[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 242 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78479-78480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31970]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-44-000]


Nicole Gas Production, LTD; Notice of Application

December 11, 2000.
    On November 30, 2000, Nicole Gas Production, LTD (Nicole) 513 E. 
Rich St., Suite 306, Columbus, Ohio 43215, filed an application in 
Docket No. CP01-44-000 pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA) and part 157 of the Commission's regulations for a limited 
jurisdiction certificate authorizing the incidental use of certain 
facilities (Facilities) currently owned by Columbia Gas Transmission 
Corporation (Columbia) in West Virginia and Pennsylvania to deliver gas 
to existing customers of local distribution companies, 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).
    Upon acquiring the subject facilities, Nicole will continue to 
provide transportation of gas to these customers. Currently, Columbia 
transports locally produced gas through the Facilities to its mainline 
transmission system. Between the point of receipt and delivery to 
Columbia's transmission system, gas is delivered at numerous points to 
a LDC and its customers. According to Columbia, gas supply in certain 
portions of the system is insufficient to meet demand when there are 
episodes of high demand for gas. During such a time, gas from 
Columbia's main transmission system backflows into the gathering lines 
to satisfy any gas shortfall. Presently, Nicole is a natural gas 
production company engaged in the development and management of natural 
gas wells and associated facilities that it currently owns and operates 
facilities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Nicole asks that the 
Commission issue a limited jurisdictional certificate that does not 
include the full panoply of NGA rate and service obligations and which 
would extend only to the specific activity authorized, leaving the 
gatherer non-jurisdictional with respect to any remaining gathering 
activities.
    Nicole states that the sale of the Facilities by Columbia to Nicole 
is in the public convenience and necessity because it will operate the 
Facilities for the benefit of its product shipper customers and meet 
the delivery needs of the LDC and its customer who currently receive 
gas from these facilities. Nicole requests that such action be taken so 
that the limited certificate can be issued by May 1, 2001.
    Questions regarding the details of this proposed application should 
be directed to Freddie L. Fulson, Manager, Nicole Gas Production, LTD, 
513 E. Rich Street, Suite 306, Columbus, Ohio 43215, call (614) 221-
5004.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this abandonment. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this abandonment should, on or 
before January 2, 2001, 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 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 
abandonment. The Commission will consider these comments in determining 
the appropriate action to be

[[Page 78480]]

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 abandonment 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 abandonment 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.
    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.
    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.
    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 
abandonment will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-31970 Filed 12-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M