[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 17063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8503]



[[Page 17063]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-124-000]


National Fuel Supply Corporation; Notice of Application

April 3, 2002.
    On March 25, 2002, National Fuel Supply Corporation (National 
Fuel), 10 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, New York 14203, filed an 
application in Docket No. CP02-124-000 pursuant to Section 7(c) of the 
Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Part 157 of the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission's (Commission) Regulations for amendment of its certificate 
of public convenience and necessity to authorize a revised storage 
field area for its Beech Hill Storage Field (Beech Hill) in Allegany 
County, New York, all as more fully set forth in the application 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).
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to 
David W. Reits, Assistant General Counsel for National Fuel, 10 
Lafayette Square, Buffalo, New York 14203, or call at (716) 857-7949
    Specifically, National Fuel requests Commission authorization to 
extend Beech Hill's pool boundary in the area southwest of the field. 
National Fuel also proposes a corresponding extension of the Beech Hill 
buffer zone. These changes will add 799 acres to the map are of Beach 
Hill, inclusive of the buffer zone addition. National Fuel states that 
newer seismic data and analysis of reprocessed older seismic data 
support the extension of Beech Hill.
    National Fuel's application also seeks authorization to add 
approximately 2,115 acres of the state Line Field, located to the 
southwest of Beech Hill, to the Beech Hill map area (this additional 
acreage will be designated as the Beech Hill Annex). National Fuel 
states that the Oriskany formation within the Beech Hill Annex is in 
communication with Beech Hill and that gas stored in Beech Hill has 
migrated into the Beech Hill Annex area. It is further indicated that 
if the State Line Field is jointly developed for storage operation by 
National Fuel, Dominion Transmission, Inc., and Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company, as the companies contemplate, National Fuel would seek further 
authorization to amend the map area of the Beech Hill Storage Field to 
restore the Beech Hill Annex to the State Line Field. At such time, the 
pressure of the Oriskany formation in the State Line Field would be 
raised, limiting or eliminating the migration of gas from Been Hill.
    National Fuel also seeks temporary authorization to withdraw gas 
from two wells within the proposed Beech Hill Annex pending permanent 
authorization.
    According to National Fuel, the pending application does not seek 
to change either the capacity or deliverability of the storage field, 
nor are there any new facilities associated with the application.
    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 April24, 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-
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 
certificate will be issued.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-8503 Filed ?-??-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P