[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40506-40507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17506]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP18-535-000]


Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Request Under 
Blanket Authorization

    Take notice that on July 31, 2018, Southern Star Central Gas 
Pipeline, Inc. (Southern Star) 4700 State Highway 56, Owensboro, 
Kentucky 42301, filed in Docket No. CP18-535-000 a prior notice request 
pursuant to sections 157.205 and 157.208 of the Commission's 
regulations under the Natural Gas Act (NGA), and Southern Star's 
blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP82-479-000, to increase the 
maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) and maximum operating 
pressure (MOP) on Southern Star's QB Pipeline (Line QB) in Johnson 
County, Kansas.
    Southern Star states that Line QB is a 26-inch pipeline that runs 
between the South Glavin Station and the Glavin Station in Johnson 
County, Kansas, serving the Kansas City Metropolitan area in Kansas and 
Missouri. Most of Line QB was installed in the late 1940's. Due to the 
age of the line, the MAOP of Line QB was established under the 
``Grandfather Clause'' of the regulations of the United States 
Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), Pipeline and Hazardous 
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The MAOP of Line QB 
established under the Grandfather Clause is 260 pounds per square inch 
gauge (psig). Southern Star avers that Line QB was unintentionally 
over-pressured due to the failure of a regulator. In response to the 
increase in pressure above the grandfathered MAOP, Southern Star 
conducted a hydrostatic pressure test meeting the requirements of 
PHMSA's regulations. The results of that pressure test support an MAOP 
of 280 psig, an increase from the 260 psig grandfathered MAOP. Southern 
Star requests to increase both the MAOP and the MOP of Line QB to 280 
psig to match the new MAOP supported by the recent pressure test under 
PHMSA's regulations.
    Southern Star asserts that, like Line QB, its 26-inch Line QC also 
begins at the South Glavin Station. Line QC has an MAOP/MOP of 280 
psig, and both lines have a common source of gas, Southern Star's 26-
inch Line Q. Therefore, uprating Line QB to match the pressure on Line 
QC will allow Southern Star to equalize pressure in Line QB and Line QC 
to share regulation and essentially be operated as one system and more 
efficiently.
    Southern Star states that no increased capacity is expected to 
occur, and no additional costs are required to increase the MAOP/MOP of 
Southern Star's Line QB, all as more fully set forth in the application 
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. The 
filing may also be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov using the 
``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659.
    Any questions concerning this application may be directed to Cindy 
Thompson, Manager, Regulatory, Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, 
Inc., 4700 Highway 56, Owensboro, Kentucky 42301, by telephone at (270) 
852-4655, or by email at [email protected].
    Any person or the Commission's staff may, within 60 days after 
issuance of the instant notice by the Commission, file pursuant to Rule 
214 of the Commission's Procedural Rules (18 CFR 385.214) a motion to 
intervene or notice of intervention and pursuant to section 157.205 of 
the regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.205), a protest to the 
request. If no protest is filed within the time allowed therefore, the 
proposed activity shall be deemed to be

[[Page 40507]]

authorized effective the day after the time allowed for filing a 
protest. If a protest is filed and not withdrawn within 30 days after 
the allowed time for filing a protest, the instant request shall be 
treated as an application for authorization pursuant to section 7 of 
the NGA.
    Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Commission's rules (18 CFR 157.9), 
within 90 days of this Notice, the Commission staff will either: 
complete its environmental assessment (EA) and place it into the 
Commission's public record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or issue a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review. If a Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review is issued, it will indicate, among other 
milestones, the anticipated date for the Commission staff's issuance of 
the EA for this proposal. The filing of the EA in the Commission's 
public record for this proceeding or the issuance of a Notice of 
Schedule for Environmental Review will serve to notify federal and 
state agencies of the timing for the completion of all necessary 
reviews, and the subsequent need to complete all federal authorizations 
within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's EA.
    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 strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, 
protests, and interventions in lieu of paper using the ``eFiling'' link 
at http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should 
submit an original and seven copies of the protest or intervention to 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20426.

    Dated: August 8, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-17506 Filed 8-14-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P