Mediacom Kernville Interconnect (Onyx-to-Kern) Project

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) web site for the environmental review of the Mediacom Kernville Interconnect (Inyokern-to-Onyx) Fiber Optic Cable Project. This site provides access to public documents and information revelant to the permitting, CEQA review, and construction of the project.

On September 10, 2009, the Commission approved Communications Division Resolution T-17221. This Resolution adopts funding for the Kernville Interconnect project of MCC Telephony of the West, LLC, (Mediacom) amounting to $285, 992 from the California Advanced Services Fund. The amount granted represents 40% of the total project cost of this underserved area in accordance with Resolution T-17143.

Resolution T-17143 stated that prior to any construction activity, Mediacom is required to seek further authority from the Commission for such activity and must undergo an environmental review pursuant to CEQA. The Commission cannot release funds for the construction project until the Commission has completed CEQA review.

PROJECT STATUS

The project was reviewed by CPUC in accordance with the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) and a Final Mitigated Negative Declaration (FMND) was adopted by the CPUC on August 15, 2019, in Resolution T-17662, available here.

The project will be constructed under a grant from the California Advanced Service Grant Program as funded by the CPUC to Mediacom, LLC. Resolution T-17662 authorizes the release of CASF grant monies for the project and adopts the Final ND pursuant to CEQA.

The proposed project was also subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Bureau of Land Management is the NEPA Lead Agency and it prepared an Environmental Assesment and Finding of No Significant Impact (EA/FONSI) for the Mediacom Project.

The site provides access to public documents and information revelant to the permitting, CEQA review, and construction of the Mediacom Onyx-to-Kern Project.

BACKGROUND

Project Description

The proposed project consists of installation of armored loose tube fiber cable for 32.4 miles from the current Ridgecrest system connection in Inyokern to a connection loction in Onyx. The cable would primarily be installed underground with plowing or directional boring processes in the right-of-way (ROW), prescriptive areas adjacent to SR 178 and SR 14, and at four boring locations under the road.

Exception to this include: cable installed on seven new Mediacom-owned utility poles that pass the cable over two LADWP Los Angeles Aqueducts; cable installed on SCE poles in an existing utility easement and/or 25-foot BLM License Agreement Area outside the Caltrans ROW; cable installed over Canebrake Creek where cable would be attached to the Bridge; and cable installed under the roadbed for a section of the route with steep topography where Caltrans restricts new utility poles. The proposed project installation of 17 vaults and two aerial splice cases for cable splice points and cable route identification markers.

The proposed project would include fifteen applicant-proposed operational activities and design elements to address potential effects to the existing environment. With the incorporation of these measures into the proposed project, the Initial Study and Negative Declaration found that no significant impact would occur to the potential environmental issues analyzed. The fifteen operational activities and design elements are incorporated into the Negative Declaration.

The objectives of the proposed project are to:

• Directly connect numerous underserved institutions, such as schools and governmental agnecies, to high-speed broadband infrastructure;
• Provide upgradable and expandable high-speed broadband capacity in the proposed service area in the unserved and underserved rural area of Kern County;
• Enable an increase in telecommuting, with resulting decrease in vehicle miles traveled;
• Provide a broadband infrastructure to support a public safety network; and
• Enable connection of health care facilities in the service area through the California Telehealth Network.

Project Location

The project site transverses from the unincorporated community of Inyokern located in the Mojave Desert in eastern Kern County to the unincorporated community of Onyx located in the sourthern Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Kern River Valley area in Kern County. The eastern one-third of the project area is relatively flat, the middle one-third is both flat and steep terrain, and the western one-third is located in the relatively flat terrain. The majority of the project site consists of vacant land within the ROW or in prescriptive areas adjacent to SR 178 and SR 14 that have been cleared, graded, and maintained. The project site and the adjacent areas have been heavily disturbed by road improvement and maintenance actvities, culverts, access roads, pedestrian and vehicle traffic, agricultural and rural residential development, underground and above ground utility transmission lines, two LADWP Los Angeles Aqueducts, and Canebrake Creek including the concrete Canebrake Creek Bridge.

Environmental Review Process

The CPUC as Lead Agency determined that the preparation of a Mitigated Negative Declaration would be appropriate for the proposed project. As required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15073, the Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration was released to all potential responsible and trustee agencies for consultation and public comment. This consultation was requested to ensure that the environmental review by the CPUC will reflect the concerns of the public and responsible and trustee agencies involved with the proposed project.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration

A Draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (Draf ISMND) was prepared for the Commission's independent review and approval pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines. Coordination with local, regional, federal and state agencies - as well as members of the public and private property owner - was done during 2017-2018. The Draft ISMND was released for 30 days of public comment on January 7, 2019. The comment period closed on February 6, 2019.

The Draft ISMND is used by the Commission to ensure that the Mediacom proposed project avoids or reduces any environmental impacts associated with the project to a less-than-significant level. Subsequent to a public comment period, the Commission staff review all comments received and prepare a Final IS/ND reflecting the Commission's independent judgement. In addition, the Federal of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) prepared an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Mediacom Project (EA/FONSI).

Should the Commission decide to adopt the Final IS/ND and grant construction approval to the Mediacom project, a Resolution will be prepared for the Commission 's consideration at regular voting meeting of the Commission.

• The Draft IS/ND can be viewed here.
• The Final IS/ND can be viewed here.

AB 52 Consultation

Pursuant Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52) and Public Resources Code Section 21080.3.1, the CPUC sent formal notification letters to California Native American tribes that have requested, in writing, to be informed about proposed projects under review by the Commission. In addition, notification letters were sent to organizations and individuals identified by the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) as traditionally and culturally affiliated with the geographic area of the proposed project. The Commission requested consultation with 11 Tribes purusant to the AB52 process in November-December of 2018. No request for formal consultation were received.

Construction Monitoring and Minor Project Change Review

As final engineering is completed or as construction necessitates, Minor Project Changes (MPCs) may be submitted for the Project. Each of these requests will be reviewed by CPUC to ensure that no new impacts or increase to impacts severity would result from the requested change.

Additional Information

Additional information will be posted as it becomes available. For more information on the project, please contact: