[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 230 (Thursday, November 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59584-59585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29619]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-27-000]


Florida Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Certificate 
Application

November 23, 2001.
    Take notice that on November 15, 2001, Florida Gas Transmission 
Company (Florida Gas), 1400 Smith Street, Houston, Texas 77002, filed 
an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity 
pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), as amended, and the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (the Commission) Rules and 
Regulations thereunder. Florida Gas requests authorization to: 1) 
construct, install, own, operate and maintain certain facilities to 
provide up to 85,356 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of average annual 
incremental firm natural gas transportation service; and, 2) roll-in 
the costs associated with the proposed expansion of its facilities with 
Florida Gas' Incremental System under Rate Schedule FTS-2, all as more 
fully set forth in the application, which is on file with the 
Commission, and open for 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). Following its open seasons, Florida Gas contracted for 
firm transportation service with four shippers (Shippers): Orlando 
Utilities Commission (OUC); Reliant Energy Services, Inc.; and, two 
LDC's, South Florida Natural Gas, and, City of Leesburg.
    The facilities will consist of: (i) Mainline Expansions, which 
involve improvements along Florida Gas's existing pipeline in Alabama, 
Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi including (a) approximately 5.3 
miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline loops (in Baldwin and Mobile 
Counties, Alabama), (b) approximately 20.1 miles of 30-inch diameter 
pipeline loops (in Bradford, Clay, Suwannee, and Washington Counties, 
Florida), (c) compression increases totaling 18,600 horsepower at ten 
locations (in Mobile County,

[[Page 59585]]

Alabama; Citrus, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Orange, Santa Rosa, Taylor, and 
Washington Counties, Florida; Washington Parish, Louisiana; and Perry 
County, Mississippi), and (d) associated mainline valves, piping, and 
appurtenant pipeline facilities; and (ii) Other Expansions, which 
include (a) approximately 1.3 miles of 6-inch diameter pipeline lateral 
loop in Lake County, Florida; (b) approximately 1.4 miles of 16-inch 
lateral loop extension in Brevard County, Florida; and, (c) 
approximately 5.2 miles of 16-inch pipeline lateral in Orange County, 
Florida from Florida Gas' existing 26-inch pipeline (Stanton Lateral), 
and (d) associated valves and appurtenant pipeline facilities. Florida 
Gas will construct one new meter station for service to OUC from the 
Stanton Lateral pursuant to its Blanket Certificate issued in Docket 
No. CP82-553, 21 FERC para. 62,235.
    Florida Gas requests that the Commission issue a preliminary 
determination on non-environmental issues by March 1, 2002 and a final 
determination on all certificate issues on or before September 1, 2002 
so: (1) construction can begin by December 1, 2002; (2) deliveries can 
commence to Shippers by June 1, 2003; and, (3) the remaining 
facilities, including those essential to OUC's Plant Stanton's 
commercial operation, can be operational by November 1, 2003. The cost 
of the facilities is estimated to be approximately $105.4 million. 
Incremental firm transportation service of up to 121,000 Dth/d summer 
peak volumes (85,356 Dth/d average annual) will be rendered to the 
Shippers pursuant to Florida Gas' Rate Schedule FTS-2. The Shippers 
will pay incremental rates to compensate Florida Gas for the costs of 
the Phase VI Expansion Project facilities.
    Questions regarding this filing should be directed to Mr. Stephen 
T. Veatch, Director of Certificates and Regulatory Reporting, Florida 
Gas Transmission Co., 1400 Smith Street, Suite 3997, P.O. Box 1188, 
Houston, TX 77251-1188 or call (713) 853-6549.
    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 December 13, 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.
    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.
    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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-29619 Filed 11-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P