[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46271-46272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22096]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-431-000]


Great Lakes Gas Transport, LLC; Notice of Abandonment Application

August 28, 2001.
    On August 22, 2001, Great Lakes Gas Transport, LLC (GLGT), P.O. Box 
550, Hartville, Ohio 44632, filed an application in Docket No. CP01-
431-000 pursuant to Sections 1(b), 1(c) and 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA) for an order permitting and approving GLGT to abandon facilities 
and services by sale to Dominion Transmission, Inc. (DTI), Dominion 
Field Services, Inc. (Field Services) and Hope Gas, Inc. dba Dominion 
Hope (Dominion Hope). GLGT further requests that the Commission 
determine that certain facilities to be sold by GLGT to Field Services 
will be gathering facilities and to Dominion Hope will be distribution 
facilities and that both will be non-jurisdictional and not subject to 
the Commission's jurisdiction under the NGA, all as more fully set 
forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open 
to public inspection. This filing may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket #'' from the RIMS 
Menu and follow the instructions (please call (202)208-2222 for 
assistance).
    Specifically, GLGT requests authorization to abandon by sale and to 
transfer all of its facilities to DTI, Field Services and Dominion 
Hope, including without limitation, authority to abandon all Points of 
Delivery which are served from the certificated and non-certificated 
facilities. The facilities and properties to be transferred are 
described in the June 11, 2001 Asset Purchase Agreement (Agreement), 
which is attached to the Application as Exhibit R. The Agreement 
provides for GLGT to convey all of its facilities, both jurisdictional 
and nonjurisdictional, to the purchasers for a total purchase price of 
$3,250,000. Consistent with the division of assets described herein, 
the purchase price will be allocated among the Dominion companies.
    GLGT states that upon the sale and transfer of GLGT's facilities, 
GLGT will cease doing business and will no longer be a pipeline subject 
to the Commission's jurisdiction. GLGT requests authorization to 
abandon its existing FERC Gas Tariff and services, and to abandon and 
transfer all of its jurisdictional facilities to DTI, Field Services, 
and Dominion Hope. GLGT states it will convey its facilities that serve 
primarily a gathering function (including all of its facilities 
currently classified as gathering and certain facilities currently 
classified as jurisdictional transportation) to Field Services, a non-
jurisdictional provider of gathering services. GLGT will convey the 
portion of its facilities that will continue to perform an interstate 
transportation function to DTI, an interstate pipeline regulated by 
this Commission. Finally, GLGT will convey its remaining facilities to 
Dominion Hope, a West Virginia local distribution company (LDC), for 
use as distribution facilities.
    GLGT states that Field Services and DTI will take assignment of, 
and honor, all of GLGT's existing gas purchase and transportation 
contracts. The contracts to be assigned consist of a host of gas 
purchase contracts currently held by FirstEnergy Services, Corp. (an 
affiliate of GLGT) and three transportation agreements. The gas 
purchase contracts will be assigned to Field Services and the 
transportation agreements to DTI. Therefore, GLGT's existing customers 
will not be faced with any reduction or loss of service.
    GLGT states that DTI will acquire the facilities that will continue 
to perform an interstate transportation function under its blanket 
authorization. Thus, these facilities will remain subject to this 
Commission's jurisdiction. GLGT requests a determination that, 
subsequent to the transfer described herein, all the other facilities 
will perform non-jurisdictional gathering and distribution functions 
that will not be subject to the Commission's jurisdiction. Thus, the 
proposed operation of these facilities by Field Services and Dominion 
Hope will not subject either of them to the Commission's jurisdiction 
as a regulated natural gas company or cause the rates and services 
provided through the facilities to become subject to the Commission's 
jurisdiction. GLGT states that Field Services and Dominion Hope will 
offer service on an open-access basis and with no undue discrimination 
in favor of their affiliates, and will be subject to the jurisdiction 
of State regulatory commissions.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to 
Jeffery A. Bynum, Senior Vice President, Great Lakes Gas Transport, 
L.L.C. P.O. Box 550, Hartville, Ohio 44632, at (330) 877-6747.
    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 September 7, 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 
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

[[Page 46272]]

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.
    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 under the ``e-Filing'' 
link.
    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 
abandonment will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-22096 Filed 8-31-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P