STATE OF CALIFORNIA ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor

PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

505 VAN NESS AVENUE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102-3298

December 23, 2010

TO: ALL PARTIES OF RECORD IN RULEMAKING 06-10-006

Decision 10-12-056 is being mailed without the Dissent of Commissioner Michael R. Peevey. The Dissent will be mailed separately.

Very truly yours,

_/s/ JANET A. ECONOME for_

Karen V. Clopton, Chief
Administrative Law Judge

KVC/jyc

Attachment

COM/JB2/gd2 Date of Issuance 12/23/2010

Decision 10-12-056 December 16, 2010

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Order Instituting Rulemaking on the Commission's own motion into the application of the California Environmental Quality Act to applications of jurisdictional telecommunications utilities for authority to offer service and construct facilities.

Rulemaking 06-10-006 (Filed October 5, 2006)

FINAL DECISION ADOPTING GENERAL ORDER
SPECIFYING REVIEW PROCEDURES PURSUANT TO
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT

1. Summary

This decision adopts General Order (GO) 170 which sets forth the Commission's procedures for reviewing proposed construction projects by California telephone corporations.¹ GO 170 implements the Commission's responsibilities pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to review possible environmental impacts of construction projects consisting of any new telephone or telegraph line; or the repair, replacement, modification, alteration, or addition to an existing telephone or telegraph line in the State of California. GO 170 contains a comprehensive, streamlined CEQA process that will facilitate deployment of advanced communications policy by applying the same rules to all telephone corporations. GO 170 will ensure that the Commission's practices comply with the current requirements and policies of CEQA and will promote the development of an advanced telecommunications infrastructure.

¹ As set forth in General Order (GO) 170, which is Attachment 1 to today's decision, the GO also applies to California telegraph corporations as defined in Pub. Util. Code § 236 when constructing telegraph lines as defined in § 235. These corporations are subject to the Commission's jurisdiction and are included for completeness as their business is largely of historical interest only. All references to telephone corporation herein include telegraph corporation as well.