[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 19, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7366-7367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-3906]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-78-000]


Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Application

February 12, 2002.
    Take notice that on January 31, 2002, Maritimes & Northeast 
Pipeline, L.L.C. (Maritimes), 1284 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, 
Massachusetts 02135, filed in Docket No. CP02-78-000, an application 
pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), for a 
certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct and 
operate certain pipeline and compression facilities in order to render 
up to 400,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service, all as 
more fully set forth in the application 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).
    Specifically, Maritimes proposes to construct and operate: (1) 
Approximately 31.3 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline loop in 
Washington County, Maine; (2) four new compressor stations in the state 
of Maine in the towns of Eliot, Gorham, Searsmont, and Brewer, each 
consisting of 26,800 horsepower (a total of 107,200 horsepower); (3) 
modifications at the existing Baileyville and Richmond Compressor 
Stations; (4) modifications to three existing compressor stations; and 
(5) a new meter station in Haverhill, Massachusetts. In addition, 
Maritimes proposes to construct various auxiliary installation under 
Section 2.55 of the Commission's regulations. Maritimes estimates that 
the cost of the proposed facilities is $250 million and will be 
financed by equity (25 percent) and a combination of short-term and 
long-term debt (75 percent).
    Maritimes further states that it will provide firm and 
interruptible service for the capacity created by its proposed 
facilities pursuant to its existing rate schedules on file with the 
Commission and the General Terms and Conditions of its FERC Gas Tariff. 
PanCanadian Energy Services Inc. (PanCanadian) has executed a precedent 
agreement for a ten-year term for the firm transportation of the entire 
capacity created by the proposed facilities. Maritimes states that it 
will provide service to PanCanadian at negotiated rates in accordance 
with its FERC Gas Tariff.
    Maritimes states that its proposal is consistent with the 
Commission's Certificate Policy Statement. Maritimes maintains that its 
existing customers will not subsidize the proposed facilities since the 
revenues associated with the transportation of the PanCanadian volumes 
will exceed the costs associated with the proposed facilities.\1\ 
Maritimes adds that its proposed facilities will have minimal impact on 
existing pipelines and their customers, or on landowners and 
communities and that the public benefits of its proposal outweigh any 
adverse effects.
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    \1\ Maritimes states that it does not seek a determination at 
this time regarding the appropriateness of rolling-in the costs of 
the proposed facilities, but may do so in a future rate case.
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    Any questions regarding the application should be directed to 
Joseph F. McHugh, Director, Regulatory Affairs, M&N Management Company, 
1284 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, Massachusetts 02135 at 617-560-1518.
    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 March 5, 2002, 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-

[[Page 7367]]

environmental issues prior to the completion of its review of the 
environmental aspects of the project. The 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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-3906 Filed 2-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P