[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17399-17400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9299]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-309-000]


Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited Partnership; Notice of 
Application

April 3, 1998.
    Take notice that on March 27, 1998, Great Lakes Gas Transmission 
Limited Partnership (Great Lakes), One Woodward Avenue, Suite 1600, 
Detroit, Michigan 48226, filed an application pursuant to Section 7(c) 
of the Natural Gas Act for a certificate of public convenience and 
necessity authorizing Great Lakes to construct and operate 258.5 miles 
of 36-inch pipeline loop in 11 segments (including a crossing of the 
Straits of Mackinac, a navigable waterbody located at the northern tip 
of Michigan's lower peninsula), seven compressor units totaling 180,000 
horsepower (hp) and miscellaneous ancillary facilities, at an estimated 
cost of $620,250,000, all as more fully set forth in the application 
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
    Great Lakes states that the proposed facilities (the Great Lakes 
300 Expansion), in conjunction with Great Lakes existing system, will 
enable Great Lakes to increase its system-wide deliverability at its 
downstream St. Clair, Michigan interconnect by 304,000 dekatherms per 
day (dtd). It is stated that this additional system capacity has been 
subscribed by firm transportation service between a point on the U.S.--
Canada international boundary near St. Vincent, Minnesota and a point 
on the U.S.--Canada international boundary near St. Clair, Michigan 
under a precedent agreement executed by TransCanada PipeLines Limited. 
Great Lakes requests approval to charge a stand alone initial, 
levelized transportation rate, which is derived from the estimated 
additional costs to the system, over a fifteen-year (15) period, 
resulting from the construction and operation of the proposed 
facilities. Great Lakes avers that the additional transportation 
service is to commence and the proposed facilities are to be placed 
into service on November 1, 2000. Great Lakes states that meeting this 
date necessitates 1999-2000 winter construction of approximately 39.5 
miles of pipeline looping in two segments. Accordingly, Great Lakes 
requests that an order making a preliminary determination that the 
proposed facilities are required by the public convenience and 
necessity be issued in September 1998, and that an order granting a 
certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing 
construction and operation of the project be issued no later than 
September 1999.
    Great Lakes further states that its proposed looping will be 
constructed in Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake, Itasca, Aitkin and St. 
Louis Counties, Minnesota; Douglas and Bayfield Counties, Wisconsin; 
and Gogebic, Delta, Schoolcraft, Clare, Isabella, Midland, Mackinac, 
Emmet, Genessee and Lapeer Counties, Michigan.
    Great Lakes also proposes to install and operate a 31,000 hp 
compressor unit at its Thief River Falls Compressor Station in Marshall 
County, Minnesota and a similarly sized unit at each of its following 
compressor stations: Deer River in Itasca County, Minnesota; Wakefield 
in Gogebic County, Michigan; Rapid River in Delta County, Michigan; and 
Farwell in Clare County, Michigan. A 10,000 hp unit addition is 
proposed for installation at Great Lakes' St. Vincent Compressor 
Station in Kittson County, Minnesota and a 15,000 hp unit addition is 
proposed for installation at Great Lakes' Boyne Falls Compressor 
Station in Charlevoix County, Michigan.
    Specifically, Great Lakes proposes to:
    (i) Construct and operate ten (10) 36-inch outside diameter (O.D.) 
mainline loop segments totaling 253.7 miles;
    (ii) Construct and operate a 36-inch O.D. looping of Great Lakes 
existing crossing of the Straits of Mackinac, totaling 4.8 miles;
    (iii) Install and operate one (1) 10,000 hp, one (1) 15,000 hp, and 
five (5) 31,000 hp (ISO) class compressor units, to be located 
individually at seven (7) existing Great Lakes' compressor stations;
    (iv) Change out seventeen (17) aerodynamic assemblies including 
modifying/replacing four (4) existing compressor cases, install gas 
aftercoolers at five (5) existing compressor stations, and modify yard 
and station piping at seven (7) compressor stations; and
    (v) Construct and operate various above ground, ancillary 
facilities.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said amendment should on or before April 24, 1998, file 
with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, 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 Commission and will receive 
copies of all documents filed by the applicant and 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 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 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

[[Page 17400]]

with further notice before the Commission or its designee on this 
application if no motion to intervene is filed within the time required 
herein, or if the Commission on its own review of the matter finds that 
permission and approval for the proposed certificate are 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 Great Lakes to appear or be represented at 
the hearing.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-9299 Filed 4-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M