[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 241 (Tuesday, December 16, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65801-65802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32711]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP96-27-002]


Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America; Notice of Application to 
Amend Certificate

December 10, 1997.
    Take notice that on November 12, 1997, as supplemented on December 
5, 1997, Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (Natural), located at 
701 East 22nd Street, Lombard, Illinois 60148, filed in Docket No. 
CP96-27-002 an Application to Amend Certificate (Amendment) pursuant to 
Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA).\1\ The certificate authority in 
this docket was issued pursuant to the Preliminary Determination issued 
on August 1, 1996 (76 FERC 61,142) and the Order Issuing Certificate 
issued on August 1, 1997 (80 FERC 61,147). The details of Natural's 
proposal are more fully set forth in its Amendment which is on file 
with the Commission and open for public inspection.
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    \1\ Natural's Amendment was incomplete until the supplement was 
filed on December 5, 1997.
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    The above referenced Commission Orders authorized the expansion of 
Natural's Amarillo Mainline by 345 MMcf/d to help serve 525 MMcf/d of 
new load expected to come on-line at Harper, Iowa, as of November 1, 
1998. The Commission's Orders recognized that the difference between 
the expected new load and the amount of new capacity to be constructed 
would be provided by capacity to be turned back by MidCon Gas Services 
Corporation (MidCon Gas). Now, Natural has gotten an additional 120 
MMcf/d of turned back capacity and expects to get 110 MMcf/d more 
before the 520 MMcf/d of new load comes on-line.
    The Amendment notes, first, that the new load has been reduced to 
520 MMcf/d because one of the shippers has been unable to obtain 
upstream capacity. However, the primary purpose of the Amendment is to 
reduce the amount of new capacity to be built to help serve the 520 
MMcf/d of new load. Natural requests that two specific expansion levels 
be authorized, in lieu of the 345 MMcf/d level. They are 220 MMcf/d 
(estimated to cost $55.1 million) and 110 MMcf/d (estimated to cost 
$23.7 million).
    The 9,000 horsepower of additional compression at Station 110 in 
Henry County, Illinois and the Mississippi River crossing, already 
approved in the previous orders, will still be used. The Amendment will 
reduce the number of miles of new 36-inch loop line that will be 
constructed. As originally certificated, the project required 85.7 
miles of new pipeline looping in various segments. The 220 case will 
reduce that to 34.8 miles. The 110 case will reduce it to 4.1 miles. In 
both cases, the new loop line will be constructed in right-of-way that 
was approved in the previous orders. The only changes will be the 
locations of the necessary crossover points, where the new loop line 
and, in the 110 case, the Mississippi River crossing will be 
interconnected with existing facilities of the Amarillo Mainline.
    Natural states that it will actually construct the facilities for 
only one of the two new expansion levels, depending on the total amount 
of existing capacity that is actually available to help serve the new 
load. The Amendment states that no significant environmental issues are 
presented, because the lower expansion levels will result from a 
shortening of the loop line mileage previously authorized in this 
docket. A continuation of rolled-in rate treatment is said to be 
warranted, because each of the two new expansion levels will have only 
a minimal impact on Natural's existing rates.
    Any person desiring to be heard or making any protest with 
reference to said Amendment should on or before December 31, 1997, file 
with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, 
Washington, D.C. 20426, a motion to intervene or a protest in 
accordance with the requirements of the Commission's Rules of Practice 
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10). All protests filed with the commission 
will be considered by it in determining the appropriate action to be 
taken but will not serve to make the protestants parties to the 
proceeding. The Commission's rules require that protestors provide

[[Page 65802]]

copies of their protests to the party or person to whom the protests 
are directed. Any person wishing to become a party to a proceeding or 
to participate as a party in any hearing therein must file a motion to 
intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules. Persons who 
previously filed motions to intervene on Docket No. CP96-27-000 and 001 
need not file again.
    A person obtaining intervenor status will be placed on the service 
list maintained by the Secretary of the Commission and will receive 
copies of all documents issued by the Commission, filed by the 
applicant, or filed by all other intervenors. An intervenor can file 
for rehearing of any Commission order and can petition for court review 
of any such order. However, an intervenor must serve copies of comments 
or any other filing it makes with the Commission to every other 
intervenor in the proceeding, as well as filing an original and 14 
copies with the Commission.
    A person does not have to intervene, however, in order to have 
comments considered. A person, instead, may submit two copies of such 
comments to the Secretary of the Commission. Commenters will be placed 
on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive copies of 
environmental documents, and will be able to participate in meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed documents on 
all other parties. However, commenters will not receive copies of all 
documents filed by other parties or issued by the Commission, and will 
not have the right to seek rehearing or appeal the Commission's final 
order to a Federal court.
    The Commission will consider all comments and concerns equally, 
whether filed by commenters or those requesting intervenor status.
    Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in 
and subject to the jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission by Sections 7 and 15 of the NGA and the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, a hearing will be held 
without further notice before the Commission or its designee on these 
applications if no motion to intervene is filed within the time 
required herein, if the Commission on its own review of the matter 
finds that a grant of the certificate is required by the public 
convenience and necessity. If a motion for leave to intervene is timely 
filed, or if the Commission on its own motion believes that a formal 
hearing is required, further notice of such hearing will be duly given.
    Under the procedure herein provided for, unless otherwise advised, 
it will be unnecessary for Natural to appear or be represented at the 
hearing.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-32711 Filed 12-15-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M