With respect to the September 13, 1999 letter from Richard and Oreane Garcia 
concerning pipeline integrity  and noise issues, Transwestern Pipeline 
Company offers the following response:

Pipeline Integrity.  With the construction of the evaporation ponds over 
Transwestern's right of way and pipline, Transwestern has closely monitored 
the potential for  impacts for the pipeline.  This includes a more frequent 
inspection of the pipeline conditions underlying the ponds by taking 
potentiometric readings to verify that  corrosion is not present.  
Transwestern has also installed rectifiers to assist in eleminating the 
potential of pipeline corrosion.  As a DOT requirement, Transwestern has 
cathodically protected the entire pipeline system with an external pipeline 
coating to further ensure the integrity of the pipeline underlying the 
evaporation ponds.   The pipline safety  measures implemented by Transwestern 
are designed to not only identify corrosion iimpacts to the pipeline system 
at   the inception of detrimental impacts as a result of corrosion, but also 
allow for long term stability and integrity  by conducting state of the art 
monitoring and detection. 

Noise Issue.  In the initial environmental assessment and study, Transwestern 
conducted baseline surveys of the area to determine existing noise levels.  
This study was completed to assist Transwestern in the mitigation measures 
which will be implemented after construction of the Gallup Compresso 
Station.  Pending completion of the facility, Transwestern will conduct post 
noise studys to determine whether facility noise levels have increased above 
those levels mandated by FERC.  In the event of operational noise levels 
exceeding the FERC regulatory level of 55 ldn, Transwestern is committed to 
performing any and all  mitigation measures necessary to ensure that the post 
noise level of the facility will not be above the level mandated by FERC.

Decrepancy of trailer park residents.  In the letter by Mr. Garcia, it was 
stated that Transwestern's assessment of the number of residences in the 
adjacent trailer park  was not 18 as had been stated in our original study, 
but "more like 35 trailers".  The number of mobile home residences currrently 
in the trailer park may in fact be closer to 35.  Transwestern's trailer park 
residence count was taken in the winter of the year when the fluctuating job 
market is normally down and the number of residences in the park was low.  
The transient nature of mobile home residences and the fluctuating job 
economy of the area is probably a direct reflection of the up and down nature 
of the residences.  It should also be noted that during the time that the 
trailer park count was made, the owner of the trailer park who is also the 
operator of the evaporation ponds was experiencing major difficulties in the 
operation of the  ponds and raw sewage  had overflowed the pond embankments 
and  had resulted in the raw sewage ponding in the yards of many of the 
trailer park residents.  It was actually noted that many of the spaces 
normally occupied by mobile homes had been vacated.  This unsanitary 
condition was also identified by the New Mexico Environment Department.  The 
NMED had implemented enforcement actions against the trailer park owner.