[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 250 (Thursday, December 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73537-73538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33944]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-21-002]


Northern Border Pipeline Company; Notice of Amendment

December 23, 1999.
    Take notice that on December 17, 1999, Northern Border Pipeline 
Company (Northern Border), 1111 South 103rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 
68124-1000, filed in Docket No. CP99-21-002, an amendment to its 
application in Docket No. CP99-21, for a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity, pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas 
Act and Part 157 of the Commission's regulations, to construct and 
operate pipeline and compression facilities, all as more fully set 
forth in the amendment which is on file with the Commission and open to 
public inspection. This filing may be viewed on the Internet at http://
www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).
    On March 25, 1999, Northern Border filed with the Commission an 
amendment to its application in Docket No. CP99-21-001, wherein 
Northern Border modified the design of the pipeline and compression 
facilities it proposes. By this amendment, Northern Border now proposes 
to install approximately 34.4 miles of 30-inch pipeline (rather than 
36-inch pipeline, as previously proposed), commencing from Northern 
Border's 36-inch pipeline near Manhattan, Illinois to a point near 
North Hayden, Indiana. The proposed pipeline extension will 
interconnect with Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) at 
the terminus of the pipeline at which point Northern Border proposes to 
install a meter station. The pipeline extension between Manhattan and 
North Hayden will have a design capacity of 544,000 Mcf/d and a maximum 
operating pressure of 1,050 psig. Due to the potential development of a 
new airport along the route of the proposed pipeline, Northern Border 
has been requested and proposes to install a tee and side value on the 
pipeline extension near the site. Further, the planned cooling 
modifications at proposed Compressor Station No. 18 have been 
eliminated. The change in pipeline diameter from a 36-inch to a 30-
inch, and the elimination of cooling at Compressor Station No. 18 are 
the only facility changes from those proposed in the March 25, 1999, 
amendment.
    As now amended, the estimated project cost is $94.4 million, in 
fourth quarter 1999 dollars. Northern Border says that it does not 
intend to use its cost projection in the instant application as the 
basis for an incentive rate proposal. Northern Border filed additional 
exhibits which compare the transportation cost for the year 2002 
without the proposed facilities to the projected year 2002 cost with 
the proposed facilities in order to show the impact of rolling-in the 
proposed facilities on the first calendar year of operation's cost of 
service. Northern Border's year 2002 projected unit cost of service 
rate, including fuel, the proposed facility costs, and the related 
volumes is 4.30 cents per 100 Dekatherm-Miles, which is the same as the 
unit cost without the proposed facilities and related volumes. Northern 
Border says that this demonstrates that Project 2000 is financially 
viable without ``subsidy'' from existing customers.
    On September 15, 1999, the Commission issued a Statement of Policy 
in Docket No. PL99-3-000, ``Certification of new Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipeline Facilities''. The Policy Statement announced changes to the 
pricing and rate criteria applicable to new construction projects and, 
specified that applicants proposing to add new pipeline capacity must 
satisfy a threshold requirement of ``no financial subsidies''. The 
Policy Statement also announced that a project will also be evaluated 
based upon consideration of (i) the interests of the applicant's 
existing customers; (ii) the interest of competing existing pipelines 
and their captive customers, and (iii) the interests of landowners and 
surrounding communities. Where a project results in adverse impacts to 
any of members of these three stakeholder groups, the project sponsor 
must show how the specific public benefits resulting from its project 
outweigh the adverse effects the members of the three stakeholder 
groups.
    Northern Border states that Project 2000, as now amended, meets the 
Commission's threshold ``no financial subsidies'' requirement of for 
certification. Further, its says that the public benefits of Project 
2000 outweigh any adverse impacts to any members of the three 
stakeholder groups identified in the Policy Statement, because in its 
amendment, Northern Border describes in detail how Project 2000 does 
not have any adverse impact on the three stakeholder groups listed in 
the Policy Statement. Northern Border therefore requests that the 
Commission promptly certificate Project 2000, as hereby amended, and 
that such approvals issue no later than March 15, 2000.

[[Page 73538]]

    Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said application should on or before January 14, 2000, 
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 385.211 and 385.214) 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 in any proceeding herein 
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 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 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 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 permission and 
approval for the proposed abandonments and a grant of the 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 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 Northern Border to appear or to be 
represented at the hearing.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-33944 Filed 12-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M