CPUC certifies Pacific Pipeline environmental analysis.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 1996--After several years of exhaustive environmenal study, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Wednesday certified the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Supplication Environment Impact Report (FEIS/SEIR) for Pacific Pipeline System.

The certification culminates a series of environmental and safety reviews related to the pipeline project that began with the release of the FEIS/SEIR January 2. Since then, the Angeles National Forest announced March 7 that it would issue a right-of-way for pipeline construction, maintenance and operation on national forest lands and, on March 11, CPUC Administrative Law Judge Victor Ryerson issued his proposed decision recommending approval of the project and certification of the FEIS/SEIR.

"We are very pleased with the Commission's decision," said Chevron Regional Vice President Wally Fassler. "The Pacific Pipeline presents a win-win situation for everyone. It will enhance safety, help clean the air, reduce surface traffic, create jobs and save money."

An added benefit of the pipeline would allow for the improvement of the City of Los Angeles emergency communications system. "The City could save millions of dollars by piggy-backing on our fiber optic system, since Pacific Pipeline has offered to make fiber optic cable space available to the City at no charge," said Fassler.

Pacific Pipeline is a 132-mile, 20-inch state-of-the-art pipeline designed to transport crude oil from Kern County to refineries in Los Angeles County. The $170 million pipeline will carry up to 130,000 barrels of crude oil a day, replacing some of the existing ship, oil train and tanker truck traffic.

The State Fire Marshal concluded that pipelines are 300 times safer than tanker trucks and 40 times safer than trains. The pipeline's environmental impact report projects that as many as 18 lives could be saved during the life of the project.

Additionally, the pipeline's advanced safety features will monitor the line for leaks three times per second and automatically shut down the pipeline during earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater. Furthermore, flexible, arc-welded sections give the pipeline more resilience to ground movement than older pipeline designs.

Pacific Pipeline brings significant environmental benefits, especially to low-income and minority neighborhoods adjacent to train tracks and freeways by reducing the number of tanker trains and trucks. Overall, the pipeline would remove 3 to 5 tons of air pollution a day, Fassler said.

The owners of Pacific Pipeline are the Anschutz Co., Chevron Corp., Texaco Inc. and Unocal Corp.

CONTACT: Thomas D. Walker, 213/613-4224