[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34627-34629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16419]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-389-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation; Notice of Application

June 25, 2001.
    Take notice that on June 19, 2001, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 
Corporation (Transco), 2800 Post Oak Boulevard, P.O. Box 1396, Houston, 
Texas 77251-1396, filed in Docket No. CP01-389-000 an application 
pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Part 157A of 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission) regulations for 
a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing Transco 
to construct its Leidy East Expansion Project (Leidy East) to provide 
up to 130,000 dth per day of firm transportation for customers in New 
York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania 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/efi/rims 
all 202-208-2222 for assistance).
    Specifically, Transco requests authority to construct and operate:
    (1) 4.64 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline loop between milepost 
178.49 and milepost 183.13 in Clinton County, Pennsylvania (Haneyville 
Loop);
    (2) 3.73 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop between milepost 
134.57 and milepost 138.30 in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania 
(Williamsport Loop);
    (3) 6.09 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline between milepost 33.19 
in Columbia County Pennsylvania and milepost 39.28 in Luzerne County, 
Pennsylvania (Benton Loop);
    (4) 6.27 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop between milepost 
30.29 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania and milepost 36.56 in 
Northampton County, Pennsylvania. (Allentown Loop);
    (5) 4.69 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop between milepost 
18.25 and milepost 13.62 in Hunterdon County, New Jersey (Clinton 
Loop);
    (6) 5.14 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop between milepost 
1789.60

[[Page 34628]]

and milepost 1793.92 in Somerset County, New Jersey (Stirling Loop);
    (7) Impeller replacements on two (2) existing 12,600 horsepower, 
turbine-driven compressor units at Transco's existing Compressor 
Station 520, located at milepost 157.52 in Lycoming County 
Pennsylvania;
    (8) An impeller replacement and uprate of an existing 12,600 
horsepower turbine-driven compressor unit to 15,000 horsepower at 
Transco's existing Compressor Station 515, located at milepost 68.95 in 
Luzerne County Pennsylvania;
    (9) Modifications to electronic control systems to uprate an 
electric motor-driven compressor unit from 15,000 horsepower to 16,000 
horsepower at Transco's existing Compressor Station 205, located at 
milepost 1773.30 in Mercer County, New Jersey; and
    (10) Modifications to Transco's existing Centerville Regulator 
Station located at milepost 0.11 in Somerset County, New Jersey.
    The estimated cost of the proposed facilities is approximately $98 
million. Transco requests a final certificate order no later than 
October 24, 2001, in order to complete the project to meet the November 
1, 2002, in-service date required by its shippers. Transco states that 
the Commission has previously reviewed the proposed facilities in its 
Market Link proceeding in Docket No. CP98-540-000 et. al.
    Transco states that it has entered into firm service agreements 
with four shippers for the entire 130,000 dth per day of transportation 
capacity created by the expansion. The expansion shippers and their 
respective volumes and terms are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Volume
                       Shipper                        (dth per    Term
                                                        day)     (years)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aquila Energy Marketing Corporation.................    25,000        10
PEPCO Energy Company................................    30,000        10
Reliant Energy Services, Inc........................    25,000        20
Williams Energy Marketing & Trading Company.........    50,000        10
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Transco states that it has developed a new incremental recourse 
rate for Leidy East shippers of $13.56 per dth and that transportation 
service under the Leidy East project will be provided under Rate 
Schedule FT of Transco's FERC Gas Tariff, Volume No. 1, and Transco's 
blanket certificate under Part 284G of the Commission's regulations. 
The Leidy East shippers will also be responsible for fuel retention, 
electric power, and other applicable charges and surcharges under Rate 
Schedule FT. Transco notes that all of the Leidy East shippers have 
elected to pay negotiated rates pursuant transco's FERC Gas Tariff.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to Ms. 
Angela D. Mendoza, Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corporation, P.O. Box 
1396, Houston, Texas 77251 or call (713) 215-4098. In addition, Tansco 
has also established a toll-free telephone number (1-888-887-0486) so 
that interested parties can call with questions about the Leidy East 
Project. In addition, Transco has also scheduled the following five 
open houses to answer questions from affected landowners and other 
stakeholders about the project.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Date                   Location of open house            Loop                  City/state
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 18, 2001........................  Gateway Bethlehem        Allentown..............  Bethlehem, PA.
                                        Holiday Inn.
June 19, 2001........................  Bridgewater Manor......  Stirling...............  Bridgwater, NJ.
June 20, 2001........................  Clinton Holiday Inn....  Clinton................  Clinton, NJ.
June 25, 2001........................  Radisson Hotel.........  Williamsport...........  Wiliamsport, PA.
June 26, 2001........................  Jackson Twp. Municipal   Benton.................  Benton, PA.
                                        Bldg.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 July 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 received 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

[[Page 34629]]

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.gov/documents/makeanelectronicfiling/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. 01-16419 Filed 6-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M