[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 20795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10191]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-154-000]


Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Application

April 19, 2001.

    On April 13, 2001, Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C. 
(Maritimes), 1284 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, Massachusetts 02135, 
filed in Docket No. CP01-154-000, 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 Maritimes: (i) To place in service, on a full-time basis, a 
compressor unit which is currently installed for use on a stand-by 
basis at Maritimes' existing compressor station site in Richmond, 
Maine; (ii) to connect, place in service and operate a second 
compressor unit currently on site and stored within an existing 
compressor station building in Baileyville, Maine; and (iii) to 
construct, install, and operate any auxiliary facilities at these 
compressor stations necessary to place these compressor units in 
service. The application 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).
    Maritimes, along with its Canadian pipeline affiliate, operates a 
high pressure natural gas delivery system that transports natural gas 
in international commerce from a point near Goldboro, Nova Scotia to 
the Canadian-United States border and through the northeastern states 
of Maine and New Hampshire, with a terminus in Dracut, Massachusetts. 
Maritimes states that the proposed facilities will provide additional 
system flexibility and reliability and eliminate system bottlenecks for 
Maritimes' existing shippers. It also will enable Maritimes to 
accommodate additional flows of gas from the existing production fields 
located offshore Nova Scotia. The proposed compressor units have a 
nominal rating of 8,311 (HP) (NEMA) each. The new compressor units will 
increase the design capacity of 360,575 Dekatherms per day (Dth/d) to 
440,000 Dth/d. Maritimes states that there are no additional land 
requirements associated with the proposed project. All project 
components are located on lands, and within compressor station 
buildings, currently owned and used by Maritimes.
    The estimated cost of Maritimes' proposed project is approximately 
$11.7 million. Maritimes states that there is no subsidy issue with 
respect to this application because: (i) The cost of the unit at 
Richmond is already reflected in rate base, (ii) Maritimes' rates are 
currently capped and will continue to be capped until at least November 
30, 2004, at $0.715 per dth on a 100 percent load factor basis, and 
(iii) the rate on a rolled-in basis, giving consideration to the costs 
associated with the proposed facilities, will not increase above 
current levels.
    Questions regarding the details of this proposed project should be 
directed to Joseph F. McHugh, Director, Rates and Regulatory Affairs, 
M&N Management Company, 1284 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, Massachusetts 
02135.
    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 May 10, 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 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 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, protests, and intervention 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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-10191 Filed 4-24-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-M