[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 180 (Monday, September 17, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48045-48046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23140]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-438-000]


Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Application

September 10, 2001.
    Take notice that on August 30, 2001 Northwest Pipeline Corporation 
(Northwest), 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84158, filed in 
Docket No. CP01-438-000, an application, pursuant to sections 7(c) and 
7(b) of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission's regulations for: (1) A certificate of public 
convenience and necessity authorizing Northwest to construct and 
operate additional pipeline loop and compression facilities (referred 
to as the Rockies Expansion Project) designed to expand its physical 
north flow capacity in the Green River, Wyoming to Stanfield, Oregon 
corridor sufficient to replace 175,000 Dth/d of existing, north flow 
design day displacement capacity for Rate Schedule TF-1 service from 
the Muddy Creek Compressor Station in Wyoming to the Stanfield 
interconnect with PG&E Gas Transmission--Northwest and all 191,000 Dth/
d of displacement capacity from the Green River Compressor Station to 
Muddy Creek; (2) permission and approval to abandon certain compression 
facilities and the existing north flow design day displacement capacity 
under Rate Schedule TF-1 which will be replaced by the proposed new 
facilities and physical capacity; (3) a determination that the Rockies 
Expansion Project qualifies for rolled-in rate treatment; (4) approval 
of a pro forma Rate Schedule TF-3, and related tariff revisions, 
providing for a new, subordinate firm north flow transportation 
service, under Northwest's existing Part 284 blanket certificate, which 
will be dependent upon the existing contract demand design day 
displacement capacity available within the Blanco, New Mexico to Muddy 
Creek, Wyoming corridor on Northwest's system; and (5) permission and 
approval to abandon all of Northwest's remaining north flow design day 
displacement capacity for existing Rate Schedule TF-1 services in the 
Blanco, New Mexico to Muddy Creek, Wyoming corridor, contingent upon 
approval of the proposed new Rate Schedule TF-3 service, 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 #'' and 
follow the instructions (call (202)208-2222 for assistance).
    Specifically, the proposed Rockies Expansion Project facilities 
include: (1) Approximately 91.1 miles of pipeline (46.1 miles of 30-
inch and 45 miles of 24-inch), and associated block valves, to loop six 
unlooped segments of Northwest's mainline, along with new taps and 
appurtenances to connect two existing meter stations to the proposed 
pipeline loops, located in Sweetwater and Lincoln Counties, Wyoming and 
Bear Lake, Caribou, and Bannock Counties, Idaho; and (2) compressor 
unit additions, replacements, uprates and/or modifications at seven 
existing compressor stations, located in Sweetwater and Lincoln 
Counties, Wyoming and Bear Lake, Bannock, Power, Cassia, and Twin Falls 
Counties, Idaho, which will provide a net increase of 24,924 ISO 
horsepower on a north flow design day. Northwest requests that the 
Commission issue a preliminary determination on non-environmental 
issues by March 1, 2002 and a final certificate order by September 1, 
2002.
    The estimated cost of the proposed facilities is approximately 
$154.3 million. Northwest requests rolled-in rate treatment for the 
facilities, since, Northwest contends, the project is designed to 
benefit existing customers by reducing displacement reliance and 
ameliorating capacity constraints. Northwest states that shippers 
representing 86% of the current base, long-term, firm Rate Schedule TF-
1 contract demand on Northwest's system have formally committed to 
support (or non-oppose) Northwest's installation of facilities and 
their rolled-in rate treatment. Northwest further states that the 
illustrative rolled-in rate impact is approximately $0.035 per Dth.
    Northwest explains that the Rockies Expansion Project is necessary 
to replace displacement capacity that will no longer be available after 
the October 31, 2003 expiration of an existing contract-specific flow 
obligation for 144 MDth/d from Stanfield to the southern end of 
Northwest's system and to

[[Page 48046]]

generally mitigate the need for Northwest to invoke operational flow 
orders under its tariff to compensate for shortfalls in displacement 
capacity required to serve existing primary firm, north flow 
transportation obligations.
    Northwest states that the proposed new Rate Schedule TF-3 is 
designed to allow displacement-dependent north flow firm service to 
remain available in the Blanco to Muddy Creek corridor; but such 
service will be subordinate to Rate Schedule TF-1 primary firm 
services. It is said that the related proposed abandonment of all the 
existing Rate Schedule TF-1 displacement capacity in the Blanco to 
Muddy Creek corridor will mean that certain capacity currently 
contracted or available for TF-1 service will be available 
prospectively only for the proposed Rate Schedule TF-3 service.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to Mr. 
Gary Kotter, Manager, Certificates, Northwest Pipeline Corporation, PO 
Box 58900, Salt Lake City, Utah 84158-0900 or call (801) 584-7117.
    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 October 1, 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 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. 01-23140 Filed 9-14-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P