STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Commission

In the Matter of:                   )      Docket No. 01-AFC-12
                                    )
Application for Certification       )
of the LOS ESTEROS CRITICAL ENERGY  )
FACILITY (LOS ESTEROS)              )
____________________________________)

 

COMMITTEE RULING ON EXPEDITED REVIEW AND SCHEDULING ORDER

 

I. COMMITTEE RULING

On October 19, 2001, the Committee decided that it would issue a final Committee Ruling on the proposed project's eligibility for expedited review following the Informational Hearing and Site Visit, which was conducted as previously scheduled on November 5, 2001.

Having heard and reviewed the respective parties positions,¹ and having read an opposition to expedited review that was submitted by the Coalition of Ratepayer and Environmental Groups (the Coalition), the Committee hereby finds as follows:

1. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) to date has not filed with the Energy Commission a Preliminary Determination of Compliance (PDOC), which the Committee expected on November 12, 2001. (11/5/01 RT 60:21-63:9; 66/11-15.);



2. Other discovery in this proceeding remains ongoing. (11/5/01 RT 64:3-24.)



3. Without the PDOC, and with ongoing discovery, staff will not file the Staff Assessment (SA) at any time in November 2001. (11/5/01 RT 64:25-67:1.)



4. Likewise, Applicant has expressly consented to a commensurate slip in the Committee's Schedule because of delays associated with material agency reviews. (Pub. Resources Code ¤ 25552 (c); 11/5/01 RT 67:2-16.)



5. 5. Even with the Schedule delays as set forth above, the proposed project has the potential to comport with the eligibility requirements set forth in Public Resources Code section 25552.

Accordingly, the Committee rules that the project may proceed upon an extended four-month schedule, as is contemplated in Public Resources Code section 25552(c).

 

II. COMMITTEE SCHEDULING ORDER

The Committee Schedule (Schedule) is set forth in Appendix A attached. As we noted above, several of the Schedule's objectives are contingent upon reviews to be conducted by federal, state, and local agencies. The Committee recognizes that delays in the completion of those reviews may necessitate further Schedule modifications.

Although the Energy Commission staff is responsible for meeting Committee deadlines for the filings produced by staff, Applicant bears the ultimate burden of proof in this proceeding. Therefore, Applicant must be responsible for the timeliness of its own filings as well as those of all other agencies outside the Energy Commission. Thus, a delay by any agency other than the Energy Commission staff in filing a required document generally will result in a further commensurate slip in the Committee's Schedule.²

Public Adviser and Public Participation

The Energy Commission's Public Adviser is available to assist the public in participating in the certification review process. Members of the public may participate in all aspects of the review process in a variety of ways. If you need information concerning public participation, please contact the Energy Commission's Public Adviser, Roberta Mendonca at (916) 654-4489 or, toll free (800) 822-6228 or e-mail: pao@energy.state.ca.us

Information

Technical questions concerning the project should be addressed to Robert Worl, the Energy Commission's Project Manager, at (916) 651-8853 or e-mail at: rworl@energy.state.ca.us

Questions of a legal or procedural nature should be directed to Major Williams, Jr., the Hearing Officer, at (916) 651-2020 or e-mail at: mwilliam@energy.state.ca.us

If you require special accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Priscilla Ross at (916) 653-6631 or e-mail at: pross@energy.state.ca.us

Media inquiries should be directed to Claudia Chandler, Assistant Executive Director for Media and Public Communications at (916) 654-4989 or e-mail at: energia@energy.ca.gov

Informational concerning the status of the project, as well as notices and other relevant documents, is also available on the Energy Commission's Internet home page at: www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/losesteros/index.html

 

¹A written transcript of the Informational Hearing and Site Visit was placed online on November 13, 2001: www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/losesteros/documents/index.html. The transcript is cited herein as "RT," followed by the relevant page and line numbers.
²We note, however, that the Schedule may be slipped only to the extent the Committee finds that the proposed project remains eligible for the expedited process under Public Resources Code section 25552(c)

 

Dated November 15, 2001, at Sacramento, California

 

ENERGY RESOURCES CONSERVATION
AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

 

WILLIAM J. KEESE
Commissioner and Presiding Member
Los Esteros AFC Committee

MICHAL C. MOORE
Commissioner and Associate Member
Los Esteros AFC Committee

 

APPENDIX A
COMMITTEE SCHEDULE FOR LOS ESTEROS

EVENT	DATE
AFC Data Adequate	September 25, 2001
Staff Issues Data Requests (Set 1) to Applicant	October 5, 2001
Staff Issues Data Requests (Set 2) to Applicant	October 10, 2001
Staff Issues Data Requests (Set 2) to Applicant	October 10, 2001
Staff Issues Data Requests (Set 3) to Applicant	October 12, 2001
Staff Files Issue Identification Report	October 18, 2001
Informational Hearing and Site Visit	November 5, 2001
Staff Conducts Data Response/Issues Resolution Workshop	November 6, 2001
Committee Issues Scheduling Order/Eligibility for Expedited Review	November 15, 2001
Agency Comments Due	November 26, 2001
Applicant Submits Data Responses	November 30, 2001
Applicant Files Preliminary Determination of Compliance (PDOC) from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)	Late-November/2001 (projected)
Staff Releases Staff Assessment (SA)	December 2001
Staff Conducts SA Workshop(s)	December 2001
Staff Files Addendum to SA	January 2002
Committee Conducts Prehearing Conference	January 2002

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