[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 140 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 44062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15738]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP16-13-000]


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

    Take notice that on July 10, 2020, Equitrans L.P. (Equitrans) 
requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) 
grant an extension of time, until December 1, 2020, to complete the 
abandonment of the Pratt Compressor Station facilities located in 
Greene County, Pennsylvania. The Pratt Compressor Station is being 
replaced by the Redhook Compressor Station as part of the Equitrans 
Expansion Project as authorized by the Commission's October 13, 2017 
Order Issuing Certificates and Granting Abandonment Authority 
(Certificate Order).\1\ Equitrans is required to abandon the Pratt 
Compressor Station facilities within one year of placing the Redhook 
Compressor Station into service.\2\
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    \1\ Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, 161 FERC 61,043 (2017).
    \2\ Equitrans, L.P., 162 FERC 61,191, at P 5 (2018).
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    On July 31, 2019, Equitrans placed the Redhook Compressor Station 
into service, establishing July 31, 2020 as the abandonment deadline 
for the Pratt Compressor Station facilities.
    On March 5, 2020, Commission staff granted Equitrans' request to 
proceed with abandonment activities at the Pratt Compressor Station, as 
well as its request for a variance to abandon-in-place several existing 
facilities that were approved for removal at the Pratt Compressor 
Station.\3\ Specifically, the variance permitted Equitrans to abandon-
in-place the H-117 pipeline receiver; the D-497 pipeline pig launcher 
and associated appurtenances; five buildings, including storage 
buildings, an office building, an electronics building, and the main 
water service building; a garage; and the foundation floor of the 
building housing the old Pratt compressor units.
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    \3\ Equitrans, L.P., Docket No. CP16-13-000 (unreported) (Letter 
Order under Delegated Authority) (2020) (Accession No. 20200305-
3024).
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    Equitrans asserts that it has experienced delays as a result of 
extra safety precautions taken due to the age of the building and 
equipment, safeguards taken with removal of the compressor building to 
ensure safety in direct vicinity of remaining equipment at the station, 
and inefficiencies resulting from newly developed processes related to 
the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the following facilities remain to be 
removed from the site: (a) 2,200 linear feet of piping; (b) six 
vessels; (c) five coolers; (d) compressor building basement; and (e) 
five compressors. Accordingly, Equitrans requests an extension of time 
until December 1, 2020, to complete abandonment of the Pratt Compressor 
Station facilities.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Equitrans' request 
for an extension of time 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) and the Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10).\4\
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    \4\ 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,\5\ the 
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 
days.\6\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether 
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the 
extension.\7\ 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.\8\ The OEP 
Director, or his or her designee, will act on all of those extension 
requests that are uncontested.
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    \5\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
    \6\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \7\ Id. at P 40.
    \8\ 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 eFile link at 
http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically may mail 
similar pleadings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand delivered submissions in 
docketed proceedings should be delivered to Health and Human Services, 
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 30, 2020.

    Dated: July 15, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-15738 Filed 7-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P