[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 171 (Friday, September 3, 2004)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 53800-53801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20084]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 342

[Docket No. RM93-11-002; Order No. 650]


Revisions to Oil Pipeline Regulations Pursuant to the Energy 
Policy Act of 1992

Issued August 27, 2004.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is amending a certain 
regulation following a judicial determination that the Commission acted 
properly in establishing the oil pipeline rate index.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The rule will become effective September 3, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harris Wood, Office of General 
Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426; (202) 502-8224.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Before Commissioners: Pat Wood, III, Chairman; Nora Mead Brownell, 
Joseph T. Kelliher, and Suedeen G. Kelly. Revisions to oil pipeline 
regulations pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992; Docket No. RM93-
11-002.
    1. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is 
modifying a certain regulation pertaining to oil pipeline ratemaking 
following a judicial determination upholding the Commission's 
determination that the appropriate index for oil pipeline rate changes 
is the Producer Price Index, from and after July 2001.

Background and Discussion

    2. On October 22, 1993, in response to the requirements of Title 
XVIII of the Energy Policy Act of 1992,\1\ the Commission issued Order 
No. 561,\2\ in which the Commission comprehensively revised the 
Commission's regulation of the oil pipeline industry. Among other 
things, Order No. 561 established a price cap for oil pipeline rates, 
to be adjusted annually based upon changes in the Producer Price Index 
for Finished Goods (published each May by the U.S. Department of Labor, 
Bureau of Labor Statistics) minus one percent (PPI-1). Order No. 561 
recognized that its responsibilities under the Interstate Commerce 
Act,\3\ to both shippers and pipelines, required monitoring of the 
relationship between the change in the selected index and the actual 
cost changes experienced by the industry. Therefore, the Commission 
stated that it would review the choice of index every 5 years.\4\
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    \1\ 42 U.S.C.A. 7172 note (West Supp. 1993). References to the 
Energy Policy Act are to this note, indicating the section number of 
the statute.
    \2\ Revisions to Oil Pipeline Regulations Pursuant to the Energy 
Policy Act of 1992, FERC Stats. & Regs. (Regs. Preambles, 1991-
1996), ] 30,985 (1993); order on reh'g., FERC Stats. & Regs. (Regs. 
Preambles, 1991-1996) ] 31,000; aff'd., Association of Oil Pipe 
Lines v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 83 F.3d 1424 (D.C. 
Cir. 1996).
    \3\ 49 U.S.C. app. 1 (1988).
    \4\ Order No. 561, ] 30,985 at 30,952.
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    3. On July 27, 2000, the Commission issued a notice of inquiry in 
Docket No. RM00-11-000 on its five-year review of the oil pricing 
index.\5\ After receiving and considering comments of numerous parties, 
the Commission affirmed that the PPI-1 index closely approximated the 
actual cost changes in the oil pipeline industry as reported in FERC 
Form No. 6, and concluded that this index continued to satisfy the 
mandates of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.\6\ Review of this order was 
sought by the Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL), and on March 1, 
2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit remanded the 
proceeding to the Commission for further review and explanation, 
particularly with respect to the choice of PPI-1 as the appropriate 
index for future oil pipeline rate changes.\7\
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    \5\ FERC Statutes & Regulations [Notices] ] 35,536 (2000).
    \6\ 93 FERC ] 61,266 (2000).
    \7\ Association of Oil Pipe Lines v. FERC, 281 F.3d 239 (D.C. 
Cir. 2002).
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    4. Two separate petitions for Commission action on the remand by 
the Court were filed, one by AOPL, and the other jointly by Sinclair 
Oil Corporation and Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company (Shippers). 
AOPL argued for the use of the PPI, while Shippers urged the Commission 
to reaffirm its decision to use PPI-1, as the appropriate index to 
measure cost changes in the oil pipeline industry. On February 24, 
2003, the Commission issued its order on remand, determining after 
further cost data analysis that the appropriate oil pricing index for 
the current five year period should be the PPI.\8\ Review of this order 
was sought by the Shippers, and on April 9, 2004, the Court affirmed 
the Commission.\9\
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    \8\ 102 FERC ] 61,195 (2003).
    \9\ Flying J Inc., et al. v. Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 363 F. 3d 495 (D.C. Cir. 2004).
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    5. In view of the Court's finding that the Commission had acted 
properly in establishing the PPI as the appropriate oil pricing index, 
the Commission amends 18 CFR part 342, section 342.3(d)(2) by deleting 
``, and then subtracting 0.01'' from the end of that section.

Information Collection Statement

    6. There is no need for Office of Management and Budget review \10\ 
under section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,\11\ since 
this final rule does not affect information collection and 
recordkeeping requirements.
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    \10\ 5 CFR 1320.11.
    \11\ 44 U.S.C. 3507(d).
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Environmental Analysis

    7. 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.\12\ 
However, the Commission has categorically excluded certain actions from 
this requirement as not having a significant effect on the human 
environment.\13\ The clarifying and corrective nature of the change 
here promulgated qualifies for such an exclusion.\14\
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    \12\ 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).
    \13\ 18 CFR 380.4.
    \14\ 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii).
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Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    8. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) \15\ generally 
requires a description and analysis of final rules that will have 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
Inasmuch as the change here promulgated reduces the complexity of oil 
pipeline ratemaking, the change will have no significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities.

[[Page 53801]]

Accordingly, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required.
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    \15\ 5 U.S.C. 601-612
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Document Availability

    9. 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. 
The full text of this document is available on the FERC's Home Page at 
the eLibrary link. To access this document in eLibrary, type the docket 
number excluding the last three digits of this document in the docket 
number field and follow other directions on the search page.
    10. User assistance is available for eLibrary and other aspects of 
the FERC's Web site during normal business hours. For assistance, 
contact FERC Online Support at [email protected], or call 
toll-free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

Effective Date

    11.These regulations are effective immediately, pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 533(b), upon the date of publication in the Federal Register. 
The Commission is issuing this as a final rule without a period for 
public comment, because under 5 U.S.C. 533(b), notice and comment 
procedures are unnecessary where a rulemaking concerns only agency 
procedure and practice or where the agency finds notice and comment 
unnecessary. Inasmuch as the change promulgated in this proceeding is 
consistent with a court remand and subsequent affirmance of the 
Commission's order on remand, and because substantial public comments 
have already been made on the substance of the change, the Commission 
finds that further notice and comment are unnecessary. The provisions 
of 5 U.S.C. 801 regarding Congressional review of Final Rules does not 
apply to this Final Rule, because the rule concerns agency procedure 
and practice and will not substantially affect the rights of non-agency 
parties.

Congressional Notification

    12. The Commission has determined with the concurrence of the 
Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of 
the Office of Management and Budget, that this rule is not a major rule 
within the meaning of section 251 of the Small Business Regulatory 
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.\16\ The Commission will submit the 
Final Rule to both Houses of Congress and the General Accounting 
Office.\17\
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    \16\ See 5 U.S.C. 804(2)(2000).
    \17\ See 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A)(2000).
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List of Subjects in 18 CFR Part 342

    Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    By the Commission.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.

0
In consideration of the foregoing, the Commission amends part 342, 
chapter I, title 18, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

SUBCHAPTER P--REGULATIONS UNDER THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT

PART 342--OIL PIPELINE RATE METHODOLOGIES AND PROCEDURES


Sec.  342.3  [Amended]

0
1. Part 342, section 342.3(d)(2) is amended by removing the words '', 
and then subtracting 0.01''.

[FR Doc. 04-20084 Filed 9-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P