[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 109 (Friday, June 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34619-34620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12231]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP19-218-000]


Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Request for Extension of Time

    Take notice that on May 22, 2020, Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) 
requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) 
grant an extension of time, until March 31, 2021, to construct and 
place into service its TP-4555 Bare Pipe Replacement Project (Project) 
located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. authorized on July 3, 
2019. The Project will enable abandonment of approximately 3.85 miles 
of 20-inch-diameter pipeline on the TP-4555 pipeline, replacing it with 
a newly constructed approximately 3.92 miles of 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline.
    Equitrans was initially required to construct the facilities and 
place them into service by July 3, 2020. Equitrans now requests a nine-
month extension of this deadline through March 31, 2021. Equitrans 
states that due to delays in receiving the required Pennsylvania 
Department of Environmental Protection permits, Equitrans was unable to 
begin construction until May 12, 2020. Accordingly, Equitrans proposes 
a new construction schedule, deferring the projected in-service date 
for the facilities to no later than March 31, 2021.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Equitrans request 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 Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 
385.211)

[[Page 34620]]

and the Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10). \1\
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    \1\ Only motions to intervene from entities that were party to 
the underlying proceeding will be accepted. Algonquin Gas 
Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 39 (2020).
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    As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on 
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for Natural 
Gas Act facilities when such requests are contested before order 
issuance. For those extension requests that are contested,\2\ the 
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 
days.\3\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether 
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the 
extension.\4\ 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.\5\ 
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.\6\ The OEP Director, or 
his or her designee, will act on all of those extension requests that 
are uncontested.
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    \2\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
    \3\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \4\ Id. at P 40.
    \5\ 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.
    \6\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
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    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 the Commission's Home Page (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. At this time, 
the Commission has suspended access to Commission's Public Reference 
Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency concerning 
the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), issued by the President on 
March 13, 2020. 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 June 16, 2020.

    Dated: June 1, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-12231 Filed 6-4-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P