[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2895-2896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1014]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-61-000]


Viking Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Application

January 8, 2001.
    On December 29, 2000, Viking Gas Transmission Company (Viking), 825 
Rice Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55117, filed in Docket No. CP01-61-
000, an abbreviated application pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural 
Gas Act (NGA) and the Commission's Rules and Regulations for a 
certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing Viking to 
construct certain pipeline facilities referred to as the Hallock 
Project, 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).
    Viking proposes in the Hallock Project to install 5.6 miles of 24-
inch security looping to provide a second line in the first segment of 
its mainline from near the Emerson Interconnect with TransCanada 
Pipelines Ltd. (TCPL) to

[[Page 2896]]

its first compressor station, the Hallock Compressor Station. Viking is 
proposing this project to enable it to maintain gas flow into its 
system from TCPL without interruption to customers when this area of 
the existing pipe will be taken out of service temporarily for 
necessary integrity testing and maintenance work. The construction and 
operation of the proposed facilities also will provide Viking with the 
opportunity to reduce its fuel consumption at the Hallock Compressor 
Station by an estimated 81,000 Dth annually.
    Specifically, Viking proposes to construct and operate the 
following facilities:

    --5.6 miles of 24-inch mainline loop segment adjacent to Viking's 
existing line in Kittson County, Minnesota;
    --Two pig launchers, a relief valve for overpressure pressure 
protection, two mainline block valves, blowdown valves, and tie-in 
piping and fittings to be installed on approximately one acre of 
property to be purchased in Kittson County, Minnesota; and
    --Tie-in piping with one mainline suction valve within the fenced 
boundaries of Viking's Hallock Compressor Station.

    The proposed facilities will not create incremental capacity beyond 
the Hallock Compressor Station which is limited to 877 psig. An 
incremental capacity will be created in the proposed 5.6-miles line. 
This capacity is not marketable since Viking currently serves no 
markets in this area and none are anticipated. The proposed Hallock 
Project facilities are anticipated to go into service on or about 
November 1, 2001.
    The estimated cost of Viking's proposed construction is 
approximately $3.9 million. Viking anticipates that it will make a 
general rate case filing for the demand rates during December 2001, at 
which time Viking will seek to roll in the Hallock Project costs. 
Viking estimates the cost impact of the project to be $0.0036 per Dth 
per day on a 100% load factor basis. Also, Viking anticipates that the 
reduction in system fuel requirements will result in fuel savings of 
approximately $324,000 annually. This reduction will accrue back to 
Viking's current and future customers through the fuel tracker and 
true-up provisions in Article XXVI of its tariff.
    Questions regarding the details of this proposed project should be 
directed to Michael L. Jablonske, Vice President, Viking Gas 
Transmission Company, 825 Rice Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55117, at 
651-229-2254, or by fax at 651-229-2434.
    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 January 22, 2001, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, D.C. 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 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.
    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 a 
certificate will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-1014 Filed 1-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M