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Show Pipeline opponents hope for congressional action By JUDY JENSEN Editor SALT LAKE CITY-The congressional con-gressional oversight committee met on Capitol Hill Friday to hear testimony as to the U.S. Forest Services Ser-vices actions regarding the right-of-way for a FERC pipeline carrying natural gas across Wasatch National Forest m Utah. Over 50 Davis County concerned citizens spoke in opposition to the proposed Wasatch Variation of the proposed pipeline. In a prepared statement, Kenley Brims dale, Attorney for the Bountiful Boun-tiful Hills Residents and Concerned Citizens Association, Inc., (BHRCCA) told Peter Kostmayer, Chairman of the committe, that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Com-mission, (FERC) had not followed regulations of the National Environmental Envir-onmental Policy Act, LEPA, when it had given its approval to the Wasatch Wa-satch Variation of the Kem River Pipeline. In fact, Brunsdale claims that of the 30 initially proposed routes, FERC eliminated 25 based on economics alone. "FERC decided to determine what the cost would be for a straight route to California and any proposal that increased that cost over ten percent was summarily dismissed." Brunsdale also claimed that of the five that were studied in detail, the environmental impact studies indicated that the Kem River route was the "worst possible route. There were 159 mitigation measures suggested, none ot which have been done, and the instructions from FERC is that these measures will be studied as the pipeline is constructed. ' ' Brunsdale also charged that when the pipeline "hit California borders, there is an incredible list of measures. For example, there is one full page devoted to the kangaroo rat and how to protect its burrows." In contrast, the Utah protective measures are limited. Brunsdale explained to the committee com-mittee that the use of Optional Expedited Ex-pedited Certificates moved profits ahead of people, the environment and the public interest. He charged that because FERC planned on using us-ing OECs, pipeline economics and profitability became the only important impor-tant factors in the first screening of alternatives. "All of us must wonder how the initial screening process would have come out if a value had been assigned to human and environmental environmen-tal impacts," said Brunsdale. With OECs having been issued to five companies, it was impossible for Davis County residents to address ad-dress the pipeline issue because it was not clearly defined what the route would be, whether it would be more than one pipeline and who the builder would be. Brunsdale hopes that as a result of Friday's meeting, congress will ask the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and FERC to correct some of the inadequacies in the EIS. "This is a national issue. Others could be victims of this process. pro-cess. It eliminates the human element ele-ment of the EIS process. OECs should not be issued in these instances.' in-stances.' FERC has granted a rehearing of its decision to issue OECs to be held in Washington, D.C., and Brunsdale will argue on behalf of the Davis County coalition. |