[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 242 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78478-78479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31971]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-42-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Application

December 11, 2000.
    On November 30, 2000, Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation 
(Columbia), P.O. Box 1273, Charleston, West Virginia 25325-1273, filed 
an application in Docket No. CP01-42-000 pursuant to Section 7(b) of 
the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Section 157.18 of the Commission's 
Regulations for permission and approval to abandon by sale to Nicole 
Gas Production, LTD (Nicole), an Ohio limited liability company, 
certain natural gas facilities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania 
(Facilities) and authorization to abandon the related service 
associated with the Facilities, 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).
    Columbia states that the Facilities to be sold to Nicole were 
certificated by the Commission as transmission and storage facilities, 
which were constructed and operated as part of a low pressure 
transmission system that transported locally produced gas to Columbia's 
mainline for system supply and redelivery to various markets. Also 
included in the proposed sale is Columbia's Holbrook Storage Field. 
Holbrook was constructed in 1950. Columbia does not propose the 
separate sale of base gas in connection with the proposed sale since it 
has determined that the recovery of remaining base gas is such a small 
volume (approximately 1 Bcf) that it is economically unrecoverable. In 
lieu of Columbia filing a separate Section 4 filing, Columbia ask that 
the Commission waive its requirement and accept the information 
provided within the application in Exhibits Z-2 and Z-3 as its notice 
to terminate service.
    Columbia and Nicole entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement 
dated September 27, 2000 for the Facilities. Columbia will also sell 
Nicole various non-jurisdictional facilities (known as the CHEWP 
System) that the Commission approved for sale in Docket No. CP97-127-
000,\1\ as well as an additional 23.24 miles of 2- to 16-inch pipeline 
which was not part of the CP97-127-000 proceeding. The Facilities will 
be sold for a negotiated amount of $3,655,00. Nicole has advised 
Columbia that it intends to operate the Facilities as gathering 
facilities and to use the Facilities primarily for production and 
gathering activities. Columbia seeks such authorization on or before 
May 1, 2001.
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    \1\ 79 FERC para. 61,045 (1997).
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    According to Columbia, Nicole will assume the obligation to 
continue operating the Facilities, providing both firm and 
interruptible service to Columbia's customers receiving service through 
the Facilities on the date of closing, on terms and conditions 
acceptable to both Nicole and the customers, as well as to the mainline 
tap consumers of Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Mountaineer Gas 
Company. Thus, there will be no material change to, or interruption in, 
the services currently being provided to customers through the 
Facilities. Columbia does not propose any construction or facility 
removal in connection with the proposed abandonment.
    Questions regarding the details of this proposed abandonment should 
be directed to Victoria J. Hamilton, Certificate Coordinator, Columbia 
Gas Transmission Corporation, P.O. Box 1273, Charleston, West Virginia 
25325-1273, call (304) 357-2297.
    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

[[Page 78479]]

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 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 Administration 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. 00-31971 Filed 12-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M