The U.S. Department of State (DOS) will hold a public scoping meeting from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Seward Civic Center Auditorium to hear concerns regarding the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline Project.
     The DOS is in the process of preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) to assess the project's potential impact on geology and soils, water resources, fish, wildlife, vegetation, threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, land use, recreation and special interest areas, visual resources, air quality, noise, socioeconomics, reliability and safety. The DOS welcomes public input in the scope and content of the EIS.
     The Keystone project would construct a 1,845-mile crude oil pipeline from a hub near Hardisty, Alberta, to Wood River and Patoka, Ill. Its proposed route traverses Seward County running north to south and passes approximately one mile to the west of Seward.
     The proposed pipeline will be capable of pumping 435,000 barrels of oil per day at a pressure of 1,440 pounds per square inch. The 30-inch diameter pipe will be buried at a minimum depth of four feet.
     "TransCanada Keystone Pipe-line, L.P., has applied to the U.S. DOS for a Presidential Permit," David Brown, DOS Director, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs/Office of Environmental Policy, said in an Oct. 4 press release. "The DOS has determined that the issuance of the Presidential Permit would constitute a major federal action that may have a significant impact upon the environment."
     The completed study will be used by the DOS to determine whether to grant TransCanada a Presidential Permit for construction of the pipeline.
     "You are encouraged to become involved in this process and provide your specific comments or concerns about the proposed project," Brown said. "Your concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by the DOS.
     "Your comments should focus on the potential environmental impacts, reasonable alternatives (including alternative facility sites and alternative pipeline routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be."
     The DOS has already identified areas of concern regarding the environmental impact of the project and will hold open discussions on these and any other issues that arise.
     Issues identified include:
     - minimization of construction rights-of-way and associated construction impacts;
     - potential effects on prime farmland and soils with a high potential for compaction;
     - potential impacts to existing land uses, including residences, agricultural and managed forested lands;
     - potential impacts to perennial and intermittent bodies of water, including bodies of water with federal and/or state designations;
     - evaluation of the potential for temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands;
     - potential impacts to fish and wildlife habitat, including potential impacts to federally and state-listed threatened and endangered species;
     - potential impacts to wildlife management areas;
     - potential impacts and benefits of construction work force on local housing, infrastructure, public services and economy;
     - alternative alignments for the pipeline route; and
     - assessment of the effect of the proposed project when combined with other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions in the project area.
     A draft of the EIS will be made available upon request with a 45-day comment period.
     "We will consider all timely comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary before issuing a final EIS," Brown said. "We will consider all comments on the final EIS before reaching a conclusion on whether to grant Keystone a Presidential Permit."
     The DOS encourages public input in the scoping meeting. People unable to attend the meeting may submit written concerns through the mail or electronically by Thursday, Nov. 30.
     All comments will be considered with equal weight whether written or expressed at the meeting.
     Written comments or suggestions on the scope of the EIS should be addressed to: Elizabeth Orlando, OES/ENV Room 2657, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, or e-mailed to keystoneeis@state.gov.
     For more information on the project or to receive a copy of the draft EIS when it is issued, contact Elizabeth Orlando at the above address or by fax at (202) 647-5947.
     More information, including associated maps and drawings of the proposal, is available on-line at www.keystonepipeline.state.gov. This website is slated to be operational beginning Friday, Oct. 20. The website will also accept public comments for the record.