[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 26 (Monday, February 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6548-6549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3138]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-151-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Application

February 3, 1998.
    Take notice that on December 22, 1997, as supplemented on January 
26, 1998, Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation (Columbia), P.O. Box 
1273, Charleston, West Virginia 25325-1273, filed an application in 
Docket No. CP98-151-000 for (1) Permission and approval to abandon 
certain jurisdictional natural gas facilities (a) by conveyance to 
Millennium Pipeline Company, L.P. (Millennium), (b) in place, or (c) by 
removal and (2) for a certificate of public convenience and necessity 
authorizing a lease of capacity from Millennium and a gas exchange 
arrangement to permit the continuation of services now provided by the 
facilities to be abandoned, all as more fully set forth in the 
application which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection.
    Columbia states that it will enter into a limited partnership 
agreement with three other parties to form Millennium which has filed 
in Docket No. CP98-150-000 to construct and operate a pipeline system 
extending more than 400 miles from the international boundary with 
Canada in Lake Erie to a point near Mt. Vernon, New York. To eliminate 
duplicate facilities, Columbia has agreed to abandon facilities in 
place, by removal or by conveyance to Millennium. It is indicated that 
Columbia would remove certain segments of pipeline and Millennium would 
later place its pipeline in the same trench.
    Columbia proposes to abandon in place 126.4 miles of 12-inch 
pipeline in Steuben, Chemung, Tioga, Broome, and Delaware Counties, New 
York, all part of Columbia's Line A-5. Columbia also proposes to 
abandon by removal approximately 7.1 miles of 24-inch pipeline, 0.2 
miles of 16-inch pipeline, 54.6 miles of 12-inch pipeline, 21.4 miles 
of 10-inch pipeline, and 8.9 miles of 8-inch pipeline in Delaware, 
Sullivan, Orange and Rockland Counties, New York, all designated as 
portions of Line A-5.
    Columbia proposes to abandon by conveyance to Millennium ten 
segments of pipeline ranging from 0.1 mile to 6.7 miles in length and 
from 4 to 24 inches in diameter, as well as 28 measuring stations, and 
the Milford Compressor Station consisting of a total of 1,050 
horsepower.
    Columbia is not proposing to abandon firm service to existing 
shippers as a result of the conveyance of facilities to Millennium. 
Columbia does indicate that it is negotiating with certain shippers for 
alternate delivery points or service. Columbia proposes to continue 
service to its existing A-5 shippers by implementing a capacity lease 
and exchange arrangement with Millennium. It is indicated that because 
the capacity lease agreement was regarded as a prerequisite to the 
development of the Millennium system from the outset, it was agreed in 
advance that Columbia would compensate Millennium for the long-haul 
capacity that would not be available because of the capacity lease. 
Columbia states that the monthly lease charge to be paid to Millennium 
by Columbia is equal to the firm transportation charges that would be 
paid to Millennium under a firm contract for 14,000 dt per day, the 
amount of firm long-haul capacity that would have been available on 
Millennium had not Columbia required the capacity for its A-5 shippers 
at existing service levels. Columbia seeks Commission authorization to 
treat the lease as an operating lease and record the costs in Account 
858 as operational 858 costs and intends to begin recovery of the lease 
costs through a filing under its TCRA to be effective with its next 
rate filing in which the costs of the existing A-5 facilities are 
removed from its base rates. It is stated that under the lease 
agreement, Millennium will own and maintain operational control of the 
subject facilities.
    In addition, Columbia Gas indicates that, prior to the conveyance 
of facilities to Millennium, it will install over-pressure protection 
equipment at a number of the measuring and regulating stations that 
will be conveyed but used for continued service to Columbia. It is 
indicated that the overpressure protection equipment is needed due to 
the higher maximum allowable operating pressure of the Millennium 
pipeline. Columbia has stated that the equipment would be installed as 
auxiliary facilities pursuant to Section 2.55(a) of the Commission's 
rules. However, Columbia has stated that it requests certificate 
authorization to install the facilities in the event the Commission 
determines that the facilities do not qualify as auxiliary facilities 
under Section 2.55.
    Any person desiring to participate in the hearing process or to 
make any protest with reference to said application should on or before 
February 24, 1998, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
888 First St., N.E., 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 copies of their protests to the party or 
parties directly involved. 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.
    A person obtaining intervenor status will be placed on the service 
list maintained by the Secretary of the

[[Page 6549]]

Commission and will receive copies of all documents filed by the 
applicant and by every one of the 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 submit copies of 
comments or any other filing it makes with the Commission to every 
other intervenor in the proceeding, as well as 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 
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 Natural Gas Act and 
the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, a hearing will be 
held without further notice before the Commission or its designee on 
this application 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 Columbia to appear or be represented at the 
hearing.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-3138 Filed 2-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M