[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 241 (Thursday, December 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78153-78154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31852]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-41-000]


El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Application

December 8, 2000.
    On November 30, 2000, El Paso Natural Gas (El Paso), pursuant to 
Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), and Subparts B and C of Part 
153 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission) 
regulations under the NGA, filed in Docket No. CP01-41-000 its 
application for: (1) an order authorizing the siting, construction, and 
operation of 60 feet of 16-inch diameter pipeline and the place of exit 
for export of up to 8,500 Mcf per day of natural gas at the 
International Boundary between the United States and Mexico in Santa 
Cruz County, Arizona; and, (2) a Presidential Permit, pursuant to 
Section 7 of the NGA and the Commission's Rules and Regulations, all as 
more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection. The filing may be viewed at 
http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for 
assistance).
    The application states that El Paso understands that Nogales, 
Sonora, Mexico is host to a growing commercial manufacturing industry. 
Due to the increasing number of industrial parks and U.S. manufacturing 
plants being located in northern Sonora, there is an increasing need 
for supplies of clean burning natural gas as fuel. In response thereto, 
Ener-Son, U.S.A. Inc. (Ener-Son), a buyer and seller of natural gas, 
has agreed to provide for the increasing needs of these commercial 
manufacturing plants. In addition, Ener-Son also desires to provide 
natural gas to fuel future electric power generation in Northern 
Mexico.
    El Paso states that its existing California Mainline System is 
capable of providing interruptible transportation service for such 
quantities of natural gas. However, certain additional metering and 
lateral facilities must be constructed between El Paso's existing 
mainline system and the point of interconnection at the International 
Boundary. El Paso will construct and operate: a delivery point, Ductos 
de Nogales; 4,216 feet of 6.625-inch diameter lateral pipeline (the 
last 60 feet of lateral on the United States side will be 16-inch 
diameter pipe); and, metering facilities pursuant to the automatic 
blanket provisions under sections 157.211(a) and 157.208(a), 
respectively, of the Commission's regulations.
    El Paso's application further states that measurement will take 
place at the new delivery point; however, custody transfer will take 
place at the border crossing. A financial arrangement has been executed 
with El Paso for the construction and operation of the new gas 
transportation facilities. El Paso understands that construction has 
been completed of the necessary pipeline system in Mexico to the 
Mexican side of the border crossing.
    Questions regarding the details of this proposed project should be 
directed to Robert T. Tomlinson, Director, Tariff and Certificates 
Department, El Paso Natural Gas Company, Post Office Box 1492, El Paso, 
Texas 79978, call (915) 496-5959.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or 
before December 22, 2000, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, a motion to 
intervene 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 NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party 
status will be

[[Page 78154]]

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 all other parties. A party must submit 14 copies of 
filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant 
and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the 
proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the 
proceeding.
    However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have 
comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with 
the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and 
two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. 
The Commission will consider these comments in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will 
not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission's 
rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project 
provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly 
involved in the protest.
    Persons who wish to comment only on the environmental review of 
this project should submit an original and two copies of their comments 
to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commenters will be 
placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive 
copies of the environmental documents, and will be notified of meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Environmental commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed 
documents on all other parties. However, the non-party commenters will 
not receive copies of all documents filed by other parties or issued by 
the Commission (except for the mailing of environmental documents 
issued by the Commission) and will not have the right to seek court 
review of the Commission's final order.
    Comments and protests may be filed electronically via the internet 
in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions 
on the Commission's web site at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm.
    The Commission may issue a preliminary determination on non-
environmental issues prior to the completion of its review of the 
environmental aspects of the project. This preliminary determination 
typically considers such issues as the need for the project and its 
economic effect on existing customers of the applicant, on other 
pipelines in the area, and on landowners and communities. For example, 
the Commission considers the extent to which the applicant may need to 
exercise eminent domain to obtain rights-of-way for the proposed 
project and balances that against the non-environmental benefits to be 
provided by the project. Therefore, if a person has comments on 
community and landowner impacts from this proposal, it is important 
either to file comments or to intervene as early in the process as 
possible.
    If the Commission decides to set the application for a formal 
hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, the Commission will issue 
another notice describing that process. At the end of the Commission's 
review process, a final Commission order approving or denying a 
certificate will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-31852 Filed 12-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M