[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 236 (Monday, December 9, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 72870-72874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30996]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 284

[Docket No. RM96-1-024]


Standards for Business Practices of Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipelines

November 29, 2002.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is proposing to amend 
its regulations governing standards for conducting business practices 
with interstate natural gas pipelines. The Commission is proposing to 
incorporate by reference the most recent version of the standards, 
Version 1.6, promulgated July 31, 2002, by the Wholesale Gas Quadrant 
of the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) and the standards 
governing partial day recalls (recommendations R02002 and R02002-2), 
adopted October 31, 2002. These standards can be obtained from NAESB at 
1100 Louisiana, Suite 3625, Houston, TX 77002, 713-356-0060, http://www.naesb.org.

DATES: Comments are due January 8, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington DC 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Goldenberg, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, 
202-502-8685.
Marvin Rosenberg, Office of Markets, Tariffs, and Rates, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, 
202-502-8292.
Kay Morice, Office of Markets, Tariffs, and Rates, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, 
202-502-6507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    1. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes 
to amend Sec.  284.12 of its open access regulations governing 
standards for conducting business practices and electronic 
communications with interstate natural gas pipelines. The Commission is 
proposing to adopt the most recent version, Version 1.6, of the 
consensus standards promulgated by the Wholesale Gas Quadrant of the 
North American Energy Standards Board (WGQ), and the WGQ standards 
governing partial day recalls. The proposed rule is intended to benefit 
the public by adopting the most recent and up-to-date standards 
governing electronic communication and by adopting standards that will 
facilitate partial day recalls.

Background

    2. Since 1996, in the Order No. 587 series,\1\ the Commission has 
adopted regulations to standardize the business practices and 
communication methodologies of interstate pipelines in order to create 
a more integrated and efficient pipeline grid. In this series of 
orders, the Commission incorporated by reference consensus standards 
developed by the WGQ (formerly the Gas Industry Standards Board or 
GISB), a private consensus standards developer composed of members from 
all segments of the natural gas industry. The WGQ is an accredited 
standards organization under the auspices of the American National 
Standards Institute (ANSI).
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    \1\ Standards For Business Practices Of Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipelines, Order No. 587, 61 FR 39053 (Jul. 26, 1996), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,038 (Jul. 
17, 1996), Order No. 587-B, 62 FR 5521 (Feb. 6, 1997), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,046 (Jan. 
30, 1997), Order No. 587-C, 62 FR 10684 (Mar. 10, 1997), FERC Stats. 
& Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,050 
(Mar. 4, 1997), Order No. 587-G, 63 FR 20072 (Apr. 23, 1998), FERC 
Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 
31,062 (Apr. 16, 1998), Order No. 587-H, 63 FR 39509 (July 23, 
1998), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 
2000] ] 31,063 (July 15, 1998); Order No. 587-I, 63 FR 53565 (Oct. 
6, 1998), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-
December 2000] ] 31,067 (Sept. 29, 1998), Order No. 587-K, 64 FR 
17276 (Apr. 9, 1999), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles 
[July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,072 (Apr. 2, 1999); Order No. 587-M, 
65 FR 77285 (Dec. 11, 2000), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations 
Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,114 (Dec. 11, 2000); Order 
No. 587-N, 67 FR 11906 (Mar. 18, 2002), III FERC Stats. & Regs. 
Regulations Preambles ] 31,125 (Mar. 11, 2002), Order No. 587-O, 67 
FR 30788 (May 8, 2002), III FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations 
Preambles ] 31,129 (May 1, 2002).
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    3. On October 7, 2002, the WGQ filed with the Commission a report 
informing the Commission that it had adopted a new version of its 
standards, Version 1.6. The WGQ reports that while Version 1.5 
contained many of the standards designed to support Order No. 637,\2\ 
Version 1.6 includes additional standards that support Order No. 637. 
It states: ``development of standards to support FERC Order No. 637 was 
given the highest priority by all NAESB subcommittees and task 
forces.'' The WGQ further reports that the surety assessment performed 
by the Sandia National Laboratories on the GISB EDM (Electronic 
Delivery Mechanisms) standards was accepted by GISB and forwarded to 
the EDM Subcommittee for review and development of standards in October 
2000. It states that some of the Sandia recommendations were 
implemented in Version 1.5, and the remainder were implemented in 
Version 1.6. Finally, the WGQ reports that work continues on requests 
for both new and revised business practices, information requirements, 
code value assignments, technical implementation and mapping or 
interpretations.
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    \2\ Regulation of Short-Term Natural Gas Transportation 
Services, Order No. 637, 65 FR 10156 (Feb. 25, 2000), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. Regulations Preambles (July 1996-December 2000) ] 31,091 (Feb. 
9, 2000).
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    4. In Order No. 587-N,\3\ the Commission adopted a regulation 
requiring that pipelines permit releasing shippers to recall released 
capacity and renominate that recalled capacity at any of the nomination 
opportunities provided by the pipelines. The Commission established a 
two-phased implementation for this regulation. In the first phase, the 
Commission established an interim schedule under which releasing 
shippers could recall capacity, as long as the recall did not involve a 
partial or flowing day recall (a recall of scheduled gas after the time 
at which it began to flow). Pipelines implemented the first phase as of 
July 1, 2002. In the second phase, the Commission provided the WGQ with 
six months to develop standards dealing with the operational details of 
permitting partial or flowing day recalls, in particular the method by 
which capacity would be allocated between releasing and replacement 
shippers. The Commission established October 1, 2002, as the date by 
which the WGQ and other industry members should submit a report and 
further provided for

[[Page 72871]]

reply comments to be filed by October 15, 2002.
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    \3\ Order No. 587-N, 67 FR 11906 (Mar. 18, 2002), III FERC 
Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles ] 31,125 (Mar. 11, 2002).
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    5. On October 1, 2002, the WGQ filed a report stating that its 
Executive Committee had adopted standards governing partial or flowing 
day recalls in Recommendations R02002 and R02002-2. The WGQ membership 
ratified these standards on October 31, 2002.
    6. Process Gas Consumers Group and Georgia Industrial Group (PGC) 
filed a comment on October 15, 2002. PGC supports the partial day 
recall standards as approved by the WGQ, but requests clarification as 
to whether the WGQ should be considering additional standards dealing 
with the allocation of penalties as a result of partial day recalls. 
PGC maintains that penalty issues are matters of Commission policy that 
should only be developed by the Commission.

Discussion

    7. The Commission is proposing to adopt Version 1.6 of GISB's 
consensus standards and the standards adopted for partial day 
recalls.\4\ Pipelines would be required to implement the standards 
three months after a final rule is issued.
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    \4\ Pursuant to the regulations regarding incorporation by 
reference, copies of Version 1.6 and the partial day recall 
standards are available from NAESB. 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(1); 1 CFR part 
51 (2001).
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    8. Adoption of Version 1.6 \5\ of the WGQ standards will help 
continue the process of implementing Order No. 637 and will update and 
improve the current standards.\6\ Adoption of the partial day recall 
standards \7\ will provide shippers with enhanced flexibility to recall 
capacity, while ensuring that replacement shippers receive notice 
sufficient for them to reschedule their capacity. The partial day 
recall standards also address the method for determining how capacity 
will be allocated among releasing and replacement shippers when 
capacity is recalled during the gas day. Among the most notable of 
these standards are: A revision to the capacity release timeline to 
permit prearranged non-biddable releases on non-business days (Standard 
5.3.2); a revision to the Commission's interim timeline for recall 
transactions to permit recalls at any of the four nomination 
opportunities, while still providing sufficient notice to replacement 
shippers to enable them to reschedule their capacity (Standard 5.3.z1); 
the adoption of procedures governing notice to replacement shippers 
(Standards 5.3.z2 through 5.3.z5); and the use of elapsed prorata 
capacity as the allocation method for flowing day recalls, unless a 
different method is necessary to reflect the nature of the pipeline's 
tariff, services, or operational characteristics (Standard 5.3.z13).\8\
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    \5\ In Version 1.6, the WGQ made the following changes to its 
standards. It revised Standards 1.3.63, 4.3.4, 4.3.6, 4.3.8, 4.3.10, 
4.3.15, 4.3.21, 4.3.23, 4.3.61, 4.3.70 and 4.3.83, and Data Sets 
1.4.6, 5.4.1 through 5.4.4, 5.4.7, 5.4.8, 5.4.9, 5.4.13, 5.4.14, 
5.4.15, 5.4.18, and 5.4.19. It added Principle 4.1.39, Standard 
4.3.88, and Data Sets 5.4.20, 5.4.21, and 5.4.22. It deleted 
Principles 4.1.1 and 4.1.11.
    \6\ The Commission is proposing to incorporate by reference 
Standards 2.3.29 and 2.3.30 (dealing with operational balancing 
agreements and imbalance netting and trading, respectively) which in 
previous versions, the Commission had not incorporated because the 
standards conflicted with the Commission's regulations in these 
areas. 18 CFR 284.12(b)(2)(i)&(ii). The WGQ has amended these 
standards so they no longer conflict with the Commission 
regulations.
    \7\ In the partial day recall standards, the WGQ made the 
following changes to its standards. It revised Standards 5.3.2, 
5.3.7, 5.3.41, and 5.3.42, and Data Sets 1.4.4, 5.4.1, 5.4.3, 5.4.4, 
5.4.7, and 5.4.9. It added Principles 5.1.z1, 5.1.z2, and 5.1.z3, 
Definition 5.2.z1, and Standards 5.3.z1 through 5.3.z15. It deleted 
Standard 5.3.6.
    \8\ Elapsed prorata capacity means the portion of the capacity 
that would have theoretically been available for use prior to the 
effective time of the intraday recall based on a cumulative uniform 
hourly use of the capacity. Definition 5.2.z1.
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    9. The WGQ approved the standards under its consensus 
