[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 143 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48643-48644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18829]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-402-000]


Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company; Notice of Application

July 19, 2002.
    Take notice that on July 3, 2002, Tennessee Gas Pipelines Company 
(Tennessee), 9 East Greenway Plaza, Houston, Texas 77046, filed in 
Docket No. CP02-402-000 , for permission and approval pursuant to 
section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to abandon certain pipeline 
and appurtenant facilities in the offshore Louisiana area, all as more 
fully set forth in the application 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 
be viewed on the Web at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' link, 
select ``Docket '' from the RIMS Menu and follow the 
instructions (call (202) 208-2222 for assistance).
    Specifically, Tennessee proposes to abandon a 200-foot segment of 
Line 527A-300 located in West Delta Block 61A (WD61A) at the point 
where the line connects with Mesa Petroleum Company's (Mesa) platform. 
Tennessee also proposes to abandon a meter designated as the WD61A 
receipt point. Tennessee states that the line and meter were installed 
in 1978 to gain access to gas supplies in West Delta Blocks 61 and 62. 
It is explained that production from the platform ceased as of May 20, 
1998 and that Pioneer Resources, USA, Inc. (Pioneer), the successor to 
Mesa's interest in the WD61A platform, intends to abandon and remove 
the platform. Tennessee's application includes a copy of the letter 
from Pioneer dated April 9, 2002, informing Tennessee that the platform 
is being removed.
    In addition, Tennessee requests a limited, one-time waiver of the 
Commission's capacity release regulations and the capacity release 
provisions in Tennessee's FERC Gas Tariff to allow the continuation of 
a replacement contract with a new receipt point made necessary by the 
proposed abandonment. It is explained that although Tennessee is no 
longer receiving gas supplies from the Block 61 platform, Tennessee 
still has an agreement with Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc. (COH) to provide 
gas under an FT agreement at the meter being abandoned, and that COH 
has released a portion of its firm capacity to Mirant Americas Energy 
Marketing , L.P. for a one-year term ending October 31, 2002.
    Any questions regarding this amendment should be directed to Susan 
T. Halbach Senior Counsel, at (832) 676-5556.
    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 August 9, 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

[[Page 48644]]

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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-18829 Filed 7-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P