California Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit No. 2081-2025-040-04 for the Line 7039 Mile Post 14.12-1 Leak Repair Project

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued Incidental Take Permit No. 2081-2025-040-04 to Southern California Gas Company authorizing the limited, unintentional take of the state-listed threatened San Joaquin kit fox during an emergency pipeline repair at Mile Post 14.12 on Line 7039 near Bakersfield, California. The project is necessary to address a detected leak in the natural gas transmission line to prevent safety hazards, avoid service disruption, and comply with federal pipeline safety regulations under 49 CFR Part 192 and California Public Utilities Commission General Order 112-F. Work includes excavation, replacement of pipeline segments and a faulty valve, recoating, hydrostatic testing, backfilling, and full restoration of the site to its pre-construction condition, with the goal of allowing natural revegetation. The total area of habitat disturbance is limited to 0.81 acre, with strict mitigation enforced through mandatory avoidance zones, pre-construction species relocation, worker training on protected species protocols, and monthly compliance reporting to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This action qualifies as an emergency under the California Environmental Quality Act, exempting it from standard environmental review but still requiring strict adherence to the terms of the incidental take permit issued under the California Endangered Species Act. The project is scheduled to occur over a continuous 72-hour operational window, including overnight, to minimize environmental exposure and ensure timely safety repairs. No federal procurement contract clauses, pricing data, or competitive award criteria apply, as this is a regulatory authorization rather than a competitively bid contract. Responsibility for compliance rests with Southern California Gas Company, with oversight provided by the CDFW’s Central Region office, where contacts include Sarah Bahm as the Senior Environmental Scientist and Christian Sicam as the project manager. No payment, invoicing, or accounting details are included, reflecting the permit’s nature as an environmental compliance instrument rather than a financial agreement.