[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 9786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03644]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 8640]


Notice of Receipt of an Application by Plains Pipeline, L.P. for 
Issuance of a Presidential Permit To Operate and Maintain Existing 
Pipeline Facilities on the Border of the United States and Canada

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice of Receipt of an Application by Plains Pipeline, L.P. 
for Issuance of a Presidential Permit to Operate and Maintain Existing 
Pipeline Facilities on the Border of the United States and Canada.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that on December 20, 2013, the 
Department of State (DOS) received from Plains Pipeline, L.P. (``Plains 
Pipeline'') notice that it has acquired the rights to operate and 
maintain a portion of the Poplar Pipeline (formerly the Wascana 
Pipeline) in Sheridan County, Montana that is currently permitted under 
a 2007 Presidential Permit issued in the name of two Plains Pipeline 
affiliates: PMC (Nova Scotia) Company and Plains Marketing Canada L.P., 
collectively (``PMC''). Plains Pipeline requests that a Presidential 
Permit be issued in its name with respect to the pipeline facilities. 
END SUMMARY
    Plains Pipeline is a subsidiary of Plains All American Pipeline, 
L.P. (Plains), a publically traded master limited partnership with 
headquarters in Houston, Texas. Plains is engaged in the 
transportation, storage, and marketing of crude oil, refined products, 
and natural gas-related petroleum products.
    The current Permit, issued in 2007 to PMC (Nova Scotia) Company and 
Plains Marketing Canada L.P., covers the 56.8-mile long Poplar 
Pipeline, previously called the Wascana Pipeline, which extends from 
the Murphy Oil terminal northeast of Poplar, Montana, to the 
international border near Raymond, Montana, and which was constructed 
pursuant to authorization in a 1972 Permit issued to Wascana Pipeline 
Corp. Plains Pipeline has acquired an approximately 6.4-mile segment of 
the Poplar Pipeline extending from Raymond Station to the international 
border, repaired and replaced portions of the pipeline in that area, 
and installed two block valves. Plains Pipeline has submitted an 
application for a new Presidential Permit in its name and requests that 
the new Permit cover approximately 85 feet of pipeline facilities 
extending from a new block valve to the international border. Plains 
Pipeline has reported that it has separately constructed the Bakken 
North pipeline that extends from Trenton, North Dakota to Raymond 
Station, and that it intends to interconnect the Bakken North with the 
Poplar Pipeline in order to use the Poplar Pipeline border crossing to 
transport the Bakken North crude into Canada.
    Plains Pipeline has stated that, upon returning the upgraded 
pipeline facilities to service under the 2007 Presidential Permit, 
Plains Pipeline will continue to operate the acquired facilities for 
the same purpose of transporting crude oil between the United States 
and Canada. It has further stated that the acquired pipeline facilities 
and the operation and maintenance thereof authorized by the 2007 Permit 
will remain substantially the same as before the transfer of the 
facilities to Plains Pipeline. Plains Pipeline is not seeking 
authorization for new construction or a change in operations.
    Under E.O. 13337, the Secretary of State is designated and 
empowered to receive all applications for Presidential Permits for the 
construction, connection, operation, or maintenance at the borders of 
the United States of facilities for the exportation or importation of 
liquid petroleum, petroleum products, or other fuels (except natural 
gas) to or from a foreign country. The Department of State is 
circulating this application to concerned federal agencies for comment. 
The Department of State has the responsibility to determine whether 
issuance of a new Presidential Permit in light of Plains' acquisition 
and continued operation of the pipeline facilities would serve the U.S. 
national interest.
    Plains Pipeline's application is available at http://www.state.gov/e/enr/applicant.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments within 30 days 
of the publication date of this notice with regard to whether issuing a 
new Presidential Permit to Plains Pipeline would serve the national 
interest. Comments may be submitted through the regulations.gov comment 
portal. Comments are not private. They will be posted on the site 
http://www.regulations.gov. The comments will not be edited to remove 
identifying or contact information, and the State Department cautions 
against including any information that one does not want publicly 
disclosed. The State Department requests that any party soliciting or 
aggregating comments received from other persons for submission to the 
State Department inform those persons that the State Department will 
not edit their comments to remove identifying or contact information, 
and that they should not include any information in their comments that 
they do not want publicly disclosed.

ADDRESSES: To submit comments, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
(http://www.regulations.gov), enter the Docket No. DOS-2014-000, and 
follow the prompts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Energy Diplomacy, Energy 
Resources Bureau (ENR/EDP/EWA) Department of State, 2201 C St. NW., 
Ste. 4843, Washington, DC 20520, Attn: Michael Brennan Tel: 202-647-
7553.

    Dated: February 12, 2014.
Michael Brennan,
Energy Officer, Office of Europe, Western Hemisphere and Africa, Bureau 
of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2014-03644 Filed 2-19-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P