[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 64 (Thursday, April 2, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18573-18574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06816]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP15-8-000]


Northwest Pipeline LLC; Notice of Extension of Time Request

    Take notice that on March 12, 2020, Northwest Pipeline LLC 
(Northwest) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) grant an extension of time, until April 11, 2022, to 
construct and place into service the facilities for its Kalama Lateral 
Project authorized on April 11, 2016. The Kalama Lateral Project would 
enable Northwest to provide service to the proposed methanol facility 
of Northwest Innovation Works Kalama LLC (NWIW).
    Northwest was initially required to construct the facilities and 
place them into service by April 11, 2018. On April 11, 2018, the 
Office of Energy Projects, by delegated order, extended the deadline 
through April 11, 2019. On April 10, 2019 the Office of Energy 
Projects, by delegated order, extended the deadline through April 11, 
2020. Northwest now requests a two-year extension of this deadline 
through April 11, 2022. Northwest states that the basis for the 
previous extensions of time, as well as this one, are based upon 
permitting issues encountered by the NWIW methanol plant.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on the extension motion 
may do so. No reply comments or answers will be considered. If you wish 
to obtain legal status by becoming a party to the proceedings for this 
request, you should, on or before the comment date stated below, file a 
motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and

[[Page 18574]]

Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10). However, only motions to intervene 
from entities that were party to the underlying proceeding will be 
accepted.
    As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on 
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for NGA 
facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. For 
those extension requests that are contested,\1\ the Commission acting 
as a whole will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 
days.\2\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether 
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the 
extension. The Commission will not consider arguments that re-litigate 
the issuance of the certificate order, including whether the Commission 
properly found the project to be in the public convenience and 
necessity and whether the Commission's environmental analysis for the 
certificate complied with the National Environmental Policy Act.\3\ At 
the time a pipeline requests an extension of time, orders on 
certificates of public convenience and necessity are final and the 
Commission will not re-litigate their issuance. The OEP Director, or 
his or her designee, will act on all of those extension requests that 
are uncontested.
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    \1\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
    \2\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \3\ Similarly, the Commission will not re-litigate the issuance 
of an NGA section 3 authorization, including whether a proposed 
project is not inconsistent with the public interest and whether the 
Commission's environmental analysis for the permit order complied 
with NEPA.
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    The extension request is available for review at the Commission in 
the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's website 
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, contact FERC at 
[email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY, 
(202) 502-8659.
    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 three copies of the protest or intervention to 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 1, 2020.

    Dated: March 17, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-06816 Filed 4-1-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P