procedures.\9\ As the Commission found in Order No. 587, adoption of 
consensus standards is appropriate because the consensus process helps 
ensure the reasonableness of the standards by requiring that the 
standards draw support from a broad spectrum of all segments of the 
industry. Moreover, since the industry itself has to conduct business 
under these standards, the Commission's regulations should reflect 
those standards that have the widest possible support. In Sec.  12(d) 
of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 
(NTT&AA), Congress affirmatively requires federal agencies to use 
technical standards developed by voluntary consensus standards 
organizations, like the WGQ, as means to carry out policy objectives or 
activities.\10\
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    \9\ This process first requires a super-majority vote of 17 out 
of 25 members of the WGQ's Executive Committee with support from at 
least two members from each of the five industry segments--
interstate pipelines, local distribution companies, gas producers, 
end-users, and services (including marketers and computer service 
providers). For final approval, 67% of the WGQ's general membership 
must ratify the standards.
    \10\ Pub L. 104-113, Sec.  12(d), 110 Stat. 775 (1996), 15 
U.S.C. 272 note (1997).
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    10. PGC seeks clarification as to the role of the WGQ with respect 
to the development of future standards (not included in this NOPR) 
dealing with the allocation of penalties between releasing and 
replacement shippers as a result of partial day recalls. PGC is 
particularly concerned about two proposed standards regarding the 
allocation of reservation charges and capacity release credit 
quantities and the determination of overrun charges.\11\ PGC is 
concerned that such standards may undermine Commission policies 
regarding penalties adopted in Order No. 637, and it maintains that 
such issues should be deemed beyond the scope of the WGQ, and should be 
reserved for Commission determination.
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    \11\ According to PGC's filing, the two standards are the 
following: 3.3.zl Proposed Standard: For recalls at the intraday 1 
and intraday 2 cycles, the reservation charge and capacity release 
credit quantities should be based upon the allocation of capacity 
between the Releasing and Replacement Shipper(s); and 3.3.z2 
Proposed Standard: For recalls at the intraday 1 and intraday 2 
cycles, overrun charges, if applicable, should be based upon the 
allocation of capacity between the Releasing and Replacement 
Shipper(s).
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    11. PGC's comment raises two issues: The specific question of how 
reservation charges and credits and overrun penalties should be 
allocated when capacity is recalled during the gas day; and the generic 
question of what the WGQ's role should be in developing standards 
related to penalties.
    12. As to the first issue, the Commission proposes that the 
determination of reservation charges and credits and potential 
liability for contract overruns should follow the allocation of 
capacity.\12\ This seems the fairest method of allocating contractual 
responsibility, especially since the standards are designed to provide 
replacement shippers with sufficient notice to reschedule recalled 
capacity in order to come within contractual limits.\13\ The Commission 
sees no reason in this instance for pipelines to propose individual 
allocation mechanisms.
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    \12\ For example, under a 2000 Dth/day release, with a recall 
amounting to 500 Dth/day, the replacement shipper would be 
responsible for paying reservation charges for 1500 Dth/day (to be 
credited to the releasing shipper) and would be potentially liable 
for contract overruns if it transported more than 1500 Dth over the 
day.
    \13\ It is also consistent with Standard 5.3.z14 which provides 
that the pipeline ``should not be obligated to deliver in excess of 
the total daily contract quantity of the release.''
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    13. As to the second issue, the Commission disagrees with PGC that 
the WGQ should refrain from examining methods of standardizing 
penalties. As the Commission found in Order No. 637, having penalty 
provisions that vary from pipeline to pipeline can create adverse 
effects by providing incentives for shippers to engage in penalty 
arbitrage and by creating additional administrative costs and 
uncertainty.\14\

