[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 11, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47197-47198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22717]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP01-434-000, CP01-435-000, and CP01-436-000]


Seneca Lake Storage, Inc.; Notice of Application

September 5, 2001.
    Take notice that on August 27, 2001, Seneca Lake Storage, Inc. 
(SLSI), 81 State Street, Binghamton, New York, 13901, filed an 
application in the above-referenced docket numbers pursuant to Section 
7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, as amended, and Parts 157 and 284 of the 
Commission's Rules and Regulations, for: (1) a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity, pursuant to Part 157, Subpart A, authorizing 
SLSI to construct and operate, at market based rates, a natural gas 
storage facility capable of delivering 50,000 dekatherms/day, 
consisting of storage caverns and other associated and appurtenant 
facilities; (2) a blanket certificate authorizing SLSI to construct, 
acquire and operate additional facilities under Part 157, Subpart F 
following construction of the facilities for which authorization is 
being sought under Part 157, Subpart A; (3) a blanket certificate 
authorizing SLSI to provide storage services on the behalf of others 
under Part 284, Subpart G; and (4) a blanket certificate pursuant to 
Part 284, Subpart J authorizing SLSI to provide unbundled sales service 
for the limited purpose of disposing of gas in storage that shippers 
fail to remove. The application 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#'' and follow the 
instructions (please call (202) 208-2222 for assistance).
    SLSI further requests approval of its FERC Gas Tariff included in 
Exhibit P of the application. SLSI also requests that if its request 
for approval of market based rates is granted, the Commission (1) waive 
the requirements of section 284.8(d) of its regulations, which require 
that rates be designed using a straight fixed-variable rate design 
methodology; (2) waive the requirements of 157.14 of its regulations 
with respect to Exhibits K, L, N, and O of the application; (3) waive 
the accounting and reporting requirements under Parts 201 and 260.2 of 
its regulations; (4) waive the requirement to provide total gas supply 
information, pursuant to section 157.14(a)(10) of its regulations; and 
(5) waive all other regulations to the extent such waivers may be 
necessary to grant each of the authorizations requested in the 
application.
    Further, SLSI requests the Commission grant confidential treatment 
to the Resource Report 6 and Exhibit M-1 that accompany the 
application, pursuant to 18 CFR 388.122, because these materials 
contain geological, technological, and financial information.
    The storage facilities which SLSI seeks to construct and operate 
will be located in Schuyler County, New York. The storage facilities 
will consist of a gallery of two connected underground storage caverns 
(Gallery No. 2) and approximately 600 feet of 8.625 inch diameter 
interconnecting pipeline to connect the storage facilities to an 
existing compressor station owned by New York State Electric & Gas 
Corporation (NYSEG). The SLSI storage facilities will be integrated 
into the existing NYSEG control system. Daily operations and 
maintenance of the storage facilities will be performed by NYSEG under 
an Administrative Services Agreement. The gas stored in the SLSI 
facilities will be transported by existing interstate pipelines. With 
the exception of a limited amount of brine removal, Gallery No. 2 has 
been completely developed through a pre-existing salt mining operation, 
and has been previously used by others for propane storage. The 
proposed storage facilities have a maximum working gas volume of 
approximately 595.8 MMcf.
    The storage services to be offered by SLSI will be available on a 
firm and interruptible basis, based upon the terms and conditions that 
are consistent with the requirements of Order No. 636. The proposed 
terms and conditions, as well as the rate schedules on which service 
will be offered, are included in the tariff attached to the 
application. SLSI requests that it be permitted to charge and collect 
market-based rates for the storage services.
    Any questions regarding the application are to be directed to Mark 
A. Cole, Manager Gas Engineering & Project Management, New York State 
Electric & Gas Corporation, Corporate Drive, Kirkwood Industrial Park, 
Binghamton, New York 13902-5224, telephone (607) 762-4294, or fax to 
(607) 762-8045.
    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 September 26, 2001, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426, a motion to 
intervene in accordance with

[[Page 47198]]

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 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 a 
certificate will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-22717 Filed 9-10-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P