[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50634-50635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24889]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-388-001]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation; Notice of Amendment

September 28, 2001.
    Take notice that on September 24, 2001, Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Corporation (Transco), 2800 Post Oak Boulevard, P.O. Box 1396, 
Houston, Texas 77251-1396, filed an amendment to its pending 
application in Docket No. CP01-388-000 for a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity authorizing its Momentum Expansion Project 
(Momentum), an incremental expansion of Transco's existing pipeline 
system to provide new firm transportation capacity to serve increased 
market demand in the Southeastern region of the United States by a 
proposed in-service date of May 1, 2003, all as more fully set forth in 
the amendment which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection. Copies of this filing are on file with the Commission and 
are available for public inspection. This filing may also 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).
    Transco states that it is filing the amendment to the Momentum 
application to redesign and downsize the project to reflect (i) the 
elimination of two shippers under the project, Athens Development 
Company, L.L.C. (85,000 dt/d), and Hartwell Development Company, L.L.C. 
(85,000 dt/d), who have exercised their rights to terminate their 
precedent agreements because they had not received all regulatory 
authorizations for construction of their power plants by August 1, 
2001, as provided for in their precedent agreements, and (ii) the 
additional quantities subscribed under the project by the Municipal Gas 
Authority of Georgia (MGAG), as agent for the Cities of Buford and 
Winder, Georgia, respectively. Transco states that as a result of these 
changes in the firm transportation quantities under Momentum, Transco 
has eliminated certain pipeline loops and compression facilities from 
the project and shortened certain other loops. The shortened loops will 
be essentially within the ``footprint'' of the originally proposed 
loops, so there will be little environmental impact beyond the areas 
described in the application, and, in fact, the overall environmental 
impact of the project will be lessened because of the reduction in 
facilities under the project. Transco states that relocated loop 
terminals or tie-ins may take additional extra work space at a new 
location that was not contemplated under an original, longer loop, but 
the impact will be minor.
    Transco states that the changes to the facilities originally 
proposed in the application are as follows:
    1. The following compression facilities have been eliminated: (a) 
Installation of one new 15,000 horsepower compressor unit at Transco's 
existing Compressor Station No. 110, which is located in Randolph 
County, Alabama; (b) uprating of an existing 18,975 horsepower 
compressor unit (Unit No. 3) to 22,500 horsepower at Transco's existing 
Compressor Station No. 115, which is located in Coweta County, Georgia; 
and (c) installation of one new 15,000 horsepower compressor unit at 
Transco's existing Compressor Station No. 125, which is located in 
Walton County, Georgia. The compression facilities at Compressor 
Station Nos. 90, 105, 130 and 160 remain as originally proposed in the 
Application.
    2. The following pipeline loops have been eliminated in their 
entirety: (a) 7.90 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile 
Post 732.65 on Transco's mainline in Jones County, Mississippi to Mile 
Post 740.50 (the suction side of Compressor Station No. 80) in Jones 
County (the Seminary Loop); (b) 3.49 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline 
loop from Mile Post 905.74 on Transco's mainline in Chilton County, 
Alabama to Mile Post 909.20 in Chilton County (the Richville Loop); and 
(c) 4.18 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
1,201.71 on Transco's mainline in Spartanburg County, South Carolina to 
Mile Post 1,205.81 (the suction side of Compressor Station No. 140) in 
Spartanburg County (the Greenville Loop).
    3. The following pipeline loops have been shortened and are now 
proposed as follows: (a) 6.63 miles of 42-inch

[[Page 50635]]

diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 632.89 on Transco's mainline in 
Amite County, Mississippi to Mile Post 639.44 in Pike County, 
Mississippi (the Magnolia Loop); (b) 5.55 miles of 42-inch diameter 
pipeline loop from Mile Post 767.38 on Transco's mainline in Clarke 
County, Mississippi to Mile Post 772.80 in Clarke County (the Hale 
Loop); (c) 25.38 miles of 48-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
860.78 on Transco's mainline in Perry County, Alabama to Mile Post 
886.12 in Autauga County, Alabama (the Jones Loop); and (d) 19.01 miles 
of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 926.87 (the discharge 
side of Compressor Station No. 105) on Transco's mainline in Coosa 
County, Alabama to Mile Post 945.64 in Tallapoosa County, Alabama (the 
Kellyton Loop). The 7.51 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop 
proposed from Mile Post 1,124.74 (the discharge side of Compressor 
Station No. 130) on Transco's mainline in Madison County, Georgia to 
Mile Post 1,132.23 in Elbert County, Georgia (the Bowman Loop) remains 
as filed in the application.
    Transco also states that it is also correcting the location of the 
delivery point for one of the Momentum shippers, Cardinal FG.
    Transco estimates that the proposed facilities, as amended, will 
cost approximately $197 million. Transco states that the initial 
recourse rates have been revised to reflect such revised cost estimate 
and the reduced billing determinants under the project.
    Any questions regarding this project should be directed to Toi 
Anderson, P. O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251, at (713) 215-4540. In 
addition, Transco has established a toll-free telephone number (1-866-
241-1787) so that parties can call with questions about the Momentum 
project.
    Transco states that it still requests that the Commission issue a 
preliminary determination on the non-environmental aspects of its 
proposal by December 1, 2001 and a final order granting the 
authorizations requested in the application by April 15, 2002.
    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 19, 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 amended 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. 01-24889 Filed 10-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P