[[Page 72872]]

The development of standards that reduce such adverse effects could 
help reduce barriers to multi-pipeline shipments and improve the 
overall efficiency of the pipeline grid, thus redounding to the benefit 
of the entire industry. Thus, the Commission finds no reason to deem 
the standardization of penalties beyond the scope of the WGQ's 
standardization activities. The Commission is not asking the WGQ 
specifically to develop standards for penalties, but it encourages the 
WGQ to examine seriously any such proposals that hold out the prospect 
of improving the efficiency of the pipeline grid.
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    \14\ See Regulation of Short-Term Natural Gas Transportation 
Services, Order No. 637, 65 FR 10156, at 10197-10198 (Feb. 25, 
2000), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 
2000] ] 31,091, at 31,307-310 (Feb. 9, 2000); Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, 63 FR 42982, 43005 (Aug. 11, 1998), FERC Statutes and 
Regulations, Proposed Regulations 1988-1998 ] 32,533, at 33,468 
(Jul. 29, 1998) (recognizing a need for standardization of penalty 
provisions and requesting comment on whether GISB should develop 
such standards).
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    14. Should the WGQ adopt penalty standards, the Commission's role 
in reviewing such standards will not be eliminated, as PGC appears to 
fear. Just as in this rulemaking, the Commission would seek comment on, 
and review any proposed penalty standards developed by the WGQ before 
adopting such standards. PGC and other shippers, therefore, will have 
ample opportunity in those proceedings to raise any concerns about such 
standards with the Commission.

Notice of Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards

    15. Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119 (Sec.  11) 
(February 10, 1998) provides that Federal Agencies should publish a 
request for comment in a NOPR when the agency is seeking to issue or 
revise a regulation proposing to adopt a voluntary consensus standard 
or a government-unique standard. In this NOPR, the Commission is 
proposing to incorporate by reference voluntary consensus standards 
developed by the WGQ.

Information Collection Statement

    16. The following collection of information contained in this 
proposed rule has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review under section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(d). The Commission solicits comments on the 
Commission's need for this information, whether the information will 
have practical utility, the accuracy of the provided burden estimate, 
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondents' 
burden, including the use of automated information techniques. The 
following burden estimate includes the costs to implement the WGQ's 
Version 1.6 standards which incorporate the most recent and up-to-date 
standards governing electronic communication, including additional 
standards that support Order No. 637, that implement the surety 
assessment performed by the Sandia National Laboratories, and that 
implement the WGQ's standards governing partial day recalls. The burden 
estimate does not include the costs of modifying, preparing and 
submitting tariff changes to reflect compliance with these standards 
since costs for tariff filings for phase two implementation of partial 
day recalls were previously included in the burden estimate in Order 
No. 587-N. The burden estimate is primarily related to start-up to 
implement the latest version of the standards and will not result in 
on-going costs.

