[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35234-35235]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16638]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-69-001]


Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C., Notice of Amendment

June 27, 2001.
    Take notice that on June 19, 2001, Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C. 
(Petal), 1001 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas 77002, filed in Docket 
No. CP01-69-001 an amendment to its initial application filed in Docket 
No. CP01-69-000, requesting authority to revise the rate Petal will 
charge the Southern Company Services, Inc. (Southern Company) for firm 
transportation service on the pipeline and the recourse rate proposed 
in the original application 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.rimsweb1.ferc.fed.us/rims.q?rp2~intro. (call 202-208-2222 for 
assistance).
    On January 23, 2001, Docket No. CP00-69-000, Petal filed to 
construct and operate approximately 59.0 miles of bi-directional 36-
inch diameter pipeline, compression and appurtenant facilities that 
would commence at the terminus of Petal's storage header facility 
approximately 5.5 miles east of Hattiesburg, Mississippi and terminate 
adjacent to an existing Southern Natural Gas Company Compressor Station 
approximately two miles southwest of Enterprise, Mississippi. As noted 
in the application, the purpose of the project is to enable Petal to 
connect its existing storage complex with several interstate pipelines.
    In the amended application, Petal states that it has revised the 
earlier December 22, 2000 Discount Agreement with Southern Company such 
that Southern Company shall pay the lesser of: (i) A monthly 
reservation rate of $1.20 per MMBtu or (ii) Petal's maximum FTS 
reservation rate.
    Petal also states that it has revised its recourse rate to account 
for a longer depreciation period. Petal initially requested a 20-year 
depreciation period which corresponded with the term of the agreement 
with Southern Company. Petal now proposes a 40-year depreciation period 
(2.5% per year) reflecting the life of the proposed facilities. The 
longer depreciation period yields a monthly reservation recourse rate 
of $2.2862 per MMBtu.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to Mr. 
David E. Maranville, Senior Counsel, Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C., 1001 
Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas 77002-2511 or call (713) 420-3525.
    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 18, 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 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 interventions 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

[[Page 35235]]

final Commission order approving or denying a certificate will be 
issued.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-16638 Filed 7-2-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M