Lake Powell Pipeline Ready for Environmental Analysis resumed
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s ruling last week resumed the Ready for Environmental Analysis phase of its Integrated Licensing Process for the controversial Lake Powell Pipeline. This includes the reopening of the opportunity for the filing of public comments. FERC’s Sept. 20 jurisdictional ruling reopens the 60-day public comment period, with initial comments now due Nov. 19. The subsequent 45-day response period will close Jan. 3, 2019. To comment, citizens can visit ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. The project number is P-12966-000. Detailed instructions on how to comment can be found at lpputah.org.
The Lake Powell Pipeline would transport water from Lake Powell through an approximately 140-mile buried pipeline to Washington and Kane Counties. Five pump stations would move the water through the pipeline. Six hydroelectric facilities would supply a portion of the energy needed to operate the pump stations.
At full capacity, the project would deliver 82,249 acre feet of water per year to Washington County and 4,000 acre feet of water per year to Kane County. However, with dwindling water levels at Lake Powell and the Colorado River, it is unclear whether or not the Lake Powell Pipeline would ever operate at that capacity or for how long, leading many to believe that the investment will only lead to significant financial burdens for southern Utah communities.
“This is good news for the communities who need this water as it resumes the LPP permitting process and brings us closer to issuance of a draft Environmental Impact Statement and subsequent commencement of project construction,” said LPP program director John Fredell.
FERC will remain the lead agency on the NEPA process and permit the hydroelectric facilities associated with the project, while other agencies with oversight and approval authority will fulfill their responsibilities in coordination with FERC. The Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians have already executed Memorandums of Understanding as formal cooperating agencies in the FERC-led process.
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