW or, proposed ROW route changes or minor

realignments.

This Supplement will also address the impacts of the construction

and use minor realignments and alternative temporary work areas in

unspecified locations. These unspecified temporary work areas and minor

realignments will be addressed to accommodate conditions that might be

encountered during construction. Also addressed in the Supplement are

proposed modifications to several environmental protection measures

contained in the original right-of-way (ROW) grant and Record of

Decision (ROD).

Please focus comments on the proposed actions and alternatives in

the Supplement to the FEIS.

DATES: Due to an error in calculation, the 60-day public comment period

for the Draft Supplement has been extended to March 18, 1998. This

notice amends and extends the comment period published by the BLM and

USFS in the Federal Register on January 23, 1998 (63 FR 3584). Written

comments on the Draft Supplement must be submitted or postmarked no

later than March 10, 1998. Written comments may also be submitted at

the public meetings to be held on February 17, 1998 at 7:00 pm at the

Double Tree Inn, 501 Camino del Rio in Durango, Colorado; on February

[[Page 5401]]

18, 1998 at 7:00 pm at the Ponderosa Restaurant, 108 South 8th in

Delores, Colorado; and at 7:00 pm at the Holiday Inn, 755 Horizon Drive

in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Public reading copies are available at the federal depository

libraries in Colorado and New Mexico and public libraries within San

Juan County, New Mexico, and La Plata, Montezuma, Dolores, San Miguel,

Montrose, Delta, Mesa, Garfield and Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Bottomly (970) 240-5337, Ilyse

Auringer (970) 385-1341, or Steve Hemphill (970) 874-6633.

Signed: January 23, 1998.

Mark W. Stiles,

District Manager, Montrose District, BLM.

Robert L. Storch,

Forest Supervisor, Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/Gunnison National Forests.

[FR Doc. 98-2317 Filed 1-30-98; 8:45 am]

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