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                                                                  Number of
               Data collection                   Number of      responses per      Hours per       Total number
                                                respondents       respondent        response         of hours
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FERC-549C...................................              93                1            2,248          209,064
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Total Annual Hours for Collection (Reporting and Recordkeeping, (if 
appropriate)) = 209,064.

    17. Information Collection Costs: The Commission seeks comments on 
the costs to comply with these requirements. It has projected the 
average annualized cost for all respondents to be the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              FERC-549C
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Annualized Capital/Startup Costs..........................   $11,763,971
Annualized Costs (Operations & Maintenance)...............             0
    Total Annualized Costs................................    11,763,971
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    18. OMB regulations \15\ require OMB to approve certain information 
collection requirements imposed by agency rule. The Commission is 
submitting notification of this proposed rule to OMB.
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    \15\ 5 CFR 1320.11.
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    Title: FERC-549C, Standards for Business Practices of Interstate 
Natural Gas Pipelines.
    Action: Proposed collection.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0174.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit, (Interstate natural gas 
pipelines (Not applicable to small business)).
    Frequency of Responses: One-time implementation (business 
procedures, capital/start-up).
    Necessity of Information: This proposed rule, if implemented, would 
upgrade the Commission's current business practice and communication 
standards to the latest edition approved by the WGQ (Version 1.6) as 
well as the standards governing partial day recalls approved by the 
WGQ. These standards include additional standards that support Order 
No. 637 and standards implementing the surety assessment performed by 
the Sandia National Laboratories. The implementation of these standards 
is necessary to increase the efficiency of the pipeline grid and is 
consistent with the mandate that agencies provide for electronic 
disclosure of information.\16\
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    \16\ 44 U.S.C. 3504 note, Pub. L. 105-277, 1701, 112 Stat. 2681-
749 (1998).
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    19. The information collection requirements of this proposed rule 
will be reported directly to the industry users. The implementation of 
these data requirements will help the Commission carry out its 
responsibilities under the Natural Gas Act to monitor activities of the 
natural gas industry to ensure its competitiveness and to assure the 
improved efficiency of the industry's operations. The Commission's 
Office of Markets, Tariffs and Rates will use the data in rate 
proceedings to review rate and tariff changes by natural gas companies 
for the transportation of gas, for general industry oversight, and to 
supplement the documentation used during the Commission's audit 
process.
    20. Internal Review: The Commission has reviewed the requirements 
pertaining to business practices and electronic communication with 
natural gas interstate pipelines and made a determination that the 
proposed revisions are necessary to establish a more efficient and 
integrated pipeline grid. Requiring such information

[[Page 72873]]

ensures both a common means of communication and common business 
practices which provide participants engaged in transactions with 
interstate pipelines with timely information and uniform business 
procedures across multiple pipelines. These requirements conform to the 
Commission's plan for efficient information collection, communication, 
and management within the natural gas industry. The Commission has 
assured itself, by means of its internal review, that there is 
specific, objective support for the burden estimates associated with 
the information requirements.
    21. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting 
requirements by contacting the following: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. (Attention: 
Michael Miller, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Phone: (202) 
502-8415, fax: (202) 208-2425, email: [email protected])
    22. Comments concerning the collection of information(s) and the 
associated burden estimate(s), should be sent to the contact listed 
above and to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20503 (Attention: Desk Officer 
for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, phone: (202) 395-7856, 
fax: (202) 395-7285).

