Minor Amendment No. 1 to California Endangered Species Act (CESA) Incidental Take Permit (ITP) No. 2081-2019-020-04 for PG&E ID 78/Spans 24 & 27, L-300 Project
4 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2021070445
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4
(CDFW)
Document Title
Minor Amendment No. 1 to California Endangered Species Act (CESA) Incidental Take Permit (ITP) No. 2081-2019-020-04 for PG&E ID 78/Spans 24 & 27, L-300 Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/27/2021
Document Description
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has issued a CESA (Fish & G. Code, § 2050 et seq.) ITP and this Minor Amendment No. 1 to authorize Pacific Gas and Electric Company to incidentally take giant kangaroo rat, which is listed as endangered species under CESA (Fish & G. Code § 2050 et seq.; see Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 670.5, subd. (a)(6)(C)), San Joaquin kit fox, which is listed as threatened species under CESA (Fish & G. Code § 2050 et seq.; see Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 670.5, subd. (b)(6)(E)), and San Joaquin antelope squirrel, which is listed as threatened species under CESA (Fish & G. Code § 2050 et seq.; see Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 670.5, subd. (b)(6)(B)).
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company ID 78/Spans 24 and 27, L-300 Project includes maintenance and repair activities associated with an investigative dig and associated sniff holes on Gas Line 300B where a potential internal anomaly has been identified, recoating at pipeline spans at two locations where corrosion of exposed pipeline has occurred on both Gas Line 300A and Gas Line 300B, and cross compression. Minor Amendment No. 1 makes one specific change to the ITP; it adds clarification language to Condition of Approval 5.26 that once San Joaquin antelope squirrel burrow excavation is initiated within a Work Area when daytime high temperatures are between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, burrow excavation shall continue until it is completed, even if on-site daytime high temperatures are below 68 degrees Fahrenheit or above 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Contact Information
Name
Craig Bailey
Agency Name
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
San Benito
Other Location Info
The Project is located within portions of the Panoche Valley and Tumey Hills in San Benito County.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15282(k); Public Resources Code, section 21080.21
Reasons for Exemption
Approval of this Project is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.) because the Project is subject to California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 15282, subdivision (k), “The installation of new pipeline or maintenance, repair, restoration, removal, or demolition of an existing pipeline as set forth in Section 21080.21 of the Public Resources Code, as long as the project does not exceed one mile in length”. Public Resources Code, section 21080.21 states, “This division does not apply to any project of less than one mile in length within a public street or highway or any other right-of-way for the installation of a new pipeline or the maintenance, repair, restoration, reconditioning, relocation, replacement, removal, or demolition of an existing pipeline.” “‘Pipeline’ includes subsurface facilities but does not include any surface facility related to the operation of the underground facility.” (Pub. Resources Code, §21080.21(a)).
The Project includes maintenance and repair activities associated with an investigative dig and associated sniff holes on Gas Line 300B where a potential internal anomaly has been identified, recoating at pipeline spans at 2 locations where corrosion of exposed pipeline has occurred on both Gas Line 300A and Gas Line 300B, and cross compression.
On October 15, 2021, CDFW initiated a minor amendment to the ITP to clarify the intent of a specific Condition of Approval for San Joaquin antelope squirrel burrow excavation that once burrow excavation begins during specific weather conditions, it should continue until it is completed within that Work Area, even if it is no longer occurring during the stated weather conditions.
CDFW has determined that this Amendment will not result in an increase in take of the Covered Species and will not increase Covered Species habitat impacts, therefore, there will be no increase in Project impacts to the Covered Species with this Amendment. Impacts will be minimized and fully mitigated through the implementation of measures required by Incidental Take Permit No. 2081-2019-020-04, as amended. Measures include: 1) Monthly Compliance Reports; 2) establishment of avoidance zones; 3) worker education; 4) species relocation; 5) permanent habitat protection; and 6) site restoration.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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