[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 206 (Monday, October 26, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 57086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28546]



[[Page 57086]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Parts 4, 153, 157 and 375
[Docket No. RM98-16-000]


Collaborative Procedures for Energy Facilities Applications; 
Notice of Technical Conference

October 20, 1998.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Technical Conference.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) intends 
to hold a staff technical conference on November 5, 1998 at 9:00 AM, in 
the Commission Meeting Room, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C., 
to discuss the proposed pre-filing collaborative process.

DATES: The conference will be held on November 5, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The conference will be held in the Commission Meeting Room, 
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Russo, Office of Pipeline Regulation, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, (202) 219-
2792
Berne Mosley, Office of Pipeline Regulation, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, (202) 208-
2256
Gordon Wagner, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, (202) 219-
0122
Merrill Hathaway, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, 
(202) 208-0825.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In addition to publishing the full text of 
this document in the Federal Register, the Commission also provides all 
interested persons an opportunity to inspect or copy the contents of 
this document during normal business hours in the Public Reference Room 
at 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A, Washington, D.C. 20426.
    The Commission Issuance Posting System (CIPS) provides access to 
the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission. CIPS can be 
accessed via Internet through FERC's Homepage (http://www.ferc.fed.us) 
using the CIPS Link or the Energy Information Online icon. The full 
text of this document will be available on CIPS in ASCII on WordPerfect 
6.1 format. CIPS is also available through the Commission's electronic 
bulletin board service at no charge to the user and may be accessed 
using a personal computer with a modem by dialing 202-208-1397, if 
dialing locally, or 1-800-856-3920, if dialing long distance. To access 
CIPS, set your communications software to 19200, 14400, 12000, 9600, 
7200, 4800, 2400, or 1200 bps, full duplex, no parity, 8 data bits and 
1 stop bit. User assistance is available at 202-208-2474 or by E-mail 
to [email protected].
    This document is also available through the Commission's Records 
and Information Management System (RIMS), an electronic storage and 
retrieval system of documents submitted to and issued by the Commission 
after November 16, 1981. Documents from November 1995 to the present 
can be viewed and printed. RIMS is available in the Public Reference 
Room or remotely via Internet through FERC's Homepage using the RIMS 
link or the Energy Information Online icon. User assistance is 
available at 202-208-2222, or by E-mail to [email protected].
    Finally, the complete text on diskette in WordPerfect format may be 
purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, RVJ International, 
Inc. RVJ International, Inc., is located in the Public Reference Room 
at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is proposing 
to expand its procedural regulations governing the authorization of 
natural gas facilities and services, and is considering revising its 
procedural regulations governing applications for licenses for 
hydroelectric projects.\1\ The proposed regulations are intended to 
offer prospective applicants seeking to construct, operate or abandon 
natural gas facilities or services the option, in appropriate 
circumstances and prior to filing an application, of using a 
collaborative process to resolve significant issues. In addition, a 
significant portion of the environmental review process should be 
completed as part of the pre-filing collaborative process. This pre-
filing collaborative process is comparable to the process the 
Commission recently adopted with respect to applications for 
hydroelectric licenses, amendments and exemptions and, like those 
regulations, is optional and is designed to be adaptable to the facts 
and circumstances of the particular case. The proposed regulations 
would not delete or replace any existing regulations. Finally, the 
Commission is considering whether the existing collaborative process 
for hydroelectric license and exemption applications, as well as the 
proposed collaborative process for natural gas facilities and services, 
should be made mandatory.
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    \1\ See 84 FERC para. 61,346 (September 30, 1998).
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    A staff technical conference will be held on November 5, 1998, to 
provide an overview of the proposed pre-filing collaborative process 
and to respond to questions. Additional conferences will be held at a 
later date in Houston and Chicago. These conferences are designed as 
workshops in which Commission staff will present information and 
respond to questions concerning the proposed collaborative process as 
an aid to assist participants in developing comments in response to and 
as requested in the September 30, 1998 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. 
Accordingly, there will be no transcript and statements made in the 
context of the workshops will not become part of the record in this 
proceeding. All parties--particularly those with experience with 
collaborative processes, whether at this agency or in another context--
are invited to attend.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-28546 Filed 10-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M