Environmental Analysis

    23. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may 
have a significant adverse effect on the human environment.\17\ The 
Commission has categorically excluded certain actions from these 
requirements as not having a significant effect on the human 
environment.\18\ The actions proposed here fall within categorical 
exclusions in the Commission's regulations for rules that are 
clarifying, corrective, or procedural, for information gathering, 
analysis, and dissemination, and for sales, exchange, and 
transportation of natural gas that requires no construction of 
facilities.\19\ Therefore, an environmental assessment is unnecessary 
and has not been prepared in this NOPR.
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    \17\ Order No. 486, Regulations Implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act, 52 FR 47897 (Dec. 17, 1987), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. Preambles 1986-1990 ] 30,783 (1987).
    \18\ 18 CFR 380.4.
    \19\ See 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii), 380.4(a)(5), 380.4(a)(27).
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Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    24. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) \20\ generally 
requires a description and analysis of final rules that will have 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The regulations proposed here impose requirements only on interstate 
pipelines, which are not small businesses, and, these requirements are, 
in fact, designed to benefit all customers, including small businesses. 
Accordingly, pursuant to Sec.  605(b) of the RFA, the Commission hereby 
certifies that the regulations proposed herein will not have a 
significant adverse impact on a substantial number of small entities.
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    \20\ 5 U.S.C. 601-612.
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Comment Procedures

    25. The Commission invites interested persons to submit written 
comments on the matters and issues proposed in this notice to be 
adopted, including any related matters or alternative proposals that 
commenters may wish to discuss. Comments are due January 8, 2003. 
Comments must refer to Docket No. RM96-1-024, and may be filed either 
in electronic or paper format. Those filing electronically do not need 
to make a paper filing.
    26. Documents filed electronically via the Internet can be prepared 
in a variety of formats, including WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable 
Document Format, Rich Text Format, or ASCII format, as listed on the 
Commission's Web site at http://ferc.gov, under the e-Filing link. The 
e-Filing link provides instructions for how to Login and complete an 
electronic filing. First time users will have to establish a user name 
and password. The Commission will send an automatic acknowledgment to 
the sender's E-Mail address upon receipt of comments. User assistance 
for electronic filing is available at 202-502-8258 or by E-Mail to 
[email protected]. Comments should not be submitted to the E-Mail 
address.
    27. For paper filings, the original and 14 copies of such comments 
should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington DC 20426.
    28. All comments will be placed in the Commission's public files 
and will be available for inspection in the Commission's Public 
Reference Room at 888 First Street, NE., Washington DC 20426, during 
regular business hours. Additionally, all comments may be viewed, 
printed, or downloaded remotely via the Internet through FERC's 
Homepage using the FERRIS link.

Document Availability

    29. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the 
Internet through FERC's Home Page (http://www.ferc.gov) and in FERC's 
Public Reference Room during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
eastern time) at 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426.
    30. From FERC's Home Page on the Internet, this information is 
available in the Federal Energy Regulatory Records Information System 
(FERRIS). The full text of this document is available on FERRIS in PDF 
and WordPerfect format for viewing, printing, and/or downloading. To 
access this document in FERRIS, type the docket number excluding the 
last three digits of this document in the docket number field.
    31. User assistance is available for FERRIS and the FERC's website 
during normal business hours. Please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll-free at (866) 208-3676, or TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659.

List of Subjects in 18 CFR Part 284

    32. Continental shelf, Incorporation by reference, Natural gas, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    By direction of the Commission.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Commission proposes to amend 
part 284, chapter I, title 18, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 284--CERTAIN SALES AND TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL GAS UNDER THE 
NATURAL GAS POLICY ACT OF 1978 AND RELATED AUTHORITIES

    1. The authority citation for part 284 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 717-717w, 3301-3432; 42 U.S.C. 7101-7532; 
43 U.S.C. 1331-1356.

    2. Section 284.12 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(1)(i), 
(ii), (iii), (iv) and (v), to read as follows:


Sec.  284.12  Standards for pipeline business operations and 
communications.

    (a) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (i) Nominations Related Standards (Version 1.6, July 31, 2002) and 
the

[[Page 72874]]

standards contained in Recommendation R02002 (October 31, 2002);
    (ii) Flowing Gas Related Standards (Version 1.6, July 31, 2002);
    (iii) Invoicing Related Standards (Version 1.6, July 31, 2002);
    (iv) Electronic Delivery Mechanism Related Standards (Version 1.6, 
July 31, 2002) with the exception of Standard 4.3.4; and
    (v) Capacity Release Related Standards (Version 1.6, July 31, 
2002), with the exception of Standards 5.3.6 and 5.3.7, and the 
standards contained in Recommendations R02002 and R02002-2 (October 31, 
2002).
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 02-30996 Filed 12-6-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P