[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7520-7521]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3650]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-436-001]


Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Amendment

February 7, 2003.
    Take notice that on January 29, 2003, Northern Natural Gas Company 
(Northern), 1111 South 103rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1000, filed 
in the above referenced docket, an amendment to its original 
application that was filed on September 30, 2002, pursuant to section 
7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and part 157 of the Commission's 
rules and regulations. The original application sought a certificate of 
public convenience to construct and operate certain compression, 
pipeline, and town border station (TBS) facilities, with appurtances, 
located in various counties in Minnesota in order to expand the 
capacity of Northern's Market Area facilities (Project MAX). Northern's 
amendment proposes to amend its September 30, 2002, application to 
include the modification of three additional existing TBS facilities 
and the upgrade of the proposed Popple Creek Compressor Station, all 
located in Minnesota, all as more fully described in the application. 
This filing is available for review at the Commission in the Public 
Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``FERRIS'' link. Enter the docket number 
excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC at 
[email protected] or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676, or for 
TTY, (202) 502-8659.
    Northern states that in response to additional customer requests, 
Northern held an open season from December 13 through December 23, 
2002, for capacity on its St. Cloud branchline to provide service 
beginning November 1, 2003, to be included in Northern's Project MAX 
expansion. Northern received requests from two customers for 5,770 of 
incremental throughput and realignment of 9,961 Mcf/d from other Market 
Area Points. In order to provide such service, Northern proposes to 
amend the September 30, 2002, application to include the modification 
of Deerwood TBS, Sherwood Forest TBS, and Sartell 1 TBS and 
the installation of a 1,500 horsepower (HP) compressor unit instead of 
the 1,000 HP unit originally proposed at the new Popple Creek 
Compressor Station. Northern states that it will mitigate the impacts, 
if necessary, to ensure that the noise level at the noise sensitive 
areas (NSA) will not exceed the required 55 Ldn noise level. Northern 
estimates that the total estimated capital cost of the facility 
modifications proposed is $457,000. Northern proposes that costs of the 
facility modifications and the facilities in the September 30, 2002, 
application be rolled-in to Northern's Market Area rates in its next 
general rate case once the subject facilities are placed in-service.
    Northern requests that the Commission issue an order granting 
approval of the subject facilities by no

[[Page 7521]]

later than May 1, 2003, in order to ensure an in-service date of 
November 1, 2003.
    Any questions regarding the application should be directed to Mary 
Kay Miller, Vice President, Regulatory & Customer Service, Northern 
Natural Gas Company, P.O. Box 3330,Omaha, Nebraska 68103-0330, 
telephone (402) 398-7060 or Michael T. Loeffler, Director Certificates 
and Community Relations, Northern Natural Gas Company, P.O. Box 3330, 
Omaha, Nebraska 68103-0330, telephone (402) 398-7103.
    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 the comment date stated below 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 in the proceeding. with the Commission 
and must mail a copy to the applicant and to every other party. 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.
    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. 
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings.
    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.
    Comment Date: February 28, 2003.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-3650 Filed 2-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P